A Sad Memory
On one of my other blogs [My Dogs Past and Present ]I give the story of each of my dogs, ,
This week was the anniversary of the forever rest of one of them .
BLACKFACE JET 27th May 1993 – 15th September 2005
Thirteen years ago on the 15th September I lost a very precious dog
My Jet. Gentleman Jet he was also called…
may you and Tango have as much fun
on Rainbow Bridge as you had here on this Earth
R.I.P.
All our dogs are special
I grant you this is true
but there was just…..
that special Something
I had for only you.’
And another dog
Well I actually manged to sort out how to get into my wordpress, but one of my sites I’ve screwed up , I find WP is much more complicated than Blogger, makes me feel a bit of an idiot, and I thought I was reasonably tech savvy, HUH the vanity of the girl.
Sorry I digress from the title of this post.
Since the loss of my two wonderful friends Zak and Ruby I spent around a year dogless, then my daughter said ”Mum if you want another dog, get one and we’ve agreed we will take care of it should it be necessary, but make it a small one. OK so I went on various rehoming sites , had home visits etc, got plenty of offers or pointers in the direction of collies, but, no I said, I’m too old to give a collie what a collie needs.
Then a friend mailed me and showed me a picture of a dear little dog that I thought was a yorkie, but is an Australian Silky. his lady owner was bedridden and unfortunately nearing the end of her life and her son was trying to find a home for him.
So my daughter and I toddled off to see this little chap, and guess what ?? yup, we came home with him.
His name is Bertie, he settled in quite quickly but a lot longer to get his eating habits to be properly established, , but with a bit of trial and error and perseverance he now eats like a starving stray. GOOD !
He really is a super little dog, very well behaves and never strays far from me. His only fault , is he’s not a good traveller and is a bit vocal in the car. Oh well one can’t have everything.
A little taste of Summer
Well we had a little taste of summer until yesterday, temperatures in the 20’s, lovely, got lots done in the garden, but today, not so nice, overcast and a bit chillier, more typical mid spring weather, Hopefully it will change again.
I put my car in to the garage today to have the central locking checked, sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t. One of the mechanics gave me a lift back home , of which I’n grateful as I didn’t really want to wander round Christchurch for maybe four hours.
I could get a bus, but as I haven’t used one for over forty years I’d be worried about where it would take me. LOL, I’ll have to sort it out as one day it will become a necessity.
So here I am back home making myself useful., I changed the duvet from the winter to summer tog, fingers crossed but I’ve laid a throw on the bed , just in case. I’ve changed to my light and airy summer curtains, love that, it is so much fresher looking.
I am sitting here listening to some old compilation tapes I’ve made through the years, love them, it has just played, The Lark Ascending by Vaughn Williams surely one of the most evocative and beautiful pieces of music composed. , next came on Fields of Barley , now playing Ring of Bright Water, , one of my favourites, and one I am having played at my funeral as it reminds me of my dogs, especially my lovely Tarc, who loved the water.
I don’t make compilations any more as there is never [IMO] enough good music around to bother, so I guard my precious hoard, must have almost 100 from the 70’s on, almost all bring back memories.
Thinking what to have for lunch now, maybe a bacon and egg sandwich, yeah, sounds good, though it’s a bit early for lunch only 11.30 so I’ll have to think of something useful to do till then.
That’s it for now folks.
Looking after Pepsi
I had my grand daughter and husband’s [Jon and Lisa] dog last week while they went on a holiday. She is a sweet ten year old collie, and was a wedding present from Jon to Lisa.
As it’s been five months since I lost my two dogs,, it was another change of lifestyle, albeit a familiar one. Taking a dog for a walk twice daily, preparing their food and bedding down, all very familiar, even to allowing her to come up on the sofa in the evening for company and cuddles. Lovely.
The weather wasn’t too brilliant at the beginning of the week and it brought back to me the hassle of wet dog, towels and clothing! That I do not miss. But it was nice to have a furry body to stroke and cuddle, also to be greeted with a waggy tail, even something to be waiting outside outside the bathroom door when you’ve been having a shower.
Going for a walk in familiar places was enjoyable when the weather cleared up.
I met several people whom I used to see with my others, and they of course thought I’d got another dog, no, I said only on loan.
Well now she has gone home and the house is a bit lonely once more, but no doubt I’ll get used to it again, it has confirmed that I will not have another dog, I’ve kind of got used to the selfishness of only having to look after ME. and I quite like it. It doesn’t mean for one minute I grudged my dogs what I gave them [they gave me so much more] but unless it was my own dogs and the chance to live the past all over, I am content to live the memories. I am having my daughter’s two dogs next month, and I’ll have Pepsi any time it’s necessary., but it is nice just to go where and when I want.
Grief
Grief never really goes away, you think it has – you hope it has, till unexpectedly she creeps out from where it has been hiding, Maybe behind your facade of a smiley face, or an overly busy schedule. But she’s always there.
Maybe Grief too has feelings, sometimes she just has to get away from you – and nurse herself back to healing, and then she will be able to help you., so let grief hide for a while, and do not feel guilty, Enjoy a normal life .She will return . , then she will work a bit more of her magic , till eventually you can look her in the eye and smile.
