A – Z Challenge. L is for Loulou

Loulou was our Dalmatian. We lost her on the 18^th of January. She was 14 years, 9 months old and it was her time. She was tired and she was done.

This is our last photo of her, a week before she died.

She was born on the 27^th of March 2000 along with her brother Alfie. 

 

She lived with her Mum, her brother and little Sandy. They had the best life and were all very much loved. 

All 4 of them liked to play in the Bluebell Woods but this shows Alfie and Loulou.  We are waiting for the blubells to come out as we are going here to scatter the ashes of all 4 of them.

Loulou full of life

As is the way of things, one by one they all became old and one after the other we lost them. Loulou was the last. She died very peacefully at home with us right there with her. We have been lucky as all 4 of them have died at home.

I still miss each and every one of them so much. It never gets any easier. People who have never had a dog as a part of their family will never understand that.

"D" is for Dog.

Day 4 of the A- Z challenge means that today it is “D”  I am going to continue with the theme of blessings. 

“D” is for Dogs. Dogs are my passion. I have loved dogs my entire life. My Mum used to say that even as a tiny tot in my pushchair I would reach out for any that were nearby.

I was never allowed a dog as a child as my parents weren't really doggie people, although my Dad did come to love Alfie and Loulou in the last few years of his life.

My Mum used to say “when you have your own home you can have as many dogs as you like”. We have had 6 so far. At one time we had 4 together. Currently we just have one.

In the last 3 years I have been able to take my passion one step further by doing volunteer work for Three Counties Dog Rescue. I now regard myself as having over 70 dogs. Every one, of our small band of volunteers at Three Counties, treat the dogs just as we do our own. We love every single one of them. I just wish they could all find loving homes. Sadly as one goes out to a home another little soul comes in.

Here are some photos of the 6 doggie blessings that I have been privileged to have in my life.

Buick.

Sandy.

Rosie.

Alfie.

Loulou.

Beanie.

Jilly

Photo 365 - 27

This is one photo that speaks for itself.  Our boy is home.

A time for reflection.

Tuesday 31^st December 2013.  New Year’s Eve or Old Year’s Night.  A time for reflection.  As always we had our ups and our downs. 

Our highlight of course was the birth of little Jackson.  It was a scary time when he came into the world at just 29 weeks.  Verity and Steve had to be so brave. We all did.  He is nearly a year old now and doing really well.

The worst event of 2013 has only recently happened. The loss of our Alfie, who crossed the rainbow bridge on the 19^th of December.  We will love and miss him always.

Looking back it is the ups that I want to remember tonight and for which I am grateful for.

I am blessed to have made it through another year pretty much unscathed.  I have my health, my family and my home.  I have many friends.  I have the luxury of being a home maker and have time to do my own thing as well as time to work with the doggies. I have so much to be grateful for.

I hope as we pass the midnight hour and enter the New Year that 2014 will be a good year.   I hope that it will bring each and every one of us ………. Enough.

Happy New Year.

Christmas Eve 2013

Not sure how it is already Christmas Eve.  The year flies by so fast.  We are doing OK.  Still incredibly sad over Alfie.  Loulou is at a loss.  She doesn't know what to do and keeps crying. I don't know how to help her.

Anyway, I just wanted to pop by to wish you all a very Happy |Christmas and enough Blessings for the coming year.

I Wish You Enough

I wish you enough love in your heart, and enough communion with your soul.

I wish you enough light to illuminate your lessons, and enough dark to integrate your wisdom.

I wish you enough giving to open your heart, and enough receiving to bring you home.

I wish you enough activity to sharpen your mind and strengthen your body, and enough rest to bring you peace.

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright, no matter how grey the day.

I wish you enough rain to nourish your garden and to  appreciate the sun more.

I wish you enough gentle wind to lift your hair and your dreams

I wish you enough storms to clear away the old and make room for the new.

I wish you enough dirt to grow your herbs and flowers and to keep your feet firmly on the ground.

I wish you enough clouds in the sky to inspire you to reach beyond them.

I wish you enough birds in flight to delight your eyes and enough birdsong to serenade your ears.

I wish you enough kisses and cuddles with children and animals to bring you simple joy.

I wish you enough friendship to remind you that you are not alone.

I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and ever lasting.

I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.

I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.

I wish you enough starlight to inspire your imagination and enough moonlight to stir your soul.

I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.

I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.

Alfie

I know that I have been missing here for absolutely ages. Life has just been happening around me. However I just wanted to do a quick blog today as lots of my friends here knew that our Alfie hasn't been doing too well.

