Hoover!

Ha ha! Hoover is one of my favorite words, I don't know why, I just love it - it actually sounds like sucking, doesn't it? Well, after Tiddles' application form disaster yesterday, I got him hoovering. We are all on a tight budget here at Chateau Kitten, and have to pull our weight! Do any of you remember hoovers like these? my mum had one, and I was scared of it, as I thought it looked like a space ship! ( I was an odd child!) Anyway, we look very spick and span now, with mucho hoovering and polishing - I'll have to tell the cats to wipe their paws!

Oh no, Tiddles!

Oh dear, that wasn't exactly what I was expecting Tiddles! I doubt this will get me short-listed, although it is very sweet! ( In my world, the application form has been completed and is just going to the post) I'll still get Tiddles a treat, just because he's small and orange!

Get to Work, Tiddles!

Right, this Tiger needs to earn his keep! I have asked Tiddles to fill in my application to the Health Board - I've told him that if I get this job, he can have a new jumper (his old mouse one is getting rather worn out). OK, well let's see what happens, so far he has drawn a rabbit! I'm not sure that will get me short-listed! I have to go up to Glasgow Airport now, so hopefully when I get back, I will have a nice completed application form, Tiddles style!

Digging for, er, worms!

Actually, I haven't been doing any digging today, as I'm rather sore and stiff from splitting loads and loads of logs on Saturday. I've never split logs before, and it was very strenuous indeed! We now have a huge pile of them in the garage, but I'm a little worse for wear! I have filled in one of three application forms today - is it just me, or does anyone else find this sort of thing mind-numbingly boring? I know you have to 'sell yourself', but it's just one of those jobs I absolutely hate. I know! I'll get Tiddles to do the next one!

More Volkwagens for dribbling over!

I go to a little VW show every year at Biggar (near Edinburgh), called Volksfling. It's not as big and full-on as the shows in England, but it's a chilled out, fun weekend and a great chance to do a bit of Bus Spotting! Here are two beautiful split screens from last year; Can't wait for this years show - I think I'll take my canvas tent!

Before, and After

After all this rooting around for weird old things, I was strangely compelled to show you some pictures of my VW Camper (the one before the blue one!) I currently have none, but if I get one of these fancy nancy jobs, and have to sell my soul, then I'm getting another before you say 'chug'! And believe me, chug, they do! This orange one took us all the way to Italy with two kitties in the back! I felt I had to give her a spruce up before she left, so that's why the first pic is kind of grey (it was sooo cold!) then, I painted her outside our house in Italy - hence the lovely blue sky!

Random Weird Things which are Nice

On the subject of odd-ness and curious things, here are a couple of photo's from my wanderings in Umbria last year. The Italians seem to have a bit of thing for Gnomes in their gardens. Of course, being Italian, their Gnomes are rather stunning, and seem to somehow manage to look 'right'. The cat was in a shop in Venice, and I think you could buy it, but it was squillions of euros.....

Little Tickets of Delight

I am a great Keeper-of-Things, and some of the things I have kept over the years are tickets. Tickets from when a ticket was a ticket (I think I have rambled on about this earlier in the blog!) Anyway, here is a small sample of delightful tickets, back in the day when a trip on the tube cost you 50p! What is it now? I never go to London, so I haven't the foggiest - probably £7.00 or something! Ah, those were the days!

Tiddles' Runner-Bean Wigwam

We got loads of gardening done during our sans Internet week, including building a wigwam for our runner beans, Tiddles' favourite bean! Mine is baked, preferably Heinz, served with chips!

Guess who's back, back in town?

It's Liz and Tiddles! Re-connected and raring to go! Well, only the first bit is true, but non-the-less, here we are! It's amazing how much more I seem to get done when I'm Internet-less - I've gardened, cleaned out drains, painted window frames, baked cakes, ooh all sorts of exotic things! I've sent Tid off to another publisher, the Piccadilly Press, so let's see what happens. This time, I made a dummy of an actual Fluffville book. Fingers, as always, firmly crossed! You know, the less I go anywhere, the more I like it. I love being here, in the company of my three lovely cats, surrounded by the countryside in this wobbly old cottage.... It's pretty much close to being in Heaven for me, and I don't seem to need much. If it weren't for those horrible bills, I would just stay like this. I know if I get a 'mega job', it will only be a matter of time before I burn out again. I wish I could just stay like this, I really do....

Oh no! Internet Disaster!

Thanks very much, everyone for your useful comments on the Bunny Hotel idea - I am obviously still in the planning stages, and if I do it, I will need to get some structures etc built professionally. Thanks, Quiltcat for the info re. insurance; I have a good relationship with local vet, and kept bunnies and g. pigs myself for many years so that bit's OK.... Our Broadband has been 'switched off' by mistake! I'm so frustrated! Useless flippin DSN companies. I am in the library doing this and just checking email, so if I go quiet for a while, I'll be back as soon as we're re-instated! Hope you are all well, and life is treating you well folks! See ya soon!

Phase One of my Brill Idea!

