SHOPPING IN STORE

 

Although I am in my late sixties, I like to get out sometimes for a walk and wear a mask and often gloves. I have avoided public transport since the first lockdown. I live in an area of Tier 2, rapidly moving towards Tier 3 in the UK.

Because I haven't left home for over a week, I decided to go to a DIY store to look for a bathroom cabinet, more to get out of the house, than any need for furniture, as we are renting. The parking was free, so that was a plus point. My OH and I approached the store wearing masks. There was no sanitiser near the shopping baskets and OH picked one up that was wet and gooey. I had a new handbag and couldn't find the sanitiser. We didn't see any security guards and many customers weren't wearing masks. They were accompanied by children running around (we had forgotten it's half term). It was also a supermarket selling tinned goods and biscuits etc. We hurried through the food aisles and up the stairs to the flat pack furniture. They had some nice pieces but we couldn't wait to leave as people weren't social distancing. It was a relief to get back inside the car, remove the masks and use hand sanitiser. Come back online shopping, all is forgiven.

GROOMING YOUR CAT

 

 

Grooming plays an important part in caring for your cat.  It varies from breed to breed, of course.  Some require daily brushing and combing (usually the long haired breeds), whilst others need grooming less often.  Cats spend a large part of their time grooming themselves naturally. As they grow older, it becomes more difficult for them to reach certain areas as they become less flexible, so it is nice to help them by assisting with the grooming process.

 

It is best to get your kitten accustomed to being groomed from a very early age.  Gradually build up the amount of time you spend grooming your kitten until it is quite happy to allow you to brush it.  Eventually the kitten will enjoy being groomed and will come to see it as part of its daily routine.  If you approach grooming as a chore then so will your cat.  It may even put up a bit of resistance, resulting in grooming becoming a task you put off.  If your kitten becomes accustomed to being handled, then it is less likely to feel nervous when making future visits to the veterinary clinic for an examination.  Your kitten will feel comfortable being touched by people.  It also makes any visits to the surgery less stressful for both you and your cat.

 

When you are grooming your cat, it is also an ideal time to check it over for any lumps and bumps.  You can also check the skin, by parting the hair, to see if your cat has any skin problems such as fleas or any sore or inflamed areas that may require treatment.  Also remember to check the cat’s eyes, ears, mouth, nose, feet and nails from time to time.  If your cat stays indoors, the cat’s claws will need to be clipped regularly.  If your cat goes out, this will not be necessary as it will probably keep them in trim itself, and outdoor cats need longer claws for protection.

 

Indoor cats should be provided with a scratching post to keep their claws short.  If their claws are too long they can catch on the furniture and if a claw becomes torn, it would be painful for the cat.

 

Long haired cats look very pretty but do require a lot of help with grooming.  If you have a long haired cat, use a wide toothed comb to remove any dead hair.  If you find a knot in the hair, gently tease it apart using your fingers.  Try not to use scissors and if the hair is very matted, you may have to take the cat to a veterinary surgeon to be shaved, most likely under sedation.

 

Dolly

 

Short haired cats need very little grooming but it is best to brush them regularly so that they become used to being brushed.  A rubber brush would gently remove any dead hairs.  Some of these short haired cats have delicate coats and skin, so be careful when using combs and brushes that you are not damaging the cat in any way.

 

Kasper and Amber – Bengals

 

Before you actually start using a brush or comb on your cat, use your fingers to loosen the dead hairs, by going through the coat in the opposite way to the hair growth, just like a massage.  This helps to stimulate the natural oils in the skin that give a nice healthy shine to the coat.

 

© Janice Ascott

 

10 WAYS TO MAKE THE HOUSE SMELL BETTER

Get plenty of lemons at the ready

Some vinegar too

 

1. If you have buyers coming to look around your home, they will be wise to the smell of fresh coffee or bread baking. Instead, what about boiling up some cinnamon sticks with brown sugar.
2. There’s always the good old scented candle for the bathroom and kitchen.
3. Onion smells can be reduced by popping them in milk. Lemon is good for getting rid of fishy smells.
4. Dried mustard mixed with water is good to take fishy smells from the chopping board.
5. If there is a burned food smell in the kitchen, try boiling half a lemon in an open saucepan.
6. Try roasting citrus peel in the oven at 180 degrees C for a fresh kitchen smell.
7. Smoking as gone out of fashion for a lot of people, but then some still do smoke. Try neutralising the smell by leaving a bowl of vinegar in the affected room overnight.
8. Keep your rubbish bin smelling well by popping some cat litter under the bin bag and changing it every month.
9. Pop a box of baking soda at the back of the fridge to keep it smelling well. A piece of charcoal also works well.
10. Do you have a waste disposal unit?  Try ice cubes and a splash of vinegar or what about lemon or lime peel to rid it of smells.

How do lovers cope during lockdown?

I was just reading about lovers making love in a supermarket car park.

