When you’ve got cats…

When you’ve got cats…

Hi there

Thanks for popping in. I hope you’re enjoying your Easter weekend, and that the sun has come out for you? I‘ve been drawing some new stamps, spring cleaning and listening to the new book that Grace has narrated on Audible. Very VERY good. It’s entitled Her Lost Words, by Stephanie Marie Thornton. It’s about a mother and daughter. Grace reads Mary Shelley, the daughter; the woman who created Frankenstein. The other woman is Mary Wollstonecraft, Mary Shelley’s mother; also very well read by another narrator. The two readers totally bring the two women to life. Well worth a listen. Based on a true story too.

Dave is at work again. It’s the big push on moving all the laser machines from one location to the new factory while there’s nobody at work. That happened yesterday with Paul, and today he’s fitting them, plus building tables for each one, for the computers. Lucky to have a Dave? Too right!

So I’m hanging out at the house with Ragnar and Erik, who are never far away when I’m home. It’s a good job we love them, because sometimes they do test me. Like nudging things off the piano, so they can sleep up there. Or knocking a pot plant over whilst ‘play-fighting’, so the soil flies all over my newly cleaned floor. And why Erik will insist on using the litter tray BEFORE going outside is beyond me! Has a dump, then strolls off, leaving me to enjoy the Aunt Nell (smell) !

But one thing they haven’t ever demolished is our ceiling decorations! One is always above the dining room table, (I made it years ago). I did catch one of them on the table, dinging one of the little glass droplets, but I think he figured out pretty quickly that if he wanted to live in this house (or even just LIVE), then that was verboten!

The beech branch in the kitchen over the island, which we brought in for Christmas, has taken up permanent residence too. It just fits so nicely, and again, the cats leave well alone. So I can get my little German eggs, birds and Mum’s slate ornaments out after all…

Is it stylish? Is it trendy? Who cares. It’s home. It’s not a show room; it’s where we live. I never was one for keeping up with the Jones’s. Much better to dance my own jig, to the beat of my own drum. And Dave lets me get on with it. Does everything match? Is everything tone in tone? Does the picture on the wall go with the curtains? Not even a little bit! But I know where every little ornament comes from, or who gave it to us.

When I was in my 20’s, when I lived in Germany, our flat in Nürnberg was very posh. White leather sofas, white ceiling-to-floor raw silk drapes, light grey fitted velour carpets, a huge Benjamin Fikus like a tree in the living room – you get the picture. Let’s just say that was B.C. Before Cats and certainly Before Children!! My priorities are so very different now. Much healthier. Sometimes we do have to have a declutter, but that‘s fine. The charity shops are plentiful around here. Dave loves buying and reading old books. Consequently, we have LOTS of old books! Beautiful actually. You can’t beat an old book. The smell and the feel in your hands. I love the old language.

But now it’s time to go check the kiln. I fired her up yesterday, and she should be cooling back down now. I think I may have spoiled the Norman piece that’s in there by using too much oxide, but hey ho. Won’t know till the door’s opened tomorrow. It’s just a bit of mud after all. Here it is, bisque fired. It looked very dark with the copper oxide I used when it went back in yesterday evening, and I really only wanted to ’age’ it a little! Ah well, more will be revealed…Either it worked – or it didn’t. When I closed the kiln, I waved goodbye to the 3 Normans – and detached. It’s all a learning curve, innit! And I have a Plan B. Always gotta have a plan B…

Quote of the day:

We have good days and growing days

Love always

Barb x x x

15 thoughts on “When you’ve got cats…

  1. Hello Barbara
    I have always marched to the beat of my own drum, nobody else’s. That’s their life, not mine. What suits one person doesn’t, necessarily, suit another. We must all remember that and live in harmony.
    I have now booked the Open Days and the August Retreat as I know I can now manage it all. (The parchment retreat was booked last year.) Can’t wait to meet up with old friends again.
    Love
    Roz.xxx

