my day/caspers day

Aren't the fees charged by Vets just sky-high? You'll remember Mum's cat was poorly from September to January ... medication/scan/blood & urine tests/overnight stay x 2 nights and Mum spent over £500! Dreadful amount. Casper looks just so handsome and cuddly in those slippers ... Baz will have cold feet tonight ... lol! Congratulations on the praise for your artwork ... rightly so! I think the lady who runs the class has spotted your talent ... well done you! : o )))

San, how lovely to get that encouragement from the other painters. I'm so glad you have your painting and that you are enjoying it so much. I think we are ALL totally fed up of this long, long, long winter! February is always tough and this year it's twice as bad as any we've had before! You keep on painting and I really hope you feel better soon. I try to cheer myself up with GOY and magazines, but like you, the garden is soggy and very cold. At least the days are beginning to lengthen now. Light until 5.10pm tonight, and that was a cloudy day. The financial situation isn't helping either is it....every day you wake up to more bad news and jobs going and libraries closing and riots.....I've tuned my radio to classic fm and radio 3 for now, I can't take any more of the pessimism!

evening Sandra

Casper looks good after his checks....
i've had enough of this winter now too....in rareing to get back into the garden full time. i have managed to clean my paths and weed around the edges. just need a few dry days...:-}

the nursery on the other hand is full steam ahead. potting on plants usung the tunel for shelter.. Julians has set his tomato seeds and they are popping so fast. it was cold but sunny here today and we made the most of it because we have rain comming in for the rest of the week.

i showed my mam your paintings today so you have another fan now :-)....

hi shirley and thankyou, casper sleeping on daddies lap now, knocked him a bit funny i think, and i can believe it with your mums cat as angelina was £200 just for blood test then same day , well eveing had to take her to emergency vet where sadly she was put to sleep, so with that and cremation alot of money, but they are our pets and we wouldnt have it any other way would we shirley.

I took out a policy for Molly just incase. She had skin probs and with x-rays, blood tests etc. it came to over £500 but the insurance covered it. I believe it may also cover her annual jags.....well worth the £12 a month.

thankyou karen, not nice not being able to do our gardens is it, and looking forward to going to carols house tomoz to paint with her, i feel alot better today as its been sunny so it sure helps as you well know karen, and like you karen i dont listen to news or read papers anymore, all doom and gloom, but spring is near :o))
thankyou sandra and how nice your mum showing an interest in my art work, so nice to hear, i bet you are busy now getting things ready for spring and summer, hope you have another good season sandra ;o))

karen be aware that most insurences for animals are not the same as normal insurence i was told, you pay each year like its a new policy if you know what i mean, it doesnt carry on, and also iv heard lots of different things about how much you can clame for each illness and if it goes over in one illness they dont pay out, was a program about it and said really a con, especially if you end up not using it, its a risk isnt it,

Not sure what you mean San. All our insurance policies are renewed every year. The pet one is just the same. I suppose what to do is google 'which pet insurance' and see what it says. Ours is Tesco.

There you go girl, you`re going to be famous one day, don`t forget to put your monica in there somewhere...
Caspar is certainly chilling out, looks very contented and very handsome......

sorry i cant explain it right but it sounds like yours is ok and not a bad price,what i was meaning is if your vet bills go over a certain amount in the one year alot havent been paying out the overall bill, they were only letting people apply for a set amount each year and nothing more even though treatment was ongoing,

lol sue, i always sign my paintings, they tell us we have to at art society haha, just dont have a very impressive signiture haha, thanx sue :o)casper is our baby boy ;o)

Just think San,one day,we might be telling everyone"she is a friend of ours"when you are famous.Lol.You are doing so well.Casper looks happy and healthy,so its peace of mind to know he is ok,although its expensive to do so.You can easily spend so much on plants at the end of the day,and we know your baby means more to you :o))

Fabulous pictures San, I especially like the middle one, he looks so relaxed. Don't you love little pink noses?

