Missing ....

Missing my little one so much ...

If you see her at all, please call the numbers on her collar tag or send me a message.  Maybe give her a pat too, she might be scared.

 

One year on and a blast from the past ...

One year ago, our lives changed.  A little black and white ball of fluff moved in.  She took over the house with copious toys, emptied our wallets (copious accidents, trips to the vet and special food because it isn't as delicious as the others) and completely stole our hearts.  Now I'm not trying to be over dramatic and romantacise the situation, but it is true, she has made us love her more than we thought we were capable of loving anything.  Nothing wrenches your heart more than waiting to see if she will survive an attack or shouting like  crazy all over the village, willing her to come home.  She has wormed her way into our lives and we love it!  We wouldn't be without her, even though she has started bringing little mice home.  I need my cuddles with her, I love seeing her pretty little face and having her close by.  Kiki, thanks for choosing to come and live with us.

Whilst harking on about the past, I thought I'd share this with you.  So many elements of the past in one photograph (were those curtains and that carpet really ever in vogue, especially together???) and yet those of you who know me, will know that I look practically the same twenty or so years on!  I still have massive rosy cheeks, a penchant for jumpers and skirts, thankfully I don't own any white tights anymore!

 

The lastest adventures of Kiki ...

The day after the day before ...

Last Saturday evening Kiki was adorable, all curled up in here little bed and being cute.  Then she went out and wasn't seen again until Monday evening.  I know that isn't that long for a cat to go off for but we were worried sick.  She is never usually gone for longer than a few hours and she is ever so small.  We weren't sure if she could fend for herself.  Therefore we concluded that the worst must have happened when she didn't come home.  She didn't come when we shouted, or rattled her treats, or opened a tin of her favourite tuna.  She didn't even come when we tried to entice her home with the smell of a roasting chicken.  It must have been something terrible or else surely she would have come home?  I was distraught; isn't it strange that the more you try not to cry, the more you do? 

Rhid was being brave but I could tell that he was worried.  It is the feeling of being totally helpless that is the worst.  It doesn't matter how much you call and shout, walk the neighbourhood or worry, if she isn't to be seen, then you have no hope.  Each time we left the house, we hoped that she would be stood waiting for us when we got back.  Each time we sat down, we hoped that we would hear the cat flap go or that her lovely little face would appear at the window.  We had more or less given up and were watching a film on Monday evening when all of a sudden we heard the flap go (!), she meandered in, looked at us and shouted!  It was as if nothing had happened, except she was hungry enough to eat three days worth of food!

We're not sure what she got up to, but I hope she was just "off adventuring" as Nick suggested.  She was in the strangest mood when she came back, I have never seen her so excited!  She was running around like a lunatic and playing lots.  Then she came in and slept.  The next day she discovered a new favourite sleeping position, on the top of an Ikea box full of gym kit!  We found her and Pixie all curled up together, what can be cuter than a box of kittens?  Well, a box of kittens licking each other!  The whole time that Kiki was missing, Pixie was out of sorts.  I think he missed her a lot (he's from down the road and they are like brother and sister), he never left our side and was really sad.  When I found them in the box (they were there for about three hours), Pixie was licking Kiki gently on the head.  Cute alert!

I think Kiki must have had quite a fright while she was away, perhaps she was a little lost?  She hasn't ventured too far and been quite close to us in the past couple of days.  She has taken to sleeping a lot and being lovely (she hasn't even tried to scratch us lately!).  The one thing that she has started doing though is something that I am none too thrilled about, bringing in little mice for us!  Poor little things, she brought three in the other evening!  Does anyone know much about this?  I have heard that it is bringing the owner a present.  I'd like to think that she is being nice and wants to do something sweet for us.  I just wish it was a chocolate or cake-based object she brought home!  Her arrival home also co-incided with the arrival of my copy of The Weirdstone of Brisingamen (here she is pictured with the book, alas I could not persuade her to read it).  I am super excited about our group read of the series, click here to find out more and to join in!

Just a few photos of Kiki to finish off, she is still quite shy and not that happy to be snapped though!  Keep an eye out for more information about pet portrait shoots coming soon and have a lovely weekend! 

 

A post from a certain tiny black and white kitty ...

Evening all, Kiki here.  Just thought I would write a quick thank you for all your well wishes lately.  Gosh what a month!  I can't even talk about how it all happened.  What an indignity to suffer.  If I get my paws on that horrible thing that bit me .... well let's just say I hope he gets his comeuppance!  I have been going up the wall (somedays quite literally) wearing that stupid lampshade and having to stay indoors.  Not to mention the pain.  Oh the pain!  I have included a few snapshots of what I got up to, mainly sleeping it has to be said, but I managed to look longingly out of the window and try to chew some buttercups.  I couldn't help but notice how lovely the weather was last week (obviously I am not just trying to distract you from looking at my bald bottom, by talking in that oh-so-British way about the weather).


