Whoo! It's Like a Sauna in Here.

Apparently Kate thinks that I take showers just to create a relaxing, kitty cat sauna for her.

Here she is on the washing machine (and under the washing) in her peaceful sausage pose.

For Kim's Visit, We're Pulling Out All the Stops

Our pal Kim arrives Friday for a short visit. I think everything is ready.

The crocuses are blooming.


The bathroom is, well, Dutch. But the constantly running toilet is now fixed. Kate has a brand-new litter box and has approved it. And I bought a new toilet brush from IKEA. It will remained wrapped until Kim's arrival. Why does it matter that there's a new toilet brush? I'll sum up my answer in one word: "shelf." That is, the Dutch toilet does not have bowl, but a shelf. Sigh.

Suggestion Box

A certain someone who will visit next week, let's call her "Kim," has suggested that I don't post often enough. So here I am posting though I don't have much to say.

The highlight of my day was spending some quality time with the Posthof Chicken. This is the chicken who hangs out at the Posthof bus stop, a stop I occasionally use. The Posthof Chicken just clucks around under the shelter and in the flower bed right past the stop.

I'll take my camera the next time there's a chance I'll be at Posthof, and I'll try to get a snap of the Chicken.

Cat-Tired

Unless you've been cat-tired, you've never been tired.

Visit to Liverpool, Part 2

I'm not proud. Neither is Simon. But we were delighted to visit ASDA in Huyton. We know that Wal-Mart is an evil empire, but right now, we just can't care. Try shopping in the Netherlands, people. It's not easy. It's bad. It's post-Soviet satellite nation bad. I'm not exaggerating. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a little, but not much.



After staying with Jean, Simon's great aunt, we went to scenic, hilly, lovely Cheshire to stay the night with Elaine and Simon, my Simon's aunt and uncle. Mostly I took pictures of Minnie, a 22-year-old kitty cat, and Scaredy Cat (or Fluffy or something else . . .). I've now known Scaredy Cat for over 10 years. She's finally allowed me to pet her. I feel that this is a breakthrough in our relationship.





Elaine took us to see Antony Gormley's Another Place, an incredible installation of 100 sculptures of the artist set along the beach. In this picture, Elaine is insisting that she's not looking at the sculpture's bum but at his "barnacles." Ahem.

What My Parents Get Up To When I Leave the Country

I can't leave the country for a minute without my parents coming up with some sort of busy-ness.

When Simon and I went home for Christmas, we found this new "barn" in the back yard. I've just learned that it's been dubbed Beach-Mountain (not to be confused with Beech Mountain) Cottage. Billy, my uncle, and Wayne, my cousin's husband, were co-conspirators.



Note: there's another barn in the background. How many barns, cabins, cottages, or chalets do my parents need?

And, as bonus, you get a glimpse of Clarissa Doggaway, a very sweet, very elderly doggie.

Last Weekend in Liverpool, Part 1

Last weekend, Simon and I went to Liverpool to see Jean, Simon's great aunt, and Elaine and Simon, his aunt and uncle. We even got to meet some newly discovered relatives as well.

Here I am with Jean in Liverpool Lime Street Station. This is the Jean who once said to me, "Well, you're only little." Hmmm.










After going with us to the Walker Art Gallery to see The Cathedral That Never Was and Doves and Dreams, Jean sent us out on our own. We made all the usual stops -- first a snack from Marks & Spencer.











And then, surprisingly enough, we worked our way to Ye Cracke and The Philharmonic. The pink fairy in the background was a gentleman out on his stag night. Sadly, his fuzzy pink handcuffs aren't visible in this photo.

Books Read in January 2007

Steve Martin: Shopgirl
Paulo Coelho: The Alchemist
Kate DiCamillo: The Tale of Despereaux
Richard Matheson: I Am Legend
James Wilcox: Plain and Normal
Martha Cooley: The Archivist
Muriel Spark: The Comforters
Ruth Rendell: Kissing the Gunner’s Daughter