The Long Weekend

Bloggie friends!

Today sees the start of the August Bank Holiday holiday here in the UK – so I'm going to have a lovely long weekend with a few extra days off too.

What is a Bank Holiday? I have no idea – but all I know is that it means a long weekend and a shorter week. Hooorah!

I’m hoping to perhaps spend my short break trying to reacquaint myself with my narcoleptic writerly muse but I know I’ll take the wrong turn and meet up with my cooking/baking one instead! Yay!

Charlie and I will be back late next week so in the meantime please be happy and healthy and enjoy some chocolate, if not, a nice cup of tea.

Charlie says: I meet my napping muse.


We hope our friends across the pond stay safe and take extra extra special care.

Have a peaceful weekend, everyone!

A taste of floral

Bloggie friends!

This is my idea of living dangerously these days - trying out a handful of edible flowers - in my case some nasturtiums and violas.

Et voila!


I must admit I'd probably not have them again. They were very intense hot peppery almost bitter. Oh but they did look pretty arranged so daintily in my Eeyore and Piglet bowl!

Charlie says: I live dangerously too. I try gravel. (No he didn't!)


Yay it's nearly Friday!

Being far too precious

Bloggie friends!

Yesterday I thought I was doing the right thing when I pointed out to the librarian of the university where I work that one of the library books has been defaced.

Someone went through the text with different coloured highlighter pens and scribbled in biro on the margins of the pages, and of course I was most appalled.

But not as appalled as said librarian who then replies with “Oh you are being far too precious about books”.

When I asked her to explain her statement she said, “That’s what people do to library books so people should stop being so sensitive about it”.

This, bloggie friends, from a fully qualified went to library school, custodian of all things literary, LIBRARIAN.

Will the madness never end!?

Charlie says: I like my hat.



Beautiful Sammy, Andy, Shelly and mum who gave Charlie his hat are having a most fabulous auction and commentathons to help them through a horrible financial crisis. We send them lots of hugs and purrs and are bidding for the bookmark!

Old Kitty sighs at her lack of metaphor prowess

“The pages rustled like a lot of pigeons taking flight”
(From Terry Pratchett’s “I Shall Wear Midnight”, pp. 301)

The above is why I know I’ve got so much to learn with this writing stories malarkey!

I would never have created such a metaphor. Never in a million years!

Can you see and hear it bloggie friends?

I can hear the rustling of what must be the pages of a very big, very thick book. I can see the pages go whoosh and slap and feel the air disturbed as I would when caught in the middle of a flock of pigeons taking sudden flight!

The whole metaphor is so deceptively simple yet effective.

Sigh.

Charlie says: I too am deceptively simple yet effective. Ask Mr Klingon birdie!

Such fun with yesterday’s Star Trek blogfesting – thank you everyone and lovely Ellie! Yay!

All Aboard!

Welcome bloggie friends to gorgeous Captain Ellie's Star Trek blogfest!

Here are my five most favouritist things about all things Star Trek - and mainly from the 1960's original series.

1) Tribbles – what's not to like? They purr, are furry and make most humanoids smile!



2) Lt Uhura’s sexy red uniform – hubba, hubba!



3) Dilithium Crystals – the words just roll off my tongue like liquid chocolate!




4) Seatbelts. Or Lack Of. Y'all must have seen the episodes where the crew on deck are attacked and they get flung about and out of their seats for lack of anything to strap them into their seats.

5) “Boldly going forward cos we can’t find reverse” lyrics from The Firm’s homage to the series and their classic catchphrases.



The end! Charlie and I consider ourselves confined to quarters for the rest of the journey!
:-)

She cannae take it!

Bloggie friends!

Why do they make snacks look like cute and cuddly baby bears?!!?


See? I may love my snacks, but I also eat my greens! :-)

Now bloggie friends! The lovely Ellie Garrat will be hosting a Star Trek As We Know It blogfest on 22 August. All you have to do is list 5 of your all time favourite Star Trek things – characters, episodes – anything – and why!

I just had to sign Charlie up cos he’s a Trekker Kitty through and through.

Charlie says: I see Klingon birdie. Phasers set to stun.


Have a brilliant weekend everyone!

A shopping trolley too far

The grocer's shop I go to always puts bargain stuff in a shopping trolley by the fruit and vegetable section so of course it's the first place I go to cos they do some amazing bargains -like the half price macaroons I got earlier last month!