None of my friends have admitted to having a secret lover in their senior years. But it set me thinking. How would you contact each other with your spouse in lockdown with you? Would you have a secret phone? Would it be hidden and switched off? Would you have a secret email address? How would you access your lovers messages with your spouse looking over your shoulder, especially a jealous partner or worse still, an abusive one you were planning to escape from prior to lockdown, with or without the support of a lover.

Meeting up in a hotel has become impossible. Meeting up in a bar or cinema is a no go. Even if you get to meet up in a mutual friends house/garden, Should you be using your mutual friend's wine glasses and cutlery? Surely you wouldn't dare kiss and hug your lover in case you unknowingly have the virus and his daughter has just had a baby and vice versa?

Would you risk it for a quickie in a car park or in the woods? I know I wouldn't, but many people are young, energetic and miss a good sex life, or maybe just a bit of romance that is missing at home.

It's a difficult time for everyone. Most especially those grieving for their loved ones lost to this terrible virus but lovers must feel a little helpless and wondering if it's all worth the risk.

Harry and Meghan. What happens next?

 

They seem to be acting unpredictably. If they want to avoid the press, why allow the coverage of their thank you meeting at the Canadian Embassy? Why use Instagram at all? What will happen next? Will they keep Frogmore House and the staff available all year round? Will they choose Los Angeles or Canada, or both, involving much travel by jet. I am not really bothered but ordinary people seem to be encouraged to give up flying, or indeed anything enjoyable, to save the planet. All of a sudden cattle are adding to climate change.

I need a private jet to a sunbed somewhere without veganuary, or dry January etc.

 

 

Miserable January....well in the UK anyway

Why do people make resolutions at the start of the year.  Imagine giving up meat, eggs, fish, wine and trying to do more exercise when eating a lettuce leaf with a bit of avocado?

January is a time to fly to the sunshine.  So forget the full English breakfast, the pancakes or omelette at the buffet breakfast.  Lunch by the sea?  No prawns, oysters or lobster.  Lazing on the sunbed?  What about a nice glass of water or fruit juice?  In the evening, no queues at the show grill?  Just get a nice bowl of salad.  Watching the live entertainment?  A nice glass of water or lemonade?  What a relaxing holiday.

Do you have the strength?

Is Manuka Honey worth the money?

My OH bought some expensive manuka honey.  I was reluctant to try it at first.  £58 oer jar.  How much does that cost per spoon?  We have tried various honeys from the Black Forest, the mountains of Turkey, the Yemen etc.  I can't say the manuka tastes any different.  I went to WebMD and found this:

Quote

The major antibacterial component in manuka honey is methylglyoxal (MG). MG is a compound found in most types of honey, but usually only in small quantities.

In manuka honey, MG comes from the conversion of another compound, dihydroxyacetone, that is found in high concentration in the nectar of manuka flowers.

The higher the concentration of MG, the stronger the antibiotic effect.

Honey producers have a scale for rating the potency of manuka honey. The rating is called UMF, which stands for Unique Manuka Factor.

The UMF rating reflects the concentration of MG. To be considered potent enough to be therapeutic, manuka honey needs a minimum rating of 10 UMF. Honey at or above that level is marketed as "UMF Manuka Honey" or "Active Manuka Honey." But doctors and researchers aren’t sure if this rating means anything from a medical standpoint.

Unquote

I am wondering if it would help our son's psoraisis with its antibiotic properties.

I am having an acai berry yoghurt mixed with a Benecol fruit yoghurt, topped with manuka honey.  I hope it does some good.

Saturday Jobs. A Useful Experience?

A Think Tank this week has said that teenagers and students in the UK are no longer interested in having a Saturday job.  This tends to mean that they have nothing on their CV when applying for employment.  I suppose the demise of reading a daily newspaper (my son delivered newspapers in the snow), and the High Streets not doing well, will mean a lack of Saturday jobs.

When I was 14 and living in Kuwait, I got myself a job as a cleaner for two American engineers.  The two men were very untidy and I would face a sink full of burnt pans to start my cleaning session. 

On my return to the UK I took an exam to enter college aged 15, with the 18 year olds.  My 18 year old class mates seemed very sophisticated to me, all wearing the latest fashion and lots of make up.  I got a job in The Scotch Wool Shop in Southend-on-Sea, Essex.  I had to refold the beautiful jumpers after customers took them off the shelves to try for size.  I had never had to stand up all day before and ended my first day feeling really weak and ill. 

My next job was for Woolworths where I had to wear a green overall, smelling of body odour.  Yuck.  I sold cigarettes, shampoo, sanitary towels (lady's would whisper they wanted ST's and a plain paper wrapping.  I had to restock from an enormous warehouse above the store.  This involved carrying boxes of shampoo sachets and displaying them.  Some of my friends worked in Marks and Spencer and I was a little envious as the job seemed easier and more prestigious.

When I reached 18, I had been in full time work in The City of London for two years and worked at the weekends as a waitress or barmaid for extra money.  Being a waitress was very tiring and the staff food, left a lot to be desired, a tin of cold beans eaten from the can.

I found being a barmaid quite pleasant, even though we had to add up drinks, sandwiches, crisps for a party of 10, in our head.  No fancy tills to work it out for us then.