Author: Sue

We had to leave in ten minutes to go and eat with friends.  I was just putting on a quick layer of nail varnish (transparent, I’m not quite stupid enough to try to put a coloured varnish on in a hurry !) and, as it was Wimbledon fortnight, the televisions was connected.  I was watching my guilty pleasure, Location, Location, Location,  (Love That Programme !) when the advertisments came on.  RSPCA, uh oh.  I should have looked away, I should have changed channels, I should have turned the damn thing off.  But no, I thought, I can do this, I’m a big girl now.  I sat stoically through the poor dog who had been used in dog fights, I gritted my teeth through the pictures of the disgusting, filthy puppy farm – whilst wishing a long, slow, painful death on the breeder –  and then they played their trump card;  an RSPCA inspector crying over a pitiful bundle held in his arms.  I was toast. I cried, I howled, I cursed every living being who was cruel to animals, then I went to ‘redo’ my face and peel off bits of sodden tissue from my not dry nails.  We were half an hour late for lunch !

I had a surprisingly good week with my mate Susie when I went over to be with her for her chemo.  We were expecting a bad time as the cocktail was being changed and Susie had been warned that side effects might not be good.  Huh, they hadn’t reckoned on my feisty Geordie pal, no side effects to speak of, no sickness, no aches and pains and in fact the next day she was like a Duracel bunny on speed !  Sadly a throat infection stopped her in her tracks but nothing worse than that.  Go Susie !

Poor Egan has had a disappointment.  He’s the one-eyed boy on the website.  Such a lovely lad who has been waiting for so long for that forever home.  He was all set to go up to the Vienne to a lovely elderly gentleman when at the last minute the kind man was taken ill and regretfully came to the conclusion that he could not take Egan.  I’m just hoping that there is someone else just as kind out there ….. but in better health !!

I want you all to keep your fingers crossed for little Lulu.  Lulu and his brother, Charlie, Westie/Bichons, came to Poorpaws when they were 13.  I agreed to take them, not thinking they would live for long, and was so glad I did as their poor owner had died after being in the clutches of alcohol for years which ended, literally, when he was still quite young.  He clearly had not been able to look after Lulu and Charlie as they were in a heartbreaking  state.  I was told that they loved each other and got on well.  Hmm, well, if standing over your brother and biting him if he dared move is love, I’ve got a lot to learn.  They had to be put in to separate parks where  they then barked and cried the place down !! Things improved and as they got older they happily shared the same park, but not the same kennel !  Charlie died a couple of years ago but Lulu is still with us …… just.  He is blind, deaf and incontinent but put a bowl of food in front of him and he will eat for France !  Lulu has a birthday coming up and will be 19 (113 in dog years !!!) on 5th September so we are just hoping he hangs on until then when we’ll have a celebration.

Some real cuties going on the website very soon so keep checking in.

Poorpaws will be running the usual second hand clothes stall at the Montcuq Vide Grenier on the 27th August.  This is usually a great fund raiser for us and I’m now looking out for good second hand casual clothes donations.  Shoes, handbags and jewelry all gratefully accepted.  If you have anything to donate I can arrange to meet and/or collect.  Please get in touch either by email – susan.glibbery@orange.fr – or call 0565245303 and make sure you leave a message.

With thanks, as ever.

Love,

Sue

Those of you who have been following Poorpaws since God was a boy will recognise Bracken.  A fabulous Brittany Spaniel adopted by Brian and Elizabeth many years ago.  Brian has a lot of experience in dog training/agility and started to train Bracken who absolutely loved it.  They would travel together all over the place and even though Bracken was not  a superstar he and Brian had great fun and proudly brought home trophies from time to time.  The thing with agility is that the human part of the two ‘man’ team has to do a lot of running too and has to remember the course, not always easy as some fabulous video clips of the two of them have shown me.  Bracken, a great favourite of the Cahors agility team retired a couple of years ago when the competing became a bit too much for him …….. and perhaps for Brian too !!  Well I am sure you can guess what is coming next, dear Bracken’s last bit of agility was to jump over the rainbow.  Desperately sadly missed by Brian and Elizabeth, and Fern his adopted sister who didn’t take to agility so well, Bracken so readily gave back the love and happiness he received and deserved.  A wonderful dog.

Another Poorpaws loss in June was dear Douschka who left us whilst I was in England with my pal Susie.  Douschka came to us as a puppy just two months old, but strangely she wasn’t your usual loving, tumbling affectionate pup.  She was very reserved and was returned from her first home as she would not connect at all with her new family and would have nothing to do with the children.  She was then adopted by the lovely Leeanne and Mike of Twilight as part of their clan but sadly had to come back from them also when she turned out to be rather a bully towards the other dogs.  I soon realised that all these theatrics were just ploys to get back here as she was as good as gold with us.  Okay, she would climb over our two metre fencing to go and play if she saw a dog outside and the first time we had someone to come and live in whilst we went away, she ruined his New Year’s Eve – and in fact the NYE of very close friends – when she escaped and had people looking all over for her instead of enjoying the parties they were supposed to be at !!  Yes, she was indeed a very reserved dog with people and would always stand away up the hill in the garden when anyone came visiting.  I was in England when Ernst called to say he had found her not at all well and she then died at the vet’s during the night.  I was heartbroken not to have been there to say goodbye but luckily my very close friend Gaynor happened to call by when Ernst was leaving for the vet and she gave Douschka a big hug and kiss from me just in case.  Lucky she did.

