BUGGSY

I can’t believe how long it’s been since I last blogged anything!Do I blame it on old age, apathy, lack of enthusiasm??? (But the latter is also known as apathy isn’t it.)

Well! the beginning would be when the “white gangster” came into my life:

Now known as Buggsy Malone,” Kai”, when we first met was a bundle of contradictions. I don’t know how long he had been living rough and how he survived in foster homes. He was absolutely shell shocked when he came to live with me: didn’t like being touched. All he wanted was food! To look at him was to invite an attack. Not to look at him would also invite an attack! First time in my life, I was scared of a cat, to the extent I used to wonder if he would attack me while I was sleeping. TRUE.

So, I decided that I had to let him realise in his own way that here with me, he was SAFE. My mantra became ” I will never hurt you. You are safe here”.

Slowly he settled and would head butt me, or wrap his tail around my legs . He would even softly purr……but the warning was “do not pick me up for a cuddle, woman”.

Then, I was hospitalised for few days for an emergency appendectomy. A friend came over to feed him and keep him company. When I came home, he thought he needed check on me, and curled alongside me on my bed.

Oh! The attacks from my sabre toothed Buggsy still occurred, but not as frequently.

WHY did I rename him Buggsy Malone?

Bugsy Malone is a 1976 musical, gangster, and comedy film, written and directed by Alan Parker. … The film tells the story of the rise of “Bugsy Malone” and the battle for power between “Fat Sam” and “Dandy Dan”. Set in New York City, it is a gangster movie spoof, substituting whipped cream for machine guns and bullets.

I just liked the name for my tough guy.

It’s nineteen months since I adopted Buggsy…… He still is very wary of men and terrified of thunder storms.

He is very vocal and is boss of the house… A good watch cat, he alerts me to visitors before they come through the front gate

But he has mellowed: he knows that he can leave food in his bowl and no one will steal it. No matter how many pieces of meat I cut for him, he always leaves one or two pieces for ‘ron. (later on)

It’s so good to see how an angry, aggressive animal can learn to relax and enjoy life with his toys: mini tennis balls and squeaky mice. Cotton reels and skeins of embroidery cotton also get a work over when I’m sitting stitching, and of course an occasional skitter through the house sliding on the tiled floor also occurs.

He loves snoozing in the back garden on the sugar can mulch, moving around as the sun changes shady spots to too sunny. Being a white cat, he does not blend in with shadows, and the local birds periodically harass him and he then decides that it’s time to repair to the serenity of indoors.

Kai…………

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I know it’s a couple of years since I gave myself permission not to blog every day, but this hiatus is unforgivable. What have I been doing, besides getting older—–this and that.

Last year, not long after I returned from cruising the South Pacific I was unfortunate enough to succumb to a bout of Influenza A and required a period  as inpatient in the local hospital. After that, the “fun” started: I was diagnosed with chronic heart failure, and in the way of western doctors, they decided that I needed more pills to pop.

Have you ever tried convincing a physician that you don’t need meds to control high blood pressure………when your BP is decidedly LOW all the time.

I do wish that medical doctors had a better understanding of the drugs they prescribe, and occasionally read up on possible contra indications. I HATE it when supercilious doctors ask me if I have been “Doctor Googling AGAIN” That really raises my BP and I reply that I need do so to keep them/him “honest”

Well, that’s my gripe for the day.

Just before Easter I had to make the heart breaking decision to have Sam, my much loved cat euthanized. He was 16.5 years old, but had developed renal failure. Poor baby.

Sam Wise was a tawny Abyssinian and a most delightful personality. He loved having people come to visit

I decided that if another cat came into my life, it would be an older one that needed a  safe place to see out its final years. I had made a move towards having another Aby in my life, when I learned of Kai: He had been rescued from “death row” in a pound up north, rescued by the “crazy cat lady” in Caboolture; temporarily fostered then surrendered again and was really one stressed out cat among some twenty other cats.

My daughter and I went to meet him: he was huddled in the base of a cupboard, growling at all and sundry. A big white boofy looking  puss who obviously HATED the world. My immediate thought was “oh god what am I doing here”

I also knew that he and several other cats were being taken to a local Pet Barn store on Saturday, in the hopes of finding him and the others a new home. I couldn’t let him go through that added stress, so he came home with me.

