A Cat's Life #8

Phew! This week was a big one. I took so many pictures, I had to put them all into collages.

A strong whiff of potential is hanging in the air... I have been interviewing with a company I rather like indeed and now I'm just waiting to hear the results. Fingers crossed for me please. It's about time I had a break in the job department and got myself a room to call my own and a kitchen in which to cook up cauldrons of delights.

I had to go to London to give a presentation and once it was over, I shacked up at my brother's house and made a delicious meal for us to share. We skyped our sister and gave her total sibling grief. 

Technology is amazing, isn't it? She's all the way over in Tarragona and for free we can all sit and blow raspberries at one another. We enjoyed big bowls of white bean and potato stew with juicy sausages. I'm more or less vegetarian these days but a little meat sometimes is a treat and this recipe is just lovely. 

The week saw plenty of coffee drinking. Starting with the Refectory Kitchen in Canterbury- the perfect spot for a pre-station stop. I discovered a marvellously friendly little cafe around the corner from my brother's in Finsbury Park called Vagabond where I wrote long notes on new things that have captivated my attention- I can't stop scribbling lately! A jaunt to Prufrock was also utterly necessary for a caffeine blast. No joke, the coffee there will send you sky high (as will the smiles from handsome and pretty baristas).

 I caught up with a dear old friend that I haven't spent much time with in years. We went to the amazing Grant Museum of Zoology at UCL and spent a couple of hours hiding from the rain. It was packed with pickled animals, skeletons and taxidermy and it's completely free. We had a silly time writing whacky poetry and taking snaps. 

A wonderfully nightmarish treat.

Speaking of friends, I was very blessed to see so many this week. With lovely curly Kit from Barcelona, my pretty little Holly from the days of university and many others, we went to lots of great places to catch up. Did you know that at the weekends you can get a superbly cheap bottle of plonk at the Good's Shed Market in Canterbury? Kit and I shared a great Rioja for only £7.

Holly and I enjoyed free prosecco at Pizza Express (you can't say no to vouchers like that) and then dinky cocktails at the charmingly European 69 Colebrooke Row in Angel. Mine was a fine blend of merlot cognac, chamomile syrup and smoked frankincense. 

Delicious!

I finally returned to the village and farm today and set to chatting with Pumpkin and Rose, who always like to keep me company while I'm making ploughman's lunches in the hope of a little square of butter. 

As soon as my shift was over, I headed up into the orchards and forest. Bursting with apple blossom and bluebells, it felt so good to get some fresh air and let my mind fill up with excited thoughts for the future.

Did you get up to anything exciting? 

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Dear Celia

Dear Celia,

Truthfully, I know not where to start this letter, which I feel as I have been writing for ten long years. I cannot recall the last time we spoke, or at least a 'we' where the conversation flowed in both directions- to and fro- and not just from the mouth of a naive young girl who knew not what to say to a woman who could no longer hear the words of the living, but rather the echoes of a dimension we could neither see nor reach. Where all I could do was offer you another jelly baby and look into your sad, lost eyes and wonder what you were thinking in that room and that bed that wasn't your home. 

I think about you everyday, carrying you on the middle finger of my left hand, my thumb curled and pressed against the cool emerald as if to keep it warm or seek comfort from the only concrete things I have left of you, as if my thoughts sometimes aren't enough and a touch can reach you wherever you may be... as if wearing your rings means that you're something more than just a thought; a memory.

You are nowhere and yet everywhere that I want to see you, if I look. In a piece of turkish delight, a cornish wafer or the lyrics of a song you loved. It seems I remember so little and so very much of you at that- who measures what we remember and of what importance it holds? I couldn't tell, if asked, the full story of your life, for I knew you only as my grandma from the eyes of a girl who didn't need to know your political persuasion or your thoughts on the war. And so it is that I think of you in wilted spring flowers, in the breadcrumbs while making biscuits and when my hands are cold, desperately seeking yours to make them warm again.