It is with much sadness that I have to tell you that we lost our beloved Alfie on Thursday the 19th of December. It was very peaceful and he died at home in our arms in his favourite place on the sofa in the living room.  We are beyond distraught and will miss him always. He is with his Mummy Rosie and also Buick and Sandy.

Little Evan told Coralie that he knows Alfie will be OK because he is with Rosie and she will show him around and tell him where everything is. Children see things in such a lovely way.

Run free my baby.  We will love you always.

I have missed my blog and all my friends here. I know that I have said it several times over the last year but I really do intend to try and get back into a regular blogging habit.  We shall see what 2014 brings.

In the mean time, I would like to wish everyone a very Happy Christmas and blessings for 2014.

Where is my bloggin mojo?

Just had a look at my poor neglected blog. Last time I was here was back in August and prior to that May! There once was a time when I never missed a day. I seem to have lost my blogging mojo.  I started a blog for my Fabrilushus shop a while back and that has ground to a halt too. There just never seems to be enough hours in the day.  I have even got very lax in reading blogs so I am totally out of the loop.  I miss my friends.  I see FB posts but that simply isn't the same.

Not much has changed here apart from the season!  How can we be in autumn already? As seems to be the norm in the UK, we had a pretty measly summer.  It wasn't as wet as last year but we didn't have that many sunny weeks and it wasn't ever what I call hot.  Feeling pretty miserable right now at the thought of the long winter months ahead.

We are all doing ok.  I have been a bit worried about Simon, he is tired and gets headaches and yesterday had a pain in his eyeball all day.  A sharp pain.  This is his good eye too and he wouldn't do anything about it!  Don't suppose I had mentioned here that he lost most of the sight in one of his eyes back in the summer?  He has a central retinal occlusion. It was pretty worrying for a while as they though he had a stroke.  That eye is getting better slowly.

The rest of the family are all ok. Our big news is we have our 6th grandchild on the way. Saskia is expecting her first baby in March.  It is very exciting.

Alfie and Loulou are both still with us, although Alfie has bladder cancer and Loulou's tumor is growing. I worry about them all the time but they are pain free and happy so we are enjoying whatever time we have left.

I am busy doing all the usual stuff.  I also look after Jessie 2 days a week.  Once the housework is taken care of I spend quite a lot of time making things to sell at Fabrilushus.  Sales are very slow but they are coming.  The rest of my time is spent doing stuff for the dog rescue.  Both Simon and I are more and more involved there which is great as it is something we do together. It has also had the added benefit that we have made some very good friends.  We love each and every one of the dogs and spend many hours playing and grooming and just generally teaching them about love.

I would like to get back into my blog.  I always used it as a sort of online journal of my life and I am so annoyed that this year there are great chunks missing.  SO, I am going to try and do a daily photo to get back in the swing of things.  I figure a photo won't take too much time to do.  We shall see how it goes.

Wishing you all a happy Autumn.

Monday morning.

Monday morning and all is crap! Here is an example of why I am busy. It is just part of the reason.

I have spent the last couple of hours cleaning the kitchen floor. I got up to a blood bath. Alfie's got bad arthritis and keeps falling. When he gets up he drags his paws and he has scrapped a couple of claws to the quick. Simon obviously didn't notice when he let them out this morning. I have stopped the bleeding for now.  

I am going to see if I can get him a little boot.  We used to have one years ago when Rosie cut her foot badly. I am a bit concerned about blood getting on my cream bedroom carpet!  The kitchen floor is at least easily cleanable.  

Unfortunately just noticed that Loulou’s ear is weeping and bleeding. Saw the marks on the kitchen cupboards! You may recall she has a very large tumour? I have bathed it in salt water and am just having coffee before sorting out anything else!

Both babies are currently fast asleep. Breaks my heart too see them old and not in the best of health.

Onwards and upwards.  Lots of housework today. We had a big family BBQ yesterday for Simon’s birthday and I still have some stuff to put away.  Then hopefully it will be sewing time. Provided of course that nothing else occurs!

Random stuff

Just a few random thoughts.

1.  Why is it that however well you stock up, the shopping always has to be done again at some point?       I wish the cupboards would just stay full.

2. When will spring actually start?  OK, I know it has started in theory, but when will the spring weather arrive?

3. Out-laws are a bloody nightmare.  The Daleks should exterminate them.

4.  Helped on the market stall on Saturday in aid of the doggies and we made £509.  Brilliant.  Worth going out so early in the biter cold and pouring rain. Missed seeing the doggies though.

5. If other half invites someone to our house that I cannot stand why is it not OK for me to go out and leave him to it?   In fact why can't he just go and see them instead of inviting them here?

