Between a rock and a wet place

That is where I have been – geographically, not figuratively – since before Christmas, staying with family. The ‘rock’ is actually a cliff, directly at the back of the house, and the wet place is the sea, smack dab in front. The cliff interferes rather with phone signals and internet access, but not quite so drastically as leaving your gadgets on the sofa 50 miles away does…. Hence the ’radio silence’ for a while, apart from a few hours where I borrowed a Kindle. Actually it was quite good to have an enforced severance – it did make me realise just how much I use the internet (an alarming amount, if I am honest), and that it is possible to survive without it.

Still, I am back now and whilst unlikely to make it through every blog post I missed, I will try to catch up a bit over the next few days. I also needed (it appears I need to craft regularly!) to rustle up a quick Happy New Year card, for all my lovely blogging chums, or indeed anyone who comes across it, really! This is very simple – just die cutting the champagne bottles, making a layer to go behind each bottle and then die cutting the greeting. Done in less time than it takes to eat the last mince pie. Well, if you keep stopping to make a card, that is!

 

I may need to address my prioritising in 2017. In the haste to get en route (first train journey with the cat, I was a nervous wreck) to our Christmas venue the technology got left behind, but the elf kitty costume was safely transported to the coast. Go figure. Here is a picture of my sister’s rescue cat Sossage, happily sporting the elf collar. Sossage is a tiny, tiny cat. Not just ‘a bit small’, but really tiny. She is 100% adorable, and seems perfectly happy to be dressed up, and to pose for pictures.

And don’t worry, this is a battery candle, not a real one!!

I think she was less convinced about the hat…

 

Hope everyone had a great Christmas and I wish you all the best for 2017!

 

S’elf’ish shopping

This is why I need parental controls for internet shopping. In my email I came across a spanking little elf outfit for cats or small dogs. It cost a couple of quid, free p&p and before you could say ‘disgruntled pussycat’ one was in the post.

I am not one to routinely dress the cat, but I had a brief moment of optimism here when I thought I might get some cute pictures for next year’s Christmas cards. Totally forgetting of course that cats will pretty much do what they want, and you can’t easily make them pose for any photo, let alone a shoot in good daylight, on a nice rug or cushion. Throw a bit of fancy dress in there and you are channelling Pollyanna big time. It is definitely more ‘carpe diem’ than Annie Leibovitz.

The outfit arrived on Saturday. It is just a hat and a collar with bells on. So, collar has to go on first or you will knock the hat off. Easy. The elf collar is elasticated and quite loose, so certainly not going to constrict in any way. I know that if you want to do something to a cat (flea it, worm it, medicate it, put it in a costume for you own entertainment) then it is best NOT to give chase, but bide your time. So, Riley (the cat) is dozing on the sofa. I had already let him sniff the hat and collar when they arrived so they were familiar. Pretty much any new item needs to be sniffed. Now I just gently popped the collar over his head. So far, so fancy! Then we went for the hat. I knew that the hat was aspirational (for me) and probably never going to work. I was not wrong. Nor was I quick enough to get a photo of the walking backwards (why do they think that will help?), or the rapid flurry of paws that speedily dislodged the offending headgear.

Maybe I will try the hat again. I will leave it lying around, see if he gets used to it. But I am not going to push it. His dignity must be considered!

I don’t think he liked the collar as such (judge for yourself from the following pictures), but he was ok with it and didn’t try to pull it off or run away. Maybe he just needs some time to earn his stripes!

Ah well, there’s always next year.