Today I've been blogging for six years. Six years! I really enjoy writing, and creating posts for my little corner of the internet.

I've never been any good at keeping a diary so I'm surprised that I'm still blogging after six years. I'm happy that I am though, and grateful for the friends I've made along the way.

Thank you for reading, commenting, and making the journey all the more enjoyable with your presence. I'm not looking to build a massive following or into turn full time blogger, but it is nice to have regular readers, and read your blogs in return. Although I am aware that my posts can be sporadic at times, and I tend to binge read your blogs when I can, as I rarely find the time to catch up everyday, but it really is a part of my life that I enjoy.

Today is a memorable day in many ways. It's the day I left home at the grand old age of 23, it's the day I was a bridesmaid to my favourite Aunt, aged 11. And it's also Socks and Tink's birthday, they're nine years old, making them 52 in cat years.

What follows is a collection of cat photos. I tried to keep it to just nine photos - one for each year - but it was impossible, so look away now if you're not a feline fan, there are a lot of photos. A lot.


I'd intended to have just the one cat, Tinker, but I bought Socks home with me because my friend's Mum wanted him. Her cat was very old and nearing the end of her life, so I was to look after Socks until her old cat passed away. But after about an hour of having him home, I knew I wouldn't be able to let him go. I was quite distraught at the thought of having to part with him. Luckily, my friend's Mum completely understood, and I was able to keep him.

I can't imagine life without cats now, and since becoming a cat owner I have learnt many things about cats, like how they love a box.


And that box envy is a distinct possibility...

Cats will pretty much sit and sleep anywhere, regardless of how comfortable it actually is.



And they can get annoyed if you interrupt them.




Catching a cat mid yawn is always funny.


You will be jealous when they choose another lap over yours.


Food will never be your own again...

You'll love their stupid little faces...

and you'll never tire of taking photos of them sleeping, or being awake.




You'll be really chuffed every time you get a good mid-wash photo or a protruding tongue! (And in all honesty you'll happily take numerous photos just to capture it perfectly)



They'll be 'helpful' at all times.

The 'my cat's really Batman' joke will never get old.


Cat selfie's will always be hard to resist.



And they will never like going to the vets.

Well done (and thank you) if you go this far.  That's a lot of cat photos (I did warn you).

I hope to be blogging and taking cat photos for years to come, I promise not to bombard you with this many cat photos ever again - that's what Instagram is for ;-)

Autumn is here again, which means I'm starting on my a new seasonal to-do list, but first here's how I got on with my summer list:

Visit three different beaches in Suffolk - Felixstowe, Aldeburgh, Southwold

Southwold was visited on my birthday with Mother, we sat in a tearoom overlooking a little lake and enjoyed mint tea. After a wander on the beach and down the pier, we had a meander through the town, and then enjoyed a lunch of fish 'n' chips. We did the whole thing in reverse before heading home. Most enjoyable.


I visited Felixstowe seafront after the start of the new school term, it was a warm hazy day and blissfully quiet on the beach. I timed my visit to coincide with lunchtime and sat eating my chips with my legs dangling over the seawall. It didn't take long for the gulls to start gathering.


I was fine just sat there until a lady walked by and said "they're after your food, make sure they don't attack you love".  I wondered if they'd really attack, and with that thought bouncing around my head, I suddenly felt extremely outnumbered. I decided it was time to move on. My chips tasted just as good walking along the beach, and I was delightfully gull free.


Try three new ice cream flavours

This was written without knowing that my GP was going to suggest I went dairy free for a while. I did sneak the teeniest, tiniest taste of my friends delicious honeycomb ice cream at Jimmy's Festival but that doesn't count.

I found a dairy free vanilla ice cream in Tesco, so at least I could indulge. It's pretty good stuff, I can't tell the difference but I am limited to vanilla until I seek out an alternative.


Have a picnic

I ate outside on many occasions which I'm counting as picnics, but there was no traditional blanket on the grass and wicker basket.


Visit a maize maze

The Southwold maize maze opened on July 16th I had every intention of going but plans just didn't come together. Maybe next year?



Take a trip to Snape Maltings and Marlsford Mill

Marlsford Mill was ticked off the list on the way back from Southwold, but I didn't make it as far as Snape Maltings.

Marlsford Mill is an old mill, on the A12, stacked to the rafters with vintage, re purposed, and refurbished furniture and curios, from different sellers. My friends have a space there and I'd been meaning to visit for a while. I was lucky enough to come out with my purse intact, but it's definitely worth a visit if you like a poke around for second hand furniture and house bits.



Forage for and make elderflower cordial / gin (failing that, elderberry gin)

I missed the elderflowers, and left it too late to pick many elderberries. But I only made a small batch of elderberry gin, so I promised myself I'd also make a large batch of blackberry gin. Whilst searching for elderberries I did spend a few very pleasing hours wandering about the hedgerows, scoping out some sloe bushes and rosehips for future foraging.


Go to an outdoor movie

This was a bit of a cheat due to the fact that I already had tickets when I put it on the list. Then a few days before the event I was contacted to say it'd been cancelled due to poor early ticket sales. The wet weather we'd had had put people off booking.

I was gutted, they were showing The Lost Boys which is one of my all time favourite films (firstly because I had a teenage crush on Corey Haim, which turned into a bit of a thing for Jason Patric as I got older, and he kept getting better with age). But it was also going to be the last date night for Andy and I before harvest began, so I wasn't best pleased.

