Freddy doesn't kiss. Whereas Bad Bobby will knock a person over with his violent bulldozing kisses, Freddy is more timid. He'll cautiously get really really close as though he wants to kiss you but he really only does air kisses. We've had a few special air kiss moments and I think he's appreciated the TLC. If not the collar.
Here's the man himself with a message of thanks in his own words...
Bad Bobby is still freaked out by Freddy. He spends as much time as he can outside. He sometimes walks in slow motion past Freddy which is quite comical. He's also been nervous of coming downstairs if he thinks he might run into Freddy...
We would be finding his antics hilarious if it weren't for this; the vet says he has a psychiatric disorder. He's been pulling the hair out of his tail which we thought was just a bit stupid. The vet calls it 'self harm' and makes it sound deadly serious.
Apparently, despite sleeping for 16 hours a day, and not having to actually do anything, cats get stressed.
He's going to look like a poodle before long. So we have to be sensitive to Bobby and allow him to escape from Freddy. I do wonder what Freddy thinks about Bobby treating him like a leper though.
Anyhow, this is not a blog about cats and their health issues, psychiatric or otherwise. Let's get on to the fun stuff...
I painted my pantry door so it's gone from this...
to this...
Still need to add the new architrave.
Onto recent secondhand finds... (Warning - C word coming up...)
A lovely carpet bag...
Some unused pieces of tweed. God, I love tweed. I want to make a long flowy tweed skirt. I shall live in a make-believe world of misty highland scenery as I swish along the high street in my tweed maxi skirt. I will look like an ethereal tweed clad goddess from a Brora catalogue.
Skirts can totally do that.
A beautiful Aynsley bon bon dish for £1.50...
I can put that to use over Christmas.
Speaking of Christmas, I found this in my favourite junk shop...
A small wooden sledge painted a horrific pink. Apparently, these were for Nexts Xmas shop window last year. The junk shop was full of them, all painted in un-Christmassy pastel colours. Badly painted. The shop owner must have got them at auction. The one I chose was smaller than the rest. I thought I could rectify the paint job and use it as a Christmas decoration. Watch this space...
On a day out to Stevenage with my daughter, I found these...
and she found this...
This was actually new from H&M but she's had a rough time at school the last few weeks and I wanted to treat her.
Eight year olds like a sequin or two.
She's getting so fussy about clothes now, I find it harder to shop secondhand for her. She's entirely comfort driven. No trousers, hoods, 3/4 sleeves, high necks etc...
Also bought new was this from Poundland...
So as you can see, we're well ahead in our Christmas planning!
The day that Freddy got knocked down, I went to my local hardware store and stacked in with the 'Oops' paints were these...
A lifetimes supply of varnish reduced to £1 a can for no reason whatsoever other than they had a new delivery in. I was delirious with joy. I think the larger cans sell for £20.
Last of all, I want a new sofa. Badly. I've looked on ebay and can't find the right thing. They go for quite a lot and it's not often practical to test drive them before you buy so you could make an expensive, smelly and uncomfortable mistake. I've decided to buy a NEW one. The only new things we have are 3 mattresses and one bed. I don't choose new without serious consideration. I don't want my husband to pay because he doesn't think we need a new sofa. (We do!)
So, in keeping with my shopping code of practise, I've decided I will raise the money through selling some of my treasures. Once the money is there, I'll order the sofa.
And hopefully, the sofa will last for ever and ever.
It's going well. We've done a few car boot sales and I've sold things on ebay that I really love.
But I love the new sofa more. If I have that sofa, I'll never need to shop again.
I sold my two best eiderdowns and it made me a little sad. But the other day, as I was mourning their loss, I realised that there was a good chance that I'd come across another one some day. I mean, I go to every car boot sale, flea market and charity shop I possibly can, so the chances are good right?
Well, no sooner than I'd had this thought, I popped into a charity shop and found this eiderdown...
...for £3! I think I need to read about Cosmic Ordering... I think I'm doing it unwittingly.
Thanks once again, you lovely bunch. xxx
I need a new sofa, too, and I totally relate to the fear of making a costly mistake that I'll have to live with for the rest of my life! It sounds as though you've already picked one out and I hope you raise enough money from your sales to purchase it. The sled and ornaments were great finds for your Christmas decorating. I'm laughing at your visions of your life altering tweed skirt. :o)
ReplyDeleteDogs will chew at their paws when they're stressed, too, so it must be the canine and feline version of chewing fingernails. I hope both kitties are feeling better soon!
Oh now that's wonderful news about Freddy - and so nice to see him purring (even if he does look slightly miffed to be dressed in a colander!) I absolutely love that eiderdown - I used to have a couple very similar and have got no idea what happened to them - I never seem to see them any more so you've done really well there. Give your daughter a hug from me - being eight can be tough these days x Jane
ReplyDeleteSo chuffed to hear how much better FF is doing, but worrying about BB. But I can vouch that the drugs can work for humans so maybe they can do for felines too! And BB seems well focussed on the camera and his surroundings so that must be good.
