Ellen was off this morning for a hen night in Blackpool tomorrow. There are quite a number of friends who left town going from all points of the compass. It has been a long time in the organising so as many as possible could make it.
This leaves me and the cats with a nice peaceful weekend spent mostly in the garden if the weather holds. The only thing they won't be able to do is wake me up at 5am wanting out as they do with Ellen because I won't hear a thing. When I go to sleep it's like turning off a light switch and the reverse when I awaken,they are both instantaneous and in between nothing wakes me.
I have made a change in the way the cats get in and out,they are used to going in and out of the back door both here and at their old place. This meant I was having to open and close doors in all weathers. Now they enter and leave by the window beside my chair,a much better arrangement which has the added bonus of stopping stray cats from creeping in unseen and scoffing any food in the dishes and the two rascals now appear from the window in full view of any birds in the garden which is good. The cats also have a new game, they hurtle in,tear arse round the room and hurtle out again,great fun for them and good to watch.
This idea is working so well I might make Ellen go the same route.


In the 19th century, if you couldn't afford dentures, you could always get a pair of masticators. These were pairs of metal jaws, like nutcrackers, in which you would pre-crush a mouthful of food before putting it in your mouth.