Cat Love :) (by sarah)

It was Valentines Day and the table was set for a lovely meal, the hoomins had all been working really hard on it, both the bigs and the small bigs or as Lithium liked to think of them... THE KITTENS.

The Kittens were fearsome lovely things and were fine as long as you made sure you only go strokes and NOT hugs. Kisses weren't too bad but there were a bit snotty and drooly in general so Lith felt they were best avoided.

Sparkly hearts and beads and glitter had taken over the house the last few days and now there was a wonderful food smell wafting from the kitchen. Lithium's tummy rubbled - she was a very hungry cat.

She looked up at the table, it was all set out with place mats and candles and what not. It looked so lovely and the hoomins always brought the food to the table so it made sense that the place to be was on the table. The only problem was... Lithium was not allowed on the table. She walked around the table three times trying to decide what to do and then checking that the hoomins were all busy she hoped up onto a chair and then onto the table.

And... promptly settled down!

When the hoomins came in they stopped and stared at Lithium, normally they shouted and told her to get off the table but this time they oohed and ahhed and the biggest of the Little Bigs stroked her and scritched behind her ears.

Lithium made sure she was right in the corner of the table - cats like corners, it was because it was very mathematical and cats like maths. She sat at a special angle cutting the corner into two triangles - it was lovely.

But she didn't remain that way for long, with everyone moving about the candle flame started to flutter, looking exactly like a small thing to be caught and if not eaten then chewed alot!

Ears pricked to attention she prepared to leap and take down her foe!

But the light went off and a small big distracted her and explained that the candle was hot - she would have burnt her paw! Horrified Lithium reached out her paw to the Hoomins for inspection - just incase she had accidently burnt it anyway.

The Littlest Little Big assured her it was ok, she even kissed her! Now Lithium was drooly and had to groom her fur clean by licking and licking, everyone knew that cat drool was hygienic unlike hoomin drool.

Then she settled down and with a bit of petting began to purr loudly.

But after a while Lithium got bored, there was still lots of lovely cooking smells but where was the food?

She began to mew pathetically but all that happened was the Little Bigs stroked her which was all very nice but not what she had in mind! FOOOOOOD!!! Hoomins could be so silly sometimes!

Complaining meoawly she got them to put the light on again - it had nothing to do with the lost spoon and bad eyesight of one of the Bigs.

It had been very Catmospheric with the lights out, Lithium had to agree and so they put the light out once more and they sat in the flickering candle lights.

Finally the food showed up, Lithium's nose twitched and she sniffed at it but there was no meat 🙁

Poor Lithium had forgotten that the Biggest Big, the one that went all the way up to the sky, he only ate grass like things. Hoomins were so strange. Feeling disappointed she meaowed and licked his hand.

But the the Medium Big or was she the Smallest of Big Bigs? Got up from the table and went and got a special tasty from the fridge which she put on Lithiums fish shaped plate. Lithium jumped off the table and rubbed herself all round Mummy's Puss-Big Hoomins feet and then chowed down on the lovely yummy that had been put out for her.

It was a lovely Valentines Day for everyone.

(This story is part of The Wiggly Pet Collection)

The Allotmenting Begins! (by sarah)

So we kind of didn't get to the allotment in Nov, Dec or Jan except to pick up brussels for Christmas. At the weekend we popped down there to a) pay the annual fee and b) to check out exactly what needs doing.

I picked the last of the cabbages and pulled a leek and eyed up a few of the other things that are supposed to still be there and was very please. Yes it is not neatly rotavated like a lot of the other plots but when I think of what it looked like when we took it on!

We also put out boundary string back up and started forming plans 🙂

I am hoping that it will be good weather this coming weekend so that we can spend one or two hours there again as at the very least I want to move my worm juice stock there (the liquid I drain out of the wormeries is basically plant food and good to mix in with the water for some crops).

The drawings we did on the chair have all come off which is no bad thing as it simply means the girls get to do new fresh designs this year 🙂

Yes that's the little dragon from the weekend Symmon - he is coming on outings and being photographed for some Wiggly Pet Blog stories 🙂 Here's a closer shot.

World Poetry Writing Month (by sarah)

Every year I help coordinate a poetry writing challenge called WoPoWriMo or World Poetry Writing Month - in Feb. On the site there are writing exercises and ways to get around being blocked, plus inspirational words from other poets.

There are also reviews and events listings.

If you are a poet or a writer of any kind, then has become a good resource - I know I helped build it but I also use it - alot!

Also for those of you who are local to Gloucestershire, I shall be organising a couple of meets through out the month, were I will bring the stickers and some extra bits along for you all 🙂

For those of you who want to read my actual poetry - then go to Turquoise Monster.

Day 17 – the Queen of the Fairy Godmothers (by sarah)

The queen of the fairy godmothers visited the climbing centre today and told off a very naughty elf who would not share the Chocs and spoke to Father Christmas about all the good children and told stories about a little mouse and enjoyed the crafts very very much.

Also my mum phoned me up to tell me I look like my great out Sylvie, this made me smile - the skirt is made out of head scarves and wraps some of which are my nan and great aunts scarves 🙂

I did discover that cutting out the poetry at the beginning is actually the wrong thing to do as it get the children settled, it was a fab day 🙂

(phone photos)

Day 11 – Advent (by sarah)

This water colour was me trying to catch the the feeling of winter sun rises - though we haven't had snow for the last few winters it is something that had us frequently snowed including one year for the two weeks around Christmas.

I was thinking furrows in the fields etc...

Also not sure if I mentioned what I've been doing for the girls for Advent - I've been taking old graze boxes and covering them in wrapping paper - as in glueing it to the out side and the in side. I then put a craft project in it and decorated the outside with on of my drawings and the corasponding story title.

They both love this idea! I think I also have just enough kids stories ready for it as well 🙂

I also felt a huge sense of relief when the graze boxes decorated for Christmas came through the door so now I am using them instead of having to paper ones myself 🙂