Tiles

I was out with friends last night who will remain nameless for reasons that will become apparent and they shared with me a little story...

Their children are away for the week and they decided to have a romantic, candle lit encounter in their bath. So the scene was set - nice music, lots of bubbles and of course candles. Two of them are in the bath, romance is flowing when wife remarks on funny smell. Could it be the after effects of the garlic bread they'd had? Nope! The candle obviously had too big a wick and husband's hair was on fire! This of course somewhat spoiled the moment as they collapsed in laughter as did I until my sides were sore.

Offending singed hair was removed and I'm pleased to say he doesn't have a bald patch!!

Think they'll be moing candles further away next time!

Just an update for anyone who may have read about my daughter's cat Sinbad who had gone AWOL before I went on holiday. I'm very happy to report that after 5 days in the wilderness the mucky, sad, thin and very scared moggy was found and brought home where of course he was smothered with love and kisses from all. Hopefully he won't roam again.

Alas the same cannot be said of my missing/lost MP3 player which I'm sorry to say never made it's way to the police station so I just hope whoever found it has had as much pleasure as I did and that they can't charge the thing cos I've got the charger!!!!!!!!

Ok so strictly speaking I've actually been back for just over a week and what a quick week it's been. I had a wonderful time down in Holywell Bay doing not a lot and loving it. The sand, the sea, the sun and the surf (oh the surf)were absolutely wonderful.

I love the sea at the best of times but the waves there were amazing so much power and a joy to watch and go in. I found myself walking on the beach each morning and lucky for me I often got it to myself and had the sheer joy of that and going in the water at such an early hour. It's also a great place to think and reflect and sing out loud to your MP3 player cos no one can hear you! I also discovered the joy of body surfing (couldn't do the standy up bit!) being carried along by the waves and really think I could be a surf bum if I put my mind to it, lol!

Then of course there was the cream teas mmm, mmm, Cornish clotted cream, another joy. Oh and the stars, so clear in the sky without the hindrance of streetlights ah bliss.

Of course teenage son managed not to burn house down and think the cats might have had more fresh meat than usual although Daisy had slimmed a bit which hasn't done her any harm. Angus, as some people already know, had a wonderful time on his holidays with his aunty K and uncle P (and in fact i think he misses the bonding with uncle P)and I believe might have already rebooked his suite.

So holiday's over but the memories are still very fresh in my brain and I have the photos to look forward to.

Well today I should be filled with the greatest joy as I'll be setting off on my hols later but it would appear I've lost my mp3 player when I was out and about yesterday . This does fill me with sadness as I have lots of my favourite music on it and there's nothing like being able to lose yourself in your music I think. I have phoned around in the hope that some honest soul will have handed it in but no joy, the cynic in me says anyone finding it would keep it but I live in hope that maybe one of the honest people in the world will find it.

Also still no sign of daughter's cat, not looking good.

Maybe I should just abandon holiday and stay at home...

Yesterday I got a text from my eldest daughter to say her moggie who doesn't go out had! And now 36 hours or so later he still hasn't returned. Hopefully he's just been listening to his brother who goes out all the time and got a little wunderlust, it being summer and all.

While thinking about her Sinbad reminded me of a book I used to read to my daughter called Jaspar and was all about a house cat who decided to venture out but soon found himself lost with no cat food tree in sight. He did make it back home and I'm hoping sometime today Sinbad will do the same.

Soon be holiday time and time to leave eldest son in charge of cats as well as house. Whilst I know he won't come to any harm I suppose there is still that fear that he may somehow manage to burn the place down with himself in it! Ok I'm being a bit melodramatic there but surely that's a mothers' privilege and if I really thought that would happen I wouldn't leave him.

He will I'm sure survive and what teenager ever starves? As for the cats they might have to go and do a bit of hunting as I'm sure he'll only feed them twice a day and not they're usual on demand. Thankfully though his elder sister lives close by so the moggies will get fed when she visits.

The other thing is the rise in the electricity consumption and the amount of things he'll omit to switch off (or in the case of the tumble dryer, use when the sun is splitting the sky and only put one thing in it!)before going to bed/going out.

I'm sure he'll have a whale of a time whilst we're away, the peace and quiet he'll enjoy will be sublime so maybe I'm doing th ewrong thing, maybe I should stay at home and let him go in my place. Can you imagine it, two whole weeks of the house to yourself. Hmmmmmm bliss!

Saturday was our parish outing to Ardrossan, a place I hadn't visited for at least 13 years. It was a very pleasant surprise to walk on such a clean beach, not the beach I remembered all those years ago when you had to be careful what animal,vegetable or mineral you stood on!

I took great pleasure in walking along the sands, looking through the rock pools and of course padling in the sea which wasn't as cold as some may think. I love the water, being at the sea is an absolute joy to me regardless of season.

With me were my two youngest (9 & 6) but also my eldest at 22 and it was lovely to spend the day of fun with her too. We had a list of "treasure" to find, one of which was a crab (more points for a live one). We did indeed find the live one but after some deliberation we decided to forfeit the extra points and put it back into it's own wee world again and take a much dead one instead.

Later we had games on the beach and whilst we had a fun time, I also found it sad that some and probably most of the children didn't know how to play rounders, a game which I had grown up with and was always great for bringing everyone together no matter what age. Nevertheless I thoroughly enjoyed it and I'm sure everyone else did too, so good to laugh.

One day, in the shark-infested waters of the Caribbean, two prawns
called Justin and Christian are discussing the pressures of being a
preyed upon prawn.
"I hate being a prawn," says Justin. "I wish I were a shark."
Suddenly, a mysterious cod appears. "Your wish is granted," he says.

Instantly, Justin becomes a shark. Horrified, Christian swims away,
afraid his former friend might eat him. As time passes, Christian
continues to avoid Justin, leaving the shrimp-turned-maneater lonely
and frustrated.

So when he bumps into the cod again, he begs the mysterious
fish to change him back. Lo and behold, Justin is turned back into a
prawn.

With tears of joy in his tiny little eyes, he swims back to the reef to
seek out Christian.

As he approaches, he shouts out: "It's me, Justin, your old friend. I've
changed... I've found Cod. I'm a prawn again, Christian."

.

Decided to go over old ground yesterday and take a walk that I used to do with my now departed friend. It had been a long time since I'd last done it but the enjoyment was still very much there albeit tinged with a bit of sadness as my old girl wasn't with me (or maybe she was).

Must go back again soon.

Last night when I was letting the cat out for the umpteenth time, I noticed a rather large slug on top of my recycling bin and I had to wonder what on earth had possessed it to wend it's weary way up there. Could it be that it is one of a happy band of slugs who seem to enjoy eating any cat food that is left lying outside and knew that sometimes their dishes are put there or is it new to the neighbourhood and heard that this was the place to be? Not to leave it disappointed I gave it a cat biccie which it devoured - is there anything they won't eat?

Although I hate the fact that they can and do eat any unprotected flowers, I also cannot bring myself to blatantly kill them and do find them amusing to watch as their little antennae search out food (I assume)and also wonder what time do they go to bed at?