VERY, VERY, VERY grumpy old woman

I started this page a few days ago, and just about threw the computer out the window when everything I'd written simply flew away. That's been happening to my emails, too. It drives me crazy!

The original whinge I had was people who use iPhones in cinemas and theatres, as in the photo. I have stopped going to movies as a consequence (much prefer NETFLIX in the comfort of my own home). 

I took Emma to The Wizard of Oz on Saturday. Being gouged by Viagogo - NEVER again - for $450 for two $100 tickets brought on a serious bout of grumpiness, I can assure you. Even getting there was frustrating enough. Emma has two Opal cards, one at her mother's flat and the other here, this latter needing topping up. These days, I cannot even cope with a topping up machine - almost no real live staff at railway stations any longer - so Philip gave her one of his two Opal cards. Would you believe, we discovered when she could not get through the ticket barrier at the station, that this one needed topping up, too. We were able to find a lonely staff member on duty that day and he kindly walked us over the road to a machine near Woolworths, and did the topping up for us, as I was on the point of a nervous breakdown. 

In the theatre, we climbed to the gods, to the very last row, where I sat directly behind the head of the woman in front and was blinded by several people using iPhones. I had to lean sideways throughout the whole performance to get a glimpse of the stage. On the way up, a woman had said to me: 'Well, this is your cardiac exercise for the day.'

Many more whinges to come next time.

Life after Muffy

  

Muffy's grave in back garden

New plants in pots nearby

I'm putting all my energy into the garden now that Muffy's gone. I won't get another kitten.

I have beautiful shots of her on both my monitors, and of course I think about her all the time. 

Early rising

I'm awake early - 4 am - so got up to make a coffee and do this blog. This pic was taken a few months back, when I got my new glasses after cataract operations.

My eyes are swollen after crying for Muffy since she died. Bruce and Wendy popped in yesterday with flowers for me. That was nice.

I plan to go to an Australian Natives nursery this morning, as beginning Muffy's Memorial Garden has inspired me to beautify the whole place. Both front- and back-yards have been neglected for a long time, making me ashamed. Emma is having a pool party here tomorrow, so I want to at least have the surrounds a bit decent. Extremely hot weather of late has killed most of the potplants, so it's time I made a fresh start. I've moved most of the pots into a shadier area.

School goes back next Tuesday. The kids have had a six-week summer holiday, and Philip three, so we will need to get organised. Their mother left home some months ago, making things extremely difficult. Emma never wants to go to her flat, preferring to stay in her own home with Daddy, naturally. Hugo doesn't seem to understand there has been a tearing-apart of his family, and goes to his mother every now and then. But fortunately for us, they're here most of the time. Philip is being magnificent, as always. 

At 6 am I'll listen to The Archers, as I've been doing for years. Right now we're into surrogacy! There's no doubt about it, we get a bit of absolutely everything in this BBC radio program. It's been running since the war!

I, and most of my friends, have just about given up totally on TV. I've got NETFLIX and binged on The Crown recently. In my opinion, this is the best program ever made. Last night I discovered Hidden Houses in Wales. I adore things like this. You folk who live in England and Europe are so lucky to have such beautiful old buildings. Nothing older than 200 years here.

Goodbye Muffy

Muffy drew her last breath yesterday, Monday 22 Jan 2018, aged 17. A kind and respectful vet and nurse euthanased her, and she died in my arms. Philip, Emma and Hugo were there, too, to say goodbye.

She is buried in our backyard and I've already begun to plant flowers and shrubs so it can be Muffy's Memorial Garden.

I've never cried so much in all my life. For all these years, except when I was away, she slept with me every night and kept me company every day.

This photo was taken on 5 Jan, just a few weeks ago. The vet had examined her and taken blood samples in Dec and said she'd be gone by mid-Jan, and he wasn't far out. For years she'd had kidney and heart disease and was on medication and a special diet. 

I loved her dearly. She had a happy and long life and I have wonderful memories of her, and thousands of photos.