Helping

Ladybug-always helpful.

Why is it that cats just love computers? They can sleep and sleep yet as soon as the computer switch is turned on, they decide that I am in sore need of a helping paw or two. Ladybug in particular just loves supervising my work. It is not enough to drool on and bite my hand as I use the mouse, but she also feels the need to wander back and forth infront of the screen. The situation is made worse by the fact that I have a touch screen, so a brush of the tail or a poke of the nose and whatever I am doing at the time either disappears or changes size etc etc. Not good for my blood pressure at all. And if she thinks that I need a more personalised service, she head-butts me and passes back and forth under my neck. Arrrrgh.

Afternoon Tea.

It has been a very cold and miserable day. Currently it is 8C outside. Anyway, I had no.2 son home today as he was feeling unwell, and I decided to make him some nice afternoon tea-after all, the ills of the world can be solved over a nice cuppa. I decided to make a couple of cinnamon tea cakes since I knew one cake would be lucky to survive the afternoon. Well the first teacake was attacked less than 10min out of the oven. What is it with teenage boys and the sheer amount of food they can put away?

Surprises.

Even though Peter and I have been together for a very long time, every now and then he surprises me. When it comes to animals, he and I often don't see eye to eye. Very early on in our marriage we had a beautiful ridgeback named Shaka. I used to let Shaka come inside, especially when Peter had very late meetings, and Peter hated it because he thought dogs should be outside all the time. Well, one night he was mumbling away as usual and said it was either the dog or him. I opened the door. Needless to say, we are still together and as I write this Soba,(our current ridgeback),is happily snoring beside me and Baxter is infront of the heater, of course.

When it comes to cats, Peter's history is not so smooth either. We had a burmese named Kelby. Peter and Kelby had a love -hate relationship, well more of the hate really. One memorable occasion was when Kelby decided to check out what was behind the kitchen cabinets. He jumped up on the fridge, looked up and saw there was an opening and assumed it was a platform that he could jump on. So he jumped but there was no platform and he fell into the wall oven cavity. When I couldn't find him for a while I got worried but then heard these plaintive cries from inside the wall.

Well needless to say, once we realised where he actually was, Peter's temperature rose about 100degrees. When I gingerly asked how we are going to get him out, he said to leave him there. Anyway Peter took the oven out of the wall to reveal a very contrite cat. However, Kelby didn't forget Peter's comment and as soon as the situation presented itself, he sought revenge. Peter had left his favourite coat on the lounge seat. What did Kelby do- barfed on it  of course, and the love/hate relationship continued on as normal.

Ladybug-captured Peter's heart.

So imagine my surprise yesterday when I was looking for some moulds for my soap-making at a shopping centre, and I happened to look up and saw Peter walking past the end of the aisle clutching a pet cushion shaped like a Ladybug. After I picked my jaw off the ground I just had to catch up with him to find what had caused this. He said that Ladybug needed a cushion of her own and so when he spotted the ladybug cushion he just had to get it for her. I'm still recovering!

Friday at last.

It has been a very busy week with No.2 son starting his mid- year exams. No.1 son needed no encouragement to study as he had a plan and knew it required hard work to achieve it. No.2 son has decided that study is a foreign concept. Those of you who have had the dubious pleasure of being called up to the school to be told basically that he is wasting his time, know what I mean. I swear that I am going to go completely white with this boy-and that is if I have any hair left! He was born very prematurely and when we realised that he came through it with no major health issues, we had an odd feeling that somewhere along the line, he would throw a curveball. Well, we have now met our Waterloo and he is throwing so many curveballs, we have stopped ducking.

It is probably his way of rebelling and things will probably right themselves, but honestly, will I live that long?

Wet Sunday

Since its a miserable day today , I finally decided to pot the cuttings that my friends gave me earlier in the week. I was given a few more geraniums, a begonia, rosemary for the veggie patch and a cutting that I have no idea what it is - basically I've forgotten. I hope thay take as the lovely heirloom geranium cuttings I got a while ago have turned into beautiful plants.

 I also save the recyclable meat trays and use them for seedlings. I had some lovely deep ones drying out the back and Soba decided that they looked absolutely delicious. Damn dog. If he decides to try out my cuttings, I hope he can run fast because I am pretty handy with a shovel!

Soba is already on probation. He knows that he absolutely not allowed in my side garden bed. I love azaleas and that is my spot for them. So the sneaky sod waits till I am not around and happily romps through them. I have a beautiful white one that I planted next to a bush to give it some protection. He flattened it. Thankfully I had enough left to replant it and see if it takes again.

Since I was out with the camera I will put up two of my beautiful pink azaleas. They are not to every ones taste, but I just love the flowers. The leaves do have a sooty type mould on them, but I tend to let the plant build its own defences and they tend to become strong and healthy- survival of the fittest. Now where is that dog?