Lupin

- satisfied with the shadecloth I've rigged up to protect most of my garden from the hot weather we're in for this week (six consecutive days of temperatures over 30 C)

- loving the collection of Pikmi Flips (AKA My Army of Fluffness) that Jude and I (but mostly I whoops) are starting

- bummed that Mr Jupin-Lude is back to work today :(

- cold-brewing jasmine tea to enjoy later

- looking forward to hanging out with my mum today! although it's a pity about the heat as that derails my plans for a leisurely trip to the botanic gardens, but oh well

- NOT doing any crochet OR playing any Stardew Valley today gdi because I have RSI in both hands and arms from too much of each of those things bah humbug

- feeling a bit bereft as I have finished jamming both The Mortal World and Busman's Honeymoon into my eyeballs and now am not sure what to read next

How about you lot?

TFW you're reading a book, and enjoying it, and it's compelling, but you can put it down in between chapters and come back to it in the interstices of you day... until you get to THAT POINT

the point where you HAVE TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT CANNOT PUT IT DOWN WHAT IS SLEEP DON'T TALK TO ME

I just hit that point in The Mortal Word

Rewatching Last Man Out (Midsomer Murders series 19 ep 3), where Jones comes back to Midsomer for an undercover operation and let me tell you it hits ALLLLLLLLLL the John/Sarah/Ben OT3 feels

As per fennishjournal's request!

(I will note that in HINDSIGHT, I can see that there were plenty of points at which I could have Chosen Differently, resulting in me Not Dropping A Mouse On Jude, but here we are)

So one evening I go up to Pip's room and notice Dingo (our biggest fluffiest cat) staring and sniffing fascinatedly at a toybox, in a way that characteristically means there is likely to be a mouse or a skink or something otherwise Of Interest lurking around there.

I move Dingo aside--did I remove him from the room? Did I close the door behind him? Reader, I did not--and shift the toybox to reveal a very still and nervous looking tiny mouse.

Dingo, being quick on his paws where rodents are concerned, immediately dashes past me and grabs the mouse in his mouth.

I remark colloquially on this turn of events and scoop Dingo up, still with the mouse in his mouth, and carry the both of them downstairs--did I, you might wonder, then take them outside? Did I make Dingo release his captive in the garden? Reader, how can you ask such fatuous questions? Of course I didn't--into the TV room where Jude is reclining--indeed, relaxing!--on a beanbag.

'Jude,' I say, blithely convinced that this is going to work out just fine, 'could you hold Dingo while I remove the mouse from his mouth?'

'...okay?' says Jude, less blithely (with good reason), and as I lower Dingo to their lap he lets go of the mouse and it drops onto Jude, they both freak out, the mouse runs as far under the beanbag as it can and Jude extrapolates themself from said beanbag as fast as possible.

At THIS point I do remove Dingo from the room! Before he claws his way through the beanbag and catches the mouse (again)! Well done, me.

I lift up the beanbag to reveal tiny nervous mouse and attempt to pick it up as gently as possible. I have almost managed this when I fumble it, it runs over to where Jude is standing and hides between their feet, which they very cautiously move so I can grab the mouse again.

I then drop the mouse again. This time it scurries off into a corner crack where it disappears for good. Phew!

By this stage, dear Reader, I am beginning to realise that maybe next time I think one of the cats is stalking a mouse, it might be a good idea to apply a different stategy and technique to my attempted Rescue, and Jude is saying, in tones of surprisingly modest outrage, 'Did you just drop a mouse on me?'. To which I could only, in all honesty, reply, 'Yes, but not on purpose.'

It turned out that upon his ejection from the room, Dingo was Very Disappointed and took himself back up to Pip's room to see if there were any more mice. Fortunately for everyone concerned, there were not.

It's 8.30ish am on NYD in Melbourne!

I can confirm that the cup of tea I am drinking right now is the best one I've had all year

...but how can I?

Thank you all for your good wishes following our surprise ceiling reversal yesterday!!!!!!!! you guys are the best <3

Make-safe builder guy reckons nothing structural has been damaged, just the plaster from the storm-related leak; he's patching things up a bit so maybe I won't have a heart attack everytime I catch a glimpse of the skeleton of the house #yikes

Poor Pip was scared to sleep last night in case the ceiling in his room came down ,so Jude set him up a pop-up tent with a mattress in it and his favourite toys so that he could feel safe <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Conversely the cats were SUPREMELY unbothered by the presence of Piles Of Rubble strewn across the kitchen, snoofed at them and calmly lay down in all their usual spots irrespective of whether they were covered in chunks of plaster or not, because they have a Routine, dammit, so there you go

- loving on Tiny Foster Kitten #2--Saint Nicolas Cage, Nicki for short--who is bigger than Tiny Teddy and SO FRIENDLY, she is determined to win over the other cats (who are rather dubious about it all but I think they're getting there)

- playing BEAT SABER which is incredibly fun even if it does mean you look like this

- dreamily planning new crochet, knitting and craft projects from the making-stuff magazines I got for Christmas

- eating delicious leftovers

How's your festive season going so far, lovely friends? <3

I am definitely not making Christmas presents right now

Today Pip finished Grade 3! Mr Lupin-Jude got back from Poland! I cleaned out the greenhouse/storage space at school and drank a lot of tea and played Animal Crossing!