How to outsmart a cat.. !

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm not a big cat lover. I blame it on the fact that I used to have a recurring dream of a cat sitting at the top of the stairs at Brookfield rd where I lived as a child. It could have been the shadowy shape of the plastic daffs which my mum got free with soap powder, well that's what she told me. Whatever the reason, I never had a reason to want one as a pet. Now I'm allergic to them so I don't go out of my way to stroke them for obvious reasons. Tonight I left the house to find not one, but two cats on my front doorstep. I ignored them as I usually do but as I got into my car I noticed this black beauty (I'm being sarcastic!) right on front step playing with something. I went to look and sure enough, he was hassling a poor little dormouse and chasing him round the drainpipe with his paw. Now I was annoyed... ! I shooed blackie away and although she wasn't harmed, I could see she was frightened and very confused. Wouldn't we be too?! When you consider the size of a cat compared to a humble little dormouse, it's like me being pawed by a juggernaut!
I knew that I couldn't leave my frightened little dormouse on the step so I went to my car, took out an empty plastic water bottle and managed to persuad little mousie to climb inside. Don't worry, it was a smoothie bottle with a big neck and plenty of room inside! I gently screwed on the lid so she wouldn't drop out and hastily popped her onto the passenger seat and drove away. Aware that my little dormouse wouldn't survive with the lid on for long, I drove down the hill to the car park beside the garden centre. My plan so far was working a treat :) I unscrewed the top and my little dormouse slid out onto the grass.
She did seem pretty pleased with her new surroundings and although she may have been thinking "Blimey, am I on holiday?!" I decided she had a much better chance of survival here that on my front doorstep. I went to the supermarket, bought food for supper, drove home and guess what.. stupid black cat was still sitting staring over the wall at my front door. So who said cats were clever, hey?!

London life...

Coffee cake kisses

There's something very yummy about a home baked coffee cake. As you can see, I tried Nigel Slater's recipe and loved it though I didn't eat it all, honest! I got his recipe just by typing "Nigel Slater coffee and walnut cake" into beloved google and it's a sponge that actually improved and became more moist on the second day after it was baked. I rarely follow a recipe exactly so I substituted the cream filling for a coffee buttercream and added a coffee, icing sugar and water glaze over the top and sprinkled chopped walnuts over the top. I have to say that Nigel Slater never disappoints me and I love the way his recipes speak just as he does in a very laid back, wholesome way :) I wrapped my lovely creation in greaseproof paper and stored it in an airtight tin though the nuts kept falling off which ended up as a real bonus for anyone who was going to finish off the last couple of slices. I'm lucky enough to have one with glass in the lid so I can see how much I have left! ps there's none left now, not even a coffee crumb!

Goodbye paper, hello kindle :)

I think I'm in love... KiNdle is my NBF XX XX. It weighs next to nothing, is easy to read in direct sunlight, fit, quick, responsive, in fact it's simply perfect for that 21st century reading experience. I've always been a paper stroker! I never imagined I'd be tempted away from a paper book but hey, in one short week I've become very attached to my digi device. I'm a mac girl so I have a natural love of all i-things. I'd love an ipad2 but it's wildly, more expensive, heavier, the digi versions of books are dearer and let's fact it, the screen makes it impossible to read outside in the sun. Hence where my kindle storms in and steals the show. It's kept me company during my 'kid's party holiday' as well as being a constant companion whilst I've had the flu. On the sofa, on the side, in the bed, I could buy all my friends a kindle with the money I'd need to shell out for a new ipad2! Yesterday for example, I downloaded a 99p digi version of The Times on Sunday which I read at the cricket, no less. Pimms in one hand, kindle in the other, wey hey, happy girl :-}

"A classic English summer scene... "

Well, that's what Mark Cummings of BBC Gloucestershire thought of my photo :)

No wonder Anna loves cricket!

Blog to blog... doesn't he look a little like hampster-face Richard whatsisname, you know the short one off Top Gear who is also a Cheltenham local - but MC is much cuter :) ha ha! My lovely friend Ginger Claire's response to hearing that I'd taken a photo of a streaker at the cricket was also memorable - "Only You!" She's right, of course, it could only happen to me. I wish to thank the rather fit guy who, obviously for a bet, decided to bare all and give us all some eye-popping entertainment. Mmm, I want to know, what's his number and which cricket team does he support?!

