A beautiful tribute to a dying man

https://www.inspiremore.com/richard-gill-composer/

This is one of the nicest things I have ever seen. A few days ago Richard Gill, a much-loved music educator and composer, lay dying in his home. His friends gathered outside to farewell him. Go to the link and scroll down for the video. Very touching...

A hard night's day

I'll start typing while I'm waiting for the photo to come through. Both cats stayed out all night and came in for breakfast looking very guilty. Mr Naughty must have had a hard night, as he hopped onto a chair and fell into an exhausted sleep the minute he'd eaten his breakfast! Just look at him, three hours later!

Yesterday Mrs Polly Wolly sat beside the pool and watched me swim for the whole 30 minutes! I was surprised the other day when Mr Naughty stared at me in amazement. Just goes to show animals experience things much like us. For them it was something entirely new, seeing a human in a pool of water, and they just couldn't take their eyes off me!

I mentioned in my last post that I was going to catch up on emails. Well, I didn't. Can't drag myself away from the  jigsaw puzzles.

I've realised that Emma has inherited my discalculia.

Dyscalculia /ˌdɪskælˈkjuːliə/ is difficulty in learning or comprehending arithmetic, such as difficulty in understanding numbers, learning how to manipulate numbers, performing mathematical calculations and learning facts in mathematics. It is generally seen as the mathematical equivalent to dyslexia. It can occur in people from across the whole IQ range – often higher than average – along with difficulties with time, measurement, and spatial reasoning. Estimates of the prevalence of dyscalculia range between 3 and 6% of the population.

I started her with a tutor last week, but she really didn't understand Emma's difficulties, as she's used to tutoring top students aiming to get into selective high schools. I decided I'd do it myself, so every morning Emma comes downstairs at 7:30 and we do half an hour of maths together. Talk about difficult! I can barely do a single thing, so am very grateful everything is explained online. Last year I had a maths tutor myself, but have forgotten everything I learnt and am back to square one.

Hi Sandra! Good to read your comment.

First swim of the season

I don't know where time goes! I cannot believe it's so long since my last post. One reason is that I spend less time at the computer and more time watching Netflix. Last November when Manami moved out, she took the TV, so Philip got a new one, with a 55-inch screen, and that's fine for their very large, open space upstairs. But unfortunately it didn't work, so was replaced by a new one. Then the original one started to work again, so that left him with two big TVs. Recently he brought the second one down to me. My first reaction was how tasteless, a huge screen in a small room, but immediately it was turned on, I loved it!!!! I am glued to Netflix and have watched 'The Crown' twice, as well as absolute rubbish like the worst of the 'X Factor', etc.

The cat story is developing well. From two very scared, non-touchable cats in June, I now have a very cuddly Mr Naughty, who abandons himself to cuddles and caresses as often as possible, and Mrs Polly Wolly, who actually allowed me to stroke her back and tail for the first time this morning. She frequently comes close and even rubbed against my legs yesterday. They are both allowed out during the day and are quite happy to come in for dinner in the evening, and stay inside all night. So far as I know, they don't ever go out of the yard.

I kept my bedroom door closed for months, so there was no chance Mr Naughty could wee on my bed again, but forgot the other day, and caught him asleep on the bed, with no puddle. Since then he comes into my bedroom whenever he wants to and there have been no accidents. In fact, neither he nor Mrs Polly Wolly use the litter tray at all now - they both prefer the garden, which makes life a lot easier for me.

This morning I had my first swim of the season and Mr Naughty looked on in amazement when he saw me in the water! He couldn't quite believe his eyes. I love swimming and plan to hop into the pool every day from now to the end of April. As you can see in the photo, the surrounding trees have thickened up and look wonderful. I usually dread summer, but am determined from now on to convince myself I love it, and will spend uncomfortably hot days in the water, therefore having nothing to complain about.

