A little bit of fun today ….
I have always adored the cheeky saying ”when the cat’s away, the mice will play,” as it conjures up stealing naughty pockets of time when the person in charge left.
Playful amusement rooted in freedom and rebelliousness.
Do you ever look at life and somehow find the silliness, the fun, the amusement and just laugh? I do hope you find that outlet in life, no matter how tough things get.
The perspective of fun.
The lightness of being.
Laughing at life for the sheer hell of it.
Creating stories to amuse yourself and others.
I recently spent a night howling with laughter as I watched this story unfold between England and Scotland…
My Nan called me Kitty as a young child, and I still love that nickname, used by some close friends to this day. In this scenario, it was a case of “kitty-kate” in charge going away and leaving the teddies at home to play.
Mmm – it was more like a teddy-bear party version in full throttle.
It was my own toy story, with my dear “bear-child” at the crux of the party, in an otherwise calm neighbourhood.
My teddy – the delightful Francesca – has been in my life since I was 14 years old. She’s lost her striped cap and scarf along the way, is a bit grubby around the edges, but oh so well travelled. Sadly, she has also spent some years of her fluffy life tucked up in boxes when I travelled to places she couldn’t go to and she has to be left behind.
Let me hear a collective moan of “how could you Kate.”
I guess I had the following act of rebelliousness coming!
Just a few weeks ago Francesca had recently swapped Kleftiko for Haggis. She had made the anticipated trip from Greece to Scotland and was finally unpacked with a bed of her own in Edinburgh. Taking pride of place on my pillow again and both of us enjoying a wee cuddle every night. Kitty Kate and Francesca happily reunited again at last.
I think she was understandably a tad sad (and cross) I’d spent lockdown cuddling Frances, my mum’s teddy bear. I couldn’t get back to Greece in 2020 due to travel restrictions and had left her stuck in a box, learning Greek on her own in Lesvos. Simply awful of me!
She was learning to trust me again as we created a base together in Scotland.
A couple of weeks after landing in Scotland, I wanted to visit my mum in England. Francesca said she was happy to stay in her Scottish home – fearful of getting in a suitcase again. To be expected really.
So off I trotted to England, waving adios and shouting, “see you in a week, Francesca. Be good.”
Nothing to it, right?
Except for that night, my housemate had to pop something in my room and was distressed to find a lonesome bear looking more than a tad forlorn. I suspect there was even a wee bear whimper for added effect.
I got sent a photograph of Francesca all alone with an underlying “How could you, Kate?”
“Oh dear,” I replied (only feeling half-heartedly guilty from afar while quaffing bubbles with my mum) …. “why don’t you see if she wants to play with your bears on the stairs then?”
Being a bit sarcastic and silly …“They can keep each other company.”
Meanwhile, a few steps away on the landing was a group of eager furry friends dying to chat to Francesa about her wild adventures across the globe. Little did I know there had been a twittering on the stairs when Francesca came into the house in a suitcase that smelled of lamb, tzatziki, and ouzo.
“Such a well-travelled bear!”
“How did she ever survive being stuck in a box for two years?”
“Did she ever met a lion in Africa when she was younger?”
“Did she learn to Greek dance while throwing back ouzo?”
“Will she ever wear a kilt here?”
“Did she meet any Greek Gods”
“Do you think she’ll ever talk to us?” they wondered.
They were just dying to meet her and hear about her adventures in the world outside…
It seems like the suggestion was taken to heart, and a short while later I was so proud to see Francesca taking up her leadership role-playing big, worldly sister to all her new furry friends. Paving the way with a good ol’ Friday night story. It warmed my heart to she was reading the most delightful Scottish author to the younger friends – teaching them about kindness, resilience, hope, and love. And Friendship. She was reading Charlie Mackesy’s best-selling book, aloud to her new friends.
“Aaaaw, that’s my girl, “I thought from afar. Mum and I laughing out loud at the updated pics.
WELL…. it went quickly south from there.
It seems like Francesca has learned a thing or two from our worldly travels over the years. I’m not sure this Portobello crescent in Edinburgh will EVER be the same again to be sure.
She decided to introduce alcohol to the Friday night party to toast the new friendship! No harm having a wee dram, right? The wine flowed.
From there it was a collective sozzle of drunk bears, a dog, and an Italian doll falling all over for good measure. Doll’s heads flew, bears fell to the floor and the whole party collapsed in a drunken brawl.
Well and truly drunk!
To say I was shocked is an understatement. What the heck was going on in Scotland? Francesca has naturally been blamed as the newcomer – but it seems like they were all just waiting for an excuse to let their fur down.
The pharmacy was called in to deliver drugs all around.
Hair of the bear is a real thing – and in this instance, it was Paracetamol, Fanta, and some hard work!
I shared my utter dismay at the drunken revelry, and sent a stern message to them all, saying “you better tidy up and get everything back in order FAST.”
I think my big stick shocked them into action. Guess who was in charge again? Yes, dear Francesa and her well-honed, well-travelled leadership skills.
The house was cleaned, swept, wine stains removed and order restored.
I have heard the furry friends are missing Francesca and the Friday night parties since we moved into our own apartment in the West End of the city. Francesca is making new friends now! These are her own ‘familia’ I collected along the way from a little girl where my mum lives, who befriended me and started sharing her toys. How sweet is that! Katy-doll came about because the little one thought she looked my me….then more followed. The gang is a real mixed bunch – a wacky collaboration of a Katy-doll, a cheeky monkey, Francesca bear, and a celebrity from USA who’s trying to be in control! Francesca is not allowing anyone to usurp her privileged position as my “first born- first love.”
Things seem calm for now….and they have fallen in love with this delightful historical novel set in Edinburgh – “The Fair Botanists” by Sara Sheridan.
I guess until my next adventure when I leave them all alone on a Friday night. I’ll keep you posted on the bear-scapades and the furry tales.
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Love Kate
P.S. ….the day after the above party, Francesa was in trouble for leaving a lonely coffee cup that needed washing. Or maybe it was um, her mother aka Kitty, before she went gallivanting……we will never know! Time to learn from the book it seems!!!
