Everybody Wants To Be A Cat

Princess Kitty is quite content at the moment. Work is not too bad. She has had a guitar lesson. Her teacher says she should perform a song in public next month. Princess Kitty is going to think about this.

Princess Kitty is moving things along gradually in her search for a home of her own. Things are good between her and Growly Bear. And she is seeing Growly Bear tomorrow. She is very content indeed.

Princess Kitty is looking forward to going on another singing course. She wants to be a Diva again. She is looking forward to meeting up with her girl kitten again. And her boy kitten.

It was Princess Kitty's boy kitten's birthday yesterday. He was 22. She went to see him. She gave him a present. He was pleased to see Princess Kitty. He gave her a kiss and a hug. Princess Kitty purred. Things have been a bit difficult between her and her boy kitten. He is unhappy that she left their big house. He is unhappy that she loves Growly Bear. He doesn't understand why Princess Kitty went away. He doesn't understand about her search for the point of guinea pigs.

So Princess Kitty was happy that her boy kitten was kind to her and liked seeing her.

It's definitely not a dog's life.

He's Football Crazy

Like lots of boy bears Growly Bear likes football. He had been watching it tonight. Not out in the cold and the dark. He has been watching it on television.

Growly Bear says girls can't understand football. He says Princess Kitty talks about football like a girl.

Princess Kitty thinks Growly Bear is just trying to make football sound mysterious. Mysterious like the point of guinea pigs. Princess Kitty doesn't think it is particularly special. She wonders what boy bears see in it. She wonders what Growly Bear sees in it.

Growly Bear likes watching football. He likes watching all those boys with nice hair cuts running around in their little shorts . He likes working out the strategies. He likes watching the skill of the players. He likes thinking about the sociological importance of football in our society.

I wonder who is right.

Laughter Therapy

Growly Bear and Princess Kitty have been laughing. They have been giggling together.

They realised that it has been a while since they laughed together. Life has been tough these last few weeks. It has been hard for Princess Kitty who is waiting to see how things will turn out, how Growly Bear will decide to live his life. It has been hard for Growly Bear who is faced with some difficult decisions and difficult actions to follow. Poor Princess Kitty. Poor Growly Bear. They have just had to trust that they will understand the point of guinea pigs eventually.

Growly Bear has been teasing Princess Kitty. Again. That's what made them laugh. Princess Kitty teased Growly Bear a bit too.

They agree that they need to laugh together more often. Laughing is good for the body. It is good for the soul. It will help them face life's difficulties.

Growly Bear says the best thing is to relax about their problems. Princess Kitty thinks he is having a laugh.

Get Back Growly Bear

Growly Bear has been visiting The Cardigan again. He has been visiting Princess Kitty.

He did not come on his skateboard today. He came in his little Skoda. He brought his guitar.

Princess Kitty was pleased. They have not played together for a while. The sang and played for a little while. Then they made honey. Growly Bear says Princess Kitty's honey making is coming along. He lets her be in charge sometimes now.

They made pancakes together. Growly Bear tried to be in charge but Princess Kitty slapped him gently with her spatula. Get back Growly Bear she said.

Then Growly Bear had to go home. It felt like just five minutes since he arrived. There was so much they had not had time for. Playing tricks. Telling stories. Discussing what they had found out about the point of guinea pigs since they last met.

Princess Kitty waved goodbye to Growly Bear. Come back soon Growly Bear she said.

Wait and Watch

Fatty Flatfoot is shrinking. The wicked witch is getting smaller.

Growly Bear noticed it a little while ago. He asked some other slaves. They all confirmed that she is shrinking.

Princess Kitty and Growly Bear puzzle about why this might be. Growly Bear thinks that perhaps she is eating fewer guinea pig pies. He thinks perhaps she has emptied her drawer of snack size guinea pig pies and is now only eating the occasional one at mealtimes.

Princess Kitty thinks this may be true. She also thinks it could a sign that Fatty Flatfoot's wicked magic is starting to decline. She may be starting to lose some of her power. There are other signs that she might be in trouble.

Princess Kitty also knows that it is too early to be sure. She knows it would be dangerous for Growly Bear to lower his guard. Even an inch. Even a centimetre.

For now it is time to wait and watch.

