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Thursday 29 January 2015

Sight-Seeing and Making Daub


Blickling Hall, Norfolk, UK
1, 2, 3, 4, 5...6... Well I'm back and all of my cats are accounted for! To be honest I think my brother quite liked taking care of them whilst I was away. I absolutely loved it in the UK and spent many an hour entertaining my four month old twin nieces with funny voices, even funnier faces, and just all round games. I also enjoyed exploring the county of Norfolk where they live and visited country houses, tea shops and book stores to name a few. I must have taken a couple hundred of photos to boot and when it came to packing my bag in preparation for the flight home, I have to admit it was a squeeze! I'd gone a little crazy in the DVD shop and treated myself to a few sweet treats I can't get back in France. I'd picked up a few supplies for my needle felt creations too.
Southwold, UK
Now I'm back home it all seems so far away and to top it off it's raining. But I'm doing something rather unusual today. The property in which I live is hundreds of years old and in need of restoration. Part of that work includes the rebuilding of a wall in wattle and daub. For those of you unsure what that is, wattle is a weaving method using oak staves and then hazel withes. You then cover this is daub- a messy mix of mud, sand, lime, straw and horse hair. It's very eco-friendly and a method that would have been used in the building originally, but as I said- very messy! I have been up to my ankles (in riding boots) stamping the daub mix for good chunks of time. I suppose it must be a good work-out but the cats are gathering round and looking at me as though to say what on earth are you doing!? In fact it reminded me of a scene in The True Story of a Not So Crazy Cat Lady in which Harriet and Dan get stuck in some mud. Unfortunately I didn't have a handsome man to rescue me today, as she did, but at least I won't feel so bad about eating that cream egg later!

An English Country Pub

**Don't forget ** This month, The True Story of a Not So Crazy Cat Lady is in 'Your Cat' magazine and there are five copies to win for readers in the UK. Don't miss out on your chance to take part!




Monday 19 January 2015

Nieces and Kritters

In a few days I will be off to the UK to visit my nieces. They are twins, only four months old and the sweetest little things (of course). They are the first in a new generation in my family and I really don't want to miss out on watching them grow. The last time I held them they were only a week old but going by the photos I have been sent over the months they have changed A LOT since then!
I'm really looking forward to the trip, back to country I have to admit I miss a bit, but of course the only trouble with going away is leaving the cats behind. On this occasion I have my brother to count on. Ok so the cats are scared of him; his feet are so much bigger than mine, his voice somewhat deeper, and they may wonder what on earth he think's he's doing trying to pick them up!
I know I'll miss the critters whilst I'm away, and they may sulk at having a few less cuddles. I'll be sure to give them a hug before I leave and promise I won't be too long, and then I'll try not to worry whether they'll still be there when I get back every time I go to sleep.

Archie does his best to win the king of cute award!



Friday 16 January 2015

Wednesday 7 January 2015

Baby Photos!

From left to right; Cookie, Debbie and Hercules
Don't you just love looking back through all of your old photographs and finding those of your cat(s) when they were so small they could still fit in the palm of your hand? I remember wondering back then what those tiny little kittens would look like when they grew up... I wasn't disappointed one bit!
I remember one particular occasion when three kittens of mine, Hercules, Cookie and their sister Debbie were all curled up together in a pair of my dad's work boots. Their mother had nipped out to catch mice that afternoon and Cookie would not settle. He squeaked and squeaked and squeaked...constantly! He wanted his mum. I felt like I was baby sitting, but not very successfully! Thankfully my mum came to the rescue. A mother of six herself she knows how to deal with unhappy babies and amazingly as soon as she picked up that little kitten and worked her magic, he fell straight to sleep in her arms.
Cookie was in many ways the inspiration for the character of Modi in the The True Story of a Not So Crazy Cat Lady. I think we all have a Modi in our lives...get in touch and share your story. I'd love to hear from you :)



Hercules swats his little sister with a paw...
...then realises he's been seen!

Debbie sleeps soundly in a boot.

Monday 5 January 2015

Thank you!

Today I'd like to say a big thank you to Lynn over at her blog 'Smoke and Mirrors'. Having read her review on Goodreads of The True Story of a Not So Crazy Cat Lady, she let me know about her blog where there was an even more in depth look at the book. To check it out for yourself, click on the link below >>>