6. I will not be told by anyone who I can and can't like. It doesn't work that way.  Some you like and some you can't stand.

7. Had horrid headache most of yesterday.  I know what started it.

8. Still can't get people to read here and still missing Multiply.

9. Am going to start a new blog specifically for Fabrilushus.

10. Insurance company are refusing to pay for Alfie's prescription diet food.  It is around a £100 a month.  Simon just collected his tablets today and a months supply is £180.  Thank goodness the insurance covers that.

11. Just realised that Easter isn't far away and in just over a weeks time Simon will be under my feet again for 2 weeks.  Wish we were able to go away somewhere hot and sunny.   It isn't possible as we can't leave Alfie and Loulou.

12.  Still have headache.  Think I will go to bed and read.

Good news and other stuff

First the good news.  Little Jackson is home with his Mummy and Daddy.  Yep, he really is.  I have seen it with my own eyes as we visited them yesterday. Already 6 weeks old but still not due to be here for another 4 weeks yet.  He is a little miracle.  He has done so well.  He still has his feeding tube in place and that will probably be there for a few more weeks.  He is having around half his feeds from his Mummy but they have to take it slow as it uses up lots of his energy to feed and breath at the same time. He was weighed yesterday and is an incredible 4lbs 12oz!  Mummy's milk is good stuff!

Here are a couple of the latest photos.

Now, to the other stuff.

Why is it that I can quite happily ignore dust for weeks on end (months actually) and yet I cannot abide dirty floors?  Wretched housework takes up so much time.

Why are there only 24 hours in a day?  Who decided that?  It is no where near enough for all that I have to do.

Just recently, I seem to be busier and busier.  Today so far, I have done the kitchen, top to bottom, including cleaning out the fridge and the oven. Haven't yet done the floor.  I have done 2 lots of washing, which will generate a ton of ironing in a while.  I have had a a general tidy of other areas.  I have made 3 more of the paper "logs", that eats up time.  Oh and I have also made a felt brooch and cut 3 more.

I need to get on with some sewing this afternoon as I have a couple of orders.  Yep, actual bona fide orders!  A bag and some burp cloths.  My little shop is beginning to get noticed and to get a few sales. Stuff is also still selling on EBay.   One of the things that has been quite a big learning curve for me is the importance of social net working via sites like Facebook and Twitter.  There are others too.  It seems that if you want to sell online then you need to be networking all over the place.  Seems to be true as it has got some sales for me.  Plus all the success stories that I read have big followings on lots of different sites.  It pays off,  BUT, it takes up lots of time.  People contact you and you need to reply. Time, time, time, not enough time.

As an added time eater this week I also need to get our bedroom painted.  We went to the auction on Saturday, well Simon did, I went to the dog kennels.  Let me start from the beginning; the local auction had a big sale of carpets from a bankrupt company.  We went and looked Friday evening and chose several that would be suitable for our bedroom.  It is time to finally finish that room as we have done no more since Simon finished building the wardrobes.

Simon went on Saturday and bid on a nice neutral coloured one which he won for £70.  Brilliant bargain as the price label states £365.   He went and fetched it home yesterday and it is currently residing in the downstairs hall and half in the bathroom!  The dogs have to hop over it each time they go in and out of the kitchen.  It probably isn't helping Alfie's legs.

Anyway, having got the carpet we realised that the sensible thing to do would be to paint before we lay it.  As we want to get it laid this coming weekend the painting is kind of urgent.  Simon will do the ceiling one evening as I can't do ceilings.  I have the walls to paint and the woodwork. The woodwork will be a doddle as there are just 2 windowsills and a door all the rest is stained and is fine.  Even the walls are not a major job as most of the back wall is covered by the built in wardrobes, the side walls are small and have windows in so the main wall is the one with the door.

After some consideration between green and purple we have gone with purple.  Cadburys purple!  Only on one wall though!  The rest will be in a very pale oyster colour.  We purchased some new purple silk curtains on Saturday and they should look nice against the oyster.   Our new cuddle chair is a kind of pale oyster, beige kind of colour, so very neutral.  Oh, forgot to show you that.  It was delivered last week and we are very pleased with it. Also finally got a set of shelves last week for my teddies.  Got a bit upset arranging the teddies as a lot of them were my Mum's. I have yet to work out what to put on the bottom shelves but it doesn't much matter now as it will all have to be moved out to lay the carpet.

You can see the horrid existing curtains here. The carpet isn't too bad but it was just here when we got the house.  It will be nice to have new.