No-One Died

No-one died Princess Kitty. That is what Princess Kitty's daddy used to say to her when she was a kitten. If she was worrying about something that happened during the day he would say "No-one died". If she was worrying about something that might happen he would say "It won't kill you".

Princess Kitty has remembered these words. She remembers them and uses them. She uses them when she is thinking about taking a risk. It helps her judge if a risk is worth taking.

Princess Kitty thinks her daddy is quite wise. She thinks she might have underestimated him. She has been asking him to tell her stories, to share his knowledge. When she told some friends they said it was really good and important. They said it is important to do it before it is too late because he won't be around for ever.

Princess Kitty thinks her friends are right. She thinks they are wise too. She thinks it is good to listen to advice sometimes. She thinks it is good to listen to people who know about guinea pigs.

Princess Kitty wonders what advice she can give Growly Bear. She thinks and thinks. She scratches her head. Then she knows. She would say "Imagine being on the other side. Imagine yourself saying no-one died".

Bumpy Road

Things are a bit tricky at the moment. Not the funny kind of tricky like when Princess Kitty and Growly Bear play tricks on each other. Difficult kind of tricky.

Growly Bear is in turmoil. He loves Princess Kitty with all his heart. He knows that she loves him. He wants to be with her. But he is frightened. What if things change when they live together? What if he feels so bad or other people reject him so much that he thinks he has made a terrible mistake and starts to resent Princess Kitty. He is hurting inside thinking about it. Poor Growly Bear.

And the bear he lives with is feeling lonely. Growly Bear has been absent from the cave more. He has been absent with his feelings. She has been kind to Growly Bear this week. That makes him hurt too. Poor Growly Bear.

Growly Bear knew the road would be bumpy. He knew that he would get hurt as he bounced up and down. He knew he would need Princess Kitty to be strong for him. But it is so much harder when it is happening. It hurts much more than you dare imagine. Its very frightening. He wonders if his suspension is as good as he thinks it is. He hopes it will not break.

Princess Kitty does not know how to help Growly Bear. She thinks the best way is to let him have space to think and sort himself out. That means looking after herself. That means trying to find the right balance between giving Growly Bear space and still reassuring him that she loves him. It means trying to do what is best and most helpful for Growly Bear.

Caring for each other is the point of guinea pigs.

Keep Your Ribbon Straight Growly Bear

Shock horror. Growly Bear has been attacked. Fatty Flatfoot's witchdoctor Suma tried to steal his soul.

Suma has not been seen around for a while in Fatty Flatfoot's empire. Suddenly today she appeared.

Growly Bear bumped into her. He just had time to register who she was when she came over. She smiled a pretty smile. She said hello in a sweet voice. She was enchanting. She had Growly Bear under her spell. Just for a moment.

As she held him with her spell she reached out and touched him. She touched him on his arm. He felt a burning sensation. He felt sick with the pain.

The pain made him wake up. He realised what was happening. He started to think about a countercurse. He started to say it in his head. He reminded himself of her duplicity. He reminded himself of what she did to Princess Kitty. He reminded himself what she does to guinea pigs. She is dangerous.

The countercurse was very good. It was very clever. And Growly Bear added an extra trick. He didn't show that he was doing it. He smiled a sweet smile. His trick made the spell much more powerful. At least ten times more powerful.

Suma was beaten. Her spell bounced back. Not before it had burned Growly Bear. But before she could pentrate to grab his soul. Growly Bear walked away. His head was held high and his ribbon was straight.

Step By Step

Princess Kitty has had an exciting day. She has had a scary day. She put in an offer for the possible new home that she saw with Growly Bear yesterday. At first the owners said no but later they came back with a compromise.

Princess Kitty has not accepted it yet. But she will. It is Princess Kitty's first little step towards having her own home.

Meanwhile Growly Bear is still having a miserable time. Nothing seems to be going right. His computer is still broken. Work is still horrible. But worst of all he has now lost his diary. Poor Growly Bear. What a testing time he is having.

Princess Kitty feels so far away from him. She wants to cuddle Growly Bear and make everything better for him. She wants to help him believe there is a point to guinea pigs. Most of all she just wants to feel close to him.

Maybe, thinks Princess Kitty, if she finds a nice new home, she will see a bit more of Growly Bear. She hopes so.