So I'm browsing away when an elderly woman taps my shoulder and says, "Excuse me, dear, but that's my shopping trolley".

Charlie says: I hope my meaty chunks in gravy was the good stuff.


Is it nearly Friday?!? Hooorah!

The Anti-Bad Poetry League of Gremlins

The Anti-Bad Poetry League of Gremlins
Got hold of my blog and did some bad things
They blanked my whole post
While I was eating my toast
But Hoozah! I’ve returned with more bad prose!
****************

Awwww thank you beautiful bloggie friends for noticing and emailing me about my blog post appearing as a blank screen yesterday. I have no idea what happened but hopefully all is back to normal!

Yay, I hear y’all say! LOL!

Charlie says: I deny all knowledge and need a new bed.

We are so sad to hear that little Dexter and Scampi of Maximus Spittimus have gone to the Bridge.

Dexter was the only surviving kitten from a litter attacked by a woman and her two children. It was hoped he’d be ok, but unfortunately the damage done was too great.

Scampi was 22 years old – he died peacefully surrounded by his loving family.

Run free and happy and healthy little Dexter and wonderful Scampi!

Have a loving Wednesday everyone.

Dragons and elves and brollies, oh my!

They say that summer’s ending
In the middle of August they’re selling
Christmas trees in Harrods
When there’s 130 days to go yet!

Yes bloggie friends, this report reckons that the year’s UK summer is now well and truly finished.

Time to bring out the brolly!

As well as to get stuck into lots of writing competitions – thanks to lovely Patsy Collins for the info to this one!

They’re looking for fantasy short stories so y’all should enter!! Think dragons and elves and fairies, oh my! LOL! It’s free, the prize is an iPad and it’s global and in association with a big name publisher!

Charlie says: I fantasise about treats.


Happy Tuesday!

Misread expressions

Bloggie friends!

Now I know I’ve got the sweetest face on this planet bar none (LOL!!!! I’m kidding!!) but really did the guy behind the baker’s stall have to say in all seriousness, “Cheer up love, it may never happen”, to me while I was concentrating very very hard on what pastry to buy off him?

Hmmm.

The above occurred during my lunch break yesterday at work.

Goodness knows what expression I must have worn as I gazed at all these pastries but couldn’t decide on whether to get the pain au raisin with custard filling or the cinnamon swirl. Or both. Ahem.

Charlie says: The lawn needs mowing and I continue my snooze.


Yes, it’s still Silly Summer time! Hooorah!

Fabulous publishing news!

Bloggie friends!!

Amidst all the doom and gloom in the news was this flicker of light – a publishing sensation!

Bob the underground tube station cat and his bestest human friend James, have landed a brilliant publishing deal with big name publishers Hodder and Stoughton.

The book A Street Cat Named Bob: How One Man and His Cat Found Hope on the Streets of London will be out next year 2012 and chronicles how James nursed a stray injured kitty (he later called Bob) to health and how both have been inseparable since.

(source)

Bob comes with James everyday to help him sell The Big Issue (a magazine sold to enable homeless people to earn a legitimate income) outside Angel underground tube station.

Their story with lots of links, clips, pics may be found here.

Normally I feel most envious about publishing sensations reported in the news (I'm only human!) but this is one news item I really really love! I wish Bob and James - he has a doggy too - all the best for a bright and brilliant future!

Charlie says: I help you write your book once I find how to turn this machine on.

Have a great weekend!

Chewing the cud

Bloggie friends!

There is something very wrong with this advert and it’s annoying me! LOL!

I wonder if you can spot it? You don’t need sound for it – just scroll to about 20 seconds in!



If you can’t play it, the scene is basically this. A woman feels peckish and searches for chocolate. She finds one, takes the wrapper off and pops a chunk in her mouth.

The problem?

SHE DOES NOT CHEW. She pops a bit of chocolate in her mouth AND DOES NOT CHEW.

Now I know as writers of stories, authors are able to create make-believe worlds, characters and situations – but I truly think as story writers, authors should also make their stories a tiny bit believable too.

Now I also know this is an advert so realism is not to be expected but surely (don’t call me Shirley! LOL!) if someone puts solid food in their mouths, they ought to chew the darned thing? LOL!

Especially when it’s chocolate.

Charlie says: After I eat, I snooze


Nearly the weekend, bloggie friends!

Hope

Bloggie friends!