According to the Vet report and micro chip info, Kai is nearly six years old: Thankfully , he is not deaf as so many white DSH cats can be and he must have been loved and cherished at some time in his life as he behaves well as an indoor cat in strange surroundings.

I think that he needs his name changed to HOOVER, but maybe he is making up for lean times in the past.

For an adult cat who I have no real idea of his history, I am pleased and relieved at how he has settled into life with me. He has been immunised, neutered checked out and declared healthy. Next week I will get my preferred Vet. to check him out, but first I want him to be totally “settled” in our surroundings so that he won’t feel that he is being passed on to  a new place again.

Apart from cats, I have returned to stitching again. I dusted off the cobwebs and dust from my Embroidery machine, upgraded the EMBIRD software on my laptop and am trying to learn how to use the dratted machine correctly.

The first project, was a book cover for an A5 sized journal. This involved doing three pieces ITH, joining them together (also in the hoop) Boy o boy has my  grey matter gone into melt-down……..you betcha! TWO covers have been completed, and the third attempt is languishing in the UFO basket.

Book closed

Cover opened out fully

The last couple of weeks I attempted a SWEET PEA pattern named Abstract Flowers: six different flower designs featuring both applique’ and embroidery. I chose a small print black and white floral for the base squares and rather flamboyant colours for the embroidery. I have realised WHY I stopped doing patchwork a few years ago! I have the devil’s own job getting neat points on squares and successfully lining up seam lines. Crazy patch and art quilts /landscapes are my preferred “thing” because I don’t need stress over  things being ship-shape.

Apart from cats and stitching, life has been quiet this year…and that is why dear readers you have had so little blogging from me.

Hoping all is well with all of you…………Ciao!

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and god disposes!

This year was going to be “fruitful” with regard not only to fulfilling and completing arty-crafty endeavours, but also to reducing my stash of fabrics, threads, paints, machines and gee-gaws.

 

 

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Whilst part of Australia suffers roads melting in the summer heat, can you picture our feathered friends doing the hokey pokey so their toes don’t freeze to the ground

Leaf And Twig

little bird’s
hokey pokey
turning himself around

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Long time followers of KenMaursCorner know how precious Autumn and Japan in Autumn is to me: this posting re affirms my belief

Leaf And Twig

season change
maple frames
the baled hay

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…..and today’s offering from Leaf and Twig”: How could I not share this beauty

Leaf And Twig

tucked between
the old tree and flower bed
wrought iron respite

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I was checking through one of my favourite blogs, and found that somehow, I had missed this little gem. I’m so glad I found it!

Leaf And Twig

merry little breezes dance
as sunshine plays the tune
while flowers raise their sleepy heads
from their garden beds

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One tiny piece of Heaven.

Leaf And Twig

eternal motion
of the river
invites tranquility

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You hear people describe their coach tours through various countries:  “Wednesday afternoon?? We must have been in so-and- so.

That dear reader, is what happened to me visiting Moorea!  (Well, not exactly)

We set sail from Papeete dock about sunset and were told that 8am next day we would be anchored off shore from the lagoon encircling Moorea Island.

I still don’t”get” why cruise ships spend the night cruising, when the destination is only “A few minutes from the island of Tahiti by plane, and only thirty minutes by high-speed catamaran”…….. which I learned from a tourist brochure.

Anyway, by next morning my bronchitis was really making me miserable, so I opted for a quiet day on board Radiance whilst Margaret went exploring by herself, whilst I dosed myself up with Paracetamol and cough suppressant mixture.

I must admit that I was more keen to visit Bora Bora the next day, because I (mistakenly) thought that was where James A Michener had based his “tales of the South Pacific” and the now famous Bali Hai.

 

Perfect blue sea:Tahiti

 

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After passing from Cook Strait into the south  Pacific Ocean,  weather conditions deteriorated as our course steered the Radiance between two tropical lows/Depressions. By the second day, our speed dropped from  22 knot down to about from 17.5 knot per hour .