Peace and Quiet

Growly Bear is a brave little soldier. He is tired and a little bit grumpy. He is tired of thinking about guinea pigs all the time. He just wants some peace and quiet.

Growly Bear is having a difficult time at work. He has lots and lots of hard things to do. He has had a busy weekend. He just wants some peace and quiet.

Princess Kitty has been very busy. She really likes the possible new home she saw the other day. She wanted Growly Bear to see it so she asked him if he could come over. Poor Growly Bear. So much to do. So much to think about.

But Growly Bear got in his little Skoda. He drove to the place where the possible new home is. He looked around the possible new home. He liked it. He thought Princess Kitty could be very happy there.

Then Growly Bear got back in his little Skoda and drove home. He travelled nearly 100 miles. Poor Growly Bear. Kind Growly Bear.

Growly Bear is pleased to be home now. He is going to have some tea. Then he is going to watch the television. Then he is going to have a little sleep. Perhaps then he will have some peace and quiet.

I'm Gonna Be A Country Girl Again

"I'm gonna be a country girl again". This it the song Princess Kitty is learning. It is by Buffy St. Marie. Princess Kitty likes its simplicity. She likes it that it celebrates the small simple things in life. She likes it because she thinks it suits her voice. She might change the words a bit so that she keeps guinea pigs instead of rabbits in the pen.

Growly Bear has been visiting The Cardigan today. He listened to Princess Kitty singing the song for the first time. He says her voice is getting better and better every time he hears it. Princess Kitty purred with pleasure.

Growly Bear was quite tense when he arrived. He has had a difficult couple of weeks. He has been very busy at work. He misses Princess Kitty. Things are hard at the cave. And now his computer has broken. Poor Growly Bear.

Princess Kitty smiled at Growly Bear. Princess Kitty talked to Growly Bear. Princess Kitty touched Growly Bear gently. Princess Kitty kissed Growly Bear. Princess Kitty cuddled Growly Bear. Princess Kitty made honey with Growly Bear.

By the time he left Growly Bear had lost his worried look. He was smiling even though he was sad to leave. He hopes one day he and Princess Kitty will have an old brown dog, a big front porch and guinea pigs in the pen.

Behind Bars

Growly Bear has been to see some animals today. He went with the bear he lives with. They took a little boy. They saw penguins and rhinos and lots of other creatures. He sent Princess Kitty some photos to her little Samsung. Growly Bear looked for bears and guinea pigs but he didn't find any.

Growly Bear had quite a nice day. He likes seeing creatures. He likes little boys. He likes seeing people happy. Even so a part of Growly Bear is feeling sad.

He is feeling sad that he is not with Princess Kitty. He is feeling sad that he has got in a tangle with his life. He is feeling sad that he feels trapped in his life. Caged in.

Then Growly Bear remembers how much Princess Kitty loves him. He feels a warm feeling inside and smiles.

S n M Den

Princess Kitty has found another possible new home. She is rather taken with it. It has some disadvantages as Growly Bear pointed out. A bathroom downstairs and a 3rd bedroom off a 2nd. But Princess Kitty does like it.

She especially likes that it has a secret cellar. She thinks this would make a great den. Maybe she could keep guinea pigs in it. Better still though, she could make it a place to play tricks on Growly Bear. She could have some games to play with Growly Bear.

Princess Kitty wonders how Growly Bear would feel about being chained to the wall.............

Guitar Man

Wow! What an evening Princess Kitty has had. She has been to see a performance. A performance by a guitarist.

The name of the guitarist is Michael Chapman. He has been performing for over 40 years. Princess Kitty thought he was just amazing. She has never heard anything like it. His fingers were so fast yet so controlled. So accurate and sensitive.

And she could not believe the sounds he got from the guitar. His influences ranged from Indian to Spanish music. From Jazz to classical. He played harmonics. He strummed. He picked. He struck the guitar all over the face and fretboard.

His voice had a gravel-like quality, like Bob Dylan. He did a little singing but mostly he played the guitar.

After the performance Princess Kitty went back to someone's house with her friends. Michael Chapman came too. They drank and talked a bit about guinea pigs and laughed.

When she left to go home Princess Kitty told Michael Chapman he was an inspiration.