Of course, it is these things about you that I wish I knew now I'm more than a girl. What was it like to have six brothers? How did you feel all alone with your first child, wondering if your husband would return in one piece, or return at all? When that man, my grandfather, did come to pass in 1982, what did it provoke within you? You told me how you had gone to your bedroom where he was resting and he raised his arm suddenly, as if to say something profound and then, as if he'd changed his mind, decided to simply die instead, never again to utter another word. How did this change you? And, when you yourself came to pass and your mind broke free from the shackles of your cloudy dementia, did you feel peace at last?

Who were you? Who are you, my grandmother, and so much more that I never did, and never will, truly know as a woman?

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A Cat's Life #7

This seventh edition of A Cat's Life comes to you with a pinch of hope, a dash of optimism and a whole glorious bunch of pretty pictures. 

I got up close and personal with Pumpkin Pie at the farm, took trains and buses here, there and everywhere, made some new friends and spent time with long-standing beauties. I hung out with the twin face at the London Coffee Festival, went to the seaside with Jess and ate cupcakes for dinner and for breakfast. Let's just say it was a bloomin' marvellous week. 

Speaking of blooming, isn't Canterbury looking lovely?

Pumpkin Pie certainly seems to think so. We've been talking all week about how much we like butter and cheese and sharing little squares of brie in the sunshine.

In fact, the lovely weather has meant long walks up in the forest and a spot of writing by the dwindling light of the afternoon.

It also meant cupcake adventures with my pal Jess. We ambled over to Whitstable to meet Sarah from What's Up Cupcake. 

Hi Sarah!

You can read The City Kitty's interview with her here.

We lounged in the Dolphin beer garden in the eve and tucked right in to our treats.

The London Coffee Festival was a real treat, with lots of freebies from some of my favourite traders like Clipper and Green and Black's Chocolate.

The Propercorn guy was a talented salesman and had me skipping off with a lorry load of treats. I recommend the sour cream and chive. It's incredible.

Spending time with the twin was nice, despite a mini ruckus over an octopus curry.

Siblings, hey? I sorted him out quick sharp with a caffeine-hit, always sure to diffuse tensions.

In no time we were pals again.

After Friday, I returned home to find Buddy bringing sexy back all by himself.

And caught up with friends over a fine dinner at Cafe Des Amis...

...and enjoyed a Catalan bean and potato stew cooked by my very own hands. Oh how I miss having dinner parties like in the old days at C/ Joaquin Costa!

So that's it, folks. Another week in a cat's life... I'm looking forward to the summer and hopefully setting down some roots somewhere. I've been fantasising about interiors and my own little place. However, just a room for now would be a good start!

 Thanks for reading. If you are new or even a frequent visitor, please leave a comment or follow- it's always lovely to know who's supporting you, to make new friends and to share the blog-love around. Please also stop by my Facebook ,Twitter and Pinterest, which you can do so by clicking on the yellow buttons below or by simply clicking 'like' on the right hand side of this page.

  

A Cat's Life #6

Good day all,

I'm back with another installment of A Cat's Life and yes, I'm still here in Kent.

After last week's wonderings, I made a drastic change to my life that means that for the time being, I have stayed put. However, now I will have more time to explore and that could mean sailing off elsewhere. I've been dreaming of taking on foreign lands and projects and yet designing my own Cafe Cat space in my head.

Oh dear life! Whichever way will you take me next? Make up your sweet little mind!

I think this quiet Monday night calls for a lot of lists and maps to be drawn up.

The week past was another peaceful one. The calm before the storm perhaps? Or the rainbow just after, like this one I caught while I supped a fine bottle of rouge outside the Chocolate Cafe in Canterbury with a fellow adventuress. 

What with spring finally making an appearance, we've been up in the woods with Bruce and checking out the seasonal action from the watchtower. Perhaps I'll take my notebook up there this evening? 

Perfect for a little scribbling, hey? 

Whaddya say, Brucie? Shall we go watch the sunset?

In other news, I befriended a mangy cat by the name of Pumpkin Pie. She hasn't had human pals for years apparently but with a little butter and weeks of short conversations, we've formed a tentative alliance.

