Sunday Selections #656

Sunday Selections was originally brought to us by Kim, of Frogpondsrock, as an ongoing meme where participants could post previously unused photos languishing in their files. Huge thanks to Cie who gave me this wonderful Sunday Selections image. 

The meme was then continued by River at Drifting through life.  Sadly she has now stepped aside (though she will join us some weeks), and I have accepted the mantle. 

 

The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent.  Post some photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to me. Clicking on any of the photos will make them embiggen.

 

I usually run with a theme. This week it is again snippets from home.  I am still totally exhausted and some other issues have raised their ugly heads.  In the next little while I am to arrange appointments (and attend them) with a range of medical professionals. On to the snippets featuring (just for a change) some of my obsessions.

Starting with skyscapes.

 A few more shots from the garden.  I was given this cactus last year and it has never flowered before.

 

Finishing with some shots of the interloper cat.  He comes round very early each day - and has taken to bringing friends with them.  He and his friends are very pretty.  Battie and Odie hate them all. With a passion.

 Forgive me for the sameness.  I hope that better service can resume shortly.  And speaking of service.  I am currently at war with my ISP.  I can sometimes receive emails (up to eighteen hours after they were sent).  I can very, very rarely send them. I am not ignoring you.  Really I am not. 

 

Waste not, want not...

I have shared my life, and my home with a cat (or more commonly cats) all of my life.

And a home is not a home to me unless it includes at least one animal.  Just the same, it is also true that everything in our house is covered in a patina of cat fur.  I can vacuum, dust and clean until the cows come home and there will still be cat hair.  Everywhere.

Years back when an allergist requested that I bring a teaspoon from the vacuum to our first appointment what I took to him was dirty cat hair.  Interestingly of the ten most common allergens the only ones I am not allergic to are cat and dog hair.

I have frequently said that if only I could knit, I could knit another cat.

Which is why the smaller portion included this book with my Christmas presents this year.

And the author was not joking.  She does indeed make handicrafts from the cast-off fur from her cats, and those of her friends, and assures us that 'No cats were harmed in the making of this book'.

Finger puppets, coin purses, trinket boxes, book covers, portraits, badges...  This book contains a step by step guide to making these things - and more.

I laughed when I opened the parcel and read the book with a great deal of interest.  Her instructions are detailed, and I suspect quite easy to replicate.

Will I follow suit?  Not a chance.  I appreciate the work which goes into making them, but these are too cute for me.  Nauseatingly cute.  And far too fragile as well.  Like the cats they came from, these craft items would moult.  And none of them purr.

She is much, much more diligent than I am and less wasteful as well.  The piles, clumps, mounds  and mountains of fur that our cats discard will continue to collect in corners on their way to the compost bins.  And the vacuum.  And the furniture.  And our clothing.  And everywhere else as well. 

Sunday Selections #187

Sunday Selections was originally brought to us by Kim, of Frogpondsrock, as an ongoing meme where participants could post previously unused photos languishing in their files. 

The meme is now continued by River at Drifting through life.  The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent.  Post some photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to River.  Clicking on any of the photos will make them embiggen.

Like River I usually run with a theme.  This week's Sunday Selections is mostly devoted to cats.  Jazz loves having his photo taken, and Jewel (like me) is camera phobic.  I can usually only take her photo when she is asleep or if I sneak up on her.

He is a big boy, but aren't his feet big?  And his claws are too.

Jewel is less than half his size.   That is my clean washing she has made a nest in for the first two photos.

And then some big cats who grace our walls.  Embroideries and a tapestry I completed when my hands and eyes were less recalcitrant.

Moving away from cats, the final photos are of my mother's work.  Quite late in life she decided that she wanted to make bobbin lace - and taught herself.

The first photo is a 'sampler' she did, and the second a picture she designed and made for me.  I treasure them both.

A chaos of Cats

The smaller portion's recuperation continues to be slow and ugly.  So I am refusing to think about it, and will post photos of things which make me smile - in this instance cats.

This first image was sent to me today.  And is Jazz to the life.

And then an assortment of photos of Jazz n Jewel who despite their protestations live a pleasant and indulged life.  They usually go outside for half an hour or so in the morning and the rest of the time rule the household with iron paws.

Indulgence over - for the moment.

In the last week or so, earlier posts about Antarctica have been attracting a lot of interest.  Would people be interested in a revisit, or have you had enough of my obsessions for the moment?

Odds and sods

Pain got me up shortly before 5 this morning.  So I thought I would improve the shining hour and go for a swim.  I bundled up my swim gear and headed out about 6.30, leaving the smaller portion fast asleep and the cats inside.  The rotten beasts let him sleep, until he woke of his own accord around 9.30.  I wish they would let me sleep like that.

Butter wouldn't melt in their mouths.

I managed 1.25 kilometres this morning, which I am pleased about.  However DJan mentioned that she had been to a swim class recently which had identified her stopping kicking while breathing as a problem.  Drat her, this is something I do too, and I spent this morning's swim trying (mostly unsuccessfully) to change it.  A work in progress.

I finished my swim in as much pain as when I started which is irritating.  And now the horror story begins.  I went in, had my shower, towelled my hair dry and while dying my face was assaulted with attar of cat piss.  Oh thank you Jazz.  I had brought the towel in nearly dry and hung it over the back of a chair where he had been unable to resist spraying.  Urk.  Hot water.  Disinfectant.  And worse, I was meeting a friend immediately after my swim so headed off convinced that I reeked of both chlorine and cat pee.  Oh joy, oh bliss.

And to add insult to injury said friend took one look at me and told me I looked like shit.  Why thank you.  Just what I wanted to hear.

Home again to a cat pee removing shower.  And yes, I resisted the temptation to kick the little so and so.  Despite him greeting me with ecstatic purrs while gnawing on my hand and arm.  On the consolation side, more things come out in the garden each time I turn around.

The crab apple is glorious every year.  The neighbour across the road from us (now deceased) apparently used to have morning tea parties so he and his friends could enjoy it.  His daughter told me that, and I wish I had known while he was still alive.

More garden joys include:

And there is much more to come.  The blood, sweat and tears which went into the planting are almost forgotten as I enjoy things in bloom.