Occasionally during a lull in the waves, Radiance would sneak up to 19k. and some passengers decided they were more comfortable staying in their bunks rather than struggle up  to Deck eleven to the Windjammer café for meals.

The swimming pools were emptied, no “rock wall climbing” or use of the 1/4 basketball court or mini golf or the running track was permitted, and even the sun lounges were tied down to prevent them sliding over the decks.

Passengers in the lower decks (4 and  5 in particular) were complaining about the “crashing” and “banging” that was so obvious during the night. Apparently the anchor chains and other equipment rattling around caused some people to have sleepless nights. As I always include  ear- plug  in my packing, noise didn’t bother me. Also we were on Deck Eight where there was very little noise, although my travel partner complained about the bed “jumping about”.

By day five of cruising the sea had moderated and early day six, with a glorious sunrise over the mountains of Tahiti we looked forward to the day ahead

Sunrise over Tahiti   as seen from our balcony

Then the Pilot ship came and snuggled up to Radiance and allowed the Pilot to board.

Pilot has been landed on Radiance, Papeete

Then the Tugs arrived to hustle Radiance into the port of Papeete. As all this was occurring it was interesting to watch air liners departing from the runway that jutted out into the bay.

Tugs, Papeete

I was most disappointed to learn that the Paul Gaugin Museum in Papeete had been closed some two years previously and all his works had been sent to mainland France. Whether they will ever return to Tahiti remains to be seen. As there was no works of Gaugin to savour, we lined up for a short morning tour to visit the home/museum of James Norman Hall, who with Charles Nordhoff was co author of the novel “Mutiny on the Bounty” which is the title of the 1932 novel by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall, based on the mutiny against Lieutenant William Bligh, commanding officer of the Bounty in 1789. It has been made into several films and a musical.

Until I visited the house, I was ignorant of the people involved and the modern day “history” of the mutiny.

Busts of James Norman Hall and Charles Nordoff: co-authors of Mutiny on the Bounty trilogy: showing decorations won whilst  aviators for both French and US air squadrons in WW1

In the gardens of the home, we saw examples of the breadfruit trees which Bligh attempted to take back to England, and gorgeous flowering Mussaenda.

 

Mussaenda blooms

James Norman Hall home (Arue)

AS we continued our visit by tour bus, the courier explained that there were only two main roads joining the areas of the island of Tahiti and how badly the roads became “car parks” during peak travel times. She spoke of how she left home four hours before she was due to do the pick up at the wharf……….the joys of living and working Paradise??

 

After leaving the gardens surrounding the home the tour bus wound its way to Venus Point

after pulling in firstly by a hilltop lookout for a quick look at the surrounding bays and reef enclosed atolls.

Perfect blue sea:Tahiti

Memorial to Captain James Cook visiting Tahiti to view the transit of Venus in 176

Before we arrived in the park area where the memorials to Captain Cook’s landing in 1769 or the memorial to Bligh of the Bounty were, we passed market stalls selling pareos and muumuu type gowns, as well as shell necklaces and shell “jewellery”.

Bounty memorial

Ship’s Company HMS BOUNTY

 

Just out from the beach were outrigger type light canoes resting on frames  to suspend the canoes above water level. I never did determine what degree of tidal movement there was around Papeete. Maybe the cradles were to prevent

 the boats from damage on rocky shelly beaches. I just don’t  know the answer.

When we finally arrived back near the ship, we decided to have lunch on board and then head into the city and check out the Municipal Markets in the city centre.

As it was mid afternoon many stall holders had decided to close: whether for the day or for a siesta we didn’t find out. To say we were disappointed with what we found was an understatement!

I had been told that along with the usual “touristy” clothes we should be able to purchase silk fabrics; even in the fabric and clothing shops along Colette street we found only coarsely printed Tahitian styled (read Hibiscus printed) fabrics. The fabric shops were so heavily stacked with bolts of fabric I was reluctant to remove any for a closer look.

Eventually we met with a delightful French gentleman and his lovely wife who were happy to tolerate my strangled French and talk with us and tell us more about their home and business. Both Margaret and I purchased goods from them and left with lighter purses.