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Summer in the City

It's hard to believe, but yes, we had more than 20 degrees for well over a week now. One might actually be tempted to call it a trend. The English are so funny, they are forever complaining about their lot in life concerning the "never-ending" rain, however, as soon as there is about 2 seconds of sunshine and it might actually get hot, then they are complaining about the heat and hoping for rain. I find that rather amusing.

I am usually not one for the heat, but for some odd reason I find it rather pleasant this year. Have to admit though that staying in the garden or house is a huge part of it, I don't know how I would feel if I were sat in an office all day and expected to deliver results. The great thing about working from home in the evening is, that you can strip down to your underwear and switch the fan on! Yay for working from home, there must be some advantages to killer long days!

My daughter just wanted to come in from the garden as it was too hot for her... bless her. And she is now contented lounging on the sofa watching some mid-day telly, while I write this post and then do some housework.

Cat mockery

Last night, my cat Buxton was just mocking me as he was sleeping on our bed, cavorting around, grooming himself, dozing... It was as he if tried to tell me while I worked: Look at me, I've got the life! Oh yes, my boy, you've got the life!

We have three cats. We started off with one cat, Amber, a nutcase of a cat who only ever lived in a flat, when she came to us, we were told she is 9... we think she might have been older. That was 5 years ago.

Then we got Buxton, for my husband it was love at first sight. Buxton loves our elderly neighbour more though and spends most of his time there, we just cannot compete with the freshly cooked chicken, ham, tuna and salmon... Whiskas only here!

Then we got Tiggles, which was love at first sight for me. She is a fluffy ginger cat, the best cat in the world really. She is loyal like a dog, she waits for us in the window if we go out. She knows when you are sad and will sit opposite you and give you this cat look.

I love them all three, they are very different characters and I sincerely hope that in my next life I will be reborn as one of my cats with an "owner" like me.

Books, books and more books

I thought I would never say this but my daughter has too many books and I admit that this is entirely my fault.

I have ever so slightly an obsession with books (has gotten much better, I can now bear to borrow them rather than buying and don't mind passing books on - space rules!). When I was little, I owned very few books, funds just never allowed buying books but I loved them. I was a constant visitor to our village library, reading my way from the bottom left of the shelf to the top right, in order from A-Z. When I had run out of books, the librarian, who I adored, got me more books from the bigger library in town.

It was really important to me that my daughter likes books, so I guess I went into overdrive... and I keep buying, can't pass a charity shop without looking in, the book people prospectus is a killer every time... sigh. I have a problem.

But then today, when we sat on the sofa reading one book after the other and discussing them, well then I think: There is no such thing as too many books for a little one. I am amazed by her knowledge of words and grasping how stuff relates to each other and how important it is for her to know if a character is happy, sad, scared, tired etc. It's lovely. Truly lovely.

It truly made my day today, the day was rubbish to start with, but sitting on the sofa reading books for the best part of an hour was so wonderful that it lifted my spirits.

Monkey Forest

Part of my husband's birthday present was a trip to the Monkey Forest at Trentham in Staffs. It is a place where monkeys run free and you can just walk amongst them. Obviously there are no chimps...

For the first time since we've been together it was actually sunny on his birthday and my god, it was hot. Plus, the day before I had suffered a blister on my foot, so all the walking in the monkey forest and then the gardens was a bit painful. Still had a fab time and Dharma absolutely loved it! Trentham Gardens has the most amazing playground ever, with big sandpits, sensory gardens, tractor racing. Lovely, just wished I lived closer, I would definitely have a season ticket. But it's an hours drive up the M6, so hardly something I would do on a regular basis!

Here are some impressions of our day out (been accused of having THE life, trust me, it's not all fun and games and days out here!).

Birthday Boy

Happy Birthday to my hubby

My husband is turning 33 today! Happy Birthday... he is a bit saddened by the fact that he is in his mid-thirties but I am sure he will get over it and the lime cheesecake, the tandem paragliding and the visit to the Monkey Forest in Trentham might help him get over it!