How I have longed to be outside, playing with the other cats (chasing them around is the same as playing isn't it?) and patrolling the fields.  I did devise lots of new games inside the house though.  I jumped all over the desk and knocked Rosie's things all over the place (she gets quite precious about her stationary and she certainly didn't like it when I batted the dalek out of the way!), then I leapt high onto the top of the bookshelf (Rhid didn't like it when his AT-AT went crashing to the floor).  They said I was naughty, I don't care, it made them start this new game where they threw a ball up the stairs.  It was ace!  I could run after it and it bounced up and down and everywhere!!  


Being a bit poorly was kind of good in some ways, Rosie stayed with me and I got to sleep on her all day.  I even helped her with her marking.  I didn't like it when she got up and went into the kitchen, or the bedroom, or the bathroom, or anywhere really, so I followed her and we stayed together.  We were looking after each other I think.  Making sure that nothing bad happened to the other.  I like helping her bake, I even sat in the baking bowl once she had taken the scone mix out!  It was really good.  Almost like being out and about getting into mischief!!  We had a nice time playing together.  I think I liked it best when I snuggled in really tightly to Rosie and fell fast asleep.  I am sorry about scratching her face a few times.  I only did it because my bottom hurt.  I didn't even know that my claws were out.  I can be a bad little kitten, but I don't mean to be.


Anyway, after much time staring out of the window, guess what happened yesterday?  Rhid opened the door!  I was a bit surprised and looked at him, not sure what he wanted me to do.  Was I allowed to finally go?  I was!  I wasn't too keen at first, after all, where was the thing that bit me?  I saw Rosie come home and scampered over to her.  It made me feel better rubbing my nose on hers and then something brilliant happened - a cow poked her head over the garden wall!  A really big exciting cow from the field!  I bounded over and ... hmm, perhaps I shouldn't tell you what happened next.  I'm not sure that we could deal with the consequences if that knowledge got out into the open.

Thanks again for all your well wishes xx

 

Into the new year, with all its' challenges and excitement ...

 

New year, new beginnings blah, blah, blah ... do you enter the new year with wonder and excitement or a kind of sinking feeling, something that feels like a huge let down after the awe of Christmas.  Even though I usually lean towards the sunnier side of things, I find the turn of the year difficult and always enter it with trepidation.  

I love the build up to Christmas and all that it brings.  All the lights, buying and wrapping presents, carols and christmas songs.  Writing to old friends and eating lots of chocolate.  Hopefully, there will be snow and cold, crisp days.  You know the kind, the ones that make your cheeks rosy and tiny sprigs of moss on the wall sparkle.  Those are the days of my dreams.  Perfect Christmas holiday weather for taking long walks with my camera.   

This year I made lots of cake for Rhid's Christmas bike night ride.  There was a choice between Orange and Almond sponge, chocolate brownies and cherry scones (always best eaten straight from the oven).  Last year, we made Christmas biscuits complete with festive icing and personalised messages!

My favourite thing about the holidays is having the time to read new books.  I sit for hours with my new treasures and the most wonderful part about it?  I don't have to feel guilty!  It has become a bit of a tradition to get a new Paul Magrs, the perfect mix of excitement, brilliantly devised characters and marvellous plot lines.  Thank you Paul!  If you haven't yet read anything by him, I strongly recommend that you run, no sprint, to your local bookstore and seek him out.  If you like delightful capers involving supernatural mystery and intrigue then Paul is the man for you.

As for the start of the year, it inevitably brings with it responsibility and with the start of term, a whole load of new work.  A pile of marking, sorting timetables and trying to finish writing the dreaded PhD .... today though I got to come home early and was working on a chapter, whilst listening to Birdy, stroking the kitten and organising my numerous (still unwritten) notebooks! 

I love writing, I find that I'm always inspired to write, but putting it into action is much more difficult, particularly for "school work".  I don't want to be thinking about science, I want to have my head full of flowers, photography and baking!  The pretty, finer things in life.  My ideal writing places would look more like the cafe at David Austen rose gardens (below).  

I could sit for hours reading and writing in places like these, or under trees (if only the sun would show its' face again in Wales!).  Trying to fill one of my *ahem* 60 plus notebooks with notions and ideas.  But for now I'm going to curl up with my cosy Miranda Dickinson novel and watch Kiki being cute on our new bookshelves.  

Have a lovely evening all ... x