Juggling life through a bi-polar lens. Sometimes up, sometimes down. Mostly trying to tread water in the middle. Creating a likeness to a normal life. Whatever "normal" is...
Showing posts with label collared doves. Show all posts
Showing posts with label collared doves. Show all posts

Tuesday, 25 December 2012

Christmas presents for kitties

Back in 1983 my parents adopted a little cat. 
Katie-Kat came from the Cats Protection League, as they were then called. She was about 18 months old, they reckoned, and had been rescued from a bunch of kids who'd been using her as a football. She was tiny. 

She remained tiny. And remained with us till April 2000, when, thinned by kidney failure, but still chatting to us, we had to say goodbye. She was maybe 18 1/2. 

You see, I had been thinking of Scooter's birth, in 1993, and saying that this would be the first Christmas in nearly 20 years when I hadn't bought a present for a cat. But I didn't included old Katie-Kat, our little, brave, black and white pusscat from the 80's. Including her, it means this is the first Christmas in 29 years, not 20.... 

Well, this won't do..... 

Mum and I have been adding a little cat food to our baskets when we go shopping at Sainsbury or Tesco, and dropping it into a collection bin they keep, for the local cat sanctuary. As I add mine, I whisper, this from Scooter..

And I commissioned this little gift stone for Scooter's place in the garden, for a Christmas present... this was and is my special name for him:

After I'd placed it where Scooter is buried with his sisters, I looked back and saw the doves above the spot...

Can you see how they make a heart shape?
 
 Hug your loved ones close this Christmas. I lost two precious friends this year. Don't take anyone, or anything for granted. Live each moment in the now. Things change quickly. Years rush by. Loved ones go..... hold them tightly.

And if any of them have fur, give them a hug from me xxx
 
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Love, tea & Christmas cake,  
Helena

Thursday, 28 April 2011

Time for an update!

Can't believe Easter has been and gone! It's my favourite season, and I always like to mark it in some way. I think because ours this year was so low key meant it swam past really quickly.
Anyway, let's start with the cards I managed to make this year.....

I used this Celtic cross stamp again. I like it because it's filled with flowers and this means that although it's a 'formal' image, it has a softness about it.











I enjoyed colouring the crosses with ProMarkers. In some, I covered the cross with a glaze pen. In others I added sparkly glitter glue, the name of which momentarily escapes me.

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On Easter Day, Luvbug took Mum to Church. She used to go to a 'community church' when she lived in Kent, but hasn't gone to a new one since moving last year. We think it would be good if she got into somewhere again, as she sometimes says that she's lonely and bored. Previously she has said she wouldn't go without me but I'm afraid I can't face going to church. I do all sorts for her but I have to draw the line there, given certain bad experiences I'm afraid the very idea turns my stomach. So Luvbug offered, saying that he was going and would she like to come too? Really it was all for her; he wouldn't have thought of going there otherwise. It was a 'Free Evangelical' church not far from us.

We expected it to be a hands in the air, guitars and drums, 'happy clappy' affair, which is what she went to in Kent (and a type that I was a member of some years ago!) but apparently it was quite formal. An organ playing, 4 hymns, Bible reading, small sermon. Hmm. I thought all Evangelicals were more lively than that-???

Mum did enjoy going, although Luvbug said she shed a tear at first. (Awww.) She said it would be ok to go again..... we'll have to see how this develops!

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Whilst at church, I was back home cooking dinner. We had turkey and lots of trimmings. It was all scrummy! Then we packed a flask of tea and went for a walk in the woods at Highwoods Country Park.....

Here is Mum in the woods....or me, trying to get her to smile for a photo!!!




The bluebells are out...





And so is the blossom....

It was a lovely stroll, and we stopped by the lake and drank our tea :)

It has been warm here for three or four weeks now. On some days it has been hot, 81F was the highest, I think, with most days in the 70s F. Today was the first chilly day, with a smattering of a light shower. Perhaps the weather is about the break for the Royal wedding tomorrow!

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The hawthorn in our back garden is heavy with blossom, fuller than we've ever seen it before. These photo's don't really do it justice-

It's also called 'mayflower', so it's come early!

Our wee tree peony is ready to burst, too. Last year we only had one flower but this year it has a double blessing...

 However it's something in this laurel that we are most excited about....
just where I've drawn the red circle.... right next to the house!

-can you see her? A collared dove on her nest!!!

I say 'her' but it could easily be a 'him' as they share the nest duties. It's so cute if you're there when they change shifts!! Aww.... nearly time for hatching....

Yup, I love Easter, I love spring....

Saturday, 19 December 2009

Ice, snow and doves....

My back garden.......
Erm, do you think I should have put the clothes line away???? :)
Oops! :)


Poor cold birds....but the collared doves have never looked cuter....
Ice...ice...ice....Ahhh blue sky, sunshine... but not warm enough to melt it!It started snowing Thursday, then through the night, again yesterday....

We had some more snow overnight and a little more this afternoon. Not much. But what's there already doesn't seem to be melting away at all! It was sunny today, big blue skies- and freeeeeezing cold!

We don't know when we will be able to get back to mum's. We think we should pack for staying over Christmas and go whenever we can- and presume there's a big chance of getting stuck!!!
Blankets, munchies, spade and blanket in the back of the car, I think!

Things aren't too bad here, but it's been heavier in Kent. At one point the roads to the Isle of Sheppey were closed. Now the motorway from Medway to London -about 30 odd miles- is one-lane only each way, the other lanes being completely ice and snow-bound. Eek!

I finished my Xmas shopping on Thursday, amid the first flurries. Everything wrapped up and bagged now. Luvbug did some shopping yesterday. I've had a hunt around but can't find my pressie :) I know he hasn't wrapped anything yet though!

If only the snow had waited a week, eh?