Our weekend - Jackson news

How comes the weekends always go by so fast?  Saturday I was at the dog rescue form 10.30am until 5.30pm.  I am not usually there that long.  Simon went off in the morning to collect yet more stuff from his barn.  He was back at lunch time.  We had Jenson in the office when he got back and that dog was so pleased to see Simon.  He had a waggy tail and clearly recognised him.

The morning was fairly busy and 2 dogs were officially signed over to their new people which is always lovely.  There were several people come to look round but to be honest none of them seemed promising and I am not sure they will be back.

we had a phone call from a woman who wanted us to take her 2 dogs which are Kerry Blues crossed with Lakeland terriers.  She claimed to be moving and couldn't take them with her.  Those stories always make me so angry.  I mean, did she only just discover that she was moving today?  Of course not. What effort had she made to re-home her dogs elsewhere?  Probably none.  Why can't they go with her?  You know the one thing that I have realised since I have been volunteering is that no matter what story they spin you, the bottom line is they don't want the dog.   There are odd exceptions of course but mostly that is the story.

I don't understand it.  Whatever may happen to us in our life our dogs are part of it.  I would never leave my dogs behind.  I know some people are in rented accommodation and I know that sometimes homes are lost and that it can be hard to find somewhere that will take pets.  I know all that.  But, we would live in a tent if we had to rather than lose our dogs.  I hate that people lie too.  Why not have the guts to actually say, I don't love it and I don't care about it and I don't want it?  Cowards.  Horrid nasty, cowardly people.  We can only hope that we are able to find better homes where a dog is truly loved and cherished.

Bit of a rant there!  Anyway the reason we ended up being at the kennels so long was that Simon and I were the ones who were waiting for these 2 dogs to come in.  We were going to collect them but then the people said they would come in.  Gyll and Jim had to go to the vet with Monday the Lurcher so we agreed to stay.   Guess what?  They didn't come!  We waited until Gyll got back and she finally got them on the phone.  The woman said that her uncle was going to take the dogs and see how they get on. Could she not have rung up and said that?  We waited nearly 3 hours for her.  We were going to go home but we were concerned that if she turned up and nobody was there would she just let the dogs loose? You never know.  Gyll thinks that they will still end up in the rescue.  We will see.  I'll let you know if they do.  So that was Saturday.  Quite a long and tiring day.

Sunday we went to Cambridge to visit little Jackson.  We were really excited about this as we got to have our first cuddles.  My sister had taken my Dad on Friday so I was dead jealous that they got cuddles before Nanny!  He is doing really well and now weighs 3lb 9oz.  Verity is doing well and coping well.

Monday was Simon's day off and we ran errands.  A visit to the post office to post the sponsor dog newsletters and a cushion cover that I had sold.   Then Simon had his hair cut while I went in the craft shop for some wadding and then in a printers to have some photos printed.  Our printer is playing up so can't do them at home.  I think it is time to get a new one actually.  Must research which has cheapest running costs.  Once Simon was done we went and did the weeks shopping in Tesco.  After that there was just time to go home and have a late lunch before going to collect Miss Ellie from school.  She was coming to have dinner with us.

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It was just after we collected Ellie that we received the phone call that we didn't want.....  Little Jackson is back in intensive care.  He is quite poorly and they are not yet sure what the problem is.  It may be an infection, we are waiting the results of tests.  To have him back in the NICU when he had been doing so well is a real blow. He is a little fighter though so I am sure that he will be OK. I got myself in a bit of a state last night  and consequently today I have a dreadful headache.   Upset and worry tend to do that to me.  As long as it doesn't turn into a migraine I shall be fine.  I took tablets first thing this morning and I have been taking it very easy so far. It is a bit easier now but I shall not be doing much today as I need to get rid of this.  Experience has taught me that I have to just give in and do nothing, move slowly, be quiet, no stress, no bright lights.  I may have a sleep in a while.

I will keep you updated with news of Jackson as we get it.

