My yuman isn’t happy with her computer. Les the vet says it has got the blues cream of deff. Les the vet said if it was a pet she would send it to sleep. I like sleeping so perhaps the computer has had too many late nights.

Good morning tlc and crew There seems to be a lot of cats in the neighbourhood and they all think my garden is a short cut! Taylor just sits and watches (especially their long bushy tails) *pops some double gloucester in fridge*

hello machel.
i've not been able to post for ages 'cos aunty pet has got something wrong with her telling fone and she can't get any he-males either and the hinter net is gone missing.
some men came yesterday and dug a big hole in the road and then later on some more men came and filled it in again and now the telling fone is working again and so is the hinter net. but it is all very very slow and it takes ages to do anything.
the big man says the men may have to come back and dig another hole.
i like the men coming and digging holes because it's interesting.
 i sit and watch them and inspect the hole when they've dug it.....

FISHDAY FRIDAY good afternoon tlc and crew tuna today as i am making a tuna bake, cream from mr machel's trifle and a little bit of cod for nermal I haven't forgotten bagabones, there is a big juicy bone for him. The workmen should ask tlc to inspect their holes because he is an excellent digger! he could direct them if they make any mistakes.

Hi Little Cat == and Friends == Hope you are all well be careful with all these holes that are being dug up dont go near them Little Cat == you may fall asleep inside one of them and the men may come back and fill it in, you are a very wise cat just watching them from afar,I have brought you a beef caserole and some treats for bagabones and plenty of drinkies Have a lovely day/weekend take care

Cats are the bestest hole inspectorsD.o.gs are good at diggin them but don't know when to stop


Nermal has had his first stereoiods injeckshun on friday. He seems OK but he said he feels like he wants to bite the carpet...is this a normal reaction?
Me and Jasper took him outside to inspect him but he doesnt seem to be getting much bigger. Do we need to leave it a bit? Doesnt help that he wiggles and giggles when we are trying to measure him


The wokmen have been in the barn all week. Us cats have been sitting on the wall making sure they do a good job. One of them gave Nermal a bit of sauages, he sniffed at it but didnt like it very much so Jasper scoffed it down. Sometimes Jasper forgets he is in a loving home now and goes scavaging for food. He had the pleasure of the worming spot on this week. He rolled over and over trying to get it off. Our female yuman found it very funny and tickled his belly. He liked that lots and purrred very loudly.


Nermal wants a word


Nermal: 'ello everyonespleshly Mummy LC I went to the v.e.t.s and didnt make a fuss at all until the lady pricked me with the injekshun...It hurt! I meowed and hissed...I have never hissed before but I couldnt 'elp it!
Does anyone know what a mangle is? Our female yuman said Jasper looks like hes been thru one. Is it like a pipe? There are pipes in the yard and I runn through them very fast, even Mr Tom cant catch me
I am off now as it tea time and we are having Lamb Felix...yummmy!
Bye Bye


I could have caught him in the pipe but I didnt want too

I don't know what a mangle is either.
I think it might be something rude though.
leroy told aunty pet he'd heard some bigger boys singing a very funny song in the school playground and he sang it to aunty pet. it was something like
"have you ever caught your bill hooks in a mangle, in a mangle, in a mangle....."


i don't know what the rest of it was because aunty pet stopped the song at that point and told him not to sing rude words.
So "mangle" must be a very rude word because she sounded quite cross and she's not often cross with leroy.



oh dear - i hope that nice mrs lori won't be cross with us for saying "mangle". She might send us down to the troll tank.  


Don't mention a mangle again, nermal, or it might get us all into trouble.....

good morning tlc and crew i know you could have caught nermal big tom, because i do the same with my daughter. has it been too cold for any outside adventures tlc? you have been very quiet and i am sure that is unlike you, taylor is very inquisitive (like most cats) and is always getting into bother, i like to read about your escapades - they put a smile on my face

yes i know i have been quiet machel. (and thank you for the fishy by the way.) there are two reasons why i've been quiet.
 one is because it's been so cold and snowy and icy that i haven't wanted to go out and have adventures and the other is that there has been a problem with this computer for over a week.
ever since the men dug a big hole outside to mend the telling fone the puter has been in a sort of strop. it went very very slow .
 the big man said it was a broad band in the sky  that wasn't going right.
 i'm not quite sure what that was.
 he has been getting very upset about it and i haven't been able to get on and talk to my friends.
i think it's a bit better now though.

That's very frustrating, isn't it Little Cat?  I hope it gets better for you! (not to mention warmer....)

phew !

mrs lori has called and didn't mention the norty "m" word that me and nermal said.....

