close relationship – Antony Simpson – Author, Blogger, Nurse & Witch.

Book Review: A Street Cat Named Bob by James Bowen

By AntonyAmazon, Books & Authors, ReviewsNo Comments

a-street-cat-named-bob-james-bowen-book-cover

A Street Cat Named Bob is the uplifting and inspirational story about James, a man who is vulnerably housed and a recovering drug addict who discovers a rather remarkable cat.

The ginger tom, which James names Bob, is in a sorry state when he finds him. Bob has bald patches, is thin and has an infected abscess on his back leg.

As James nurses Bob back to health (with a little help) they develop a close relationship, becoming dependent upon one another. Readers will fall in love with Bob and James in equal measure.

James assumes that once Bob is well, he will leave. But Bob doesn’t. In fact he does quite the opposite.

James is working the streets of London. First busking and later selling The Big Issue magazines. Bob starts following him to work in the mornings, crossing busy roads and jumping on buses. So James ends up buying him a lead. But Bob often prefers to travel on James’ shoulder.

Bob is smart, inquisitive and a good judge of people. Many people take a liking to Bob and that helps to humanise James to them. James also learns to trust other people because of Bob. But the streets of London can be tough at times and not everyone acts out of kindness or compassion. In A Street Cat Named Bob Bowen tells the story of the tribulations and triumphs Bob and he face on the streets.

Astute readers will be left with some concern for Bowen when they finish reading A Street Cat Named Bob. Bowen values his friendship with Bob greatly. It comes across as the only significant relationship Bowen has. But the average indoor cat only lives for around 15 years (human years). So how is Bowen going to respond to the eventual death of his close friend? And will he be at risk of relapsing on to drugs or alcohol to manage his feelings of grief? I sincerely hope not.

A Street Cat Named Bob is a easy and enjoyable read, made so by Bowen’s warm and friendly tone. It’s a relatively short book at just 279 pages. It will leave readers feeling all warm and fuzzy on the inside. It is a must read for any animal lovers or anyone into sociology.

A Street Cat Named Bob is available to buy on Amazon and at all good bookshops. A Street Cat Named Bob has also been made into a film and is out on DVD now, available to buy on Amazon and at other good retailers.

Review soon,

Antony

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Saturday 25 March 2017

15 Non-Essential Items in my Home

By AntonyAmazon, Friends & Family, Home, ThinkingNo Comments

We all have non-essential items at home that hold great sentimental value to us. Here are 15 of mine:

