What's the Story in Dalamory » dogs http://www.freda.org.uk Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:37:04 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Hogmanay http://www.freda.org.uk/2011/12/31/hogmanay-2/ http://www.freda.org.uk/2011/12/31/hogmanay-2/#comments Sat, 31 Dec 2011 16:06:29 +0000 freda http://www.freda.org.uk/?p=5211 Continue reading →]]>

Note the gap between the two dogs. Bertie is gradually learning that he cannot take liberties with Misty. By the time he is going home on Monday he will be acclimatised, and hopefully that means he will be well-behaved at the next visit. Misty has had to growl, snarl and bark at him but hasn’t yet resorted to a nip or two thankfully.

It has been a busy and eventful ten days and it seems right to do a catch-up on Hogmanay. A significant day when thoughts tend towards people near and far, relatives long gone and other such things like changing world events. I wonder how much more we techie-age 21st century beings think about a global perspective than did our ancestors many centuries ago?   I suspect we are simply encompassed in the gloup of cyber-soup that is the instant news and messaging of our times. All the more important to breathe a prayer for the world at “The Bells” tonight.

I have been effectively having a rest from the computer for the last week or so. Things that demanded my attention included:

  • Winter camping to collect Berties’s mum
  • Travel in severe gales – not funny
  • 2 different power outages – each quite lengthy. The candles were very atmospheric and festive, but resulted in missing favourite TV programmes….
  • A night of nasty vomiting – don’t know whence it came
  • A three day trip to visit #1 Son and family – lots of fun
  • Time recovering from said sickness – must make tonight’s party!

As you can see, it is no wonder #2 Son was worried when his emails went unanswered. He couldn’t understand what had happened to his techie Mum. I must admit I am looking forward to being back to normal and catching up on reading friends’ blogs and so forth.

Many blessings be with you and yours in the coming year. Undernoted is a photo of a very happy cairn opening one of her Christmas presents.

 

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]]> http://www.freda.org.uk/2011/12/31/hogmanay-2/feed/ 5 Bertie http://www.freda.org.uk/2011/12/21/bertie/ http://www.freda.org.uk/2011/12/21/bertie/#comments Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:04:23 +0000 freda http://www.freda.org.uk/?p=5206 Continue reading →]]> No photographs of our visitors yet, I’ve been too busy recovering from our trip and helping Bertie to settle in. To be honest, he has not required much assistance as he is a very boisterous and confident 7-month old dachshund (full-size.) Misty is doing her best impression of an elderly terrier who  has no time for the younger generation. Shame, really, because young  Master Bertie appears to be in love. He is beautiful, if love-sick, whereas Misty is at her prickly, scruffy best. What fun animals bring to a household.

My Christmas countdown – ie jobs to be done before the holiday – has kind of stuck. It is now a case of, anything goes………… and I am giving up on trying to be organised. I may try to read a few blogs, but basically, I plan to be a Christmas slob. (Well….. apart from the Christmas Dance, church services and going away to visit Son #1 and family on Boxing Day.) There is little chance of getting presents, people and dogs in the car, so it is going to be a case of loading up the campervan as best we can.

Whatever your plans are – I hope and pray that you have a special and blessed Christmas.

 

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]]> http://www.freda.org.uk/2011/12/21/bertie/feed/ 3 Up http://www.freda.org.uk/2011/11/28/up/ http://www.freda.org.uk/2011/11/28/up/#comments Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:45:29 +0000 freda http://www.freda.org.uk/?p=5157 Continue reading →]]> This is a wonderful film to watch with children I should imagine. OK I confess, HBTW and I watched it on our own. Who needs mindless violence, gratuitous sex and dialogue you can’t understand when you can have an adventure story with a moral in the tail, plus loads of quirky characters, especially the dogs and the big bird?

The moral tale is about giving time to one another, the pack of dogs are truly wonderful and are easily diverted from bad things by producing a ball to play with.

Basically, a young couple fall in love and get married. Ellie, the wife, dreams of going off on adventures and exploring the world. Somehow, ordinary life gets in the way. When Ellie dies her husband decides to have the adventure himself in her memory. Russell, a young Wilderness Explorer (akin to the boy scouts/cubs) gets involved. The evil to be overcome is that of a curmudgeonly, previously famous explorer who is engaged in nefarious black deeds for his own ends.

