Its been aaaages.
Firstly a big thank you to everyone who commented on my last post. I got a bit muddled trying to reply, so sorry I didn't get back to everyone.
I think it was June when I last posted or maybe the beginning of July. July was blessed with this beautiful display from my long awaited 'Paul's Himalayan Musk' rose. It only flowers once a year and its the first time its been so spectacular. The scent is incredible. I don't think the neighbours are too enamoured of it a it grows through the hedge and chances its arm by poking out of the other side. There have been 'tuttings'. Its a problem when we live in an individual sort of a house which shares a boundary with a modern estate, some the residents of which have generally a completely different idea of gardening and want to be neat with lawns like bowling greens and many fences. (Not all like that I have to say.)
My sewing room has been causing me some concern lately and I got really fed up of the chaos I created whenever I made a piece of felt. There was wool all over the floor and I got to the point where I didn't want to go in.
So I thought I'd try a different method of storing my wool. First I decided to collect some plastic bottles and cut them in half, then cut the top off. It looked good but I suddenly realised I couldn't store 60 plus round bottles easily.
So after a bit of research and some conversations with James from 'Box Express' I discovered some two-tiered boxes made for glasses which I cut in half and stacked on their sides and voila!
My wall of wool.
It works. Tidy tidy tidy.
So I could get on with much felt and many brooches.
So..the main reason I haven't posted is a sad one.
On 17th July there was a knock on the door.
It was a lovely neighbour from aforementioned 'estate' asking if we had a black and white cat. Her 20 year old son had been walking home from the pub the night before and had found one dead on the road.
He'd taken it to their house and was very upset bless him, saying 'Mum I couldn't leave him'.
Of course it was our Jools, and Linda knew, and was so lovely in breaking the news to me.
He'd been hit by a car. I find it amazing after 15 years of him crossing that road.
I'd just been talking to the vet about him because he was becoming ravenous and very difficult because of it. I couldn't leave any food out anywhere, couldn't even turn my back on him when coking.
He had become difficult with food and generally life was troublesome with him.
So although I'm sad for the lovely boy he was, I wasn't devastated by his death and at 15 I suppose he could have become ill and we might have seen him suffer. It looks as though he was hit and died quickly.
The only thing that bothers me is that that very night I'd been in the garden with Hetty and she'd found a hedgehog. I was taking photographs and I just hope Jools didn't come running across the road because he heard us in the garden. It was just at that time he was found.
I didn't blog because I wanted to write a tribute to him, but didn't have time. I'll eventually write one on the 'Tales from the home of Willow and Jools' blog. A real obituary. I loved him how he used to be, the best cat ever.
Two days later it was my birthday and we went to The Drunken Duck near Ambleside. We had a fabulous meal and the dessert was gorgeous. Eccles cake with gooseberry curd, gooseberries and clotted cream ice cream. It was so good.We had a walk around Tarn Hows afterwards.
My real Birthday treat came a few weeks later when we all went to Chester Zoo for the day. We were so lucky seeing the new born baby elephant on her first outing. She was so cute. The whole day was brilliant but extremely tiring, not only for the baby elephant but for me too!
Soon it will be Yarndale so I've been sewing brooches like mad.
We're off to Greece soon for a week. I have a dreadful cold but as its 32 degrees in Symi I think I might snap out of it!
9 comments:
It's awful when you lose a furry member of the family - but I'm sure you appreciate the time you had together.
I like your wall of wool - very clever (and thrifty) idea.
I'd love your rose to poke through our fence - it's beautiful. Your storage system is clever and so simple. Brooches are gorgeous as ever. Poor Jules - the same thing happened to one of our cats some years ago, so sad. Glad you had a nice birthday - have a super holiday and get rid of that cold.
So good to hear from you after all this time. But i'am so sorry to hear about Jools. Perhaps the changes in him meant there was something wrong with his health. Maybe a quick death was a blessing.... but its never easy to lose one of our babies...... Your brooches are lovely as always my dear... And i love the new storage idea you've come up with. It must make you feel alot better...Have a wonderful time in Greece! I hope you'll post lots of pictures as i live vicariously through you.... Hugs! deb
So sorry about your kitty, but remember that another one will find you when the time is right. Your work is so beautiful that I look forward to each post.
Good to catch up with your news even though it was sad to hear about your cat. Have a wonderful holiday. We are at the Eurotunnel as I type and missing the sunshine already!
Well, I'm glad to hear you've made sense of your studio. It's so much easier when you can see what you've got...!
Condolences on the loss of your lovely Jools.
The wool storage system is awesome, well done you.
I'm so sorry Jackie - losing a beloved pet is so hard. They do leave a hole in your heart don't they. You found a perfect solution for your wool storage - rather brilliant I think. Wish I lived next door, because I'd love those roses coming through MY fence.
So sorry to hear about your cat.
Our neighbour found a tiny kitten lying in her gateway the other day. I think it had been hit by a car. We have no idea who it belonged to. As our houses all have yards with flags. John and I took him to the allotment and buried him in a quiet corner behind the greenhouse.
I hope you have great holiday and your cold doesn’t hang about. See you at Yarndale.
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