26 February 2008

This Week I will mostly be ...

... reading 'The Brothers Karamazov'
... not eating chocolate
... busy - have joined a theatre group so that's one more night I'm out!
... battling through the wind
... hoping I find a better job soon as my current one is driving me crazy

24 February 2008

This week I have mostly been ...

... not on the Internet
... playing with cats
... reading 'The Brothers Karamazov'
... getting ready for hubby's birthday
... feeling fed up with my job (but then that applies every week)
... not eating chocolate

17 February 2008

Generous Journal: Freddie and Millie

Those of you who have read a few of my blogs will know I'm a fan of second hand items. So when we decided to get a cat (read 'when I managed to persuade hubby to get a cat') it made sense we'd get one second-hand too. In fact, we got two!




Freddie is the ginger one, and Millie the brown tabby. That's me in the middle - sorry about the slovenly appearance, the robe is to try and protect my work clothes from fur!

I'm a strong supporter of pet rescue organisations, having persuaded my Mum to go to a dog shelter after the death of our first dog, Buster. As a result we got Jake, a bouncy, bonkers 5-year old cavalier king charles spaniel (mainly, although he was a mongrel). He was a very sweet dog and hadn't had the best of lives before we got him so it was very rewarding giving him the home and love he needed. So I decided we'd get our cat from a rescue centre too. Only it didn't quite work out like that.

We approached a few organisations, but because we live on a main road and wanted an indoor cat, we weren't having much joy. In the end, we heard about Freddie and Millie through Wharfe Valley Cats Protection, who had been in touch with a cattery who were looking after them because their owner had gone into a home. We went to see them and, despite having previously wanted one younger cat, fell in love with these two eight-year-olds! Unfortunately because they weren't officially rescue cats they hadn't had any vetinary treatment, and it turns out they need a lot of dental work which is going to put us out of pocket, but we still love them!

I really recommend getting a rescue pet. They're often very grateful for their new home and very loving as a result, and you can make a huge difference to their lives. You can even resue rabbits and guinea pigs at some places nowadays! If you're thinking of getting a rescue cat, I recommend the website www.catchat.org which will show you your local rescue organisations. If they're officially rescue cats they cost arounf £70-90, but considering we're going to end up spending nearly £400 on vets bills which would have been avoided if they had been taken in by a rescue centre, it's not that much.

Got to go, I have some very loving old cats to play with!

11 February 2008

This Week I will mostly be ...

... reading 'The Brothers Karamazov' by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (don't expect a review for a while, it's nearly 1000 pages!)
... stroking my lovely cats
... going to an Alexander Technique workshop tonight
... making hubby do the housework (half-term, yippee!)
... having a rest from singing and youth club (half-term, yippee!)
... not greeted by a group of unwashed teenagers when I get on the train in the morning (half-term, yippee!)

09 February 2008

200-word Review - 'Eco Chic' by Matilda Lee




200 words? I could review this book in six: Every Clothes Wearer Should Read This. But I’ve got the words, so I’ll use them.

‘Eco Chic’ explores ethical questions behind our growing demand for cheap, fashionable clothes. Now I know I’m already part-hippy but this book still challenged my way of viewing clothes. The early chapters deal with the pitfalls of modern couture from sweatshops to scary chemicals, and the latter chapters show the alternatives: designers using green or Fairtrade materials, high street stores engaging with the issues and alternatives to buying new clothes. It also has a huge directory of companies selling ethical clothing.

The early chapters had me riveted and appalled at the grim facts behind clothing manufacture but I admit I got bored with the lengthy discussions about ethical designers, and felt that the topics of refashioning and making your own clothes were hurried through at the end. But then I’m sure a fashionista would be more interested in design than a tomboy like me. However, this isn’t just for fashion fanatics –people who aren’t concerned about fashion and just look for a bargain should also read this book to see the true cost of their clothes.


04 February 2008

This Week I will mostly be ...

... reading 'Eco Chic'
... looking forward to Cat-urday!
... giving up chocolate for Lent
... hoping the milder weather continues
... watching 'Shrek the Third'