Mr Shifter

Growly Bear has been very energetic today. Very energetic indeed.

He has been moving furniture about. He has been been getting one part of his cave ready to paint. He is getting the cave ready to sell.

The furniture was quite heavy. Growly Bear huffed and puffed a bit. He broke out in a little sweat. He had to have a little rest afterwards. He wished his furniture was made of straw like guinea pigs'.

Princess Kitty is very impressed. She is impressed that Growly Bear is so strong. She is impressed he gets on with his jobs.

Growly Bear told Princess Kitty that he would rather be spending the day with her. He especially wanted to be with her because today is Valentine's Day. Princess Kitty does not mind too much though. Every day spent with Growly Bear feels like Valentine's Day.

Born To Perform

Poor Growly Bear. He has not had a very nice day. He has had a long drive to work. Then he has had lots of meetings. And then a long drive home.

Growly Bear does not like meetings. He does not like sitting still for so long. He does not like just talking about things. He likes to do things. Like feeding guinea pigs. He understands that it is important to plan but he likes action. He is a born performer.

Princess Kitty has been thinking about performing. She has been watching a DVD of the public performance she and Growly Bear did before Christmas. She watched it with her mummy and daddy. They watched it twice. Except Princess Kitty made her daddy play one bit four times. It was the bit at the end where Growly Bear gives her a hug. A special Growly Bear hug.

Princess Kitty thinks Growly Bear looks beautiful in the DVD. Composed, elegant, handsome and sexy. She thinks he is very charismatic. Princess Kitty wants to look that cool when she performs. She thinks the DVD will be helpful. She can study her performance and find ways to improve. Like not looking down at her fret hand so much. And not looking at the music because she didn't need to she knew it so well. And not blinking so much and so slowly. She needs to speed up her blink and use other parts of her face to express herself.

And now Princess Kitty knows she can sing. She can sing in tune. She needs more power and passion. She needs to let herself go more. But she can sing.

And as for Growly Bear. Well as Mummy Cat said, he has a lovely warm baritone voice. Nice one Growly Bear

Love and Honey

Growly Bear and Princess Kitty have been together again today. They met up after work. They had a drink together and some tea. And they talked. And talked and talked.

Later they went to sit in Growly Bear's little Skoda. They talked some more. They talked about guinea pigs and what they had learned about them.

Growly Bear brought along his portable honey making kit. Princess Kitty thought that making honey in the dark in Growly Bear's car was very exciting. Growly Bear said it was rocking.

And Growly Bear gave Princess Kitty a card. It is a Valentine's card. Inside it Growly Bear had written a message. It said "It's been life changing. Such love".

Princess Kitty thought this was a beautiful thing to say. She thought it was very romantic and loving. She never ceases to be amazed at how being with Growly Bear is the most wonderful feeling in the world.

Stepping Out

Growly Bear has had a busy weekend. He has been to see Mummy Bear and his sister. He went with the bear that he lives with. Then they went to see his Aunty who is poorly.

Whilst he was being busy, Growly Bear has been thinking about Princess Kitty. He has been thinking about her a lot. He has been thinking about their time together last week. He has been thinking about how much she makes him laugh. He has been thinking about how much she makes him ponder on the point of guinea pigs. He has been thinking about how lovely she makes him feel with her love.

And Growly Bear has taken his first tentative step towards Princess Kitty.

Fairy Tales and Fish Tails

Princess Kitty has been to a party today. She is on a little holiday. She is at the seaside. She is with lots of her friends. She is finding out about the point of guinea pigs. She is having a nice time.

The party Princess Kitty went to was a fancy dress party. She had to dress up as something to do with the sea. She went as a mermaid. She had a tail and shells for her top and some special fur. She felt very beautiful.

Princess Kitty used to love the story of The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson when she was a kitten. She used to like all fairy tales.

Princess Kitty wonders what sort of character Growly Bear would be if he was in a fairy tale. She doesn't think he would be Hans in the story of Stupid Hans. He is too clever. She doesn't think he would be the wolf in Little Red Riding Hood. He is too kind. She doesn't think he would be Rumple Stiltskin. He is too gentle.

Growly Bear is sure that if he was in a fairy tale he would be a handsome prince. He would rescue the lovely Princess Kitty from the wicked witch and they would live happily ever after.