The film is entertaining, and has beguilingly beautiful graphics and characters. It brings out the inner child (no bad thing) whilst at the same time giving meaning to the process of ageing and loss. I would happily watch it again – but then I was hooked on the dogs.

 

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]]> http://www.freda.org.uk/2011/11/28/up/feed/ 3 Giving and caring http://www.freda.org.uk/2011/10/21/giving-and-caring/ http://www.freda.org.uk/2011/10/21/giving-and-caring/#comments Fri, 21 Oct 2011 07:38:31 +0000 freda http://www.freda.org.uk/?p=5049 Continue reading →]]> This is a very poignant little video. You may find it beautiful like I did – it resulted in a cathartic release of tears, particularly appropriate to my worries over the NHS. On the other hand, skip it if you  feel too fragile. By the way, I would be interested to know what you think.

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]]> http://www.freda.org.uk/2011/10/21/giving-and-caring/feed/ 5 Animal Blessing Service http://www.freda.org.uk/2011/10/04/animal-blessing-service/ http://www.freda.org.uk/2011/10/04/animal-blessing-service/#comments Tue, 04 Oct 2011 11:19:43 +0000 freda http://www.freda.org.uk/?p=5024 Continue reading →]]> Misty and I were sorry we were unable to be there, but listening to this and watching the blessing of the animals helped us to feel part of it. We humans owe so much to our companion animals.

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]]> http://www.freda.org.uk/2011/10/04/animal-blessing-service/feed/ 1 Lesley’s Challenge http://www.freda.org.uk/2011/06/04/lesleys-challenge/ http://www.freda.org.uk/2011/06/04/lesleys-challenge/#comments Sat, 04 Jun 2011 09:36:50 +0000 freda http://www.freda.org.uk/?p=4697 Continue reading →]]> Revd Lesley is celebrating 100,000 visits milestone on her blog, and she issues a challenge that we all help spread the love by sharing 4 interesting things about ourselves and then link to 4 favourite blogs.  I don’t usually join in with these suggestions, but as Lesley is one of my favourite bloggers – she says things the way they are – I thought it would be a chance to introduce her to others as well.

Interesting things about me: – a hard one but here goes

  1. I once danced on the table at a 50th birthday party – and I hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol (or drugs!)
  2. On a memorable occasion, just before a wedding on the top of a hill, the wind blew the marriage lines away. Fortunately, I was able to run after them….. robes flying in the gale. Oh yes, and I caught them.
  3. My best friend when I was in primary school emigrated to Australia. Now I can’t even remember her name, but then I felt as if my world had come to an end.
  4. My English Gran told me to call her Auntie, and I was a bit scared of her.

Four bloggers I like to visit: the caveat is that I enjoy all the blogs I read, so these four are important for other reasons.

  • Friko’s Blog frikosmusings.blogspot.com because her writing is of such a consistently high standard; she challenges me and makes me think.
  • Kelvin’s Blog thurible.net because he keeps me up to date with all things Anglican as well as the Scottish Episcopal Church. He says things the way he sees them, and often makes me laugh.
  • Sara’s Blog www.saralovesdogs.blogspot.com because I have gradually fallen in love with her and her dogs. She is so patient and has such fun with her Shelties and posts lots of photos and videos.
  • Time Goes By, Ronni Bennet’s blog for all things on ageing and living well.

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]]> http://www.freda.org.uk/2011/06/04/lesleys-challenge/feed/ 2 Blog round up http://www.freda.org.uk/2010/12/29/blog-round-up/ http://www.freda.org.uk/2010/12/29/blog-round-up/#comments Wed, 29 Dec 2010 19:44:03 +0000 freda http://www.freda.org.uk/?p=4193 Continue reading →]]> This is something new for me, but I thought I would give it a go to include some of the best bits I’ve found in this post-Christmas rest. (Nothing too serious allowed, there’s the rest of the year for that.)

MadPriest has a wonderful story here, specially for animal lovers. (I did think of half-inching it, but thought better of it.)

There’s a quiz here to take if you are interested in seeing if you will cope well with retirement. Mine was kind of average – think it is too much good food.

Dr Bill Thomas has a youtube video here – it’s worth a look at BBC Newsreader Blunders. I like seeing Jeremy Paxman being just as curmudgeonly with the producers when something goes wrong for him. Refreshing to laugh at him for a change.

