Even humans have miserable days.............

Has anyone ever seen a cat when it is miserable? The ears will be flat, the body hunched and the expression morose. Yes, all you cat lovers out there......you will recognise this picture, especially if your cat is stuck out in the rain (unless your cat is like Ceepha who loved rain!). Sometimes I wish my ears would go flat when I am feeling out of sorts! Dear oh dear what an image, I ask you, ha ha? Still, hopefully you know what I mean? Actually, when you are feeling like that, everything around you seems to be the same. Oh yes, that pouring rain is miserable. Indeed, that 'did fancy but have now decided you don't want it' packet of crisps' is miserable. The fact it is freezing cold in spring is very miserable. A grumpy husband is miserable. The cat sitting on your net book while you try to type is miserable. Oh heck everything is miserable!!!! I had a day like that recently and just wanted to shut myself away and hide. I didn't feel that way for any reason I could see. I just woke up miserable. What can I say? Good grief, I must have had a miserable dream??
On the plus side I also have days where everything is fantastic. Hey that sun beam kissing your skin is fantastic.Yes that 'just had to have a piece of scrumptious looking cake' is fantastic. The fact it is just like the middle of summer in early spring is fantastic. A wonderful husband surprising you with flowers is fantastic. Ripley cat snuggled up in your arms, purring loudly with happiness, is fantastic. Oh yes the whole wide world is fantastic!!
Why is it that our mood can reflect on what we perceive around us? Does a miserable mood cloud our view of what is happening? Does a happy mood mean everything goes well all day? Is this a case of positive attitude verses negative attitude? In fact are humans the only ones that this happens do? Do cats have positive moods? Well actually they must do, as sometimes my cats race around like the whole world is the most amazing place, and even chasing the wind is fun to do. I wonder if they actively act this way or is it a reactive instinctive trait? I mean how do cats know when they are miserable? Do their ears automatically go down? Why don't mine, ha ha?
Oh dear this blog is getting rather silly today, but still what fun! I can't recall the last time I have used so many exclamation marks and question marks. Hey ho, today is a fantastic day...........

Ginger cats galore.............

There is no doubt about it......I love ginger tom cats! I have no idea what it is about them, or why I am drawn to them, but sure enough I will pick the ginger fluffs out of a kitten  litter over every other colour. Most of the time ginger cats are males but as you all know I do actually have a ginger female called Peanut. She was the runt of the litter and not expected to survive, so my husband picked her out of the rest of the litter to see if we could keep her alive. She was so tiny, hence the name, but boy oh boy is she is a crotchety old girl now! Still small, but  full of grumpy personality.
I suppose the very fact that the front cover had a ginger cat on it was the reason why I was drawn to a book I have just finished reading. 'A Street Cat Named Bob' was so easy to read that it took me just one day to complete from cover to cover. I was tickled by the book cover, but what actually made me buy it was the back sleeve. There was a picture of a young man called James Bowen, and draped over his shoulder was Bob. The photograph captured the character of Bob so vividly....and of course I immediately drew comparisons with Jonesy, and how he would hang over my shoulder............that I didn't even stop. I bought the book right there and then, and read it all straight away. Okay so I know I am now officially a mad cat woman!! My family have been calling me that for a while now, ha ha, and it didn't help when I bought a book called 'Dewey' last year. Yes you have guessed it? Dewey was a ginger cat who was abandoned in the night drop box of a small town library in America , and indeed there was a ginger cat was on the front cover, and yes indeed that was what attracted me to read it! Not only that but I have a ginger 'jelly cat' on my bed. So yes, it is official....I am barking mad. Or should that be meowing mad? I don't actually mind being mad, ha ha, as it is a cosy good little world to be in...and it is full of furry ginger cats who keep me company. So there!!
Well it is Easter Sunday and I am having a chilled quiet time with my immediate family. Yesterday we visited my eldest son and his family, and tomorrow my parents are visiting for lunch. Today will be restful and peaceful I hope, just myself, my husband, the youngest son...and two slightly demented ageing female cats. We have had to hide all the chocolate Easter eggs and Easter cakes from them, though. The strange thing is that, as the two of them have got older, they seem to have developed a rather sweet tooth. Human food, and in particular sweet stuff, is not good for any animals, but you would not believe the frenzy the two of them go into if them sniff cake? I am often known to gesticulate wildly when chatting, even when I have food in my hands (must be the continental blood in me?) and that is a dangerous thing to do when a cat is perched on the back of the sofa. It has been pointed out to me, on many occasions, that I am just a hair's breath away from having the food literally snatched from my hand by a darting paw. I still haven't learnt, and in fact last night I was pounced on by Ripley, who seemed to have developed some sort of freaky dancing head movement as I waved my hand...and cake...about. The situation ended up with me shouting loudly and holding my hand high above my head while she frantically lurched about on my lap with her teeth snapping together. It is my own fault I know, but how on earth did the girls come to have such a craving for sweet foods? Jonesy would sometimes like a tiny piece of cake, but he was never as addicted as these two? Now cheese was another story, but hey ho!
Well I must say that right now, although the weather is a touch overcast and gloomy for Easter, I am now very happy to be on a weeks holiday from work. Not that I intend to do much, but it will be a rest and it will be nice to do as I wish. You know I never would have believed it but sometimes I long for the days when I was a mum-at-home, ha ha. I never had it so good. Okay back to cooking the roast leg of lamb for Sunday lunch, and back to trawling the internet to see if I can find out more about Bob the street cat. The book mentions YouTube....so watch out here I come......................