I've got so far behind with emails that today I plan to sit at the keyboard all day to catch up. We'll see...another distraction for me is the online jigsaw puzzles, and sometimes I do several at a sitting. Try it yourself:  https://thejigsawpuzzles.com

All's well that ends well

I threw Mr Naughty outside after the last bed-wetting episode, but he refused to go away! He kept coming inside for his meals. I keep my bedroom door shut and he's not interested in peeing anywhere else.

Meanwhile, Mrs Polly Wolly got out accidentally. After two days of searching for her, she turned up! They now are both inside and outside cats and we're all very happy. 

Mr Naughty has finally discovered how nice it is to sit on my lap and be patted:

Mrs Polly Wolly prefers to camouflage herself in the garden:

End of my tether

I softened after locking the two cats in the bathroom overnight, and allowed them to sleep on the sofa in the living room last night. First thing this morning, when I got up, Mr Naughty did a poo in the litter tray in the bathroom, and I'd accidentally left the bedroom door open, so he hopped straight onto the freshly-laundered bed clothes and did a huge wee.

That was the last straw for me. I opened the doors but he would not go out, even when I tried to chase him. Eventually, after about half an hour, he did go outside, then came straight back inside again. I put him out again and closed the doors, and he just lay there.

I put his breakfast outside the door, but he didn't come near.

Meanwhile, Mrs Polly Wolly was hiding in the storeroom and wouldn't come out for her breakfast. I went out, and when I came back, she had eaten it and gone back to disappear in the storeroom.

Mr Naughty has now disappeared and his breakfast remains untouched.

What a disaster!!!! I paid $250 for him, followed shortly by $100 for a vaccination, and $100 for her. Flea and worm tablets cost $55, and remain unused, as I can't catch either of them to administer them. Then there's the cost of food - probably about $3 to $4 per day, and litter. And, after two and a half months, not a single cuddle from either. What did I do to deserve such a problem?

Banished to the bathroom

Oh dear, what did I do to deserve such problem cats? After two and a half months, nary a cuddle from either.

And bed-wetting!!! Yesterday I got up early to wash the bed linen. I took the sheet, pillow slips and doona cover off the bed and put them in the washing machine. When I walked back into the bedroom, Mr Naughty had piddled on the electric blanket, and the wee had gone through that to the mattress cover. Fortunately, these days electric blankets are washable, so I threw these two into the machine.

The day was warm and windy, so everything on the line dried. When he got home from work, Philip came to help me make up the bed with the fresh linen. (In the morning, I had thrown a top cover that Mr Naughty has shredded, onto the floor, as it wouldn't fit into the machine. I always put it on the top so he doesn't get the chance of shredding any other doona covers.)

We'd put the mattress cover, the electric blanket, the  sheet and the doona back on the bed, and I leaned down to pick up the shredded top cover. Oh my god - it was soaking wet!!!!!!!!!!! There was no smell, and I hadn't noticed in the morning, so it had lain there all day. I had kept the bedroom door closed after discovering the wet electric blanket, so that naughty cat had obviously piddled in two places in the morning.

I was beside myself, and locked them both in the bathroom for the night. But they looked so forlorn (see photo) I knew that wouldn't last long. So, this morning I've allowed them into the living room but not the bedroom.

I really don't know what to do.

A little bit of good news - Tommy out till next court case

This is a great article by Douglas Murray, setting some of the facts about Tommy Robinson straight:

https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/05/tommy-robinson-grooming-gangs-britain-persecutes-journalist/

I particularly like this section of the article:
"The problem — as I said in 2015 — is that any challenge Robinson presents is all a secondary issue. The primary issue is that for years the British state allowed gangs of men to rape thousands of young girls across Britain. For years the police, politicians, Crown Prosecution Service, and every other arm of the state ostensibly dedicated to protecting these girls failed them. As a number of government inquires have concluded, they turned their face away from these girls because they were terrified of the accusations of racism that would come their way if they did address them. They decided it wasn’t worth the aggravation."