Her back legs don't work very well so she drags herself around the farm quietly and will often stop to rest in the flower pots. Between you and me, I don't think she has very long left so I am happy to be her friend for the short while she's still with us.

I'd like to say the same for Buddy but he keeps bringing me dead voles and wailing at my window just before dawn breaks. The other morning I was dreaming that I had had a terrible nosebleed and when I awoke, my nose and mouth were actually very wet. For a moment I thought my dream had come true but then I opened my eyes properly to find Buddy sat squarely on my chest, hovering over my face.

DOING THIS.

It wasn't blood.

Oh no. 

It was the love liquid of a fiend most feverish in his attempts to win my soul for eternity.

Somehow, I don't think voles and saliva make a convincing bid. Do you?

Dream on, Buddy. Dream on.

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Charity Shops Finds #2

Well hello there. 

I'm back with a few more charity shop finds to share with you. I'm not exactly rich at the moment, as you all know, but I've still managed to find some sweet treats at tasty prices over the last few weeks. 

Up first is this pretty silk scarf from the RSPCA shop in Canterbury. I've always loved turquoise and I think it's a perfect wear now the sun in shining but the breeze is still swirling around. My dear Grandma was fond of a good scarf too. She was crazy about keeping her neck warm.

 Speaking of the sunshine, look at this beautiful monstrosity. Love it or hate it (I couldn't decide) but the leather is so buttery soft and delicious and I can totally imagine it as a statement piece in a simple, soft room. It just needs stuffing so it's all pouffy... These bad boys go for a real fortune on eBay. Perhaps I'll keep it? Perhaps I'll sell it? Perhaps you want it? 

And if, perchance, you were after this pretty little bag, it can be found on my Etsy shop here.

 

Soon to be followed by this leafy brooch.

 These Kew boots (size 7) were a steal and just in the nick of time as all of my others have worn out. To be honest though, they're a little small for my tootsies and not exactly tip-top for walking the miles to the station. Would you like them? I'll cut you a real good deal, darling.

However, I don't care if you like this shirt. It's mine! 

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A Cat's Life #5

I spent the week quietly musing over the events of the weekend past and looking to the future. I'm uncertain as to whether I should stay in Canterbury or cut my losses and head back to the mothership.

It's difficult to think seriously about anything for long enough to make a sound decision because I'm always on the go and have hardwired my brain into distraction mode to avoid processing painful things like love, life and that persistently nagging question of 'what the f*ck are you doing, Gurteen?'

If I do go, it'll be a click my fingers, pack my bag and jump on the train kind of decision.

That's the thing with decisions. Sometimes you just have to make them and roll with it.

Anyway, the mothership herself came to town to visit and we had plenty of wine and lunch at the Good Shed and a good catch up. There's no better way to distract yourself than with food and wine.

The food there is really rather wonderful, as is the building. If you're in Canterbury for the afternoon or evening, I really couldn't recommend it more. Click here to go to the website or here to read a witty article by that Marina O'Loughlin character from the Guardian. She's a real hoot.

Speaking of food, my week really wasn't much more eventful apart from a delightful meet-up with two of my oldest and dearest pals. We rouged it up at Bedales wine place on the perimeter of Borough Market while we were waiting for a table (that I managed to blag with a bit of cheeky charm) at Elliot's Cafe, which is invariably always fully booked. 

We went Spanish style and ordered a whole raft of plates to share including celeriac with smoked anchovies, broccoli with brown butter eggs and steak tartare. Noticing they had cortado on the coffee menu, we forged ahead on our euro-cool vibe and finished off the meal with some very fine caffeine indeed. 

How cute are these little cups? I love anything you can wrap your hands around. Forget handles. They're overrated, don't you think?

Sip.

Sip.

Sip. 

And that's it folks. Another week gone by and not a lot more conquered. 

Bah.

How was your week anyway please? Do tell. 

Thanks for reading. If you are new or even a frequent visitor, please leave a comment or follow- it's always lovely to know who's supporting you, to make new friends and to share the blog-love around. Please also stop by my Facebook and Twitter, which you can do so by clicking on the yellow buttons below.