Grief is doing her work, let her go her own way, but she will always be there, watching, waiting to catch you unawares, though the timespan will get longer, She never really goes away.
©Arlene Phillips
Don’t go back
Having two rather elderly dogs, Ruby and Zac, my dog walks are now rather limited, in time and distance., I can’t say I’m 100% sorry as at my age, though fairly fit, I’m happy for now to be home indoors especially in wet and cold weather.
But I’ve come to be aware that there are many places I can’t visit any more as I would worry about access to safety and getting them back to my car should either take ill ., it was brought home to me as a couple of weeks ago Zac just laid down half way through a walk, and I had a job getting him on his feet and back to the car. I reckon he was just tired.
Both are almost fifteen and slowing up. Zac has arthritis plus his back legs are weakening, and Ruby is simply lagging behind and shows reluctance to jump out of the car.
As I named this post ‘ Don’t go back’, let me explain… Over fifty years of owning dogs and obviously having walked many miles and visited many places, some of which are very dear to me and all holding precious memories, I have dozens of photographs and videos of the dogs from way back enjoying themselves, I can recall many of them as though it was yesterday. Come Kerry, Numa, Tarc, Whisper, Jet, Tango, Chippie, Ruby and Zac.
But…. I can never go back to these places, as I know that I’d call their names and expect them to come racing back along the path or from behind a tree to come to me, and I know that will never happen again. , a heart can only break so many times.
I will now just live for the two I have for however long it takes, and I think appreciate them all the more.
When you have your dogs right now , you simply live in the moment and don’t give much thought to the fact that one day they will no longer be a part of your life, I know I did.
A change in the weather
Today has been about the nicest day this year, sunny, still a chill in the air, but bearable, I got washing on the line and even managed some gardening, a good start as it all comes in a rush when the weather changes for the better. , though we have been warned it will get very cold near the end of the week.
Winter would be OK if it wasn’t for the weather.
Sorry but we Brits seem t be obsessed by it, , probably because there’s so much of it. LOL
I have a few snowdrops blooming, not much but they try and give me a show every year. I have some Hellebore [Christmas Roses] I thought I’d lost them , but I see they have shot up through their protective covering, and have a couple of buds. pleased about that.
I saw two long tailed tits in my garden to-day, the first for a couple of years, lovely, such dainty little birds, they were feeding on the fat balls, so I must remember to keep them replenished.
It’s getting close to my grandson’s wedding, i must get out and look for an outfit.
Thank you for visiting and please come back, Arlene, Tango and Ruby.
Went to our dance club last night, and my friend pointed out I had some smears of yellow on my face, she thought I’d been painting, but I realized it was traces of the Turmeric I’d been cooking up for Zac to help his arthritis, my nails are stained sulphur yellow with it too.
I think I’ve rambled on long enough, gotta save something for next time, Have a good week folks.
Well Hello there
Just wondering just who is out there, never mind i’ll still ramble on. The weather has turned a bit colder though dryer , don’t know which is worse, hat the cold but that damp drippy weather was beginning to do my head in, Constantly having towels down for the dogs wet feet and trying to dry their wet coats after a walk was beginning to feel like a penance, probably was as I was a bu**er when I was younger.
Poor old Zac is struggling a bit again, his breathing is a bit laboured and he’s toppling sideways a bit oftener. but he soldiers on. Ruby just goes on in her own quiet inoffensive way.
Was at my older daughter for lunch today, a lovely fish pie and then bread and butter pud, for tea, we had toasted tea cake and home made sponge, just the ticket.
Went to pictures yesterday afternoon to see La La Land , yes it was a bit lalaland, after a boring and pointless start it got going quite well and the ending was a surprise, really don’t see how it got so many awards, but each to his own.
I’ve just been watching Countryfile on TV, it was showing the murmurations of starlings, writing their symphony across the sky, absolutely pure magic, beats man made films any day.
I didn’t sleep too well last night and it’s catching up with me now, yawning my head off and it’s only 7.30pm. oh well, I’ll close now as Call the Midwife is on shortly, Have a good week. and thanks for reading. [I wish]
Soldiering on in January
January must be the most loathed month in my calendar, running closely with February, I just hate the cold, and boy has it been cold so far, we’ve had everything thrown at us apart from snow [thankfully] but it’s coming to an end and I just have get through February and think Spring is on it’s way, though it won’t be rushed.
I’m glad to say that my thrushes are still foraging in the garden, the blackies seem to have accepted them. BUT… I have noticed a dearth of other birds with the exception of my robins, who are a permanent feature, I saw one Chaffinch where I used to have several, very few tits, and no goldcrests, I think there will probably be a wren or two but as they stick very close to the shrubs they are almost invisible. I’m wondering because it is so cold and I am constantly feeding the birds they are taking possession and scaring the little ones away, . I must mention though I can’t get rid of the pigeons and a couple of ravens who scoff as much seed in one gulp that would keep the little ones going all day. I do shoosh them off.
Here is a card I’ve made to while away the time between painting crits. Love making these , they are called pop up cards I apologise if I have put up the calendar card in a previous blog but they too are fun to make. that’s it for now folks. look forward to the dozens of comments. LOLOLOLOLxx
Arlene and two adopted dogs. 