And It's Goodnight From Me - Patchy Boy

Patches arrived at our house three years ago along with Ashley. He is a tabby and white tom cat, that is tom cat he would like to remind everyone he is male. Patches had the misfortune of being called 'Hermione' by his previous humans and even now he can still be a little camp. He is a very affectionate saggy old lump of a mog. Patches co-owns Paul with Tigger but is certainly not as aloof. He likes to chat away to the human staff from his grandiose station on top of the fridge, chirping and meowing till the cows come home. As the granddaddy of our cat community he as absolute no control whatsoever over the younger mogs, preferring to curl up on or in my bed for hours and only moving when he hears the kibble hit the dishes. Then he will swagger out with a nonchalant look on his face barely acknowledging the human servants putting out the meal. In patches opinion the only good human is the hot water bottle variety.

Copyright:JeMs2007

600 Seconds at Lunch - What was your favourite subject at school? Why?

My favourite subject at school, oh good an easy topic for a change!!!! At primary school I loved English as it meant books, books and more books and I loved art cos I could make and get into a right mess without getting a telling off. Oh how simple my pre-adolescent brains was. My primary English teacher, Mrs Roberts (I think) introduced me to the worlds of fantasy over a term of daily story times reading CS Lewis' 'The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe' and for that I am truly grateful. My life without Narnia, Middle Earth and Discworld is something I cannot and do not want to imagine. Harry Potter and his friends at Hogwarts encouraged my own sons to read. Fantasy fiction may be escapism but without it reality would be hell.

Copyright:JeMs2007

Morning Pages - Public Schools are Better in Most Ways than Private

As a former boarding schoolgirl I would not change the education and schooling I had. Discipline was a strong point in my school and I needed that. OK I probably did not wholeheartedly agree with that when I was on the receiving end of a cane, I have no doubt it was quite the opposite if I remember right. Now I have a strong sense of self discipline which I need in my life. On an academic level I left school with 12 high grade 'O' levels, GCSE did not exist back then and 3 pretty good 'A' levels, none of which I have ever used. Like most people I hated the school regime when I was there, let's face it we only realise just how wonderful being young is when the grey hairs set in and the bits that once were perky and firm give in to gravity and sag a bit. For me to argue that private education is better than public I would have to have knowledge of both, I do not. I am not a teacher so I do not know if it is better or worse for them. I am sure I was pretty horrendous as a school girl judging by the number of times I met with discipline but I guess I would have been anyway. To be honest I do not think it makes that much of a difference, a child who has the desire to learn will do so no matter what type of schooling. Would I still have the same moral outlook and self discipline, probably most of that is my inherited genetic code.

Copyright:JeMs2007

And It's Goodnight From Me - The Tortoiseshell Girls

Topaz and Roo are our two tortoiseshell cats, almost identical, no surprise as Roo is Topaz's daughter. Topaz is Ashley's daughter, but that is neither here nor there and I doubt Ashley wishes to be reminded she is a grandmama. Tortoiseshells are beautiful patchworks of colour cats, the female equivalent of the much maligned ginger tom.Topaz and Roo are very close, unusual for a pair of queens, but more often and not they are found together. They like to sleep in warm places, the top of the tumble dryer is their favourite spot. Topaz has a sweet tooth and her favourite treat is Lindt chocolate, yes she has expensive tastes and an eye for quality. Roo on the other hand is a little more down to earth and prefers her catnip buttons. Both have a liking for beaten egg and goats milk shake too. The tortoiseshells are classy ladies, elegant and serene in both their movement and ways.


Copyright:JeMs2007

600 Seconds at Lunch - How much would you sacrifice to save an animal?

Is the animal a pet, an endangered spieces? What is meant by the word save? A beloved pet suffering is not an easy time. Just how much do you force the poor animal to endure pain and suffering just to keep it alive? We are responsible of caring for our pet and ensuring they live a happy and fulfilled life. When they get old, sick or injured they cannot tell us exactly how bad it is or where it hurts. We and the vets have to evaluate whether enduring treatment is helping or hindering our beloved pet. For me this is a raw and sensitive issue as a year ago I had to make that decision I had been dreading for sometime. My much loved baby dog and best friend suffered a series of nasty strokes. For a week she battled on, trying to give me some hope all would be OK. But I knew, I had to say stop. At 21 years old she was an aged dog and I couldn't in all conciousness let her suffer endless tests in vain. So I asked the vet to stop and help her pass away, stop her pain. My beautiful dog went to sleep one last time in my arms. This time she couldn't lick my tears away. Yes I miss her so very much and I hurt like hell, but she will always be with me in my heart and I know my Rizzy is in a better place free from pain and suffering as she so deserves to be. I love and miss you so much my baby dog xxx always.

Copyright:JeMs2007

600 Seconds at Lunch - Talk About Animals

The Cat
Sleek and elegant,
Full of grace,
Yeah right,
Not so at our place.
Loner cats are,
They say, aloof,
Ours are friendly
Always acting the goof.
Our feline babies
Each and everyone
Spoilt Oh Yes
But so full of fun
Smudge came first
Followed by Ash and Patch
Three lovely cats
We mad quite a catch
Five years on
Our home is a feline domain
The rule of mog
Long may it reign

Copyright:JeMs2007