The big chill returns.....

Good grief what has happened? Last week we were in the grip of a heatwave............this week it's like the weather has turned it's nose up and laughed at our foolish gullibility!!! It is freezing, let's make no bones about it. Indeed today I have had to turn my heating back on, let alone I have a woolly jumper tightly wrapped round my body ( with it's zip done right up to my chin!). In fact I have drunk so much coffee to make me warm, that I may just spend all evening in the littlest room of the house ('toilet' for those who are mystified by my cryptic musings).
So where are the cats, you may ask? I mean we all know cats are not daft! They will not suffer the cold unless they have no choice. My beautiful ageing moggies are also not stupid. Ripley is snuggled so far into my side that every time I type her head gets bashed a little. Has she moved? Heck no way! Why move from a warm body pumped full of hot coffee? Any time I shift my arm she chirps in protest, so I am now tapping away in the most ridiculous manner with one arm high so I don't bash her....and yes, it does ache...and no, Ripley does not appear to care. talk about a pampered animal. Peanut is sprawled out on the computer. Although it has a fan to cool it down, the top is actually mildly warm when the computer is being used. It's like having your own personal cat blanket, albeit a rather hard one! You would be amazed at how much hair and fluff you get with a wriggling cat on a computer? Does she wiggle much? Not really, unless she is dreaming. Peanut is not well right now and seems to struggle to get comfortable, so we let her lay around as she wishes. Right now, for some reason, the computer seems to be the place she is happiest. Who knows what goes on in a cat's mind?
Well I am on holiday next week and it looks suspiciously like I could be digging my recently pot planted shrubs out of frost and snow. As for my poor large house plants that I carefully, and joyously, placed around my patio in anticipation of an Easter weekend of alfresco dining...well all I can say is I may not have any left to bring back into my sun lounge after the autumn, unlike previous years. Frost bite may kill them all!
Right, I think I will act like my cats for the duration of today and snuggle right down between the cushions on my sofa. It's times like this I miss Jonesy on my lap as large tom cats work like furry, purring, hot water bottles! In fact I may even indulge in a bit of self preservation by digging out the hot water bottle from under the towels, in the airing cupboard (don't ask why it is there....it seemed a good idea at the time, when I thought spring had arrived). Oh, and before you mention namby pamby wuss southerners I am off to get my dinner, ha ha...........

Old Man time catches up with us all..............

Spring is in the air and it has been the most gloriously sunny week. Indeed the just a glance of the sun makes you feel all smiley inside....and put a smile on your face. It doesn't seem that long ago that we were doing the garden last autumn when Jonesy was flitting about as he started to become ill. All of a sudden we are doing the garden again, planting pretty flowers in tubs and placing the large house plants outside. Time seems to speed past at a maddening rate these days, and it sometimes is hard to stop and take stock. Today I was fortunate to have one of those times when I could sit and swing merrily on my swing seat as I watched the girl cats, Peanut and Ripley, delicately weave in and out of the grass paths on the lawn. Ripley even had a mad cat moment where she leapt about, pouncing on nothing, and meowing wildly at the sky, while her tail ended up like a fluffy bush, all doubled in size! Why do their tails do that I wonder? It's hard for me to say this but I am pretty sure that Jonesy's mum Peanut is not going to live much longer!! She has got pretty thin and today she was definitely wobbly on her back legs. She is almost 17 years old and seems to be tired and weary. When she did eventually go into the garden the effort seemed to exhaust her. Although Ripley is the same age she certainly is far more lively and well. We are all worried about Peanut and are giving her lots of love and attention, and my husband and I have discussed taking her to the vets. But both of us have said we know what the vet will say! I cant talk about it much because I still am heartbroken about Jonesy. My husband just says he cant take her.....even though we really know we need some advice. Don't get me wrong. She is eating, meowing like normal, drinking, etc, but she is tired.....and we can see that. This is the part I hate about having pets. Part of life, yes, but not a part I like!!
So... Easter is almost here. Spring is in the air. There is much to look forward to, including my week off just after Easter, yippee. How shall I spend that week? Well I intend to do little, eat what I wish and generally doss about!!! I cant wait :-) Watch this space for my blog on how to spend a week doing nothing, ha ha........