Hehe.  I don't think 'm' word is the issue, LC, I think it's more the term "bill hooks" that might have upset Aunty Pet.

*prays that LC doesn't ask for a definition*

i know what bill hooks are, mrs lori. i'm not a stupid cat you know...
they are an aggro cultural imp liniment.
if you click on this link you will see a picture of one.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bill-Hook-Double-Edged/dp/B0034PRLEQ/ref=sr_1_2/279-7320620-1402157?ie=UTF8&s=diy&qid=1265842068&sr=8-2


i don't know why you and aunty pet think they are rude though,,,,

Yes, but I don't think that's what was meant in the song.  Of course, I'm not at all familiar with the term, I've just let my imagination run wild.

The nice perl ice lady came round on Saturday night. We were all asleep in our bed when we heard her singing outside the door. Funny enough, she was singing about bill hooks and mangles. Something about don’t put your bill hooks in the mangle, or some sort of burger would turn the handle, the arriss would go bang and the halls would go pop so don’t put your bill hooks in the mangle. We all ran down the stairs and opened the door and she was very pleased to see us all. Les the vet said the nice perl ice lady had been on the cider and my yuman told her she had been to a rugby club with perl ice men. The cider must have made her very tired and hot because as she walked in the door she started to take off her clothes. We let her lie down on the settee and I lent her machel’s blanket and she went straight to sleep.

 

i bet your yuman and les thought it was a rude song the perl ice lady was singing, didn't they baggy?

You see I knew that word m***le was very rude!

Are you sure M***gle is  rude word? Our female yuman is very nice and not rude at all! And how do you get through one?


Nermal has got quite attached to the word. He calls everything a m***gle this, or a m***gle that. I will sit him down and have words but I suspect Jasper is egging him on. Jasper is a nice cat but can be miss che fuss.

it must be a rude word or else why would aunty pet be cross with leroy for singing about it?
praps your female yuman is an inner scent sort of person, like that nice mrs lori is, and doesn't know about rude words.
mrs lori didn't know m**gle was rude either.
in fact she thought it was "bill hooks" that was rude !  


rid dick you louse !

Oi!  No need to be catty!

oops !

Happy Friday to you Happy Friday to you Happy Friday, dear animals and people Happy Friday to you! Sorry, no fish, but here is my boys left over breakfast. It seems he is not keen on Weetabix. Are you?

FISHDAY FRIDAY good morning tlc and crew, some lovely cod (fish pie for tea) cream from mr machel's trifle and a doggy treat for bagabones. A long time ago i watched a programme where a lady was called Mrs Mangle so i don't think that is a rude word? Belle - there is never any left over weetabix in my home, my youngest daughter used to hide the weetabix when her brother came home on leave because he likes FIVE with a generous amount of milk!!

hello mrs belle, hello machel.
no i don't like weeterbits thank you but i DO like milk. can i just have the milk without the weeterbits?
thank you for the fishy again machel.
friday just isn't the same without a visit from you.
it's very strange about somebody being called mrs m**gle - although i don't think that proves that "m**gle" isn't a rude word. 
leroy says some people at his school are called funny names that sound like rude words and he was laffing when he was reading a book recently (i think it was called "five on a treasure island") because there was a boy called dick in it and a lady called aunty fanny. 
i don't know what is supposed to be rude about that though.


leroy seems very interested in rude words lately.
aunty pet says she blames the other boys at his school.

I know what you mean about young uns being in flu ants by older un. Jasper keeps telling Nermal to be norty. He isn't really norty but likes to impress
He also like weetibits Our female yuman put bowls down for us fwith wheetibits in them but me and Japser wasnt keen but Nermal scoffed them all down and burped He now gets a small bowlfull for breakfast. Me and Jasper stick to Felix and science plan (with added Vit ham ins and Mint a rals for Jasper).


Now I have looked up M***gle on Catipedia and it says, "A machine from olden times used to wring water out of clothes.Doesn't give food to cats so isn't of real interest" Is that rude?

i just have to tell you all this.
Mr Tom, Nermal and Bagabones. you all really crack me up. TLC goes without saying as it is her thread.
I hope Jasper gets on line soon. He might have some interesting thoughts too on the world.
I was totally unaware of catapedia. but I think the general description of a m**gle was bob on. No they do not provide food, and so I guess that might be thought of by a gentlecat as "quite rude" of it.

We love weeterbix. My yuman shares hers with me but she eats her share first. She says I help with the washing up. It’s nice to be a pre she ated. Les the vet makes us both sausage and eggs and toast. She eats more of it than I do though, she won’t let me start until she has finished her share which seems very unfair. Still, she doesn’t get any of my bone.

