stella & bullet

a few weeks ago my husband and i headed out on a beautiful sunday afternoon, we were going to an art showing. on our way there my husband said" we are just looking and that our budget would not allow for us to bring anything home at the time" somehow we came home with a young cat named stella. both  k and i were confused at how we ended up taking a cat home from the exeter animal shelter that had a booth at the show. I had seen stella when she was just born at the shelter on the days i volunteer, yes she was born in a cage and six month later she was still there. i had thought about getting bullet a friend but hesitated every time i visited the rescue( so many cats heart breaking really) after all aren't we dog people we would say to each other. 

the house for the first few days was crazy, bullet who was the reason behind bringing Stella home in  the first place hated us, he refused to eat, would stare her down as she walked passed him, i soon recognized this to be love and they have beenthat way ever since. she is sweet and so different than him, she loves basking in the sun in the laundry room, although i do think it has to do with being in a cage for so long that she seems to like small spaces. in the evening when the dogs are upstairs in bed she comes out and bullet spends the evening talking to her i mean he really does not stop, he calls out to her when he can't see her, she hides behind corners and leaps to him. they play from room to room knocking down vases as they meet in mid air and then finally when they can no longer put off sleep they cozy up to each other on the ottoman.

dear marina

 tous les changements, meme les plus souhaites ont leur melancolies, car ce que nous quittons, c'est une parties de nous-meme; il faut mourir a une vie pour entrer dans une autre-

Anatole France 1884-1924

All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another.

do you remember my post yesterday about wanting to be surrounded by poetry and where i mentioned that i would open my autumn swap package that i had been holding unto since the return from my getaway, well i could have not opened it at a more perfect time. It as if marina knew me well and knew the aesthetic of my home. i love everything, more than loved it, i instantly knew they belonged here.

 a most beautiful gathering of things; a photograph of two dogs from her grandmothers collection, a book of poetry that makes me wish that all books today were made with such lovely paper and lettering and it was bookmarked to the poem above, wrapped in fabric a pocket watch case, honestly i have wanted one for so long and inside of it a treasure inspired by nature, a print of beautifully illustrated insects and object de nature from the eighteen hundreds with the quote above on the back side and a beautiful had written note what a lovely penmanship marina. 

marina, thank you so much i have instantly named them treasures to keep for always  and as you can see bullet was watching me as i opened each thing. what i love the most about all of it, is through the swap i gotten to visit your blog that is absolutely filled with stunning photographs &  notes that make for beautiful collected stories -a vignettes of a well lived life, that has me craving more.

merci marina and if you knew me you would know that your last name is my favourite name of all times and if i ever had a child he or she would certainly be called by that name.

this is our new little big guy

that is right for all those who know me well enough, we have a cat( i know). we fell in love with this giant maine coon cat named bullet at the shelter and we knew he would be great addition to the family and finaly after a few months( yes custody battle of sorts) he is home. he is so sweet and gentle. although i don't understand the motivation to have named him bullet, he knows it well and so we will respect it. right now sophie is barking at the tiny kitty we are watching on the stair case, lets just say she is probably saying where did these cats come from and someone get me the salt!