I am in love !! Not with another man or a special dog but with a city. Berlin !! Ernst and I had the opportunity to go to join his brother and sister-in-law in Berlin for three days and to be honest I wasn’t that fussed. Yes it would be nice to see Ernst’s cousins and friends, but Berlin in February ??!! Cold, snow, rain, surely I would freeze and be miserable. Not a bit of it, the weather was lovely, sunny, a bit fresh and a couple of showers at night. As for Berlin it is FANTASTIC ! Now, I am not a city girl at all, I much prefer a walk in the country to visiting museums and galleries but Berlin has so much of interest to see. We took a bus tour where you can get off and on when you like which was brilliant. So much history, so colourful, lots of wonderful courtyards. Independent bookshops to die for and little coffee shops each with armchairs outside with fleeces and plaids to keep you warm whilst you drink your coffee and put the world to rights. I had only ever seen that in New York and that was exceptional, but in Berlin it is the norm. Don’t even mention the all night bars !! East Berlin was fascinating, beautiful buildings next to run down concrete blocks of flats. There was just too much to see and do and luckily we must have behaved ourselves as we came back with open invitations to visit whenever we like. Next week too soon ??
I have some great news on the home front. We have moved into the house !!! Moved in last Saturday after twelve years ,TWELVE YEARS !, of living in a mobile home that was shabby when we bought it in 2001. So much has happened in those years, my parents died and I have lost friends too, nieces and nephews seem to have suddenly gone from being children to adults with their own children, I started Poorpaws and good thing I did because at times it was only the dogs that kept me here !! Anyway, my kitchen diner is wonderful. I don’t like fitted kitchens so we have tables and cupboards and a comfy chair for me to sit by the wood burner and read. Ernst ALWAYS sits at the table even if there is a more comfortable chair. I have a new range cooker in cream colour after cooking for the last decade on two electric rings and a tiny tempremental microwave/cooker combo. I have called my cooker Betsy and was prepared to love her like my mother. Sadly she has turned out to be Bitch Betsy, burning the soup the first time I used her !!
Back down to earth or, as it feels like at the moment, back down to marsh, will it EVER stop raining? I have only been able to go to Montaigu market to sell my cards one week in five, luckily they are for sale in the lovely Montaigu English Library, if you have never been there, do go, you won’t be disappointed.
Something I have to mention here. I will always help anyone as much as I can to rehome dogs but I will not help anyone sell a dog. There has recently been a rather unpleasant situation where I was asked to help home a lovely little dog and I was successful in finding several possible adopters. However, although I told the people they would only pay for the chip and vaccination, when contact was made they were asked for much more. This was partly my fault as I did not make the situation clear with the owner of the dog at the outset. Many feathers were ruffled and I have to take some responsibility . So, if you want help from me rehoming your dog, please note that the dog MUST be chipped and vaccinated to date and you can only ask for reimbursement of those costs. I will not encourage breeding by helping to sell a dog.
We have had several dogs homed this month – mostly dogs who never made it on to the website, so if you are looking to adopt, a ‘phone call or email never does any harm as not all the dogs available are on the website, new ones coming in nearly every day. I am particularly happy that Sarko is reserved and will, all things being equal, be going off to a new home in April.
Some very important dates for your diaries:-
March 27th Thursday – Great sale of good quality and some designer clothes at La Sirene restaurant in Montaigu de Quercy. Come along, look through, buy and have lunch too. If you have clothes to donate, contact me. I hasten to add these are not the same clothes we sell at the Vide Grenier in August, much more classy !!
Easter Saturday – Our now famous and increasingly popular Book Sale at Lesley’s barn in Beliben. Can’t read ? Then come for the VERY delicious home made cakes. (Hope Betsy and I have made up by then !!)
July 12th – Hog Roast at the Salle de Fetes in St. Pantaleon.
Hope to see you at ALL of the above !
Love,
Sue x
PS The pictures at the top are of our kitchen – I can’t seem to make them go next to the appropriate paragraph !