Introducing the beautiful Sorrel.

 

Sorrel about a week after her adoption bravely out in the centre of the room.

Hello folks!

As promised I'd like to introduce you to the new love in my life.

Very sadly I lost, precious little Sid who was by then 20 years of age in December 2016 just before Christmas.

The last photo.  Sleeping peacefully but a poorly girl.

Obviously, I'd know it was on the cards but was still devastated at her loss and she was the last living link at home with Trev, she'd spent a lot of time with him, especially in his last few weeks.  We had discussed how we'd handle things when the time came some time before, so I always knew she would come home and be laid to rest in the garden.  We'd also talked about weather or not we would have another little soul when the time was right, and the decision was that yes we would.

I left it for about 6 weeks before I could even think about sharing my home again with another little cat...but had decided that I'd start looking.  In the UK cat rescue centres find it very difficult to home adult black cats, so I had decided that this was the way to go.  I started trawling the rescue sites, I'd ruled out kittens and elderly cats and knew I'd only be able to afford one lot of vet bills on my tight budget.  For weeks the only options that came up fell into the 'ruled out' categories, but the sweet face of Sorrel kept catching my attention.  She was listed with a fairly local Cats Protection League site so I got in touch and explained my circumstances and my interest in re-homing Sorrel. 

They told me that Sorrel had been in a pen/run at the rescue centre for a whole year without ANY interest shown in her. She, along with her brother had been abandoned by the 'owners' when they'd moved house and had been living under a hedgerow, they were only between 10 and 12 weeks old.  Her brother had been re-homed a few months earlier.  He had been housed with her but was very domineering and had not allowed Sorrel to eat properly despite the rescues best efforts and only weighed 3.2kg when I got her (around 7 pounds).  The rescue had had an influx of newborn kittens at the same time, so Sorrel hadn't lived in a home and wasn't used to all the sounds of normal domestic life.  They wanted her to be homed with no other cats and preferably no children and a single adult if possible.

So, on the first of February last year I took a very good friend with me for support to visit and hopefully bring the little soul home.  The moment I saw her it was love!  She ran over, and tempted by Dreamies cat treats, and was happy to get fusses and purred and rubbed around our legs.  Of course I understood that I'd need to work with her to acclimatise her to domestic life, and so she came home.

I'd already prepared litter trays, toys, food and bedding for her but even though I knew there'd be work involved, but even I didn't quite realise just what it would take.

She was truly amazing in the car on the way home, and settled down peacefully with hardly a murmur.

I brought her into the lounge, left her for a few minutes before opening the cat carrier door.  She fled out and not surprisingly hid behind the settee.  I made sure that I spoke to her gently and often, and over the next hour made sure she had nice warm bedding with her own blanket (brought home with her) and a litter tray along with a few treats.  When I had the TV or radio on I made sure that the volume was only just loud enough for me to hear it.  She was so terrified she didn't make a move for hours.  I decided that I would stay in the chair instead of going to bed that night.  I caught site of her peeping round the settee some hours later and didn't speak but tried to ignore her.  When she moved back to safety I put a few treats where she'd been brave enough to venture to, and sure enough an hour later they'd gone!  Over the next week she gradually got braver, and the photo at the head 

of the post was taken in one of her brave moments a week later.  I made sure that when I got eye contact with her I slow blinked my eyes, as cats do this to one another to say they're no threat.  I'd watched lots of US cat behaviourist Jackson Galaxy programmes, and knew that I needed to build her confidence.  The little 'red dot' toy is amazing for this as cats concentrate on chasing it so hard they forget their surroundings and find themselves out in the centre of the room.  They then realise it's safe to be there.  I got her a 'cat tree' as she'd have to stay in for around 6-8 weeks and I didn't want her to get bored.

Bird watching!

