Show and tell on Monday

Well as you know we have had a busy couple of weeks.  It hasn't stopped me doing and making though.  So time for "Show and Tell".

Most of this weeks makes are small things.  The first thing was for myself.  It is a simple draw string bag to keep the first aid kit in the car.  The old one had got ruined by something spilling.  The draw string bag fits in the glove compartment far more easily than a box.

Next is another mobile phone pouch.

Then another iPad pouch.

How about a pink felt flower brooch?

My next make was a peg bag, made with gorgeous doggie fabric and lined with plain lilac fabric.  Apparently my friends over the pond in Merika call pegs ..... pins.

Yesterday I needed something easy and relaxing so it was back to my old favourite the felt brooches.  I sold 6 this week on Ebay so I made a dozen new ones.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All of the above are for sale in my Fabrilushus shop.  I still have misgivings about that, nothing is selling there but it does on Ebay.  Oh well, I said I would give it 4 months so we shall see.

This week I am going to do some finishing, I think.  I have a little embroidered card for Verity and Steve which I must get done.  A wall hanging that is half done and I am behind on my rows of the month quilt so I want to get those done too.

On Friday I have Denise and Coralie coming for a sewing session and I must find out what we are doing.  I must also make a start on our project of "through the key hole".  The 3 of us are each going to make a wall hanging piece on that theme.  No reason except to maybe challenge ourselves to use new ideas and try out new techniques and just, well just because!  It will be great to see what each of us comes up with.  We have until 1st of May to do it.

OK, time to get off my bum and do some house work then hopefully this afternoon I can sew.  This was my coffee break.  I am about a quarter of the way through my jobs.

Jenson

It has been another full on day for us today.  This weekend is turning out to be really good.  We had our lovely visit to Cambridge yesterday and the good news about Jackson.

Today we went to the dog rescue kennels.  I wanted to go over the sponsorship stuff with Gyll and Simon was going to go in and sit with Jensen.  He is the cruelty case Dalmatian.  When we arrived there were some  people there who had come to see Marlo a lurcher with a view to adoption.  That went quite well.  

Once they had gone Jim told us the good news that he had decided that morning to get Jenson out of his kennel.  We were so thrilled.  After some discussion it was decided that we would get him out again and have him in the office for a while.  He obviously recognised Simon who has been working with him the last few weeks.  We had him out for around 2 hours in total and he was very good.  Very relaxed and showing signs of trust and confidence.

It was the best news and we were both so thrilled to see this progress in him.  They are trying to arrange a vets appointment for Tuesday which is Simon's day off next week.  He needs checking over as he seemed to be holding his left back leg up quite a lot and we also observed quite a pronounced curve in his spine.  If all goes well on Tuesday they may neuter him at the same time which at least would get all the unpleasant vet stuff out of the way in one go,.

I can't tell you how thrilled Simon and I were to see him out if his kennel and making progress.  This is the good part of the volunteer work that we do.  That said he still has a long road ahead of him.

Once home we had a quick bite of lunch and then Simon went to the barn with Sam to bring yet more stuff home. I spent a few hours making some felt brooches which I have listed already in my Fabrilushus shop and EBAY.   When Simon got back he had Sam and Ellie with him so I had an hour or so chatting to Ellie.  She is the most gorgeous girlie and very clever with it.  Can you tell that I am proud?  She was telling me all about her latest cousin.  Her Mummy's sister just had a baby boy yesterday called Riley.  Ellie is actually quite disappointed that it is another boy!  She now has 4 cousins and they are all boys,  Evan, Flynn, Jackson and now Riley.  All boys!

Since they left I have had a nice relaxing bath with a glass of the red stuff.  Always a good end to the weekend!  I didn't even have to cook as Simon did that. He did a bacon gougere which was lovely.  it is a dish we used to do a long time ago when the children were younger.  Haven't had it in ages.     It was as good as it looks.