Friday

Goodness, where did the week go to?  For that matter where did January go to?  Can't quite get to grips with it already being February.  That means 1 more month of winter and then it will be spring again..........when it's spring again,  I'll bring again, tulips from Amsterdam, la, la, la.....where the heck did that come from? I can't wait for spring, it heralds summer and I love summer.  No guarantee of good weather though.

So,  who would have ever guessed that by the end of January we would already have our new little grandson?  He is two and a half weeks old now and doing well.   He was moved out of intensive care on to the special care unit and has already progressed to an open top incubator.  He is breathing well on his own and gaining weight.  Verity and Steve are both fine.  

Coralie visited them on Wednesday and got to hold him, My sister and brother in law are taking my Dad today so they will get to hold him too.  I am jealous!  We haven't been this week so have not had a cuddle yet. 

Looking back I am not sure where this week has gone and what I have done with it.  Let me think, Monday was the normal round of housework, catching up after the weekend with a bit of sewing thrown in too. Erm, come to think of it Wednesday and Thursday were pretty much the same. 

Tuesday was a busy day as we had 2 visits to the kennels.  We went in the morning so that we could give Jenson some attention.  Simon got him out and we had him in the office for over an hour.  He is so different when he is out of the kennel and is really responding.   He loves Simon.  We zipped home for some lunch and to see our own doggies before going back to accompany Jenson to the vets. 

He was to have gone in our car but for some odd reason the boot will not open.  We first noticed this when it was very cold a week back and thought it had frozen, but it seems that it must be something else.  the rest of the central locking is working fine.  The car is going to the garage next week for new tyres so Paul will look at the boot then.  A  boot is a trunk for you Merikans!   We also need to have the windscreen washer bottle drained.  Right before the cold spell Simon realised that it was empty so filled it with water to drive home from school.  Of course the bad weather came and it froze over night and still won't defrost so we can't get the anti freeze stuff in!  

Back to Jenson.  He must have thought he was a VIP as 4 of us ended up accompanying him!   The vet was actually really pleased with him.  She thought he may have a strain in one of his back legs so gave him so anti-inflammatories  It was decided not to neuter him as he is still very underweight.  He was a very good boy at the Vet and in the car.  I am so thrilled at how he is turning out.

So that was my week.  I am looking forward to the weekend and to seeing baby Jackson.

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Thankful Tuesday.

Can you believe that baby Jackson is already 2 weeks old?   I lay in bed last night thinking about the last 2 weeks and how much we have to be thankful for in our family. You may recall that I used to regularly do a kind of gratitude blog. Haven't done that in a while.  It is good to remind ourselves of just how much we have and how lucky we are and to remind ourselves to be grateful.

So Thankful Tuesday.  Ten things that I have been thankful for this last week.

1. The safe arrival of baby Jackson and his continuing good progress.
2. The fact that we live in a time and a place that means babies born as early as Jackson are not only able to survive but also to thrive.
3. The prayers, good wishes, positive vibes etc.. that have been sent our way by so many friends and family.
4. I am thankful for the excellent medical care that Verity received which will hopefully result in a swift and full recovery from what was a very traumatic birth experience.
5. I am very thankful that despite a bit more snow on Friday night the weather was OK on Saturday and we were able to go to the baby shower.
6.  We have a warm and cosy house.  As a person who feels the cold dreadfully, I cannot imagine what it must be like to have no heat and to be constantly cold.  Not long now until spring...hopefully.
7. I am amazingly lucky to be able to spend my days at home doing what ever pleases me.  That is usually sewing of some kind at the moment
8.  Denise.  Without Denise and her continuing efforts to teach both me and Coralie I would never have learned to sew.
9. I am thankful that Alfie seems to be on the mend.  The very expensive prescription diet seems to be working.  He will have another scan in a week to see if the bladder stone is breaking down.
10. I am also extremely thankful that we can afford the dog insurance which is paying for Alfie's new food.

Lots more to be thankful for of course but those are the things that come to mind right now this morning.

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.