If you are grateful for the holidays being almost over, you might find a quiet place here at Friko’s Blog. She is a fine writer and has a pithy, original viewpoint on life.

I love keeping an eye on Sara’s Blog because she writes about her two dogs, takes lots of photos and videos of training them. Yes I do love dogs. And there is a fabulous snow video here.  Just in case you’re not fed up with the snow.

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]]> http://www.freda.org.uk/2010/12/29/blog-round-up/feed/ 3 The Holy Goat http://www.freda.org.uk/2010/12/24/the-holy-goat/ http://www.freda.org.uk/2010/12/24/the-holy-goat/#comments Fri, 24 Dec 2010 14:38:35 +0000 freda http://www.freda.org.uk/?p=4167 Continue reading →]]> Sad to say the order of the awaited Fontanini nativity figures has revealed that the Holy Goat is not coming this year. For some reason there are 2 dogs along with the drummer boy Jareth.

It’s no wonder HBTW is looking so puzzled.

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]]> http://www.freda.org.uk/2010/12/24/the-holy-goat/feed/ 4 Dog Days in Andalucia http://www.freda.org.uk/2010/08/02/dog-days-in-andalucia/ http://www.freda.org.uk/2010/08/02/dog-days-in-andalucia/#comments Mon, 02 Aug 2010 06:21:33 +0000 freda http://www.freda.org.uk/?p=3507 Continue reading →]]> Autobiographical books nearly always catch my imagination, but in the case of Dog Days in Andalucia, I have to admit it was the doggy eyes on the front cover – spotted it across the room in a bookshop/cafe and I was lost.

It always interests me to read tales of people who have upped sticks and moved to another land or even to far-flung parts of the UK. But it is particularly evocative to read of stories that include details about the everyday culture, including such things as weather, customs and architecture.

Jackie Todd writes well and with an immediate and compelling style which draws you into her world with empathy and joy. In 1997 she moved permanently to Andalucia with her architect husband. He had always promised that when they lived full-time in Spain, (such a wonderfully affirming word – when) she would be able to have a Spanish pointer dog and a Mediterranean tabby cat. However, they end up taking on more and more strays and abandoned puppies and kittens. Eventually they have to become reconciled to being foster-rearers and re-homers. 10 dogs and 9 cats of their own are a big enough houseful.

Along the way, we learn of their projects to buy old properties and restore or rebuild them as holiday lets. You can see their website here. Have a look and drool, or maybe be inspired, who knows? I’ve never been to Spain but the website is certainly inspirational.

It would be interesting to hear of anyone who has visited that part of the world.

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]]> http://www.freda.org.uk/2010/08/02/dog-days-in-andalucia/feed/ 3 The beginning of the ending http://www.freda.org.uk/2010/07/24/the-beginning-of-the-ending/ http://www.freda.org.uk/2010/07/24/the-beginning-of-the-ending/#comments Sat, 24 Jul 2010 11:20:38 +0000 freda http://www.freda.org.uk/?p=3480 Continue reading →]]> Family #2 come home from their hols today, so animal duties more or less finish for another year. Him behind the Wheel has done the lion’s share – I’ve been pack leader for the dogs. The littlest farm dog has been away boating whilst the big lab and the fluffy mixture, (both of senior years) have stayed with us; hence Misty’s crush on the big dog. I am banking on sea-sickness keeping the Jack Russell calm when she is brought back into the mix. Dogs teach us a lot about getting on together: 1) If you are in doubt about your neighbour’s mood, stalk round him or her on tall legs with a tall tail, till you know the lie of the land. 2) Be prepared to join in the fun whatever your age. Fluffy dog’s sudden burst of speed yesterday was a joy to behold.  And finally, 3) Enjoy the moment and nap whenever bored or tired.

The other significant thing this year has been the presence of last year’s Gloucester Old Spot pigs. Last year they were pushing and snorting and looking for juicy morsels of food; this year they were being made into sausages. HBTW came from a long line of butchers, so stuffing sausage skins helped him feel close to his Dad who died some 30 years ago. The sausages taste brilliant, by the way.

All in all it has been a very good break from our usual routine, and with the added bonus of being able to be useful. I’ve had to dot around at a much slower pace than the better half, but that is OK. The main thing is to enjoy the scenery, take wee trips to the beach, and gather souvenirs of beach glass to add to the collection.

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