It is the last day of November and Mid Winter is fast approaching...Christmas always seems to be at a pleasantly manageable distance until it isn't. It's suddenly there, right in front of me, like a person who unexpectedly appears around a corner when you are bustling along preoccupied with life and you come to an abrupt stop in surprise. Rather silly to be surprised as it does the same thing each year. You'd think I'd know better by now... but no, I don't. There it is... right in my face once again. Well I suppose I can claim consistency.
Today is an in between day, not dreadfully cold, not especially frosty, the sun is not shining ..the sky is a flat, grey tinted, white and the snow is white but not sparkly white, the wind has blown the frost from the branches of the trees so it just looks rather stark and cold out there.
It is a day for Red wine or Hot tea and a good book by the wood stove. But I may have to settle for an audio book and the ironing before the epic pile avalanches from it's basket. I am not the World's best ironer ... actually I'm still a beginner ..which is in it's self quite a skill considering how old I am (Oh let's be honest my ironing is only almost adequate and that's when the wind is in the right direction). I always used to avoid it.. but now I'm beginning to find it vaguely satisfying as I can spend time listening to a good book and have something to show for the time spent ..and to my surprise I soon may reach the dizzy heights of OK.
The cats are dotted about the room curled up in favourite spots. The old cat has the prime spot on the warm tiles under the wood stove. She is a slim tabby with the look of an Egyptian cat in face and attitude. It's only in her old age that she has become less aloof and fond of company. She has taken the newcomer (Fluffy H) in her stride and is indifferent to challenges to her Queenly status..she just ignores them. The Black Bombay is curled up in the cat bed with his chin resting on the side and his eyes squeezed shut and if you can agree that cats can smile then I can assure you he has a huge smile on his face.
Fluffy H is probably curled up on a folded rug on one of the girls beds. This is her favourite retreat. Tink our other cat (also fluffy but tortoiseshell and white) is curled up in the second cat bed, it's resting about four feet from the floor so she has height and the ability to keep an eye on the New Fluffy cat. She did not approve of her arrival and I'm sure has been keeping a notebook of all her movements . For the longest time when ever you spotted Fluffy H, you only had to look a little more to see Tink peering out from under a chair, or around a corner with such concentrated attention that it was clear that evidence was being amassed. A few chase "games" have occurred but very few as if they do, then the collie joins in (with glee) and both cats abandon play. I have seen no cat fights and have been very impressed by how mellow it has been turning from a three cat household to a four.
Well I suppose I can't avoid the ironing any longer and I'd better put the pizza that's been proving by the stove into the oven and who knows a little later .. I might sneak off to the stove with a large mug of tea and my Library books (after a little delay the PD James Cath enjoyed has arrived and I picked it up today ..so I'll now be able to finish the story that I started reading online) and I'll just delay my Christmas panic until tomorrow.
Today is an in between day, not dreadfully cold, not especially frosty, the sun is not shining ..the sky is a flat, grey tinted, white and the snow is white but not sparkly white, the wind has blown the frost from the branches of the trees so it just looks rather stark and cold out there.
It is a day for Red wine or Hot tea and a good book by the wood stove. But I may have to settle for an audio book and the ironing before the epic pile avalanches from it's basket. I am not the World's best ironer ... actually I'm still a beginner ..which is in it's self quite a skill considering how old I am (Oh let's be honest my ironing is only almost adequate and that's when the wind is in the right direction). I always used to avoid it.. but now I'm beginning to find it vaguely satisfying as I can spend time listening to a good book and have something to show for the time spent ..and to my surprise I soon may reach the dizzy heights of OK.
The cats are dotted about the room curled up in favourite spots. The old cat has the prime spot on the warm tiles under the wood stove. She is a slim tabby with the look of an Egyptian cat in face and attitude. It's only in her old age that she has become less aloof and fond of company. She has taken the newcomer (Fluffy H) in her stride and is indifferent to challenges to her Queenly status..she just ignores them. The Black Bombay is curled up in the cat bed with his chin resting on the side and his eyes squeezed shut and if you can agree that cats can smile then I can assure you he has a huge smile on his face.
Fluffy H is probably curled up on a folded rug on one of the girls beds. This is her favourite retreat. Tink our other cat (also fluffy but tortoiseshell and white) is curled up in the second cat bed, it's resting about four feet from the floor so she has height and the ability to keep an eye on the New Fluffy cat. She did not approve of her arrival and I'm sure has been keeping a notebook of all her movements . For the longest time when ever you spotted Fluffy H, you only had to look a little more to see Tink peering out from under a chair, or around a corner with such concentrated attention that it was clear that evidence was being amassed. A few chase "games" have occurred but very few as if they do, then the collie joins in (with glee) and both cats abandon play. I have seen no cat fights and have been very impressed by how mellow it has been turning from a three cat household to a four.
Well I suppose I can't avoid the ironing any longer and I'd better put the pizza that's been proving by the stove into the oven and who knows a little later .. I might sneak off to the stove with a large mug of tea and my Library books (after a little delay the PD James Cath enjoyed has arrived and I picked it up today ..so I'll now be able to finish the story that I started reading online) and I'll just delay my Christmas panic until tomorrow.