Your art teacher sounds like very nice lady giving you time and encouragement.
Keep up the good work. x

thanx sandra i wont froget you all when im famous haaha
and your right about the expence sandra, i would pay whatever it takes as long as he is well at the end of the day :o))
thanx val, i just love caspers pink nose, hes so vain to and knows the girls on the block all fancy hime lol
my art teacher is lovely and so encourages us all, im told i will love her little house with all her art work, cant wait, thanx val :o))

lovely photos of casper
well done for your success in the art classes ~ and how fabulous to get extra lessons ~ im sure you will have a great time

thanx sticki casper is photo genic isnt he, bless,
i feel very lucky to being invited to work on my art at carols, think what i would pay for lessons one to one, she just loves painting and giving her help to anyone learning, i like her cause she is straight talking no nonsence kind of person, but caring to, she is about 68 and i couldnt believe it, tall slim and attractive lady who looks about mid 50`s,

paying money does have its rewards Sanbaz so chin up winter is leaving us behind now - sunset 5:30 and counting up now :):):) nice your art work is going well for you and you love doing it

omg vet fees ................ best not dwell on em , i have tooo many animals to worry lol .............. pics are lovely , worth every penny i say , had a viset to g.c 2 day wether was lovely and def blue them blues away.............. did treat my self as well lol

I feel the same about winter now, Sanbaz, and your garden sounds just like mine, wet and spongy so cannot do anything, very frustrating. We did have a lovely day today, sunny and bright and when we walked in the woods I noticed lots of growth pushing up from beneath the fallen leaves :)
Casper is so handsome, lovely photos.

Hi Sandra. Nice to see Casper looking so good. Doesn't time fly - a year since you got him !
How kind of your art teacher to help you so much, she must be able to see you have great potential :o) x

A whole year has flown by San, and look at Casper, well and truly loving his life and those slippers! Vets these days charge extortionate amounts and try to persuade you that your pet needs all sorts.....thing is they know we care for our animals, so we will more than not do what they advise. It'll soon be a year since we lost Finn, the vet then wanted him to go into the clinic for a few days on a drip even though his kidneys were failing bad. We knew the stress of leaving us would have been awful for him so we declined.

Fantastic news though about your paintings, that is really exciting for you....well done!

Casper is a lovely looking cat, San! It nice to see young animals contented & playing with things - just like our grandkids! LOL!

It's very kind of your art teacher to offer to give you clases outside the times & place you normally have them. :-)) Like Hywel says she must see you have great potential! Just go for it!

I've been able to get down to the allotment a couple of times this week although there's not a lot I can actually do on the soil but I can do some work on getting the paths into shape so we don't h ave to tread on the soil. I also get on with a few jobs in the greenhouse which is enjoyably warm even though the wind threatens to blow it away!

Congratulations on doing so well at your art classes San thats such good news especially with the teacher taking an interest in your work :o) your Casper looks so lively and healthy it dosn't seem like a year gone by already .. we have just found out this evening that another cat has been stealing Marmy's food her little bicuits she has for supper and night time .. I thought it was odd that she was eating more and her dishes were always empty in the mornings , well Tony went out to the porch this evening in time to hear the cat flap go , Marmy was in front of the fire it wasn't her ! and her food dishes were empty , this stray cat must have been doing this every night , it took a chance on coming earlier tonight before we went to bed .. funny thing is Marmy must let it take it unless she sleeps so heavily that she dosn't know !

Oh Casper is just the most beautiful cat!
We got pet insurance, Sluggy is Tesco (until she has pups because they don't agree with that!) and the other two are on Crufts which is expensive yikes. Our pru got meningitis when she was 9 weeks old and the insurance hadn't kicked in, she cost a fortune but she is alive and our best girl, we call her Diamond Dog, worth her weight in gold, Literally!!

Caspar wanted to smell like home-- not the vets!

