Thread 9 - TalkLair: “Russell's teapot goes on being round”

[Kucinghitam]

Continuation of previous threads (thread 8).

The new lair of JTT escapees is all cosy and homey; we have truly settled here. Outside, the garden is blooming with summer flowers - should bloody well be, what with all that rain. Inside, the hearth is glowing, pictures are up on the walls, rugs are down on the floors (and assorted pets curled up on them).

We just won’t mention the gnawed bones of our prey over there in the corner of the cave…

“My FiL's place is a bit of a time capsule. Original 1950s primrose-yellow bathroom. G-Plan furniture throughout. Swirly brown carpets. This sort of clock on the living-room wall. But it's not stylish, being from the 50s and in The North, it has small separate rooms and small windows.”

Quite a bit of G-Plan here (some probably 50s, some definitely 70s) but thankfully no longer the awful 70s velour three piece suite or the (not G-Plan) 80s sofas that replaced it. Dreadful 1980s kitchen though (the 70s one that preceded it would be far preferable, frankly, even though the slightly op art tiles could drive anyone a bit mad). And I’d quite like that clock!

While small windows aren’t good, separate rooms are more appealing now with energy prices through the roof (as long as they’re not too small).

<glances down at velour sofa...>

This is highly enjoyable.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/4864410-i-have-a-question-about-centaur-babies

That's a great thread.

Heh! I suspect ours was actually pretty comfy but it was big and very 1970s but not in a good way (although it’s possible it’s time would have come again by now).

Curse Mumsnet’s lack of an edit and autocorrect’s love of an apostrophised its.

The centaur baby thread is marvellous in its seriousness. I also didn't know that horse pregnancy lasted for twelve months although I suppose it makes sense given their size. I love a bit of new information.

1. My windows need cleaning.
2. My lawn needs mowing.
3. Pretty visitor (so pretty I went out for a proper look).

1. My windows need cleaning.

Those look quite clean compared to ours.

<avoids eye contact>

I’ve just finished this lovely novel by Rachel Joyce from 2013, having read “The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry” and “The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy” some years ago. I love her spare use of words, and her ability to make me laugh and cry.

My parents’ house was like a 1980s Time Capsule. Dark wood panelling all over the kitchen, electric tin opener on the wall, Turkish-style carpets, a sideboard with soda siphons and knock-off wedgewood, an avocado bathroom suite and a blue shower suite, shiny parquet flooring, swirly artexed walls, hideous floral satin bedspreads with matching curtains, red velvet sofas with lacy doilies, and horseshoes (had a brain melt and kept writing shoehorses), tankards and plates all over the walls like it was a backstreet pub.

Oh, and an avocado bidet!

Argh! I had an avocado bathroom suite in my London flat. I don't know how long it had been there - I bought the place in 1986 - but it was still there when I sold it in 1999. No bidet, though. There were also 7 layers of wallpaper in the only room I ever dared to strip.

We've been in this house since 2013 and there is still anaglypta wallpaper in the room I'm currently sitting in.

A flat I lived in in the 80s had a turquoise bathroom suite coupled with dreadful beige tiles with blue flowers on. I loathed those tiles more than the bathroom suite (oh and beige carpet; that was the worst part). Weirdly my sister had the same tiles. Even more weirdly, she chose hers!

I think our bathrooms might’ve been 1970s actually. The tiles in the ‘green bathroom’ (as it was known) had ugly images of wheat and some sort of seed pods on them.

My grandad’s bathroom was 70s beige with brown carpet.

Is the anaglypta wallpaper like this? I quite like it. My gran had it above the ornate panelling in her 1930s house, painted pale blue. Her bathroom was original 1930s with a lovely enamel bath. My dad was very upset when she ripped it out in the early 00s as it was the house he grew up in. When the house was sold, the new owners ripped anything original out anyway. It had some beautiful features.

Oh also, vintagebathroomlove on Instagram is a very pleasant way to spend an evening.

This is a part of next door's garden. It is all like that, basically nothing but blackberries so dense that it would be impossible to walk through the garden. I have to look at those ripening blackberries unable to reach them, knowing that no one will eat them except the birds and the birds will only eat some. It's borderline heartbreaking, I tells ya!

@MouseMinge you need one of those extending arm picker uppers so you can reach across for those. Such a shame they go to waste!

artant · Yesterday 15:54

Beautiful moth!

CB has escalated massively in the last day or so. Coming round multiple times and refusing to leave unless we physically eject her.

Last night I taped a sheet of newspaper over our (locked) catflap because it was her favourite way of spying on whether we were around. (CB has never been permitted entry via the catflap as it has been fully locked since Phoebe died - CB just used it as a handy cat-height window to stare into the kitchen). Then, while we were watching TV, I heard SHOUTING and clawing at the catflap. We ignored until she gave up and left.

This morning there was even louder SHOUTING and it sounded like she was trying to uninstall the entire catflap using power tools. Eventually DDs let her in and now she's enjoying fusses and lounging on the sofa.

We have never fed CB, but I feel that by giving her affection we are encouraging her. I think we are going to have to completely cold turkey her because this surely can't be a good situation for her actual humans who must be wondering where she disappears to. Problem is, several weeks of genuinely being away and all closed up didn't put her off so I'm not sure what we can realistically do. Thinking of putting her mugshot on our neighbourhood WhatsApp with something along the lines of "Whose cat is stalking our house?" but again I don't really see what her humans could do about it.

I am thinking of asking on the Litter Tray. But also worried about being flamed for being a cat thief.

I would do the WhatsApp thing in case her owners have been worried. But apart from that, not sure what you could do

The WhatsApp sounds a good idea. She might have several places she does this and unbothered owners, in which case carry on, or she might have a very worried home.

@Britinme I'm seriously thinking about getting one!

@Kucinghitam they might not be noticing, she may well have a long history of being a wanderer. Garfield, my CB spent nearly as much time at mine as he did at home. Luckily I knew where he was from, literally next door and they were fine with it. Maybe try to find out where he's from and let them know. Ultimately, however, there's very little you can do because cats are a law unto themselves.

Here's a photo of Garfield. The only thing I miss about my old place is my ginger stepson.

Sweet looking cat. MouseMinge, I do like that cushion with the embroidered wild things, and the woolly cat comforter.