Soop's Extended Extension.

Feeling a bit better, as the men have either got rained off or gone for lunch!

I like the 'AlieO' by the way - it sounds like something out of a song....

Yes, I think AlieO is tuneful.

I was out for ages yesterday and Tara my cat must have missed me because she dragged one of my clean tops from a chair in the front bedroom on to the bed that she has decided is her own and I assume that she was cuddling up to or sleeping on it. That is a first.

I had just washed the duvet cover on that bed but even so all she had to do was to sleep on my bed which she does for most of the day to find my "smell".

CharleyG Aren't cats funny creatures? Rory has a few "routines" which always make us smile. The best...snuggling down between us as we drink early morning cup of tea. We take it in turns to pet him. He is adorable when he's purring like a lawn mower. He hasn't ventured very far today. I believe that he's still fast asleep on his cosy rug. If so, he's been there since just after breakfast.

Tara joined me in my bed at 7am today and has been there ever since. The problem is when I want to watch TV, such as Silent Witness this evening, that is when madam will want to go out and as you are aware all of the house staff are on permanent holiday so it is me who opens the door for her as it is far too much of an effort to use her cat flap.

I am amazed, for an ex feral cat, that Rory is so loving towards yourself and Mac Sporran, purring away as he is petted whilst lying between you. That really is the life.

We used to sing a song in the play ground AlieO

The big ship sails through the Eelie , Allieo (sp) on the 19th of September

Haven't a clue what it was about but that's what came into my head when I saw your AlieO

Just googled it! It's The Big Ship Sails on the Ally, Ally, O. Well, I haven't sung it since 1950 something so nearly got it right

I thought it was on the "Fourth day of September"!! Any advance on the fourth?

Nellie I was forever changing the lyrics to songs so you are probably right

I can listen to songs now that I heard in my childhood and realise what I was singing for years was completely wrong!

I have even bought myself a sign for the kitchen wall saying. "I know I am in my own little world, but they know me here*

agus Whatever the day it actually is, the "nineteenth" just would not scan into the rhyme.

I sang 'the first day of September'.
Dead right everybody, that's the song it reminded me of!
And it's about the Manchester Ship Canal - I went to school in Wythenshawe

And...it was in the music for the film 'A taste Of Honey', which was the first film I saw that really was about real people....

Agus childhood songs aren't wrong, they are just variable in different places!

I remember singing 'The Big Ship Sails...' when I was a child. I used to sing first day of September. We had a song for skipping games. Cannot recall what it was right now. Did any of my Granspals play "Jacks" and did you make long stringy, woolly things on a cotton reel [French knitting]...and how about the game with a paper wotsit that had a wee message on the segments? Can't for the life of me remember the proper name. It was fun.

Agus I like the message on the sign in your kitchen. I shall look out for one.

Charleygirl There is a pet section in the weekend Telegraph. People send a photo and a wee story about their pets. I think that Rory's story is rather extraordinary. Tortoisehell kitten has been fed. She's now sitting on top of the kennel apartment and is giving her face a good grooming. Rory, insisted on being fed too. As it isn't raining at the moment, we'll be opening and closing the back door in order that he might sit on the doormat [for a few minutes at a time] and pretend to be awfully important.

last day of September.

I could still make one of those paper wotsits - I think. Wasn't it called Fortunes?
- and what were you supposed to do with the long woolly thing when finished - if ever - when was it finished anyway?

And string patterns and puzzles on your hands - 'Cat's Cradle' and others.

soop I take the weekend Telegraph but I have not seen that pet section. Admittedly as you are aware there are so many sections that I am a bit ruthless and discard many.

It has been raining here for hours. Tara has decided to continue resting her eyes down here where it is warmer as the heating is on very low in my bedroom.

Rory is a jealous boy is he not? He has a better life than his daughter, being dry all of the time, well cared for and cuddled. He could of course be eyeballing her to go away and stay away as that is his territory.

jings So it was

AlieO Fortunes I loved it. Cat's Cradle - yay! The long, stringy, woolly things looked good, but were otherwise useless. I may have used one as a scarf for my wooden peg doll. At the infant school, we collected shiny sweet wrappings and huddled together to "swap"...this was at the time of sweet rationing...so some were considered to be somewhat rare and "valuable"

Charley Tortoiseshell is in great shape. She always looks well groomed. She skips across the muddy tangle of brambles and such and heads way back high in the forest. The man from the Cat Protection League told us that the feral cats find a snug safe place to sleep. She looks happy. Do you think I'm totally batty? Don't answer that jings

For once I agree with Jingle {grin}

DGD1 and I have a wee Exchange, oft repeated which goes:

ME: What happens on 1st September?
DGD1: It is my Birthday!

ME: What happens on 4th September?
DGD1: It is your Birthday, Granny!

ME: and what happens on the LAST day of September?
DGD1: The Big Ship Sails Through the Eely Ally O!

Granny23 It's true...our jings is the winner of which day of the month did the big ship sail.

So at least I got a bit of it right Granny23 we did sing the EELY, ally O. Must have been the Scottish version . DD1s birthday is 4th Sept. too.

GD1 is into making Fortunes a lot just now! Also teaching her what we called French knitting, the long woolly tube thing.

If you coil the long string of French knitting and secure it with a few stitches, you get a drip mat or a teapot stand (depending on how long it is when you give up making it and start to coil it up).

I think your Fortunes was what we called Consequences.
We used to sit for hours playing Jacks. Then there were all those Bounce the ball against the Wall games, (1,2,3 and under etc) where it got progressively harder. Under 1 leg was quite easy but turn round and catch the ball without it bouncing on the ground etc was really hard, then the bell would go. Does anyone these days play that?

No, no , no! Consequences was when you wrote a girl's name, turned the paper down and passed it on, someone wrote a boy's name, turned the paper down and passed it on etc!

DS2 once got some jacks in a party bag and had eaten them by the time we got home