Friday 28 February 2014

Memories


It doesn't look much, does it?

And it isn't really.

Just an old sofa, with a few holes nibbled by successive pet hamsters, a broken zip and a hefty dose of crumbs/hamster poo down the side recesses.

But you would be surprised.


Today this sofa left us, and I'm feeling bizarrely bereft. We bought it in 2004, so for 10 years it has been part of the family. A spare bed for someone snoring too much, large enough for all the children to snuggle up fight on to watch a film before bed, cosy enough to fall asleep on in the quiet period after everyone is at school with a handful of cats to keep you company.

It's seen life, this sofa. I've fed twins on it, cuddled poorly babies on it, watched the Olympics on it and more recently it's hosted the family Lego Marvel Heroes hackathon. Impressive.

But today, after taking delivery of our new, best-of-sale replacement sofa it has gone to a new home.
Hoovered out and cleaned up a lovely young couple who responded to my free cycle add came to collect it - totally thrilled with their acquisition. Just starting out in life, they had been sitting on cushions on the floor - until tonight.  Tonight they have their first sofa, along with a 6 pack of Stella I threw in which had been in our garage since my brother went home last year. I think the "sofa warming" will be a good night!

But it's been a week of memories. Today my beloved elderly tabby went to the vet. At almost 18 it's no shock that's he's gradually ageing, fading and struggling. He'd developed a cyst on his shoulder which has grown rather rapidly so I thought it ought to be checked. Little was I expecting the big "C" word to be bandied around, and secondary "C" at that.

He was my first baby, just the two of us before son #1 came along. Credit where credit due, apart from the occasional "Timmy temper tantrum" he has coped with a husband and four children's arrivals, taking each step on the family ladder in his stride. He's always ruled the roost, dictated terms and has my mother completely under his paw. (Who else brings raw pork fillet for the cat after each new arrival??!)

I will never forget the time, approximately the same time we purchased the sofa actually, that I had registered as a Childminder and had prospective parents visiting. I proudly showed them our garden - only to discover Timmy had massacred a pigeon on the lawn...

Several times we have tried to add to the family with furry friends to "keep him company" ?! It hasn't gone well.





Although more recently he has completely given in and actually enjoys the company of our newer, more accepted felines. (Did you know I was also a "crazycatlady" ?!)



It will be a sad day indeed when the "Elder Statesman" of my furry companions order leaves me for that heavenly garden in the sky. He's been with me half my life and shared the highs and lows, celebrations and commiserations - always there, steadfast. (Actually I think he just wanted a second  third dinner....) I just hope Cat Heaven is stocking up on pork filet....

However I didn't wallow for long in my melancholy reminiscing though. Just a few moments ago my daughter shouted for me to come quickly... Apparently the guinea pig has just done a wee on the new sofa. 

Honestly. You couldn't make it up.


27 comments:

  1. I LOVE this post! Coincidentally it touches on a lot of things I'm putting in my Our Time of Gifts post for this week. I hope you managed to get the wee out of the new sofa :-)

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  2. It is amazing what 'life' some inanimate objects can have isn't it. I am sorry to hear about your cat and I hope you are ok x

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  3. Aww sorry about your kitty :( and the sofa! It's weird how things start to get memories attached to them the longer they are in your life!

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  4. How are you enjoying the new sofa? We replaced ours before Christmas and I'm still trying to get used to it... I guess it take a while to get that bum groove just right.

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    1. Love it! Even more so now the guinea pig wee has been sponged off and it's dried out.... lol!!

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  5. Sofas have seen a lot but sometimes it's time to move on lol

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  6. Our first sofa was a freebie off gumtree :) what a fab idea giving them a 6 pack to share on their new sofa!

    Sorry to hear about Timmy... but what wonderful memories you have of your time with him! xx

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  7. This is really sweet. I already have visions of that for our first sofa...we look after it so well now, but can just see it in ten years time looking tired, but full of memories!
    Katie x
    http://www.missenchanting.co.uk/

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  8. Hihihi, loved reading your post. Nostalgia and reality mixed in in the right amount, brilliant!

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  9. ooh we are buying new furniture, its funny how we don't like getting rid of stuff weve had snce we started a family.

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  10. It's amazing how many memories a piece of furniture can hold. Sorry to hear about your cat, they really do become one of the family.

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  11. You are indeed a very talented writer, when you can envoke such emotion about a sofa, and then the cat finished me off! Lovely photos too. xx

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  12. We've had a few sofa's over the years and each has seen different events and I have felt said with each passing. Sorry to hear about your cat and I hope the Guinea pig wee doesn't stain!

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  13. Oops hope the new sofa has survived the guinea pig.

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  14. Begs the question but what was the Guinea pig doing on the sofa in the first place?

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    1. Yes. It does. Apparently he really "needed" a cuddle and wanted to "try it out". Hmmmmmmm

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  15. Hello cat lady
    beautiful heartfelt post

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  16. We are in desperate need of a new sofa but I'm not quite ready to replace our lovely old sofa just yet.

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  17. fab post x my sofas are old looking multiyork and are a pain the back cushions always mess up and it really annoys me (ocd) also anoyying feathers in them that come out alot x its hard to clean them as well because with having a 4 year old who loved jumping on them and using her felt tip pens eating chocolate hehe as it is our other sofa which is not matching it was cream when we got it now very grubby, but they are memorys that go with the sofa so know what you mean x hows the new sofa?

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    1. It's great thanks :) survived the guinea pig.... MUCh more comfy and looks really smart.

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  18. Hope you get a lot of joy out of your new sofa , we are after a new one .x

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  19. Enjoy your new sofa. We got our first ever one cheap in our local paper with a free coffee table thrown in.
    We too were on cushions on the floor before hand

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  20. It is hard getting rid of something you have had so long and holds so many memories isn't it, but always nice to get something new. I am sorry about your cat, I hope they enjoy the rest of their life with you.

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  21. Oh I love posts like this. So very deeply personal yet so entertaining and fun to read. So lovely that your sofa has gone to a new home - would love to see a pic of the new one. Did you stay with fabric or move on to leather? So sorry about your tabby cat, I hope he stays stable. Lots of love, Liska xxx

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  22. Sorry to hear about your cat. We don't tend to keep sofas long because other people keep getting new ones and giving us their old ones. We're on our third in as many years!

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  23. The cats are so cute! We have never had a sofa that long, as we've never settled in any house very long until now - we've been 2 years and thats our longest

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  24. I'm very fond of our sofa, lol. Glad yours went to a good home - I'm a big fan of Freecycle.

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Many thanks for taking the time to comment, I really value your responses.

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