ReplyDeleteGreat finds...love the baubles and your daughters' dress is very pretty.
Will email you about a sofa that may be suitable?
Zxx
Oh Freddy! It's lovely to see him looking better, albeit a little solemn and encumbered by his Cone of Shame. Sending him a head and chin scratch (but not where it hurts). Poor old BB, I expect he's thoroughly confused by FF being out of action and wearing the cone. Perhaps you need some of that plug-in cat tranquiliser you can get, to calm him down?
ReplyDeleteThat carpet bag is so pretty, and I'm expecting that the sledge is going to repainted immediately! You're definitely planning ahead - baubles, sledge, advent board, and Connie's Christmas party dress too. Hope she's OK, sending some love to her as well - having troubles at school is tough.
Ooh, a new sofa! That will be nice, and well done for funding it by Ebaying and car booting. Yes, a good bit of secondhand karma there - selling your favourite eiderdowns, only to find another lovely one, and for such a great price. The chazzing gods will provide, you just have to have faith! xxx
I'm glad Freddy is feeling better and I'm loving your advent stuff - it looks beautiful.
ReplyDeleteLizzie's Daily Blog
1. Glad to hear Freddy is recovering; although poor Bobby sounds like he's suffering now too! I hope they're both back to full health soon.
ReplyDelete2. The door looks great.
3. Skirts can totally do that.
4. Sorry to hear your daughter's been having a tough time at school. I hope the sequins fix it (they can fix most things, I reckon).
5. That sledge is AMAZING. I'm very sad that I don't live near you to buy one of the other ones. When we build our new kitchen (in 2032) I'm planning to suspend one from the ceiling to use as a pots and pans rack.
6. That eiderdown is gorgeous. You clearly deserve a life full of gorgeous eiderdowns and beautiful sofas.
7. What sofa are you buying? Link please
xxx
I'll email you as it's top secret! No adverts on this blog!
DeleteYou've done all right at the op shops! Love the eiderdown. Those poor cats, hope they better soon!
ReplyDeleteYou have a lovely voice, I was half expecting a Yorkshire accent. Do your boys like catnip? When mine gets impossible I sprinkle a lot on the rug and he rolls in it and gets stoned.
ReplyDeleteI help my boy out with his washing with a damp flannel. He loves it. He waits outside the bathroom for his flannelling. Have you tried putting a little bit of marge or butter on BB's paws, it might distract him from his tail. Kiss for FF
Thanks Teri, my parents were from Devon and my mum disliked the Yorkshire accent so we weren't allowed one. Obviously we had to have one at school so we didn't get our heads kicked in so we became bi lingual. That is my special 'talking-to-poorly-cats-voice.'
DeleteI did try helping Freddy wash, he does a much better job though! x
Thanks for showing us FF's progress. I am so sorry that BB is suffering too! My oldest kitty has licked his belly so much, it is bald from overgrooming. No 'stress' for him ether that I am aware of. I think his is an OCD manifestation. I love the bob bon dish & those ornaments & all your other finds.
ReplyDeleteHmm, we have a bit of a belly bald spot going on too! Perhaps 'self harm' is the vet totally over reacting and they just enjoy cleaning or pulling their hair out?
DeleteSO pleased to see FF in the flesh purring away and looking in fine fettle. (apart from the cone obvs)
ReplyDeleteI was thinking along the same lines as Curtise, have you tried that Valium-for-cats plug in thing?
You've done really well with all of your finds. Can't wait to see the Tweed maxi, paired with the carpet bag of course. Finding that eiderdown for £3, it had to be fate. I'm always on the lookout for one but unless they have fag burns or stains they want silly money.
Poor darling Freddie and Bobby, too. Bless the pair of them. I loved the video, please give them both lots of stroking and fuss from me.
ReplyDeleteLove that carpet bag, its gorgeous! C's dress is so pretty, too. I'm studiously ignoring any mention of the C word till at least 24th December. xxx
So good to her Freddie is on the mend and hopefully Bobby will stop the self harm too. Gus went through the same tail stripping last year for some reason, perhaps that was stress too but he's stopped now and most of the hair has grown back. I picked p some Christmas baubles in a charity shop when we were in Newquay a few weeks ago, 10 for a pound with a really old fashioned print and soft colours, I'm so pleased with them. Good luck with raising the money for the sofa! xx
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about Stressed Cat and Cat in Tudor Ruff. We had a stressed cat too and her fur fell out in clumps.
ReplyDeleteYour Charity shop and Poundland bargains sound super, I like the blackboard!
By the way, I popped over to check you were ok after the op. Why oh why can't you eat crisps?????? X
Thanks Kezzie, I didn't have an op in the end. I ended up on a surgery ward to have my appendix out but apparently it was a kidney stone instead and I must have passed it. It was all very dramatic, ambulance ride and everything. And the most painful thing ever. My crisp addiction certainly won't help. If I don't want it to come back I have to cut salt, protein and most everything yummy. :(
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