Right Folks! This is it! I am planning to open a Bunny Hotel, kind of like a cattery, but for little furry things! We have a large, safe enclosed area in the garden which the previous owners built at considerable expense. We didn't know what to use it for, maybe a fruit cage, or chickens - then I thought of it! A Bunny Hotel! I did some research, and see other people are doing it, and charging quite a lot! No one here has done this, so could there be a gap in the market? I have some hutches coming, and I plan to make a website (when I can afford the £20 for 'Mr. Site'!) Ooh, I could go on Dragons Den and become a multi-millionaire in Rabbit Leisure Products!

I know, I know - I spend too much time alone!

Digging for Victory!

Yup, that's what I've been doing today - amongst other things, like trying to get the antique petrol lawnmower going, (it did in the end!) doing loads of washing, cuddling various cats, preparing seed beds.... However did I manage to work full-time! I much prefer my life now, although there is still the problem of the Big Bills, hmmmm. I have had a brilliant idea, though, and I'll be telling you all about it soon; it doesn't involve hot dogs and obtaining expensive council permits, it's pretty brill I think! The latest cooler than cool thing I've acquired on Freecycle is a 1960's Blacks of Greenock canvas tent. Wow! Do any of you know what a real canvas tent smells like? It is intoxicating. I shall put it up and sit in it and sniff it, and be surrounded by memories of Guide Camp, gadget-making and singing around the campfire.....

Freecycle!

April asked about Freecycle following on from the post below - Here is the link http://uk.freecycle.org/, you then need to find your local UK group, or you could even start your own if there isn't one! It really is brill - I have offered things like spare bedding, pots and pans, books, DVDs, plant pots - you name it.... I have received such treasures as greenhouse glass, an actual greenhouse and garden shed, and I'm just waiting to see if I've managed to get a boat!

Empty Pots and Rain

Well, the weather has gone seriously downhill since I wittered on about wearing my shorts and flip-flops! It's back to being wet, cold and grey, so no planting on today's agenda. I have been lucky on Freecycle, and have a load of greenhouse glass coming tomorrow, which means I can finish re-glazing it after the winter storms tried to destroy it! I don't know if you have Freecycle in the States, but it's a brilliant way of asking for stuff you need, and getting rid of stuff you don't need.....all for free! It reduces impact on landfill, and is an all-together fantastic thing! Me and Tid will have to wait to plant our seeds, but there's always therapy of the retail kind to occupy us!

Talisman; Illustration Friday

Here is my drawing for this weeks subject, 'Talisman' - something which is described as bringing luck and good fortune. I thought this little boy with his lucky rabbit and dutch hoe fitted the bill perfectly!

My Little Stove

Do you like my little enamel stove? I was going to get it put in my studio, which is a shed at the top of the garden - but it looks so sweet, that today, we got a man round to give us a quote to get it installed in the kitchen. It will be just the job for those cold days next winter, and you can boil a kettle on the top and dry your socks on it too! I've been really busy in the garden, so haven't done much drawing lately. This usually happens to me about this time of year - I kind of shed my stupor, and get more energised (I'm pleased to say!) I'm getting the veggie patch ready, and have runner, broad and french beans, beetroot, carrots, parsley, potatoes and onions so far.....

Wonder Cat

Here is a lovely photograph of my beautiful little Bacon-Cat; he squeezes me nearer and nearer the edge of the desk, until I fall off! I have to go and find something else to do until he wakes up and decides to catch a mouse for his tea! The next photo is Tiddles' drawer under my desk - this is where Tiddles lives when he's not having adventures. I thought it looked kinda cool, all the little Tiddles, snuggling in the drawer (but he is real!)

Tiddles' Toy Dog

While I was working in the garden yesterday, Tiddles was busy himself, making this fantastic scooter and pull-along dog out of recycled wood. I have a big pile of wood stacked behind the sheds for 'one of those days', and this was one of them! We also made a new path in the greenhouse and put bean sticks up ready for runner beans and broad beans. It's been really freezing here today, with a weird sort of sea mist surrounding us, so no outside work; instead I made scones (yum) and drew a Tiddles (I forgot what colour he is, it's been so long!) There is a nice fire next door, so i think I shall go in there after I post this, and see what's on telly.

Brrr!

Wow! What a long time away from my blog and the World-Wide-Web. We had a fantastic time in Italy - in the snow! It was absolutely freezing, especially at night. Our hut has no heating, so the first thing we needed were hot water bottles and woolly hats! Just before we left for the airport, the trusty old laptop finally gave up the ghost, closely followed by my ibook.....A veritable technical disaster, which has resulted in mucho-spending of money, and now we have a swanky new desktop and laptop for travelling about! The computer guys have just finished setting everything up, and here I am! The weather here in Scotland is amazing - today I have been planting my onion sets in beautiful sunshine, wearing flip-flops and shorts, it's going to be the same tomorrow too, so woohoo to that! While I was doing the garden, Tiddles made the sweetest little pull-along toy dog out of old wood; it's so lovely, and he'll show you tomorrow (I've just gotta draw him!) It's great to be back - I missed you all!