Not to be put off, I looked to see what other films Pop Up Pictures were showing over the summer. Top Gun stood out, and I roped in my best friend for company. But, when it came to it neither of us wanted to go, it didn't start until 9pm and, both feeling a bit old fartish, we decided to stay at home, opting to get together for lunch and a movie during the week instead.


Pick strawberries / raspberries and eat sun warmed berries whilst still in the field

I took Mother to Alder Carr Farm for lunch and whilst there we filled punnets with juicy, sweet strawberries. Sadly, we couldn't eat any straight from the plant as workers were nearby, busy filling punnets to sell in store. Tasting a few cheeky strawberries is long held tradition in our family! 

Decorate until my arms fall off

Arms are still attached, but I have made some good progress on the DIY front. Mostly because I'm currently taking a week off work to plough through my to-decorate list. I became so annoyed with myself for making such little progress over the summer that I made the time and forced myself to do it. I'm now feeling pretty smug to have the glossed the paintwork in the entrance, stained three new doors, and painted our front door a pleasing shade of green. I'm hoping to paint the kitchen before Monday rolls around.



Read 5 books - preferably sitting in my hammock in the sunshine.

I finished A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness, which was generally read in bed when it was still light outside. When I was a kid I used to hate going to bed when it was still light, it just didn't feel like bedtime (especially when you could hear other children still playing outside), but now I really like it.

Next up I read Morality for Beautiful Girls by Alexander McCall Smith, followed by The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom.

Then, The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall, which jumped the queue when I saw a rave review on Instagram, and was read largely in my hammock, in the sunshine for a few hours every afternoon.

A Year of Living Danishly by Helen Russell had me questioning the way we do things in this country, the way we view things as a nation, as individuals. Very interesting reading.

Harry Potter and The Cursed Child was read one Saturday morning, in bed, whilst a cup of tea went cold. I know some people hated the book, or had issues with it, but I allowed myself to be swept away into the world of Hogwarts and enjoyed every last second of it.

Storm by Virginia Bergin, is the follow up to Rain, both of which I enjoyed - easy to read, entertaining and they both made me tear up on occasion.

Then I was back to Alexander McCall Smith with The Kalahari Typing School for Men. I like these easy reads, but on a few occasions I was pleased to find a plot turn out differently to how I expected - most refreshing.

And finally, The Girl of Ink and Stars (also good). Summer turned out to be very bookish, with me finishing nine books. More than I've read in ages.

I'm starting my quest to read every book currently on my bookshelf before my next birthday, with An Artist of The Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro.

What did you get up to this summer?

With autumn almost here and the days getting noticeably shorter, I'm looking ahead to the next few months and planning some seasonal activities. Let me know in the comments what you like to do in this beautiful season of reds and golds.
1. Forage for sloes and make some gin
An autumn staple, you can never have too much gin. I want to attempt some blackberry gin this year as well (and not just because it's ready to drink immediately!).

2. Go to the beach
I love the solitude of the beach in the colder months. Add hot salty chips to the mix and I'm in my own little version of heaven.

3. Watch a live theatre production at the cinema
I've been checking out Abbeygate Cinema, Bolshoi: The Bright Stream and ROH Live: Les Contes D'Hoffmann look like possible contenders for a bit of culture.

4. Carve a pumpkin or two
This year I want to try something Yayoi Kusama-esque! I'm gutted I missed this exhibition when it came to London.

5. Watch a creepy film on Halloween
I have the final two Saw films to watch, they've been gathering dust on my shelf for four years or more, and I really should give them back to the person who lent them to me.

6. See a film in the afternoon
A great way to spend a rainy afternoon, followed by a hearty pub meal.

7. Visit our local museum
Andy and I visited Ipswich Museum when we were first dating, we said we'd go back...

8. Felt for Christmas
I know, it does seem a little early to be thinking about Christmas but I have some ideas for gifts I'd like to felt for people and I don't want to leave it to the last minute.

9. Leave the country
Andy did mention something about visiting France... I can but hope.

10. A walk in the park
Christchurch Park in Ipswich is a fabulous park, and one that I have visited many, many times over the course of my life. But it's not the only park we have and I want to rediscover the others, starting with Holywells Park. It's been years since I visited last.

I've been pondering my goals for the next year for a little while, wondering how I'd like my life to look when I open my eyes the day I turn 42.

Firstly, I'd like to wake up in a bedroom that's been decorated within the past year.

With luck (or perhaps should I say 'if I get off my backside'), home improvements will be on going, without long periods of inactivity between each task.

I'd have read everything currently on my book shelves (allowing me to amass a huge book wish list in time for my birthday, and giving me a good excuse for lots of cosy afternoons spent reading).

My new company brand and website will have been done in time for the new financial year.

Anything that currently needs altering, mending, dry cleaning, or replacing will be altered, mended, dry cleaned, or replaced.

I'd have Marie Kondo'ed the ass out of my house.

(I should probably document the specifics of these to keep track of my progress)

I'll have this dairy-free thing sussed. Some foods that contain diary have really surprised me!

My floristry skills will be much improved.

I'd have remembered to harvest elderflowers at the right time, and made cordial. And gin. 

My passport would've been used at least once, preferably twice.

And I'll have some great adventures to look back on.

I've read a lot recently about how September is the best time to make resolutions, January being too gloomy to make life changes. I agree that September brings a feeling of new beginnings with the start of a new school year, and after the lazy days of summer it feels like it's the perfect time to knuckle down and get shit done.

Fingers crossed for great year ahead!