Love and Loss

Today is a sad day. Today Princess Kitty and Growly Bear had to say goodbye again.

Princess Kitty says it feels as if someone is squeezing her heart. She has a hurt feeling inside her.

Growly Bear says it makes him think of all the other times in his life when he has been in love and had to say goodbye. He says that is how his life has been.

Princess Kitty and Growly Bear have each learned their own ways of caring for themselves so the hurt is not too terrible. Princess Kitty has to work hard on thinking positive thoughts and talking to herself about taking responsibility for her feelings. Growly Bear concentrates on what is in front of him and does his chores.

Princess Kitty wonders if we have guinea pigs so that we can practise loving them and losing them. So that when the time comes to lose someone we love, even if it is only for a little while, we have had some practise.

One thing Princess Kitty and Growly Bear know for sure though is that the next time they see each other they will be even more in love.

Musical Magic

Princess Kitty had a spooky experience last night. She went to wait in a pub whilst Growly Bear went to work. She took her book so that she would have something to do. The book was about the point of guinea pigs. She read and read for hours and hours.

Then something really weird happened. She had just decided to have a little rest from her reading and look around her. As she raised her head she heard a sound. A sound of music. It sounded familiar. It was a guitar. And someone singing. And she had heard the guitar played like that before.

Then she realised that the man playing and singing was a man she had seen before. The night she went to see a concert of Nick Drake music. She couldn't believe her eyes and ears. She wished Growly Bear could hear it. She wished he could hear it because she knew he would like it. And she wished he could hear it because then he would know magical things happen to her.

Musical magic.

Stiff Upper Lip

Growly Bear and Princess Kitty have been looking at possible new homes for Princess Kitty. It is hard choose. It is hard to nearly choose one then lose it. That has happened to Princess Kitty already.

Growly Bear says it is best not to become emotionally attached until the deal is done. Like when you have a pet, maybe a guinea pig or two. You should not fall in love with them until they are yours.

Princess Kitty knows this is sensible advice. She knows Growly Bear is right. She just doesn't know how to stop herself doing it.

When Princess Kitty is looking at a possible home she imagines herself living in it. She thinks about Growly Bear being there. She thinks about her ability to make a nice home. She knows she is not very practical or observant about her environment. And yet she knows her environment is important to her.

Growly Bear thinks Princess Kitty needs to be more stoic. He feels upset when he sees her hurt. And Princess Kitty does show her hurt - like a child. She hasn't learned to hide her feelings without blocking them out to herself.

Princess Kitty knows Growly Bear is right about this too. She looks in the mirror and practices having a stiff upper lip.

Shooting Fish In A Barrel

Growly Bear has been teasing Princess Kitty. He has been teasing her a lot. He has been teasing her about forgetting things. He has been teasing her about getting mad when her fur is not perfect. He has been teasing her about the way she cooks. He has been teasing her by pretending he is not sure if he wants to make honey. He has been teasing her because she sometimes simply cannot see the point of guinea pigs.

Princess Kitty wonders how Growly Bear can find so many things to tease her about. Growly Bear says it's like shooting fish in a barrel.

Epi_c

Growly Bear's frittatta is epic. At least that is what he tells Princess Kitty.

He has made a frittatta for Princess Kitty tonight. It is made of eggs and mushrooms and parsley and sweet potatoes. Growly Bear does not like cooking on Princess Kitty's cooker though. He says it is a nightmare. He says even a fantastic cook like him can't cook well on Princess Kitty's cooker.

At one point he thought he had burnt his frittatta a little on the bottom. Princess Kitty went rushing into the kitchen. She thought Growly Bear had had a terrible accident from the noise he was making. But he was just upset because he thought his frittatta had burnt.

Princess Kitty thinks it must be quite a burden to have such a glorious talent. She feels sorry for Growly Bear. Having to perform in such difficult conditions. Feeling the pressure to produce something perfect every time. No wonder he was mad when he thought it was going wrong.

In the end though, Growly Bear's frittatta was indeed epic. He served it with a lovely salad. Princess Kitty thought it was delicious. A feast fit for any guinea pig she thought.

Epic!