This is a video by Andrew Norfolk, the Times journalist who first exposed the rapes and coverup by the Establishment:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7P7ih1GuuQ

One of the comments following the above video:

Alex Busby

"Great work Andrew Norfolk and the Times. Proper journalism at its best. Those responsible for suppressing this scandal should hang their heads in shame, 'though it's pointless demanding those directly responsible hang their heads in shame, as they have none. The UK is in a dire mess with this particular type of 'enrichment', and it will get much worse before it gets better."

Channel 4 interview with two of the raped girls:

Published on Nov 9, 2017:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAvRj6BQ0AM

Thank goodness Tommy is getting a lot of support from decent people all round the world. Including me.

Busy day

I got up early and watched the end of the England v Croatia soccer match. Not that I'm really interested in any kind of sport, so this was an exception, and I really felt sorry for the England fans when they lost. I then showered and washed my hair and went food shopping (both of which I hate). Got back, hung out a couple of loads of washing, cleaned the litter tray (which I do at least 10 times a day) and made a cake in the Thermomix - see above. Lots of hand-washing along the way! And washing up. It's no wonder people buy ready-prepared meals. Cooking really is a lot of bother.

It's an almond and orange cake, and quite delicious, drizzled with orange juice and marmalade jam. Last night I made carrot and coriander soup and a chicken dish with couscous. Tonight I'll do apricot chicken for the family, and we'll have the cake for dessert. Philip seems to do most of the cooking. I find myself exhausted most of the time and do a lot of sleeping, in between yoga, pilates and aqua classes.

It's school holidays and Emma just took me upstairs to look at her bedroom. She's bought a new cover and cushions, to add to the many already there. 

Hugo has asked me to repair a purple dinosaur for him, so I'll get my sewing stuff out to do that.

Slight progress with Mrs Polly-Wolly-Doodle, who spent the other night cuddled up with Mr Naughty on my bed! He allows himself to be patted, but no chance of picking him up yet. Here he is now, on the bed beside me, growing like a house on fire:

I agree, Sandra, 'Parsley' is not the kind of name you want to call out! Maybe he was named that because he piddled in the parsley! Emma still rolls her eyes at "Mrs Polly-Wolly-Doodle" and says, 'Nanny, you can't call her that!'

Forms!

I absolutely detest filling forms in. Look what I had to take with me just now to register the two cats with the council. Had I known it was going to cost me $48, I certainly wouldn't have bothered! I'm very cross.

Mr Naughty sleeps with me now, and last night I felt another cat - Mrs Polly-Wolly - hop onto the bed, too. She only stayed five minutes, but that's a start. No chance of getting a pic of her.

While I was at the council chambers I picked up a local newspaper, with an article about feral cats and what a nuisance they are. I accept that, but you'd think the council would pay me for taking two of these creatures off their hands! Mr Naughty cost $250 + $85 for a booster vaccination and $55 for flea powder. Mrs Polly-Wolly was a bargain at $100 (because she has a mental health problem).

All that, and I don't even get a cuddle ;-((

Keeping fit

In theory, I go to the swimming and leisure centre three times a week, but in the middle of winter it is very hard to motivate myself to go in the outside pool for the aquarobics class and I sometimes give it a miss.

This morning, however, after dropping Hugo and Emma at school, I bravely went. The outside temperature was about 9 degrees and the water 26. We were 13 courageous souls, + the marvellous instructor. It poured rain a few times, and the drops were icy. It's always worth the effort, even though getting out of a wet swimming costume, into a track suit, then driving home to a hot shower, getting dressed again, and drying hair is a lot of bother!!!!! First world problem, I know...

For some months now, I've been watching Dr Phil at midday, while I have lunch and a glass of wine. You may well ask why. Even Dr Phil himself sometimes shakes his head in disbelief at the antics of the performers and says, 'You can't make it up!'  But he then laughs all the way to the bank. Can't say I blame him. If people are happy to make fools of themselves - and they are - somebody might as well profit from it.

Talk about from the sublime to the ridiculous - reading Steven Pinker, then watching Dr Phil. I've always wanted an opportunity to use the word 'bathos'  and this is it!