Amidst all the looting and carnage and general bad things happening here in London and elsewhere in the UK - it is just so heartening to read of how groups of volunteers – mainly organised via Facebook and Twitter - are banding together to help clean up the mess left by the violence in their towns and cities.

The full news report of such community spiritedness may be read here.

And for once I shall refrain from being a silly old humbug about these new-fangled social networking sites as I normally am! :-)

Thanks to lovely Donna Hosie for also highlighting this fab Twitter happening.

Charlie says: I purr for light at the end of the tunnel.


Please take extra care bloggie friends in the UK and lots of hugs to all my global bloggie friends who were very kind to ask about me and Charlie!

You all ROCK!

Notes to self

Bloggie friends!

Here is the reason why I must never forget my pad again!


I got inspired while on the train to work but because I didn’t have my notepad with me, I scribbled the beginnings of a story on the back of an invoice and in the back cover of my Join-The-Dots book! LOL!

Now if only I can make sense of my scribbles...

Charlie says: I sleep on the grass and hope it doesn't rain.


Have a very peaceful and calm Tuesday where ever you are!

How Publishing Really Works gave me Charlie

Today is World Cat Day
To celebrate I’d say
How Charlie came to be
How he was delivered here to me

A writerly non-kitty blogger (gorgeous Jane Smith of How Publishing Really Works)
Sent out an S.O.S.
As Charlie was to be made homeless
So after my Ol kitty Girl died
In my grief, I soon replied

And so on March the 21st
In 2010, he burst
Into my heart he came
Life’s never been the same!

Charlie says: Rhyming S.O.S with homeless – pure awfulness!

HAPPY silly MONDAY!

With a little help from friends

Bloggie friends!!!

I truly could learn a thing or three from Charlie!

He so dearly wanted to go go to Bora Bora for yesterday’s celebrations and because I am totally useless at photoshopping and couldn't send him, he just wished and wished and wished and never gave up and continued dreaming!

Thanks to the help and support of all his amazing pals, his dream came true!


Thank you, beautiful Jan of Jan's Funny Farm for helping him pack and flying him over!


Thank you, wonderful Alasandra of Alasandra the Cats and Dog for keeping him company!

Thank you, Gracie for hosting such a fun event!

So bloggie friends, keep wishing and hoping and dreaming! Never give up!

If dreams can come true for Charlie, they can for you too - yes they will!

:-)

Have a great weekend!

Hoaxin on Bora Bora

Hands up those who fell for the hoax news item yesterday that reported how users of Internet Explorer have lower IQs!

*Me - waving both my arms in the air, like I just don’t care”! LOL!

Well of course I believed it – the BBC reported it!! - cos I’m so gullible and I do prefer IE to Firefox and others.

Come to think of it, maybe there is some truth in this, seeing how I got completely and utterly hoaxed!

Oh well! LOL!

Charlie says: I should be in Bora-Bora!


The fabulous Goodness Gracie is hosting a Bora Bora Day – a day where pets leave their humans behind and chill out on Bora Bora!

Unfortunately I don’t have photoshop or photoshopping skills so poor Charlie will just have to dream on! LOL!


Yay for more August silliness! It's such fun!

A slice of my inner Bard

Bloggie friends!

What was my most unusual and surprising birthday pressie?


A pineapple slicer! Yay! From my sister who swears it works!

In the meantime - I saw this "Paws for Poetry" competition in Writer's Magazine! Yes, bloggie friends!! Permission for me to release my inner Bard and wax poetically about Charlie! Yay!

Charlie says: I applaud your poetry so long as it's about me!


p.s. my birthday was in July so the cake (also from my sister!) pictured with the slicer has long been consumed! Yay!

Silly August season continues bloggie friends!!

Three little herbs

Once upon a time, there were three little pots who went to the Old Kitty academy of gardening.

Two were Basil and Chives, the other, Parsley and they were each all planted with hazardous seedlings.

But I took them away from all that, and now they grow for me.

My name is Charlie.

This bit of inspired madness was completely lifted from the original narration to Charlie’s Angels.

I just wanted to show my mixed successes with growing these herbs! LOL!

Yes, more August silliness, bloggie friends! Enjoy!

A dandy first

First of August is here
It’s time to have some beer!
The sun’s come out
It’s summer’s last shout
So let’s all just cheer and cheer!

Charlie says: Hip hip zzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

Hope you all had great weekends!! I love that today, Monday, coincides with it being the 1st of the month. I just think it's dandy! LOL! Ok, off I go!