Happy Birthday Sooty!

for last week. Oops. We did just remember in time last week that it was Sooty's 18th birthday, but then I forgot to blog about it. Luckily he doesn't read my blog so he won't know... This is the birthday boy looking very handsome, if rather sleepy:

He's definitely feeling his age these days and his one back leg is having trouble taking the strain. It's very arthritic and we took him to the vets 10 days ago (terrified that he'd have to be put down) but instead got some anti-inflammatories for him. They seem to be doing the trick at the moment, although he still drags that leg quite a lot. Part of the problem is that he always lays it on thick if he thinks someone is watching (particularly visitors) so that he gets LOADS of sympathy. He's done this all his life. People would say "oh poor little pussy cat, only got 3 legs, aaahh" and tickle his tummy/pat his head/cuddle him. Then, when they're not looking, off he would gallop up a tree, across the roof, catching birds etc. He loves talking to people at the top of his voice, even on the phone too!

This picture, which I think is extremely cool, was sent to me today by James (whom I met at the conference in Cambridge last month). He's being amazingly tolerant even though I've been bombarding him with photos of knitting and doesn't appear to think I'm totally nutty (little does he know!).

Northanger Abbey has now finished, but a dramatization of The Professor by Charlotte Bronte is still on during Woman's Hour in the morning and repeated in the evening. I remember really enjoying this when I read it about 10 years ago.