CATKINS, CATS and QUIET ..........

I'm at a bit of a loss as to what to write about. January is nearly always a quiet month. I have been doing all of the usual mundane, everyday things but, you all do the same so I'm sure that you don't want to hear about that.

I bought four of these hellebore's at Christmas as they are lovely to decorate the house with. Two of them have gone over so, I just braved the cold and planted them in the garden. When I was out there, I noticed  .....

..... these catkins on our hazel, swaying about in the chilly breeze. We have never had any catkins on it before so, hopefully, we will get some hazelnuts. 

Catkins .....cats ...... nice link ?!!!!

We have had three cats .....

Jaffa was our first cat ..... we got him by default as my friend had got two kittens from a friend whose cat had had kittens .... one for her and one for a neighbour. But, the neighbour decided she didn't want him and nor did anyone else so, we had him and he was a lovely cat.

Then, same friend went away to Greece for her Summer holiday. Her cat was about to have kittens so, she left cardboard boxes out all around her home and gave me the key to water her plants and to check on her cat. I turned up one day, no sign of the cat, no sign of kittens in any of the boxes ..... checked upstairs and she had had the kittens in the middle of my friends bed ..... five kittens and placenta everywhere !!!!! I had to take the duvet to the laundrette as it wouldn't fit in the washing machine ...... I got some very funny looks while I was stuffing the duvet, covered in blood and fluids into the machine { she did throw the duvet away in the end you'll be pleased to know !!! }

Anyway, I had to take five kittens and the mum home as I didn't want to leave them there all on their own. We looked after them for about six weeks as the vet said it wouldn't be fair to move them. The runt of the litter struggled and, we did our best, with hot water and hot water bottles but she died. In the end, we ended up with two of the litter .....

..... Dilly .....

..... and Woody .....

all lovely cats, but all gone now. 

XXXX

image 1: via pinterest , all other images via me

HAPPY, HAPPY 2019 ..........

HAPPY 2019 EVERYONE

We went to a wonderful NYE party last night ..... I was very restrained and only had a couple of glasses of Champagne so, even though we got in at 4.00 am, I feel fine this morning 

At the party were celebs, a brilliant magician, singers and a pianist who played all night.

You might remember the above from last years party ..... for those who don't, there was a caricaturist who did the above of my husband and I  ..... well, this year, Sassy Steve's Silhouettes was there and did .....

..... this of us this year ..... so good and much more flattering than last year !!! ha ha.

Wishing all of my readers the most wonderful, happy and healthy 2019 . Blogging has lost it's popularity over the last few years but, it is still my favourite social media site so, many, many thanks for all of your support and here's to continuing it in the year to come.

XXXX

image 3: via soulstratum

GOD BLESS US, EVERYONE !!! ..........

 I think Father Christmas has left the North Pole !!!

To all of my blog readers, thank you so much for being there  

Enjoy the magic of Christmas.

XXXX

SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW ..........

We had to go up to The City yesterday to do some ' financey ' things and got blown all the way up Bishopsgate and into the Eastcheap offices of our financial advisor.

Even though Storm Diana was knocking me sideways, I still managed a few photographs, even though they are a bit wonky ! I am always taken with the massive new modern buildings which seem to be getting higher and higher, and the way the old buildings nestle against the new ..... 

..... I love this little church ... I think this is the one that got damaged by an IRA bomb, along with many other buildings, in 1993 ..... with The Gherkin towering above it.

Part of St Botolph's, also damaged in 1993 ..... with a new building next to it.

The Monument to The Great Fire of London 1666 .....

Look at the size of this one ....... when you look up at it, you nearly fall over .... well, I do !!!

We had a wonderful lunch in Giorgio, Ristorante Italiano in Leadenhall Market ..... I love Leadenhall Market and it looked even lovelier, dressed up for Christmas  ..... Christmas starts here.

Are you starting your Christmas preparations yet ?

XXXX 

All photographs via me

SOUP ANYONE ?!!! ..........

Every couple of weeks, I take a 90 year old lady shopping at the supermarket. She is as bright as a button but has arthritis, so moving is a bit of a problem so I rush around the supermarket and bring her shopping to the trolley.

On one of the shelves was this ... 

... fancy a bowl ? 

XXXX

image 1: via fashionista, image 2: via me, image 3: via design scene

ARGGGGGGHHHHHHH ..........

I had an email from my blogging friend Elizabeth over at The Vintage Contessa telling me that she couldn't comment on my blog !!!

Although things aren't what they were in the blogging world { I used to get 100 comments in the old days but many have left blogging and gone on to other social media sites } but I did think that four comments was a bit low on my last couple of posts !!!!

I even started to think that I might give up my blog .....

..... atychiphobia was starting to set in !!!

I have checked everything on Blogger and all is as it should be, so I think it's Blogger's fault. 

There have been times that I haven't been able to comment and, when that happens to me, I either sign into Blogger again or I look for the blog that I want to comment on on Firefox, as it's usually with Safari that I have the problem. Firefox always seems to be fine. 

One of the nicest parts about blogging and the main reason that I blog and prefer it to any of the other social media sites, is the fact that we interact with such lovely people and can have a ' chat ' ... it is the modern way of having penfriends from all over the world ..... I like to think of my blogging commenter's as friends and it's always a little bit disappointing when we don't get any comments ..... I really have missed you guys over the last few posts but I'm pleased that it's only Blogger and not the fact that you have gone off  of me !!!

I've also noticed that it says  UNFOLLOW under my followers and not FOLLOW and I'm not sure how to fix that either !! 

Anyone who knows how to fix any of these problems, please let me know ... 

Perhaps anyone who reads this could just comment so I know that you can ... by the way, this isn't a way of getting lots of comments !!! haha !!!

LOOK ..... even Shakespeare likes my blog !!!

 Shame that he can't comment !!!

XXXX

image 1: via the libertine, image 2: via bonnard3, image 3: via diabolique, image 4, 5 & 7: via envers du decor, image 6: via pinterest, image 8: via the gifts of life

HUGO ..........

Have any of you seen the film HUGO ? It was made in 2011 so it's not new, won Academy Awards and Baftas  and I'm obviously late to the party but I loved it ..... an historical adventure drama film directed and produced by Martin Scorsese. I won't go into a long review but it involves Georges Mélies'  A Trip To The Moon and a boy who lives and winds the clocks at Paris train station.

It is a charming film and the music is great as well.

XXXX

video via youtube, image via google