I've always thought you're a 'natural' San ---so pleased for you \0/\0/\0/

thankyou everyone for you comments, all in teresting reading your views, glad some are getting some gardening done and also looks like we all agree on the vet bills,janey it doesnt seem a year since you lost finn either but now you have lottie to fill the gap and will never forget dear finn x.
amy i think all cats even though have nice homes will steel food if given a chance, casper has been going next door to see sam their cat and now going in the house through cat flap lol also eats sams food if gets the chance, but always food ready here for him lol
balcony im glad your getting to do a few things even in the greenhouse,
lulu your right all our pets are worth their weight in gold and glad all turned out ok for pru x
thanx again everyone for your comments, :o)) x
aww thanx for that Pam xx

Like you Sandra i'm cheesed of with the winter, mind you even though we can't get in gardens and its still to cold for me, those light nights are coming along nice, i can't beleive its a year since you got Casper time as flown past, as for vet bills agree it stinks the price they charge cost me a packet when Smokey was ill, as altogether he was ill for 2yrs, i was working out about £100 for Tilly & Jack when they go for their injections in July, as it should be abit cheaper than last year as they had to have the full injections with it being their first, i'm so pleased your doing so well at your art classes. I've been thinking of a little hobby and thought about flower arranging or something. See you soon xx

It was so nice to see the sun yesterday... it made me feel a little better... the vets bills are awful... £62 to have my Ella cremated..... how nice for you to have a session at the art ladys house... i painted a pic of Ella a few years ago.... which ive just bought a frame for.... it will soon be better weather and we can all get out in our gardens again.......

hi carol nice to see you, was thinking about you getting the kitties injections with being retired now, cant you go to pdsa, im sure your entitled, can just give a donation then,
iv been to the art ladies house today, she is helping me when she can so i get more practise, enjoyed it to, acrylics are great but trying to paint a large space like a plain wall isnt easy as it drys fast, so mine look more textured haha all learning, hope you find something you can do and flower arranging sounds ideal carol, take care :o)) x
Holly how lovely to have apainting you did yourself of ella, a nice reminder for you, like you and carol we all want sunshine, i did notice new shoots on some of my clems which was a lovely surprise today :o)x

SMILE!!! @ your pictures of Casper - thank you for sharing =)))

thanx cate glad you like them, makes me smile ever time i look at him, my baby ;o)

Casper is a beauty bless him...i`m fed up with winter too but hopefully spring is just around the corner...glad your art classes are going well too...

thankyou elsiemay :o))

Lovely pictures of Casper,he looks so content, pleased your talent as been recognised at your art group;0)

you can get a 'retardant gel 'to slow the drying process and lots of other goodies if you look in an art shop.......

thankyou carole, he is so spoiled its untrue lol, and carole from art class popped into my work today as she was on her way to art society with one of my paintings and left me a lovely note and a few paint brushes she had sorted out, how kind ;o))
thanx for that pam, will check it out as we just spray with water but that may be better for certain pieces of work :o)

what sort of pallette do you use, I use a 'stay wet '-- you can buy the paper from places like the works . Put a piece of damp kitchen paper in an old icecream tub and put a sheet of 'stay wet' on top and then put the paint onto the 'staywet' as normal but when you put the lid on for the next few days the paint will not dry up
I'm just off to my group-- painting a watercolour snowdrop for an anniversary/getwell card ( white on white is not easy!

What a lovely laid back cat you have San, Im like you getting fed up now cant really do much in the garden! but there is a little bit of colour starting to peep through, the crocus always manage to cheer me up. Vet bills!! I darent tell you how much Ive spent this year already at the Vets, Tilly has her Pet Passport now which with chip rabies jab blood work costs me over £100 and she has been neutered which was again with her dew claw removal over £100!! and Teddy has had treatment as well he gets a very upset tummy if he finds anything with fat in it ie; biscuits or human food!! I have to watch him like a hawk last year he was kept in overnight and lots of tests done!! I wont even go there as to the cost but I dont pay insurence its dead money I think ! it might as well be in my bank ! I have heard that there is a lot of small print? never mind whatever is needed for them they will get (its only us that is neglected)!! LOL.

How nice of your teacher to give you extra tuition, she know,s you are worth the extra effort. Im looking forward to seeing you new project, the light in Portugal is so lovely in a painting, I know one of my Sons (not the A.T.) painted an archway through a building in Corfu and the light and shade is so lovely.

Lovely picture of Casper!

I love Casper!

