Today I shall be Mainly...

[Cathy]

Marilyn, maybe he should vacuum the dog before he comes to visit

[Marilyn]

He washed/bathed her ( she was supposed to smell of Strawberries). The hot weather means she just sheds regardless. And because she is old now, she sleeps a lot and lays about snoozing in corners. She is a grand old lady now...and she knows it! Today when they were leaving, we all walked slowly out the front door at her pace. She stopped at the corner of the house and looked at the car. Then she looked at all of us as if to say "well that is quite a hike - could you bring the car closer?". Anyway, she made it. Son had to lift her in and sort her limbs out for her before he connected the restraint. The old girl travels like royalty. Still 100% motivated by food though. She is not suffering, she is just old and demands a few comforts...

[Stanley]

Sounds like a description of me!

[Marilyn]

We are booked for dog minding in February, when son goes on a cruise. She will be happy enough I think, but will sleep a lot and only waddle for food and toilet needs. Basically, quiet and respectful "end of life" care nowadays ( though the vet is pleased with her and says another 2 years is on the cards). She has gone deaf, which doesn't help.
I feel her tongue is a bit pale, and worry about anemia. She gets a bit breathless under excercise ( again, possibly anaemia).
But she was only seen at the vet last week and is due another check soon, so if the vet is happy, we have to trust that.
Do hope nothing happens while she is in our care, but son and I have chatted and he trusts my decision in an emergency. I would opt to keep her going until he gets home of course, though I will not have her suffer.

[Stanley]

It's a responsibility isn't it Maz. Is that reflected in what you will charge him?

[Marilyn]

Holiday doggy care is FREE. Always has been, always will be. ( we love her too)
I just pray it will not be MY call to make a final decision. I want to hand her back at the end of son's holiday and have him deal with final decisions. ( we still haven't owned a dog after putting our darling girl down over 10 years ago, because it ripped me apart doing it,)
I felt she kind of had a special moment with Dave today. She pressed her head against him and held it for a long time ( and my unsaid thoughts were she was saying goodbye)....but when I held my arms out expecting a cuddle she gave me a quick "kiss" and walked on by...so I really don't know.

[Sue]

My goodness, just woken up and its 8.20am and I was asleep by 11.00 pm. Not all solid sleep I was awake and dozing from about 4.30 till 6.00, indeed I was reading the fourth novel on the War of the Roses by Con Iggulden.


We had photos on facebook yesterday of our small hamlet in Brittany. The river has burst its banks, two roads are closed as the bridges are submerged and the water has submerged fields and surrounded the ruined houses of the next hamlet where only one old farmer lives. Our neighbours car broke down in the rising waters and another had to tow her out. They even had a huge hailstorm with much more bad weather to come. Luckily our hamlet is on a bit of a rise and the roads are unaffected.

We shall pack today for our three day trip to Coventry but at 11.00-12 noon I will be listening to Radio Coventry as Eve is being interviewed about her recent trip Japan

[Sue]

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[Stanley]

Nevertheless it must be a worry Sue. I get the feeling we are being very lucky with our weather.

[Sue]

And this one

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Yes we do worry over winter Stanley, we have good neighbours who would do anything needed but extremes can’t really be prepared for

[Tizer]

It looks and sounds a bit like the Somerset Levels, Sue. We lived slightly elevated and were never flooded but the fields were under water near us. On a plain you can be safe by being just a metre higher than the surrounding land.

[Stanley]

I'm glad I live in an elevated position and close to a watershed! I can't foresee any circumstances where we could be flooded.
Walk, shed. Walk. Breakfast then soak feet ready for a pedicure By Susan. Not a bad start to the day. (Then a wrap up of delights from Kathy after sleep and dinner! A full day))

[Sue]

We have seen the fields flooded there every winter but never as bad as this, quite scary. We too are ok here, a few hundred feet above Rochdale on a hill, not much chance of flooding.

Setting off for Julias early, it could take some time to Coventry today.

[Stanley]

My feet are singing carols...... I definitely get to meet Kahara tomorrow. Xmas dinner with Susan and Mick. My cup runneth over!
Wishing you all as good a Xmas.

[chinatyke]

Christmas greetings to everyone. Have a great day.

[Stanley]

Ho Ho Ho and Ding Dong Merrily....
Shed sleep Kahara Xmas Dinner, that's it!

[Stanley]

Bugger the shed, I need to recover from yesterday. I have written an article for the paper and am having mu breakfast. Lots of sleeping today! (Kahara has the right idea.....)

[Sue]

Back home, made very good time despite the traffic. Great to see the family for a couple of days but nice to be home to the peace of our own house and OUR BED!

[Stanley]

Sue, exactly. I have always loved my bed and it became even more important when I used to work 40 hours on the first two days of the week. On Tuesday night without fail, as I got into bed, I always said "God bless whoever invented beds!" and went to sleep immediately to sleep until I woke naturally, generally around 9AM on Wednesday morning. (Richard and I had an agreement, he got his two Scotch markets, I got a full sleep!)
I love going to bed to this day and get the treat twice a day because of my sleep pattern.
Another article today and another day taking it easy. Enjoying yourself is so tiring!

[Sue]

Slept like a log last night, nearly 8 hours solid. No plans today.

Our new neighbours , who we made efforts to get to know and make them feel welcome when they came in October, surprised us with rather nice Christmas presents. They have a clothes business, we think it is online selling. Anyway my gift was a lovely dressing gown, and Bobs was pyjamas. Quite a surprise. They are the 5 th set of neighbours in over 40 years, always nice neighbours and we have always got on. There have been gifts over the years, bottles of wine, birthday presents for the girls when they were children but these gifts were a surprise.We had invited them round for mince pies and a drink on Sunday late afternoon and given them a box of french chocolates .

[Stanley]

That's such good news Sue, Unfortunately the neighbours here vary. Some speak and have a conversation but there are a couple who I could well do without.... (Remember the attack on Jack?) So nice to hear that you have got closer, well done. (It's possibly my own fault, not social enough but I have not noted any close relationships between the others. Perhaps it's gone out of fashion in Barlick!
I haven't written an article, instead I have done my annual backup to external hard drives and now I need to go to the Co-op. Not a big shop, just milk and essentials.

[Marilyn]

We are friendly enough with our neighbours that we know when each other are on holidays and will put bins out and in, or collect mail/newspapers ( well they have newspapers but we don’t bother). We do not have keys to each other’s property but we do have phone numbers if we are concerned about strange comings or goings or happenings.
( one of our neighbours sons is a local policeman, so I can always contact him...but never have)

Nightwear is a strange gift to get from a neighbour! ( unless your neighbour is Peter Alexander!)

[Sue]

We are friendly enough with our neighbours that we know when each other are on holidays and will put bins out and in, or collect mail/newspapers ( well they have newspapers but we don’t bother). We do not have keys to each other’s property but we do have phone numbers if we are concerned about strange comings or goings or happenings.
( one of our neighbours sons is a local policeman, so I can always contact him...but never have)

Nightwear is a strange gift to get from a neighbour! ( unless your neighbour is Peter Alexander!)

We do all of that too, Maz but no I don’t see it as a strange gift, if that is what their business sells. We don’t know a lot about them, we shall chat on Sunday. They have two sons, one about 9 the other first year high school.inviting neighbours round we do regularly in France but only ever done it once before here. We are keeping it very low key, literally a drink and a mince pie and a chat.

[Stanley]

Good job they weren't running a Victoria's Secrets franchise.....

[Sue]

Good job they weren't running a Victoria's Secrets franchise.....

Ha ha