I cannot believe that it is December already and, therefore, nearly a year since Ernst and I hosted the Strictly Finals Night for our sweepstake group. Even less can I believe that the glitterball has rolled right to our gate again and we’ll be welcoming everyone for the finals again this year. Luckily our mates are great and don’t seem to mind being squashed into our kitchen, round the table and watching on a borrowed television as our own is only slightly larger than a postage stamp. It will be chaotic but fun squeezing about 20 people in and no doubt sides will be taken as to who should win. It will be Joe but don’t tell anyone !! We always have a Finals competition, last year was ‘shoes to sparkle on the dance floor ‘ and this year I thought of asking everyone to make their own glitterball, but it has been pointed out that probably it will be difficult to make different glitterballs, so it’s back to the drawing board.
In November I went to England for a week to be with my pal Susie when she had her postponed mastectomy. That girl is amazing, full of Geordie grit. She went in to hospital at 7am and came home at 4.30pm the same day. I expected her to just crawl up to bed to rest, but none of that, it was straight in to the lounge for tea, sandwiches, chocolates and supper !!! I look more tired than she did after her op when I’ve been shopping at Lidl !! The next day I took her in a cup of tea as soon as I heard her about then went in to the shower. By the time I came out she was already up and about and pottering around downstairs ! We are all waiting for the relapse but it doesn’t seem to have happened yet.
As for dog news, well Jip and Janneke went off to a new home in Holland, organised by their owner, then came home 24 hours later as the home was found to be unsuitable. Luckily everything worked out as the ex wife of the owner heard about the problems and took them to live with her. Phew ! Little Norbury is now with me here at Poorpaws and renamed Nick after the really fabulous pup we had at the beginning of the year. That Nick has turned out to be the most fabulous dog ever and I am desperately hoping that Norbury Nick can rid himself of his demons and realise that I am there only to love him to pieces and not to do him any harm. At the moment he is still running around the park totally scared out of his life and I can only catch him by grabbing hold of the lead that is always attached to him. I would give him more time but his collar is now getting too tight and I need to get it off him and a larger one put on. This is where my great pal and dog lover Gaynor comes in. She is going to come over next week and we will go in with gloves on to protect us whilst we change the collar. If there is no News Page next month it may be because I have no fingers left !
Danielle is away for a week and a friend is looking after all the dogs except for a gorgeous ShihTzu Mum and her pups who I am delighted to say are snuggly, cuddly buggly in my bedroom. So lovely to have pups around again, makes a change from all my oldies.
19 year old Lulu is still going…… well, if not strong, he is still going and dear blind little Poodle Tanya is coping well with living with us in a completely new environment.
Have any of you discovered the television programme Animal Cops on the Quest channel ? I’m addicted to it and watch it because the poor ill-treated animals have happy endings whereas the bastard owners get their come-uppance. However this morning was just too hard to watch. A guy spotted pulling a shetland pony along behind a car, poor, poor beast so injured down one side; and the discovery of a dog fighting farm with many dogs on chains, fighting pits, motorised exercise running machines to make the dogs more muscly and even a deep sort of small swimming pond where the dogs were forced to swim for ages. I was a complete mess and just had to stop watching in the end. The dogs had to be PTS because they were bred for fighting and could not have made pets but luckily the puppies were taken into care. All the people involved in these two cases were taken to court and ended up in prison. Sadly none of them were strung up by their balls and covered in honey to ensure them being attacked by ants and wasps or covered in mince then having their own dogs set on them. They really need me as an animal cruelty judge over there.
Countdown to Christmas has begun and I have to admit to being one of those who love it ! Not the presents, so difficult to choose now that we are all so old (!) that we don’t really want anything, but just the atmosphere and the lovely smelly Christmas candles. Don’t bother going to buy any at Ikea as Gaynor and I were there last week and bought them all !!!
Next News will be in 2018 ! Last year my resolution was not to speak badly of anyone. Failed, but if you got some of the emails I get from people giving ridiculous reasons for wanting to rehome their dogs, you would fail too. So, this year I am vowing to be more tolerant ! Such a wonderful quality to have, if only everyone was tolerant of every other person this world would be such a happier place. My Dad’s favourite saying was “I don’t agree with what you say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it”. Got that Mr. Trump ???!!!
Have a great Festive Season !
Sue xx