Me Myself and I

And boy is it bleak. Cold and damp, no sun and everywhere is muddy. It's not great when you have two hairy hounds to dry three times a day, especially when trying to steal the towel is their current favourite game. Husband chops does one drying, but the towel washing is horrendous. A close trim of bellies and tails is called for- not the husband though, although he could do with a haircut.   I have yet another cold, thanks husband, I am almost at six weeks without an illness, this is not like me and I am getting rather pissed off with it grrrrr. So much for my vitamin bombing idea, maybe I should have spent the vitamin money on booze.   Malcolm is doing well but he did bugger off with a whole parsnip he found on our walk. He only came back after he'd eaten it, little sod. Tonights poo could be interesting/ a nightmare.   Talking of shit, we now have the blonde posh twat as our glorious leader. Regardless of his politics, I hate being represented by such a scruffy, fat,...

Well, Malcolm is settling in nicely, we've had him just over a month and he's adorable.  Keith and he share a father which is great as Keith is a brilliant dog. He's already pretty much house trained and sits on command. He is also very food driven which makes life very easy. Keith ignored food and only ate when he could be bothered, Now Malc is here, he shovels his grub down with an eye to Malcs too! They spend almost all their time together, but they both have their own space to retreat too. We also often have cousin Wilson along to play, so the house is rather hairy. Just how I like it.

Keith resting. All is calm.

Things are very good at the mo. My mental health is brilliant, I can analyze stuff and work through it with clarity, then file it away or bin it. This is a huge deal to me and makes me feel in control and more like "ME".   The garden looks amazing, full of teenage birds, fighting for potential territories, plus the roses are in their second flush. The huge dragonflies are still flitting about, their amazing colours glisten in the sunlight. We are redesigning bits and pieces (as ever), but the enjoyment in planning is huge.   Later we are off to the granddaughters first birthday party, that was a quick year! She is walking and babbling and very curious. I totally adore her and see so much of her mum in her. Husband chops is brilliant with her, as he was with our girls, she beams whenever she sees him and they play lots of noisy games.   I am doing lots of walking with Keith, one day I might actually tire him out....or not. Our current favorite walk is around the perimet...

....with love. The other 'alf has been off on his travels again, this time to Russia. Keith and I spent some quality time together- snoozing on the sofa and eating chocolate. Now he's back with dirty washing and plans for the pond. We have two ponds, but one was too small (it was named the "bath" after it's rectangular shape). Now it has doubled in size and a nice selection of pond plants are settling in. Next weekend is fish buying time, very exciting.   We had the chance to meet the newest member of the family, Youngest and her good lady wife have acquired a puppy! He is a fluff ball of cuteness and tiny paws. Keith is going to meet him this week, so I bathed him this morning. First impressions and all that hehe.    The garden is full of birds which is splendid, I think the second brood of blue tits have fledged, as we have loads of them shouting endlessly for grub. Rather like human babies. Talking of which, the granddaughter is thriving, she does a cute litt...

....Has the rain actually stopped? Hell, I know the garden was in need of a good watering but that was bloody ridiculous. A whole week of cold, wet weather is not ideal for June. The heating clicked on, the house smells of wet dog and all my shoes are damp. I think it was around this time last year that the crazy heat started, seems unlikely this year.   We babysat for the grandchild at the weekend, she was a total joy, giggling and smiling. We took her and Keith for a walk, dodging the showers. She greatly approves of Keith splashing about in the lake, less so in being confined to her pushchair when there is much to be explored. It was lovely. Him and me had a restorative snooze when she went home- we were totally knackered.   My lovely old friend depression has popped in to say Hi, totally pissed off with it, but being sensible and getting advice. I went to the Dr for a meds review expecting a decrease in medication. When I explained my thoughts and feelings, she immediate...

Yep, the dog and I are both fans of walking in the rain and finally we have some!  A 7.30 wander combined with some bad singing (me) and thundering through the undergrowth (Keith) is a fine start to the day. I was on early morning dog duty as the husband is in Italy, somewhere beautiful I suppose. He will be back at owlfart, I miss him more on quick trips than his longer jaunts. My mind goes into a long learned routine when he's away for many nights. It is strange being "single" for these periods of time, I couldn't imagine doing it permanently, we are a strong partnership, 35 years and counting. I still adore him, his crazy humour, kindness, and obsession with detail, This may be his ultimate downfall.... hehe.    We are having major issues with the subsiding conservatory- still! The insurers have now involved our local council (god help us) as an oak tree owned by the council has roots that trespass on to our land. I'm hoping it will all be settled before the e...