Gradually I built up her trust and she has become a very sweet companion.  Now weighing it at just over 4kgs. (10 pounds) she loves her life here!  She proved to be a hunter, which meant that the bird feeders in the garden are now over 10 feet off the ground!  Filling them can be a challenge, but the birds are a whole lot safer.

I keep her in at dusk until the next morning, and she spends most of the evening curled up on my lap.

Sometimes, as you can imagine I still have off days when missing Trev just becomes too much, and if she's around and I am upset she will make a bee-line for me - I'd like to think she knows I need that bit of support from her.

Sleepy time on my lap.

She is incredibly funny, and gets up to all sorts of antics which make me laugh.  She loves any company and is always happy to come and say hello.

I am so pleased we found each other, and I love her to bits!

Sorrel today.

Hope you have enjoyed meeting her.

Very best wishes.

A day late but..

I know, it's boxing day - a day late to wish you happy Christmas.  None the less I send greetings to one and all in the hope that however you spent yesterday it was the way you wanted to celebrate it.

Hoping that 2018 will be a good year, and your hopes and dreams can be attained, and you enjoy good health with your loved ones.

Someone posted the following on Facebook, I thought what beautiful words for us all:

Here's to new life, new beginnings, fresh starts & second chances. 

Here's to making friends or making amends, making up or breaking up. 

Here's to a new you and a new me but still being the same us. 

Here's to those who can't be here but to remember them is a must.

... Here's to looking ahead with a smile, to giving everything & everyone a try. 

Here's to forgetting bad feelings that weigh you down, be lighter on your feet & lose the frown.

Here's to keeping your head up, with pride, song & heart. 

Here's to being better people, the best that we can be.

Here's to them, us, him, her, you & me.

Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year

Unknown author

I would like to return to my blog in 2018 in a different way, for no longer to do buy mountains of things that catch my eye, and am still, slowly cutting back and pruning my home into shape.  Don't fret - I cannot be a minimalist!

Since loosing my sweet little cat Sid last December I have a new dear rescue cat Sorrel that I share my life with...and I will introduce her to you soon. 

So for now, I close wishing you all well.

With my very best wishes to you all.  (If anyone is still out there!)

Eight months on.

It's been a while since I have sat down to make a post.  The last eight months have been awful. How does one get on with life when half of it is missing?  It's only now I feel that I can, through the tears, put down some words.

This is a tribute to the wonderful person I shared 44 years of my life with.

Trevor Alan Hadley was born on the 31^st March 1954, the third child of Ray and Brenda in Bilston.  He had an elder siblings Roy and Joy and after a few years a younger sister Jackie.

The Hadley family lived in Bilston and were close and fun loving.

Trevor was a typical boy getting into mischief in the company of his ever faithful dog Bobby.  Sometimes as he attempted to hide on the fields behind their home after some jape but Bobby would be the one that gave him away by sitting, wagging his tail next to the bush Trevor would be hiding behind!

Always interested in anything mechanical, encouraged by his dad and Uncle Norman.  He had quite a collection of Matchbox cars and trucks as a lad.

Though Trevor had many friends at school he wasn’t motivated by the teachers, and despite passing the 11+ and attending Grammar school he caused some consternation by not being very attentive.  His parents didn’t know weather to laugh or cry at a comment on one of his school reports by his biology teacher – ‘Trevor is an amiable buffoon!”

After leaving school, and fully motivated by his interest in mechanics he went into an apprenticeship at Bradburn & Wedge Wolverhampton, and attained his City and Guilds qualifications in Vehicle Mechanics with distinction.  Never happier than covered in oil and with a spanner in his hand!

He had good friends including Pete and Neil, who he shared good times with. Many laughs were had together, and their shared interests in cars and motorbikes, and spending happy hours ‘off-roading’ over the fields.   

He had a wonderful knowledge of a wide range of music styles, including blues, rock and Cajun and could tell who was playing backing instruments on recordings by there styles of play.