Hi folks, unfortunately since my last posting back around 20 November (when we were talking about swine flu etc), I have been seriously ill in a mental hospital following a major breakdown caused by depression. My memory from late November into the first part of December is non-existent. I have been getting better over a period of time and was discharged 2 days ago. It will take time to fully recover and I am taking the next couple of months easy (well as easy as I can). This is not the place to go into many details of what caused my breakdown and my experiences whilst in hospital - let's just say that it was caused mainly by the best part of 10 years stress caused by concern over my father's senile dementia with the effect it had on my mother who refused to get 3rd party assistance, followed by his merciful demise, followed by a rapid decline in my mother's health resulting in major mobility problems and major bowel problems. She has now mercifully passed away.

I was helped out of my illness mainly by the hospital staff, and by the support of my friends, particularly those from my local church who gave me huge support both emotionally and practically.

Strangely enough, my thyroid problems re-occurred and once they were sorted out, my depression soon lifted and I have not been on any anti-depressant medication for the last 5-6 weeks. I will never know if I really had flu or whether it was just the start of the breakdown. Did the depression cause my thyroid to misfunction or did my thyroid misfunctioning cause the breakdown? I have a suspicion that something which happened to me just before the apparent flu (for legal reasons let's just say the driver behind my car was not driving in a fit way) resulted in a massive release of adrenaline/stress hormones into my body which was the final straw and triggered off the thyroid problems and the breakdown.

Hi El Loro,
I really sympathise with you. I went through the same thing with my parents about 10 years ago.
My father got Alzheimer's too.
 It was about 8 years from the initial diagnosis to his death.
At first it was only little episodes of forgetfulness but it escalates doesn't it?


 He started going to a day care centre from which he absconded one day and walked 10 miles in search of his childhood home.
Then he began to be a danger to himself and to my Mum at home and although she went on caring for him far longer than she should have, my mum had no option but to agree to put him into residential care as she was very frail herself.


I was trying to hold down a full time teaching job at the time.
I had wanted to take early retirement to care for my parents the year before my father went into the home, but the head of the school I taught at persuaded me to stay one more year to see an OFSTED inspection through. That last year was sheer hell.
I was visiting my dad in the home every day and he was scared and miserable and mentally deteriorating rapidly and it was heartbreaking.
I used to sob and sob as I drove home every day.
Meanwhile my mother was living alone and her physical health was deteriorating.
I had to cook and wash and shop and clean for her as well as trying to look after my own home and family and keep up with marking and prepare my lessons etc.
 I had always been a good teacher but my work began to suffer and parents began to complain about me and I didn't know which way to turn.
I got depressed too but managed to hide it and carry on - god knows how.
It was a mistake. I realise now I should have got medical help. 


My father died in the March of that year and 9 weeks later, in May, my Mother had a stroke and died too.
When I finally left teaching in the July, they were both dead and buried and I've felt so guilty ever since.


I understand what you went through.
Things WILL get better for you.
If you'd like to talk more then P.M. me.

I'm so sorry to hear that either of you had to go through that experience!  El Loro, I'm very glad to hear that things are looking up for you, and hope that you really can manage to "take it easy", and do whatever needs to be done to take care of yourself.

Arty, I didn't know that about you, and glad to hear that you've made it back from that awful place.

For you both: 

good morning tlc and crew I agree belle, they crack me up too, laughter is the best medicine. I read those books tlc when i was a little girl, there were two boys, two girls and a very clever dog, just like bagabones, they had lots of adventures which might have been solved quicker if they had had a cat like tlc

Nothing strange about the name Dick. My yuman had a friend (before Les the vet came along) who had a rabbit called Dick. She said it lived under her pillow. I think she meant that it slept there at night times because I’ve seen them running round our garden during the day.

i’m glad you like reading my diary mrs belle and machel; but I can’t understand why you think we are so funny.

mr tom and bagabones and i are totally serious in what we say.

i grant you that nermal seems to think he’s amusing, but that’s just because he’s so young.

it’s like i’ve often said before – i just can’t understand yuman beans and what makes them laff.

 

take leroy for instance and the way he thinks perfectly ordinary names like dick and fanny are rude and funny…

why??????

yesterday the big man told leroy that if he thought the book with dick and fanny in it was so funny he’d get him another one called swollows and amass sons (i think) because there was a girl in that called titty.

well, i thought leroy would fall off his chair with laffing about that.

 

i just don’t understand why he thought it was so funny.

 i know exactly what a tit is.

 i’ve seen them.

they are just birds that like nuts and fat balls.

nothing funny about that.