I had to check this as the bank holiday nonsense leaves my head in a spin. It feels like a Monday as husband chops has gone to work and the house looked lived in before I attacked it this morning. It amazes me how much mess we make considering only two humans and a dog live here, Keith did liberate a plastic flower pot and destroy it in the lounge when we were gardening, which didn't help. We also traipsed in lots of grit and compost as we moved huge rockery stones about. They were hidden under ivy and were quite a suprise! and bloody heavy.     We looked after the grandbaby for a whole day, She was a total delight, apart from grabbing Keith's whiskers- he went and hid. All went well except a certain amount of gagging at nappy deposits. Yuck. We both slept incredibly well when she went home.     The garden pond is full of newts getting down and doing their newty thang! We also have a great tit in one of the nest boxes, it is not bothered by us and just turns up w...

Yes, we went to Yorkshire and we ate way too many puddings.....but it was amazing. Can't wait for our next trip...

Me and himself went to London and joined rather a lot of others. It was tiring and long. It was also a revelation at how many like-minded people gathered together to peacefully protest at the awful mess our country is in. It may not change anything, but it has shown me that there are many people out there who do give a shit about what politicians in their ivory ( Portland stone) towers are doing to our country.     Husband chops ready to march. He's not looking bad for his great age!

That's surely the best you can hope for when shuffling off the old mortal coil. My mum-in-law has died, after much ill health. Our splendid NHS gave her a couple of good years, for which I am truly grateful. She could be a difficult lady, opinionated and quick to point out your flaws, very set in her ways and possessing a stare that could rival Paddington. She also gave me the most incredible husband I could ever hope for, She was there for me when my mental health was on the floor and she supported and adored my daughters from the moment they were born.  I will miss her.

...nobody said it would be this hard. Chris Martin sums up my feelings. A family member is very ill, words are difficult to find. Wanting the best outcome for all those involved, but not sure what it is. I'm trying to be normal (as normal as I ever get), dog walking, housework etc. One ear is constantly waiting for a phone call/text message, the other ear is tightly shut and trying not to listen.   The sun is bright and the weather is kind, the garden birds are getting territorial, the squirrels are chasing up and down the trees like mad things. On our walks, I have seen tiny shoots and catkins starting to appear. My Witch Hazel is blooming but doesn't seem to smell, which is odd. Keith is rather obsessed with his nether regions- it could be time for a trip to the vet......

...or not. We seem to be avoiding the snowy nonsense in the shire, It is cold but the white stuff has taken a look at Northampton and turned left! Can't say I blame it. Our beloved council is cutting road gritting routes to save money, Our Close opens onto a steep hill, that is a bus route and also a school bus collection point. No potential danger there then, no need for gritting.   Husband chops is on his way home from Europe, hopefully, Stansted will be open as his bloody flight has already been delayed for several hours, God knows what delays will be like if the brexit cock-up doesn't get sorted soon. I like the occasional trip to Europe but have no idea how customs etc will function after our departure. Still that's ok because neither does the government Boom Boom. I do worry that people think "they" will sort it all out, and that "they" will also make sure there are no food shortages, medicine issues or travel problems. Personally, I think "t...

...By Pilot was a rubbish song. My January is, however, not rubbish. I don't bother with new year resolutions, I always break them and then sacrifice my good intentions to greed, laziness and general meh. Instead, I aim to be better in general-not so greedy, not so lazy etc. I have also signed up to the walk 1000 miles in a year thing. I may or may not complete it but it is something to aim for. It's going well so far.    I am enjoying walking further with the paw monster, He is getting more obedient by the day and only acts up if a particularly interesting leaf attracts his attention...... A long way to go I fear. Today we wandered around an Iron Age hillfort, See picture, the birdsong was fabulous until a very long Bassett Hound started woofing in a very deep and loud voice. His owners also had two more Bassetts and two Vizslas. I struggle to control one daft Springer!   Oops forgot about Crimble. It was lovely, quiet, calm and with the delight of the new gr...