CATS IN TH KITCHEN

With Pa at hospital for the day and my son asleep I had intended to have a quiet day, and to a degree I did...sort off.

To begin with,it was with some difficulty that I tottered down stairs this morning,a night of torment occasioned by arthritis had meant that I had not slept well. In fact I fell asleep no more than an hour before my son arrived home from his night shift. He had,he told me, found waking me extremely difficult........he found it difficult....waking this morning felt like climbing out of a well.

I must have been dreaming as apparently I kept muttering about hair dryers...I can't think why?

When at last I was conscious enough to drink my coffee and take a couple of pills we saw Pa off for his treatment and then as my son climbed in to his newly made bed I got the stair lift to the ground floor and began the days labours.

Now it is not that I had a great deal to do you understand,no, the problem was,the cats! Twiggy,who hates this type of weather only a little more than she dislikes to use her litter tray continuously asked to be let out in to the garden. In the space of half and hour she did this at least ten times and each time she rang the bell to come in again almost at once.

The bell is quite noisy ,but not as loud as the howling that follows if I do not open the door at once. My son's room is directly above the door so I always try to avoid the howling stage whenever possible. I began to feel like a very harassed Jeeves and having accomplished nothing ,due the the constant distraction I finally read madam Twiggy the riot act after which she betook herself to my bedroom and peace reigned.............but not for long.

With twiggy safely indoors Moth decided that it was,at last,safe for her to come in. Her anxious little face appeared at the kitchen window,her mouth making a silent Meeeeeeuw! I let her in while she was still in silent mode and spent the next fifteen minutes or so giving her a cuddle for hungry as she is she will eat nothing until she has made sure that she is still welcome.

Next,a bowl of milk and a dish of meat,then some more meat,another long cuddle and,at last she was ready to sleep in her snug basket tucked safely away on the bottom shelf of the stillage by the the radiator.

During the next hour I hastened to prepare our evening meal of sausage,bacon and halogen kebabs,a dish of tabulated peppers,roasted vegetables,spiced tomato sauce and Lebanese Holy bread,a treat for both Pa and my son who is at last eating properly again.

Next I toasted a large pan of mixed nuts until they were golden brown,salted them and set them aside to cool,another little treat for Pa.

Now,I thought,I can take a break...........nope..........there was someone at the door.

Actually I did not mind as it was a good friend who had called in with some sunflower seeds for our birds and to collect a birthday card for her mother who is 100 years old this week. While she was talking to me on the telephone recently she hung up on me to take another call,she was hoping that it was Buckingham Palace and it was,to confirm the sending of a telegram from the Queen.

She rang back to apologise, when she had finished the call,I said of course that I did not mind being hung up on for the queens business.

When she left I felt sure of an hour or two to catch up on my writing,but no sooner had I switched on my lap top when P a called to say that his treatment had finished early and he was on his way home.

Since the hospital is less than a quarter of a mile away I went at once to put the kettle on!

Of course I was glad to see him back home but it meant that through out the whole day the only time I had to enjoy the peace and quiet was during my lovely,solitary breakfast,and thanks to the cats in the kitchen I felt as if I had bats in the belfry!

Tonight’s meal was a huge success so I was glad that I had taken the trouble.

I am looking forward very much to a hot shower and a long spell with my feet off the floor,some sleep would be nice ,but a shan’t hold my breath .I shall enjoy lying quietly with my little cat,a good film and a couple of malted milk biscuits. Good night everyone....or good morning,where ever you happen to be.