Why I love cricket... :)

 Ha ha ha... my first cricket match couldn't have been any more entertaining! I went to see Gloucestershire play Nottinghamshire and got a lot more than I bargained for! The funniest thing was that everyone just smiled and watched the streaker run all the way across the grounds, touch the board at the other side and as he wasn't being chased, he turned and ran all the way back the other way. And, he looked pretty fit from where I was standing!!

So... I've decided I'm missing out and I really, really want to go to cricket more often!

I'd have to say that you look a little overdressed!

Out with the girls...

Wednesday was my night out with the girls. I drove Becca to Didsbury to meet Tash and we all had a lovely meal at Zizzi's.

Chatsworth House is A-mazing!

Oh what a week.. ... 5 nights away with 4 children under 8 and 5 adults in Derbyshire! I feel like I've been to the longest 'kids party' ever! I've been bike riding, walking in the rain, drawing little children, making cards and even managed to get a trip out to Chatsworth on my onio! I have to say that after the hectic few months I've had at work then 4 children were going to be a breeze, even for me! I was last up in the morning in order to avoid the 6am wake up calls. And although there were a few fights, a few tears and tantrums, I just did what any girl would do and just covered my ears and pretended to be asleep :)

 My day at Chatsworth was brilliant and it was the perfect antidote to my manic, crazy life. Armed with my audio tour, I wandered around the house soaking up the atmosphere and simply enjoying every little moment of this wonderful property.

This digital image was the highlight of my day at Chatsworth. Changing colours every few seconds, it would be such a fabulous piece to live with.

"I WANT ONE!"

I loved wandering around the gardens though I did miss having someone to wander with me. I know Ginger would have enjoyed it because she's great at hiding behind trees and making me laugh.

Who turned the taps on?!

 My lovely swans could be forgiven for thinking that someone 'up there' had turned on the taps this weekend! One minute it was sunshine and the next, it was pouring down. All this talk about the weather brings out the cynic in me and I'm never or rarely cynical about anything. But weather-talk does seem to hit a nerve and I know exactly why - and forgive me for not explaining. You'd have to have known me a long time to understand why that is! I am constantly amused by other people's obsession with weather. Whenever I have the misfortune to tune into a weather report they almost always predict a bit of everything - "It's going to be sunny spells wherever you live in the morning with light rain during the afternoon"... you don't say?!

My lovely lake was transformed into a swirling whirlpool inbetween of course, those sunny spells. If I had a magic wand, I'd wave it at the weather people and wish for... mmm, I don't know because weather shouldn't be predictable. I'm just glad I'm not a weather person because there can't be much job satisfaction in telling everyone the sun is going to shine when it pours down with rain all day - ha ha!

"Queuing for dinner and there's no point standing up when sitting down is more comfortable"

Congratulations to Mummy Sz! She quite rightly spotted that this photo was taken "pre-foxy-supper" because there are 7, not 6 cygnets in this pic. I wonder which one.. nah, it's best not to think about it. Today I can see Mummy swan swimming across the lake with her 6 little ones. Soon dad will be rocking up to teach them to fly.. that's always a fun few weeks!

Queen tribute at Eastnor Castle

A chilling cucumber...

Today I am required to take on the persona of a chilling cucumber! Life, and by that I mean work, has been exceptionally busy for me - I need to look for a bigger word than that! There are so many analogies from climbing vast mountains to fighting battles but I don't need a big stick or a set of crampons, just a little moment or two to myself.
I know my limits. I'm like a big sponge at times that completely absorbs the stress and nonsense that's thrown at me. No one knows, no one sees but me. It won't affect my mood so you won't know and I'm extremely good at managing and juggling my workload. Truly, I could win an award for spinning plates!
Some of my biggest challenges are goals that I set for myself. I want to do more, I have a strong desire to succeed and be the best. And, I need to do all that with a smile on my face. Today, I'm like a phone that's lost its charge. I need someone to leave me in a corner plugged into the wall so that I can slowly come back to life. A little bit of tlc and some chocolate can go a long way :)
Nothing is quite that simple but the good bit is that I know myself well enough to understand when I need a recharge.
p.s. If only I had some Pimms to go with my cucumber persona!