So, once I have finished my coffee, I need to get down the old curtains.  I shall wash them and then take off the header tape and cut out the linings as they will be useful.  The curtain fabric is gross so I shall throw it out.  They are the curtains that were here when we moved in.   Then I need to strip off the green border.  hopefully it will come away easily, don't want to damage the paper behind it. Actually it probably doesn't matter too much as we are going to put another border over it anyway. Then I guess I can start slapping paint around.

These are the paint colours.  We are going with the one on the right.  That is the border you see there too.  haven't tried out the oyster.  It had better be the right shade as we have a big can of it.  I'll let you see the end result in a week or so when it should be totally finished.

OK, best shift myself now and get on with some more jobs. It is already midday and time is rapidly disappearing again.

MIA again

I have just looked back at my blog and it appears that I have been missing in action again for well over 2 weeks.  Time flies when you are having fun!  Time flies when you are busy too but I have had some fun along the way.    So where to begin with my update?  You know me, I won't possibly be able to remember the whole 2 weeks.

I guess Jackson is a good starting point as my last blog was about him being back in the NICU.  He is now 5 weeks old.  Incredible.  Of course he wasn't even due to be born for another 5 weeks yet.  He is doing really, really well now.  He was moved out of NICU last week on to SCBU.  He is now out of his incubator and just in a "hot cot" which they are turning down day by day.  He only has 2 wires now, a heart monitor and a temperature  monitor.  He still has his feeding tube although he does now have a sucking reflex and is beginning to feed from Mummy.  It is slow progress as he finds it hard to suck and breath at the same time. He weighs 4lbs now. All his test results are now fine. The heart specialist is pleased with him.

Here are the latest photos of our little guy.

These next 2 were just taken yesterday.

Last week was the school half term break in Lincolnshire.  As always it was really busy.  Simon spent one complete day moving cars around.  His truck has gone to someone to do some work that for some reason he can't do. His dragster is now residing in the garage. We had dentist appointments, several meals out, a day in Lincoln,  an evening out with staff from the old Walton school, a trip to Stevenage to collect my Dad, then to Stamford station to collect Saskia. We had a day in Leicester at the fabric shop, lots of kennel visits and we saw lots of the grandchildren. It was busy.

Alfie had a day at the vets for more scans and X-rays.The good news is that his very large bladder stone has broken down into much small pieces and they were able to get some of them out. He has been given more tablets which should hasten the process. The bad news was his arthritis is looking pretty bad. More bad news was received in a letter........our insurance will not cover the cost of his very, very expensive prescription food.

I am sure I have missed stuff out.  I don't seem to have any photos though.  How about one of Alfie the evening he got back from the Vet.  He is still very drugged up.

Here is a  recent one of my 2 gorgeous boys.

Photo blatantly stolen from Coralie's Facebook page!

We had a good few days with my Dad. He saw 4 of his great grandchildren and he enjoyed that. He came and had a cup of tea at the dog rescue kennels and he got to see Jenson the Dalmatian.  He took a walk down to our village church and lit a candle for my Mum.  That seems to have become a regular thing when he visits here.  I'm not sure why as he doesn't do that anywhere else. On Sunday we took him to Leicester to the Fabric Guild.  He has wanted to go for ages. He is really into his sewing now.  He has made me 4 tote bags for the fund raiser for the doggies and also this table runner for me.  He has made a good job of it.

The Fabric Guild was disappointing.  They had a sale on, which was good but they had less than a quarter of the stock that they would normally have.  Also I thought they closed at 2pm and they close at 1pm so we only had about 40 minutes there.  It was a good job that we had combined it with taking Saskia home otherwise it would have been very annoying.  My Dad still thought it was a fantastic place and I still managed to spend lots of money!

We had some good news on Sunday evening.  My niece Carly has just had her first baby.  A little girl named Annabelle Iris. Both are doing well.  My Dad was so thrilled.  He especially liked that she has Iris in her name as that was Mum's name.  He can't wait to see her.  He now has 6 great grandchildren, 3 boys and 3 girls. She is my sisters first grandchild so they are all very excited.

Simon took my Dad home yesterday and he is now back at school so peace and quiet is here again.  I will probably be spending the next few days getting the house back to normal.  It deteriorates rapidly when Simon is on holiday!  I get out of my routine.

Today, I have washing, ironing, cleaning etc, etc. Hopefully I will find some sewing time too.  I have done lots of sewing the last few weeks and will do a show and tell soon.  Right now, I am having a coffee  before hoovering my bedroom.  Our lovely cuddle arm chair is being delivered this morning.

Well my coffee is finished so I suppose it is time to move myself into gear.