We are now sitting in front of the fire so we are nice and warm and cosy.  I have another glass of the red stuff and Simon  has a cider.  The dogs are curled up next to us and we are just generally relaxing.  All in a all we have enjoyed a great weekend and for that I am truly thankful.

Good news.

It has been a pretty busy weekend as they always are.  Yesterday we went to Cambridge to see Verity Steve and Jackson.  Coralie had organised a baby shower for Verity as she has missed out on all the normal new mummy stuff.

Baby showers are not something that we really do here in the UK.  I mean, a few people might but the average Joe Bloggs doesn't.   Coralie just thought it might be nice so she organised for all of us to go to Verity and Steve's.   We were all there except Saskia.  We had balloons and presents and yummy cake.   I had made some bunting but forgot to take it!.   I will post it out to them tomorrow.

Once all the present giving and cake eating was over we went on mass to the hospital to see Jackson,  I have fantastic news.  He is totally off his CPAP, breathing on his own and has been moved out of intensive care on to the special care unit.  How wonderful is that?   He is a little fighter.  Only 11 days old and out of intensive care.

We took turns to go in and see him as it is only one person at a time with Mum and Dad.   He is still very tiny but has regained his birth weight of 3lbs.   Thank you so much to everyone that has been sending prayers, good wishes , positive vibes

I will keep you updated.

Three Counties sponsor dogs

You all know that since last summer both Simon and I have been volunteering at the Three Counties Dog Rescue kennels.  They are a no kill shelter.  That is not actually an expression used much over here.  I think the majority of rescues try not to euthanize unless there is a medical reason meaning the dog has no quality of life.  Three Counties has an excellent record and does it's best to find  good homes.  It fosters out dogs that are unlikely to ever be adopted.  It pays for every penny of their care.   Every person there is a volunteer. We all give up our time for the love of the dogs.

OK, don't want to get on my soap box today.  If you want to know more about them you can go here: http://www.threecountiesdogrescue.org/   I have recently been given the task of doing the admin work for the sponsorship scheme and part of this involves putting together a newsletter for each dog 4 times a year.  I was doing them yesterday and it occurred to me that you might like to see photos of the dogs.

There are 5 dogs available to sponsor.  The first is Dolly, she is a boxer and quite gorgeous.  She is our longest serving resident having been at the kennels for around 8 years. She is a darling and if I didn't have my 2 Dallies I would bring her home to spend the final years of her life with us.

Second is Buster, a big, big boy.

Then there is Minty a collie cross who is fully of energy.

The 4th one is Jenson the Dalmatian who was rescued back in the summer from absolutely appalling circumstances.  He was kept locked up in a bedroom with no access to the outside world. He was malnourished and very, very, frightened.  He is just starting to put on some weight and both Simon and Jim have been working with him to try and gain his trust  and restore his confidence.  He has a long road ahead.

Lastly there is Phoebe but I am still waiting on photos of her.  It might be that I have to take some on Saturday when we go in to help.

Three Counties has around 70 dogs in kennels and more in foster homes.  It has annual costs in excess of £150,000 all of which is raised by volunteers like ourselves. Every one of the dogs is treated with love and affection, they are well cared for.  In many ways they are lucky.  They are luckier still when Gyll finds them their ideal home.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my doggie friends.

Facebook

Facebook is a wonderful social medium.  No, really it is!  I don't post much personal stuff there and I certainly do not post status updates telling you that it is 2pm and I am in Starbucks having a coffee.  That is drivel.  Come to think of it, I post a lot of drivel on my blog!  My point is that many people do post such updates, my own family included.  I choose not to comment.  I do not tell them they are posting drivel.

So what do I do on there?  Well I play a few games and I check out the photos posted by family and friends.  I quite like that aspect of it as it is a way of keeping up with people you don't see often.  I post  occasional news updates such as those the last week regarding my new grandson.  It is one way of keeping friends informed of how he is doing.  The last 2 weeks I have also been promoting my Fabrilushus shop as well.  Something which will no doubt annoy some friends, but hey you can just skip it.