Cheese and Pickle

Princess Kitty is a bit of a pickle. Sometimes she can be very organised and efficient. Lots of people think that she is all of the time. But Growly Bear knows different. He knows that she can be chaotic and inefficient.

For example, Growly Bear always knows what time of the day it is. He regularly checks the time and can guess to within a few minutes what the time is. Princess Kitty on the other hand drifts along in her own little world and is always surprised how much time has passed.

Growly Bear knows how long tasks take. He knows how long it takes to wash his hair. He knows how long it takes to cook a meal. He knows how long it takes to feed a guinea pig. He knows how long it takes to make honey.

Princess Kitty always underestimates how long things take. She always overestimates what she can achieve. Then she runs out of time to do things. Then she gets in a pickle.

Today she had quite a few tasks to do. She did the first few well. One of them was to get some special goat's cheese. She went to a farm shop to get this. Well done Princess Kitty. Then she suddenly realised that Growly Bear was arriving at The Cardigan in an hour. And she was supposed to buy some other food but the shops had shut. And The Cardigan was still not very tidy. And she still had not powdered her little nose. What a pickle Princess Kitty.

By the time Growly Bear arrived Princess Kitty was buzzing like a little busy bee. It took him an hour to calm her down and help her to relax. He had to rescue the tea because half the ingredients were missing or were wrong. Luckily the cheese was delicious.

Growly Bear does sometimes wonder what he has got himself into though.

Love Conquers All

Princess Kitty has been reading a book. It is a good book. It is called "Human Traces" and is written by Sebastian Faulks.

Today she has been reading about two people who fall in love in the book. Their circumstances mean that they should not but they cannot resist the force. And they know straight away that what they have is something special. They know instantly that they will be right. Each feels the other lights up their life.

And when they make honey it is very special. Their passion is powerful and deep. They touch each other's souls.

What has moved Princess Kitty is that she understands. She understands completely. It has happened to her. She has read about love before but it didn't have proper meaning. And now it does.

Maybe love is the point of guinea pigs.

What's In A Name

Princess Kitty has been out running with her friends. It is a special sort of running in the dark with torches.

Princess Kitty and all her friends have special names when they do this sort of special running. Names like Mad Dog and Leeky Willy and Love Machine and Hyena and Hoggie. Every name has a story.

Princess Kitty likes doing this running. It is always fun. Everyone plays tricks on each other. Sometimes they even talk about guinea pigs.

Growly Bear says it sounds awful. He does not like running and he does not like these sorts of tricks.

Growly Bear has had a quiet evening. He has been thinking about Princess Kitty out running. He has been thinking about Princess Kitty playing tricks. He has been thinking about special names.

Growly Bear likes being called Growly Bear. He thinks it suits him. He thinks it describes his furriness and cuddliness and growliness in just the right way. He has not always been called Growly Bear. Only since he met Princess Kitty.

Growly Bear thinks he has things just right. He has a special name like Princess Kitty's other friends. And he has not had to run a step.

Just Like Andy Pandy

"Growly Bear is coming to play
La la la la la la
Growly Bear is here today
La la la la la"

Well not today actually. Growly Bear is coming to stay at The Cardigan for a few days at the weekend. But Princess Kitty is getting excited already. Very excited indeed.

When Princess Kitty was a little kitten, she loved to watch Andy Pandy. She remembers her excitement when the programme came on. She remembers enjoying watching Andy Pandy play with Teddy and Looby Loo dancing. She remembers too her sense of devastation when it was time for Andy Pandy to go. This is how she feels when Growly Bear has to go.

Princess Kitty remembers other programmes from when she was a little kitten. Her favourite was "Bizzie Lizzy". Bizzy Lizzy wore a little blue dress with a flower on the pocket. Every day Bizzy Lizzy could touch the flower and have three wishes and every day her first wish was that her doll, little Mo, would come alive.

Another programme she liked was "Tales of the River Bank" She remembers GP the guinea pig. That was back in the time when she just took the point of guinea pigs for granted.

Growly Bear didn't have a television when he was a cub. He used to listen to the radio. He understands about looking forward to things though. He understands the sad feeling when it is over. Just like Andy Pandy.

"Time to go home
Time to go home
La la la la la la
Time to go home
Time to go home
Time to go home
Growly is waving goodbye
Goodbye"