15. Crystals	15. Crystals I love crystals. This bowl of crystals (my friend Jayne bought me the bowl as a Yule/Christmas present) is just the tip of the iceberg. My home is filled with various types of crystals (clear quartz, smoky quartz, rose quartz, amethyst, lapis lazuli, citrine, turquoise, loadstone and many others), in various forms (tumbled, natural, points, beds & raw). Each crystal is unique, with its own energy and feel, which is what I love about them and why they hold such sentimental value.
14. Amethyst Tree	14. Amethyst Tree This Amethyst Tree was one of the first ‘pagan’ things I bought, when I was sixteen years old. I had to save up for it for weeks. It’s only small and wasn’t expensive. But it holds great sentimental value. It reminds me of my past. How much I’ve grown and continue to grow. In every aspect of my life.
13. Sun God Wall Plaque	13. Sun God Wall Plaque I love this sun God wall plaque that I bought myself on my recent adventure to India. It celebrates the sun, which I worship in all senses of the word. You can read more about my India adventure in my eight part series of blog posts: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7 & Part 8.
12. My Fabulous Gay Mirror.	12. My Fabulous Gay Mirror Two years ago, before Simon and I went away to Wales (see Mid-Wales Part 2: Aberdovey Beach & King Arthur’s Labyrinth) I bought a lottery ticket. Then we went away. While away I bought this fabulous gay mirror. I was reluctant to buy it because I didn’t have much money. But the lottery ticket turned out to be a winner and covered most of the cost of the mirror. I like the mirror just as much as I did on the day that I bought it. I love the bright colours, the shape and it’s weight. It is hung on the wall in my bedroom. The mirror also reminds me of the good memories Simon and I created on our trip to Wales.
11. Pentacle/Pentagram Wall Plaques	11. Pentacle/Pentagram Wall Plaques Pentacles and Pentagrams are symbols of protection. I bought the bronze pentacle for myself, as a moving in present, when I bought and moved into my apartment 7 years ago (see The Move). It is hung above the door to my master bedroom. The wooden pentagram was bought for me by the Watts family, at a gay pride stall of all places. The Watts family and I have mutually adopted one another. It is my priviliage to be considered part of the Watts family. The pentagram is hung above my front door in my hallway.
10. This Handmade Box	10. This Handmade Box My friend Simon bought me this handmade and unique box for my 21st birthday. It is beautiful. I keep an array of essential and magical oils in it. Simon and I have a close relationship and share a wide range of interests. He always buys tremendous gifts and presents, many of which could have made it on to this list. Each gift or present is chosen or made with great care. Like this box, my friendship with Simon is handmade, unique and beautiful.
9. This Glass Tealight Candle Holder.	9. This Tealight Candle Holder This handmade glass tealight candle holder was bought for me as a Christmas present by younger brother Alex, prior to his death. So for obvious reasons it holds huge sentimental value.
8. Apollo Statue.	8. Apollo Statue Every time my friend Kay goes on holiday, she brings me back a wonderful souvenir. I love the god Apollo, so one year when she was going to Italy, I asked her to bring me back a statue of Apollo. She brought me this statue back. It is among my prized possessions. Kay has brought me many lovely things back over the years. Each of them has found a place in my home. Each makes me smile and think of Kay every time I see them. Kay is a amazing friend and one that I am very lucky to have.
7. My Altar – here is a photo of my Altar, which has a various items for various reasons.	7. My Altar My altar is ever-changing. It changes with the passing of the seasons and according to pagan festivals. I’ve had altars on and off over the years, usually depending on physical space. Although having an altar isn’t essential, it reminds me that I am a Witch and to practice meditation, spells and other spiritual endeavours.
6. An Illustration of Me – drawn by my good friend Sye Watts.	6. An Illustration of Me For Christmas in 2011, my friend Sye, who is a superb Illustrator, drew this illustration of me. It is framed and hangs on the wall in my hallway. It makes me smile every time I see it. It always reminds me of what a wonderful friend I have in Sye.
5. My Childhood Teddy Monkey.	5. My Childhood Teddy Monkey This is Monkey, my childhood teddy, bought for me by my Auntie Sue. Monkey has velcro hands and as a child he came everywhere with me. Once my mum even had to rescue Monkey from under a bus. These days Monkey lives quite happily on my bookshelf.
4. This Willow Tree Brothers Figurine – given to me by my long lost brother.	4. This Willow Tree Brothers Figurine My brother Shaun bought me this Willow Tree Brothers Figurine for Christmas one year. Shaun is my Long Lost Brother. He’s my older brother and despite not growing up together, we’re really close. Shaun is supportive, loyal, makes me laugh and always has a story to tell. I’m so glad that we met. I just wish we had met sooner, so that my younger brother Alex and Shaun could have had more time together.
3. This Photograph – a rare photo of two of my brothers and myself.	3. Photograph This photograph. It’s a photo of two of my brothers and myself. It was a photo taken on a family meal for my 21st birthday. Alex, my younger brother (on the very left of the photo), died a few years after this photo was taken (see My Darling Baby Brother). It’s been 5 years since Alex died and I am so glad I have this photo of us brothers together.
2. iMac – my writing tool.	2. iMac I bought my iMac in January 2012 (see iMac Part 1 & iMac Part 2). It is so many things to me: a tool for writing and for sharing my writing through my blog & creative writing page; a visual collection of memories via my photos; an entertainment station playing music, films, DVDs, Netflix, BBC iPlayer, YouTube; a tool to communicate through Facebook, Twitter, email, forums, Skype, FaceTime; and a tool to learn through the Internet. It is one of the best things that I’ve ever bought myself.
1. Books (image is part of my top shelf where all my favourite books are kept).	1. Books The photo (left) is a photo of some of my favourite books. Books that I have read again and again. For me books inspire creativity, educate and inform, but mostly: ignite my imagination. Books in this photo: Wannabe a Writer?, Sane New World, The Graveyard Book, The Humans, The Time of My Life, The Magician’s Assistant, The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Born This Way, Split, Best Gay Romance 2014, OMG Queer, Franky Gets Real, In His Secret Life, Above, The Gay Man’s Kama Sutra, Elements of Witchcraft, Advanced Witchcraft, Utterly Wicked, Witchcraft: Theory and Practice & Everyday Magic.