One year, my mum

Well, what can I say.....mum was 5ft nothing and lovely. She could do everything and made us try. I was never allowed to be girly....  or maybe that was having two older brothers. No excuses just get on with everything.... I remember mum around 80 years old on the top of the shed hammering down the felt, making sure she kept her promise to dad not to let him go to hospital in his last days even though she could hardly manage to move him, get up in the loft and wrestling all the stuff down when she should have been watching tv. I remember around 5yrs ago she was living 50 minutes away, I would ring regularly, I couldn't get through on the main phone nor mobile, I tried in the morning, afternoon and evening. At this point I was worrying a lot but also if I got it wrong I know I would get the wrath of mum!!! Next morning still nothing so off I go to find her tootling around the garden and me all a flummox. She hadn't put the main phone back properly and her mobile was out of charge. A short tirade from me about MY worry and thereafter she wore her mobile in a little red bag all the time.

These are memories of my mum......how she would swim with the kids on holiday when they were younger, near her end we would go to every garden centre and buy more and more plants for my poor brother to plant, hehehe just because parking, wheelchair access was easy and it was a quiet morning out.

I miss her.

We didn't do a whole lot of personal chats just everyday stuff but I knew she was there and that is what I miss. My luckiest photo is one taken a couple of weeks before she went when I insisted she went out and came and saw our new kitten, it's not the best in quality nor shows my mum at her best but I'm glad I have it.

Now is the time for happy memories.

Every now and again though I get thrown  back to that last year, very regular visits to the cancer department, almost weekly visits to the transfusion unit, arranging phone calls, information, nurses and visits. I went with my son recently to the same hospital and although I am a tough thing suddenly as I walked past the pharmacy area, bloods area, cancer department etc my throat tightened, and heart rate rushed and my head swimmed. My body I suppose reacting instinctivly to the memories even though I tried to over ride it. I told myself not to be stupid but there it is........

So now I am looking at photos which make me smile, look at  a ring which she would wear and remember.........

Luna, our new beautiful little girly kitten

Well I've been back a few days from my break in America and it feels like our new addition to the family, Luna has been with us forever.

Luna waiting for the boys!

Luna is a Longhaired Silver tipped Selkirk Rex Variant, which means that although she has the endearing nature of the Selkirk she actually has a straight coat and not the curly one for which a Selkirk is noted. On picking up our curly coated longhaired boy 7 weeks ago we had seen lovely Luna and she had melted our hearts. As the days went by nobody had booked her!! It then came to the day when she could leave and still nobody had wanted her : (( The next day I did note that she was booked for someone called -------.

Now call me thick but at no point did I think it was my eldest son who had reserved her.

Would you fight with her!!

I then went on my trip to the USA. Half way through the break I received a text with photos, a stream of gorgeous photos from my house and on them was lovely Luna and my son and daughter saying "Happy Birthday", by the way my 50th birthday is not until October!! After coming down from the ceiling and hysterical laughter, wonderful phone calls etc I then had to break it to my OH that yes we did now have a fifth cat.

Talk about worry!!!!

Well I needn't have worried, he took it really well especially when he knew his parents had been in on the secret and were happy about it. In fact he is so keen I have to give daily updates on any events!!

Luna looking ready for anything

Luna and Bertie

Yesterday she went for her chip and a fine bill of health to the vet, she already weighs 1.5kg but until she reaches 2kg they would not want to midline spay her. A procedure I requested and not the flank spay that is more normal here. Looking at her feet, which are huge, I think she has quite a bit of weight to put on!!! So we are probably looking at another month or two.

Luna and Monty

Surprise!! Surprise !!

Well here I am posting in the US of A!! Having come over to celebrate the 50 th birthday of my nearest and dearest.

Indianapolis is lovely and so are the people, lots of deco buildings, steaming manhole covers and a busy centre. The people are extraordinarily kind and polite. We've celebrated his birthday a lot this week! As there are so many lovely and odd eating places. Unfortunately I could only bring myself and not his present from the kids!! A lovely single malt.

However the SURPRISE was for me.

Yesterday I received an email with lovely photos of a kitten at home!!! My children had given me an early birthday present.