Trev and Rose met in July 1972 on a blind date – but not with each other!  They shared company over a drink or two and by the end of the evening Rose knew that she had met her soul mate.  Many of their courting days were spent happily customising his cars.  They were pretty well inseparable from then on. Getting married in 1978.

He started working for BRS in 1975 as a HGV vehicle mechanic until attaining his 21^st birthday when he got his HGV licence, which he was longing for and from then on was out on the road in his truck.  He had the most amazing knowledge of the roadways of both Britain and Europe, never needing a map as his very own ‘TREVNAV’ came into play. Up to his retirement in October 2014 and having driven literally millions of miles with an accident free driving record.

In 1982 he became the very proud father of Vicky, upon whom he doted. 

Vicky becoming his constant companion when he was at home.  Together, they fettled motors in the garage and walked for miles sharing a love of nature and wildlife – often joined by neighbour John and brother Roy and his daughter Laura.  Of course his roguish ways never left him, and he was know to play pranks upon Vicky – one memorable one by bending a nail around his finger and smearing tomato sauce around it to pretend he’d injured himself.

One day old - first family photo

He came back to motorbikes later in life, and still loved to individualise his Honda CX.  Someone once commented to him that you couldn’t fit a 650 engine into a 500 frame – he soon disproved that theory by his huge knowledge of mechanics! His beloved black bike SLY runs like a dream, and he has toured all over the UK and also got many miles under his belt in Europe attending club rallies in both Holland and Germany.  He greatly valued the friends that this interest bought into his life, and he spent lots of time talking bikes and sharing jokes with them.  Helping each other when spares or technical information were needed.  A close friend once offered him some spares and his reply was that ‘My shed runneth over!’

Happy days together.

His last project, the beautiful blue American CX 650 Custom was built up from a bare frame and arrived mainly through the post box!

Though Trevor had a busy life he was generous with his time and would always help out a friend in need.  He loved his family and friends and always the gentle giant with the roguish laugh

It was a mark of the high esteem in which he was held when over 95 people attended the celebration of his life, they came from all over the UK, Southern Ireland, Holland and Germany.

Ancient history, almost 45 years ago...

19th July 1972  
I had been set up on a blind date - all I knew was a rough description of the chap, and that his name Rob.
I was at the appointed place on time and a car kept driving past, slowing but not stopping.  The handsome chap driving the car would smile as he slowed down....I was confused, why if he was my date didn't he stop?  I waited for around twenty minutes after the appointed time and thought that was long enough.   I started to walk to my brothers home about two miles away.  As I walked along the main road, the same car kept driving past... By the time I was only a few hundred yards from my destination curiosity got the better of me (young and foolish you see) So I kept a look out in case he came past again, as I saw the car I stood and waited... The driver pulled up alongside and leaned over and wound down the window and said hello.  I asked his name - fully expecting the reply to be Rob, and was horrified when he reply "Trev".  I was totally embarrassed, and stuttered an apology and started to walk hurriedly off.  He asked me to stop, and got out of the car to talk to me.  I explained who I'd thought he was, and he commented that Rob was a fool to stand me up.
I was certainly attracted to him, but also cautious.  He asked if I'd like to go for a drink.  I said that as long as I could select the place we could go.  There was a pub just around the corner, so I suggested there - he agreed and off we went the few hundred yards to the pub and talked and laughed together for the next few hours....I knew in that short time that he was 'the' one.
Who knew that this meeting would shape the rest of my life.

Just in case anyone checks in, sending you all my very best wishes for good health, happiness and contentment in 2017.

Bereft.

My soul mate, friend, love, partner and husband of 38 years passed away on the 17th June only three days after being diagnosed with terminal cancer.  I am bereft.

Rest in peace my darling...

Trevor - my gentle giant. 

1954 - 2016

Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy 2016 to you all!

'My' Robin sending best wishes to you all!

Hope you all have a wonderful, peaceful holiday-time.

See you all in 2016.

Very best wishes

x x x

To remember them

With respect for the fallen

We will remember them.