    1. Good to hear that you have made the bookings Roz, as it means you are well down the recovery road. I am really pleased for you. Hope to see you next month. X

  2. There are no mistakes – only happy accidents! However your normans turn out, they will be fine.
    Love
    Maggie (Bendy Yorkite)

  3. What is they say….. one man’s rubbish is another man’s treasure. I know clearing my Mother’s house ready to sell was gut wrenching due to all the sentimental stuff she’d kept. Things my siblings and I had made at school, we even found things that my Grandmother had kept from my Father’s school days. Worth absolutely nothing in monetary value but obviously absolute gold to my Mum. It was hard but you make a home out of just bricks and mortar. I’m sure the Normans will be fine but as you say there is always plan B.

  4. A house is just a house but a home is filled with the things and people you treasure. Who cares what other people think of your decor, if it suits you that is all that matters.
    Hope the Normans turn out OK, they do look good in their whitish state.
    Dave is a good’un doing all that hard work over the weekend. Hope you get one relaxing day together before the normal working week starts.
    All this sunshine and the lighter evenings is making me want to be more active but my body won’t let me for as long as I want. Thank goodness for Groovi which is keeping me sane. I hate being idle.
    Stay safe.🍒

  5. There are all sorts of oddments around my house, things our kids bought and now little pieces that grandchildren are giving us. Far too sentimental to get rid of or hide away. x

  6. Your home is beautiful. I love an eclectic style that speaks to what you enjoy and the things that have created memories.

  7. I’m glad we are not the only people. who have cats who are sent to try us. Our two will come in from the garden, use the litter tray & then go back outside! I decided to give the bathroom a good clean this morning so got down on hands & knees & gave the bath a good scrub. I was just finishing cleaning behind the toilet when I heard a meow. I looked round but couldn’t see a cat until a head popped up from the bath. My lovely clean & shiny bath was covered with muddy pawprints! It’s a good job he’s cute. 😂

  8. I do hope you get to enjoy sometime together. A home is a place to relax. Your cats antics do make me laugh. I hope you get the result with the Norman piece comes out as you wanted.

  9. Lovely weekend so far weatherwise but not sure it is going to last – typical British weather !! Started to tidy up the garden, paint fences etc before the plants get too bushy with new growth !!
    Hope Dave manages to have some time off tomorrow &/or Monday otherwise Tuesday & the normal working week will be here before you know it. Although I agree it is probably quicker when the offices are empty with no one to interrupt the process.
    Love the branch in the kitchen with the birds etc hanging from it. The cats are probably confused by the birds but daren’t do anything to damage it !!
    Hope the kiln produces the pieces you are hoping for but if you don’t experiment it will always be ”what if” so I look forward to seeing the results xx

  10. Hi Barbara
    Cats 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️decided to jet wash the patio today. Just finishing when Jackie decided to let the cats out in the garden. Before you know it there were muddy 🐾 on the nice clean patio. Our cats always use the litter tray will never go in the garden which is amusing if they need to go and the back door is closed 🤣🤣.
    Have a good Easter
    Love Ruth and Jackie xx

  11. What a lovely blog Barbara and what a lovely home you have. Home being the right word, as so many people just have houses. It so suits your personality and creative mind. Your Normans look amazing and I hope that they, like everything else in the kiln, survive the process. Can’t wait for the reveal.
    I am planning to spend today working in the garden and enjoying the sunshine, while it lasts. I hope you can too.
    Enjoy the rest of the weekend. X

  12. Beautiful day, crows fighting for the fat balls, pigeons sitting underneath waiting for bits to drop, all’s well in the garden. Looking forward to the big pottery reveal. Love your decorations in the kitchen. Hope Dave can take some time off from work. Take care.

  13. Hello Barb, Happy Easter. Your house sounds like mine, full of treasures that have memories attached. As for cats, well yes, they can be a bit destructive when they are young, normally calming down as they get older. A great quote. Hope the new Factory set-up is going well, but don’t any of you overdo things!. Take care and relax everyone. Bx

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