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Presented without comment. I have no horses in this race. However, I am always impressed by Emily's easy to understand lawyer explanations.

If we thought fandom was full of drama ... holy smokes.... this set was dysfunctional according to the various lawsuits. (Previous Rust lawsuits deconstructed on her YT channel).

Well, I renewed my subscription to this site.

Clearly I have optimism that one day I might have something mildly interesting to post.

That day isn't today.

I miss SPN.Even if I wasn't watching the later eps, I liked to see the photos and gifs.  I have no show I feel as passionate about since. I do quite like Vera - the local scenery and wonderful down to earth performances by Brenda Blethyn. I was shocked to find out that she is now 72! Just wow.

Here, have a photo of my cats hogging the glorious autumn sunlight in my full length window. I know I promised Arliss a pic of it. It doesn't have a wonderful view - it's a highly populated old 70's social housing estate and my sliver of sea view is on the other side of the house - but birds nest on the roofs opposite. It's fun to see them raise their babies each year. The quality of sunlight is truly the thing I love about it - unfortunately so do my cats and so a makeshift cat tree blocks a lot of it for me. My son's cat stresses Mitzi out, so this is the room she mostly stays in, I felt she needed something. Rogue thought he needed to share, so a big box was added with his wildly bright fave crochet blanket.The under-table area is Mitzi's private space when she's stressed and a full size TV (tablet) can play bird vids there for her. It's a good job I'm not fussed on interior design...





The state of the window is because the gutters were being washed out today. It was not done neatly. I now have to wash every window in the house ...ugh.

Bonus: I am working on a family pictures project - digitalising old photos for anyone in the family to grab from Facebook. Just for fun this is me and my childhood best friend, raising money for charity by raffling a big rag doll. Being us, matching fancy dress was required ...


How is everyone? Hopefully good and hopefully a few still remain here. xxx

I needed to vent -okay.

Look U.K. Christmas is not cancelled. It's still right there on 25th for Christians who want to celebrate it.

Sure, it might mean an online service, a little quiet meditation, perhaps read some bible verses about y'know - Jesus. If we, as a society have put all of our hopes and dreams into one day of feasting and gifts, unrelated to the faith it is purported to be about, then perhaps we need to stop and reassess our values? Was it truly all of us who got to celebrate?

Because I am pretty sure the poor, health workers, carers and emergency services are going to have a rough time on the 25th (and always have). It's tough, it's disappointing but what is actually cancelled for many is the get togethers, the hugs and LOVE. Maybe the thing we need to take away from all this, after a little moan, perhaps a few tears, is that the things we are missing aren't anything to do with Christianity and Christmas but with family, friendship and traditions. And family and friendship is something that can be celebrated at any time of the year.

Perhaps we, as a society, need to make a change, make new traditions, and start showing appreciation all year around - whenever it frickin' suits us, our lifestyles and our families, beginning with making some immediate adjustments to ensure that our friends and family will be alive to participate in future celebrations.

You're disappointed, I'm disappointed. Hell, I dont even have a hob or oven for the holidays because my landlord is a jerk. I will do something nice for Yule alone, a walk, appreciate the seasonal beauty and I will get together with the few folks in my bubble on 25th for whatever - idk. Most of us have always worked on 25th anyway so we're pretty flexible about it. Celebrating differently is not the end of the world. Losing your loved ones will feel like it is the end of the world though.

Before lockdown I had actually, finally, found a counsellor who was I making headway with. I was starting to do the 'social' thing in a small way.

Of course, that all went to crap and unfortunately for therapy, I can now absolutely justify avoiding folks. 

One of her suggestions, early on, had been to get a dog. Walking a dog is good exercise and sociable. You have to stay alert and in the moment. 'Yeah but no,' I said emphatically, 'Do you have any idea how many times I have been bitten by dogs? And they smell. And are annoying. Even the pub dog, Khalifa, who I love, I would not consider walking regularly.'

That was that. Except ... remember Mitzi?

She isn't keen on going far alone.