 

perhaps it’s the fact that a girl is called by a bird’s name that he thinks is funny.

he has mentioned other people with birds’ names though and didn’t seem to think they were funny or rude.

he talked about christopher wren and christopher robin and they both have birds’ names.

 

mind you christopher wren sounded a bit rude – he had a poo, bare, in a wood . 

that sounds very rude to me.

christopher robin built a big church in london where the queen lives.

nothing rude or funny about that.

 it’s called “sent pawlz cathy drawl”. (strange name!)

 

leroy said that when he was in school the teacher showed them all a picture of this big church that christopher robin built.

a norty bigger boy told the teacher that the top of the church looked like a giant tit and the teacher was very, very cross.

he said the rest of the class laffed though and that made the teacher even more cross.

i just don’t understand what is so funny about birds – or rude.

 

i’d like to see that church with a giant bird on top.

 

14.02.10

today is valley times day again.

it doesn’t seem a full year since the last one.

aunty pet and the big man stayed in bed ever so late this morning.

it got to lunch time and they were still there and my food dish was empty so I thought I’d go and remind them.

i jumped on the bed and meowed and sat on the pillow between them. neither of them seemed at all pleased to see me.
the big man even spoke about cooking fat again and me spoiling their nookie.   
i don't know what he meant but i know i didn't spoil anything.
my paws were perfectly clean and i was most careful where i trod.

they both looked very hot and flushed.

i think the central heating must have been turned up too much.

 

the big man has given aunty pet a speshul ring for valley times day.

it’s called a hit turn nitty ring.

aunty pet seems very pleased with it.

she keeps looking at it all the time.

 

she is going to cook the big man a speshul valley times dinner tonight.

i know chicken is going to be part of it – and cream – because I’ve seen them in the fridge.

 

i know there will be lots left over for me.   

 

Arty and Lori, thank you for your replies. Luckily, I am one of those people who can open up to other people about problems and experiences. Being in the hospital for just over 2 months confirms to me that being open with people can be key to recovery. (it depends on one's personality of course - everyone is a unique individual and I think that that needs to be considered by doctors etc when assessing patients' needs particularly cases of depression where every case can be caused by many different factors). When you open up to the right person or group of people, you find that many other people have similar experiences or know people who have. If you bottle up harmful emotions inside of you, sooner or later they will affect one's health.



I also find that a hug with the right person helps in the healing process it's far better than a handshake. But one has to be careful as everyone has circles drawn around them. Some can't stand the thought of even shaking hands. Then there are some who cannot tolerate hugs even from those close to them. Then there are the more intimate forms of embrace but that's not a topic to go into here.



Arty, what have you to feel guilty about? You did more than you could reasonably do for your parents - you could't possible do more than you could did. I am a Christian and feel that the only way my parents could become their whole selves was to pass away to the next life and be restored to their whole selves and to be reunited. For the athiests, they may not be able to hold the same thought but at least they can know that their loved ones are now out of pain and are at peace.

Talking about hugs, I saw something yesterday on Teletext that some researchers have found that children who are autistic can find it difficult to accept hugs and that finding may help to develop ways of helping children to overcome their reluctance. Everybody needs a hug from those close to them, particularly children.

I know that my postings in the last couple of days have not a lot to do with TLC's diary but I feel that this is the one place on this forum which readers may read my postings and something that I have said might just possibly help someone. We all know that TLC also stands for tender loving care.

Hi El Loro - I tried to send you a private message through the "create a dialog " function but I don't know how to "add a participant" i.e. you. And what does "filter" mean?

El Loro I am so sorry to hear you have been ill you have been through a terrible time emotionally so bad you had a breakdown,I am glad you had the help you so desperately need and I hope you are on your way to a full recovery,thyroid problems can trigger off other stuff .. our thyroid rules our hormones,you have been pushed over the edge and you could not take anymore sadness which was going on in your life, and in a strange way it was better that it all came out, having your breakdown would have let others know you needed their much loved help and got you the help you needed and deserved,when we get to a very low point in our lives  we can  allow ourselves to stay in that dark place or we can accept help like you have.. well done that is the point were we are on our way to recovering, it wont always be easy but with the help and support of your family and friends you will get through this bad time in your life I wish you a full recovery please take care

Artymags  you are being far to hard on yourself you have absolutely got nothing to feel guilty about you did all you could under very difficult circumstances.. take care

Hi Artymags  Click on El Loro ginger bread man then click on start dialogue

Thanks Marguerita.
What would we do without you?

Arty, I have now accepted your buddie invitation. so you now be able to send me a private message.



Marguerita. thanks for your support and a to you as well.