I am sure that many of you will have also noticed that I regularly share posts regarding dogs.  I share photos of dogs needing to be rescued and stories of the appalling cruelty that man is capable of towards the animal supposedly his best friend.   I post these in the hope that someone, somewhere, may be able to help these poor animals and to raise awareness of the terrible things that we allow to happen.

Yes, they are couched in emotive language.  It helps to make a point.  They have graphic photos quite often. If they make you feel sick, well good, so it should.  Maybe, just maybe, it might make you think. Someone mentioned that there was no point to these posts as they will not reach the people concerned.  That is absolutely true but it might reach others who care enough to take a stand.  Like most things in life it only needs a few to stand up and be counted.

I do realise that dogs are not the only ones to suffer.  I am not stupid.  I am intelligent and well educated.  I know what happens to cows, lambs, chickens, horses...... the list goes on.  Sadly I do not have the time to champion them all.  I have always loved dogs.  I have a strong affinity with them.  For that reason I concentrate all my efforts in trying to do whatever I can, in any small way, to help their plight.

Some people do not like dogs.  That is fine, I do not have a problem with that as long as you treat them decently.  Some people have a problem with my posts.  I do not.  It is simple, if you don't like a post then move on.  If you have something to say then say it.  If you want to share the post then please do.  But don't try to detract from the issue by going on about the emotive language.   These posts are written that way for a reason.    I respect your right to post as you see fit, please respect mine.

Finally if you really couldn't care less then I stick by what I said on my last facebook posting........ you are hard hearted.  I defy anybody to look at the photo and read that post about the use of bolt guns to kill Greyhounds  and not be in tears.  It doesn't matter how much you do, or how much you have seen that post should still make you cry.   It is happening here in the UK.  I shared it because I think that most people would not have any knowledge of this practise.  Now they do my hope is that they will  step forward and help to get the law changed to make this practise illegal.   If that happens then my overly emotive postings will have achieved something.

PS.  Before anyone jumps up and down and spits their dummy  ......... this post is NOT directed at anyone in particular.  I have had many comments and messages and I am  putting my side.  Nothing more, nothing less.

PPS.  It has amazed me how many "friends" commented on my last few doggie  postings on facebook and yet those same friends have made no comment what so ever on my new little grandson.  The little grandson who was born 10 weeks prematurely and will be in the Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit for several months.  No comments.  Odd.  Maybe they only like commenting when they can be negative.    Maybe they just didn't read fully.  C'est la vie.

PPS.  He is doing very well, thanks for asking!

Think I shall go and play some mindless facebook game now.

One week on

Can you believe it, Jackson is a week old already.  Both he and his Mummy are doing well.  I went to visit again yesterday.  It was a bit of a trek to get there, 2 buses and a train.  It was worth it though. I got to see the little man without his CPAP apparatus.  He was awake for a while too.

He is doing amazingly well.  His milk has just been increased today to 8.5ml an hour.  He is going to keep his Mummy busy!  He has more or less regained his birth weight so is just a fraction under 3lb.   I took in some tiny, little, premature clothes for him and they are way too big even though they are size 1lb - 3.5lb.  It doesn't matter as he can't wear anything yet anyway.   We are hoping to go again on Saturday weather permitting.  Just saw a local weather forecast which is saying snow on Friday!  I HATE SNOW.

Today has been a day of catching up on housework.  Lots to do as I was out all day yesterday.  This afternoon I spent compiling 5 separate newsletters for the 5 sponsor dogs at the rescue kennels.   It is part of the sponsorship scheme that they get 4 newsletter updates a year.  It took me quite a while as  I was starting from scratch.  The next one will be easier.  Maybe tomorrow I'll show you the 5 dogs.

This evening I did a bit of sewing.  I am making another iPad case.  Didn't get it finished though as I had to stop and cook dinner.  I have been blobbing this evening.  I am tired.  In fact I think it is time to retire with a good book.

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