So twice a day, we take off around the block together for ten minutes at a brisk pace and these days she 'heels' even without her harness on.

She's a good cat so in her spare time she is interested in reducing homelessness. Specifically cat homelessness. Some of you may know that she brought in the community feral cat over lockdown, to share food and shelter. Said cat was having a medical emergency and required a vet stay and weeks of treatment. He is left on a permanent low grain diet and must give up feral life if he is to stay healthy and survive. So, um, yeah. No longer a community cat. Our cat.

Rogue is sweet and calm in the house but an absolute fighting machine outdoors. Having been stray for many years he is also a dustbin. He will snaffle any and all food he can find, whatever damage it might do to him. The choice we have with him is that he becomes entirely an indoor cat or we harness train him. Now, I am not a fan of his singing about being wild and free at 4 am every day. So...



Who needs a dog to walk anyway?

Rogue is actually a very quick study. It isn't really about a walk in the way that dogs walk. He likes to patrol a little, rub favourite trees and bushes, roll in dust, outstare enemies and slow blink at certain girl cats. What Mitzi walks in 10 minutes will take him at least an hour.  But, he now asks for his harness because he knows it means he can go out, and I am spending a little less time each day standing suspiciously around bushes and street corners waiting for his temper tantrums over not being allowed under cars or into gardens, to subside.  He now walks straight past a lot of these places and can be convinced to walk away from growly enemies on occasion too.

And now - I am meeting folks. Because a community cat has more friends than me - yup, seriously. And they have all been super worried about him since he disappeared the day he came in to me, sick. So far, Sheila, Ian, Jan, Debbie and the lady on the corner with the black cat have all rushed out to see him, and find out if it really is the cat that used to drop in on them. It's the first time I've ever met any of them but these are all people who fed him, tried to shelter him as much as he allowed and talked kindly to him. And he remembers them! He has insisted on stopping by their houses! He is happy to see every single one of them. They introduce themselves to me and have a gossip - they are happy to see him, chuffed to see how shiny and well adjusted he looks. (Clearly they have not witnessed his major meltdowns the first days of training which required the blanket burrito tactic to carry him home.)

Anyhow, dear flisties, I have had to interact and communicate with friendly local folks and no dog was required! My counsellor will be thrilled. 

How are y'all with this continuing plague state? Are we donning jaunty masks? Or barricading the doors?

Whatever it is. I do hope everyone is finding little survival techniques which work for them.  

My son's pub made it to the BBC News today.



full article:    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-53293055?at_medium=custom7&at_custom2=twitter&at_custom3=%40BBCScotlandNews&at_campaign=64&at_custom1=%5Bpost+type%5D&at_custom4=E926F25E-BE1C-11EA-8C1D-06C5FCA12A29

It is the first and last pub in England on the primary A1 route into Scotland, so travellers and tired contract workers from everywhere but especially Scotland, are very much normal for them.

On a purely aesthetic note, what a pity it was raining when they took their photo but it still looks pretty with the twinkly lights! And I swear there is more colour in the hanging baskets and pots because I nurture them most of the time.  See! (from 3 days ago).



I think the press were hoping for Bournemouth style scandal in the town but they got sedate, happy, social distancing pubs with slightly better behaviour than in the supermarkets. The precautions in place in those pubs are crazy strict, the landlords prepared to make the hard decisions - I know I've been there during the preparation - and the town in general is gritting its teeth and doubling down because it's between a rock and a hard place - better in controlled areas than sneaky gatherings and mass raves in beauty spots (which have unfortunately been a thing).

I can see local forums reporting that pubs here had a good proportion of Scots today and in a normal Summer that is entirely usual, we are a seaside holiday town on a direct route from Edinburgh.I don't regard it as a huge scandal when the local holiday camps and guest houses have all re-opened. It is not the publicans' job to police who is in the area, why and how long for - only to collect data for track and trace purposes. It is however prompting healthy debate.

And, for a little irony these protestors turned up from as far as Glenrothes to protest the English entering Scotland. They had to drive into England on the A1 to turn around to do this.

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