Gosh yes. Vets fees... One of mine was diagnosed with diabetes early in 2007. We have to have his blood sugar levels monitored every two weeks and then there is the insulin to buy and of course we can't go away for a weekend unless he can stay at the vets because he has insulin injection twice a day. All in all he's turned out to be a very expensive pussy cat. My vet told me that even if we had had pet insurance, it would probably not have been valid because many insurance companies don't cover pets past the age of ten. Chico was just ten when we got his diagnosis.

But we didn't get him 'just for Christmas' and he still enjoys life and is a happy little cat so we'll keep on forking out for him! (much to the vets astonishment!).

Well done with your art. I'd love to be able to paint.

thanx for that Pam, i had heard of them stay wet and will get one from granthams not bad prices there, enjoy your art class and your right about white on white, i was told to add a speck of blue when doing that but snowdrops are pure arent they, let me know how you got on :o))
hi maggy poor you and your pets, but hope they are well and you dont have to pay anything else out at the moment, i agree rather it be in my bank account than a insurence firms lol, i totally agree with portugal painting and light,its so warm and bright, cheer anyone up, bet your sons painting is lovely, sounds it,and im very gratefull for the extra help :o))
thankyou red aly :o))
thankyou Digginfit and sorry to hear about your kitty and like you we love them and pay out and your right about insurence companies, dont want to know when they are older even if you have been with them and not claimed, they have your cash and dont want to pay it back to you, a rip off , glad puss is still with you and enjoying your love :o))

Casper looks pretty chilled out about it all Sandra...including the bill.
Our bill for boosters for Paddy use dto be horrendous, but then a couple of years ago they dropped the prices, I don't know why but I didn't complain!!!

thanx paul he is one cool cat believe me lol, good for you the vet dropping prices, never been known before i bet haha,maybe they started getting from another supplier, hope paddy is well ;o)

Aren`t vets fees terrifying Sandra? We`ve had to take Perry several times over the last few months and we`re considering taking out a second mortgage...lol! I`m looking forward to seeing your next painting. :o)

Casper will have to get a job and then he can pay his own bills lol Pleased your art teacher is taking an interest in your work, you obviously have the talent, keep it up, and only a few more weeks and it will be Spring again.

Hi San-- it wasn't easy very much a case of less is more! --- a very watery davys grey a touch of lemon yellow and some sap green, -- a steady hand and a brush wit two hairs-- -- and tissue at the ready to 'remove the mistakes' so small and with watercolour you sort of only get one go!-- still its the thought that counts :o))

lol sandra, poor you and thankyou , ;o))
cheers Dotty good idea i will send him to work up the chimneys haha, cant wait for spring, iv got some snowdrops up at last so at least they will start to multiply now, crocus and daffs following ;o))
hi Pam not easy by the sounds of it but bet it turned out better than you thought, will reemeber that if i do snowdrops, i agree watercolours are hard, cant go over any mistakes, white is a hard subject though, feel free to send me a pic and i will give you my profesional opinion lol, :o))

would do-- but I posted it!--- what are you doing at the moment--- i've sort of got a yen for chinese brush painting-- did some a while ago-- combination of watercolours and inks with special ( the works) fat brushes that hold a lot of paint but also form a fine point ( amazon sell some good books)

never mind Pam, i love that chinese brush painting, wonderfull, iv seen videos on it and they make it look so easy but i bet it isnt, im doing a large canvas, 24"/24" its borgonvillea against plain wall villa, but carol from art society isnt in tuesday nor me so she wants me to wait till we are both there to continue with it, helping me alot which is great but i told her i appreciate the help but i must do the actual painting myself other wise i would feel it wasnt mine, also doing a small canvas beach and rock painting in algarve, so quite busy Pam lol, will look at amazon later thanx

looks a bit like my popeye

your right they do look alike chuffa, popeye has extra black marks on nose and chin, but faces very alike :o)

I'm with you on this, we've had enough of winter, too. But spring is close, you can feel it in the air, so hang in there.
Casper is a lovely boy, you can see he is a spoilt little chap :) We've got a whippet, George, who's as much as a baby as Casper seems to be. He, too, seems to have a passion for his dad's slippers :) Thanks for sharing your lovely photos.

Diana @ city-smallholder

thanx Diana, we had a whippet when i was younger at home with mum and dad, she was beautifull and so loyal,i can understand why you spoil him ;o))