Gosh this is turning in to an obituary column !!  Let’s think of some good news.  WIMBLEDON !!!!  The television has been reconnected and after watching hours of Roland Garros whilst in England, I came back to watch hours of Queens, Eastbourne and intend to do exactly much the same over the next two weeks !!

On the dog front, Marvik has gone down to Monaco, Helton has gone with another Setter from the Cahors refuge up to near Luxembourg,  Fifi has finally found a forever home and from the way she leapt in to the car when she left it is clear that her days of actually living in a car had not had an adverse effect !

I’m off to make up a fortnight’s dinners/sandwiches now to put in the freezer and to make sure we’ve got enough Schweppes Zero (my new tipple) in the fridge before I batten down the hatches !!

Have a great month,

Sue xxxx

This photo really made me laugh.  It was headed “We’re really doing well with our ‘don’t sit on the furniture’ training” !!  Regulars will recognise the dog on top but possibly not the name as she has been Izzy, Fleur and is now Tyga Lily !!  As her owner points out,well she is not actually on the chair !!!

Now, following a little giggle to start with, we go to the complete opposite of emotions, heartbreaking sadness.  Those of you who read this page regularly and those who come to our Book Sales will know of Amanda.  Amanda was one of the founder members of the book sale team and was the maker of the most fantastic cakes.  She has been very poorly over the last 18 months with the return of cancer.  Having successfully recovered from breast cancer, it came back in the form of a rare type of blood cancer.  Amanda had to undergo horrid treatments and at Christmas gave us the fright of our lives when we were told she had just two days to live.  She didn’t listen and made amazing progress so we naively thought she would pull off a miracle again.  Anyone who saw her at the Easter Book Sale saw her tired but cheerful and positive and she pulled out all the stops to make her hot cross buns and many of the cakes on sale.  She seemed all set to be well enough to attend her daughter’s wedding in England on 1st June.  Tragically it wasn’t to be and Amanda took a sudden down turn, was rushed into hospital, insisted on coming home after a week and passed away peacefully in her sleep on Monday 22nd May.  I cannot tell you how shocked and desperately sad we all are.  All we could do was to give her the funeral she wanted.  Church service at Albas and laid to rest at the lovely cemetery there next to the river. Plus, and this was very important to Amanda, truckloads of pink flowers.

I’m now trying like mad to think of some good news but as I am off to England next week to stay with my pal Susie when she has her third chemo treatment, it is proving difficult.

However, during what proved to be a very sad month, there was good news for the following dogs who all found great homes – Malik, Mocha, Jocky, Logan and Lolita.  May you all be very happy with your new families.

Sue xx

I know, look at the date, I’m four days early !!  this is because we’re off on Saturday to the Ile de Ré for our annual week of reading, cycling and sleeping !  So much to do before we leave and so little time.

This newsletter is going to be rather sweet and sour so let’s get the sour out first !  People who divorce and chuck the dog out with the unwanted chattels.  Two of these poor dogs on the Adoptions page at the moment.  How DARE people do that ?  Ok, shite happens but at least one of you should have the decency to make sure that wherever you are going to, you can take the poor dog.  It’s not his/her fault you are divorcing.  Wonder if the children go up for adoption too.

Moving on to sweet, three pups adopted and oh how I miss little Nick, just the most wonderful little lad.  He is proving to be, as I knew he would, very laid back and easy going, slotting in to his new life at Juan les Pins with Ana and proving to be the delight of everyone who meets him.  Mimba went off down to Aix en Provence and we are hoping the little teething problems will soon be sorted out.  Misty went off last week and Binky, now Izzy is set to go out into the big wide world tomorrow.

Our Easter Book Sale was a great success raising 2,500 euros and it was lovely to see so many familiar faces.  Not as many as last time which we think was due to the fact that Easter was later this year and the weather has been great so many people had gone away.  We are starting to collect names of people who have books to donate for October so if you have any please get in touch with me – good condition and saleable is the order of the day !

Back to sour, my very dear friend Sue who comes to visit often and who is always here to give a hand at the Book Sale, has been diagnosed with breast cancer.  Luckily she has a great team of mates all queuing up to help her cope with everything and I will be popping over to the UK regularly to give her moral support and to be ready with buckets and bowls !!!

Take care, with love,

Sue x

I’ve always thought what a great easy job a weather forecaster would be.  You just have to forecast rain every day.  It rains, no-one is surprised, it doesn’t rain, people are happy !  Except farmers of course but it takes a lot to make them happy weather wise !  As you may have guessed I’m sitting typing this whilst “sunny spells” tips it down outside and, having finished the house, I’m thinking of asking Ernst to start on the ark !  Weather is such a tease, a couple of days of up to 22° last week and I get out all the garden pots, optimistically buy Lobelia and Impatience from Lidl where they are dying of thirst and plan my weekend.  Huh, aforementioned plants are probably now dying from too much water !  Lidl, now I love the shop but why do they never water the plants they have on sale ?!

Overwatering reminds me of an episode of Bronco the cowboy – boy that ages me ! – when strong handsome Bronco was taken into the desert by a baddie and left to die of thirst.  Of course he didn’t and got back to town where he got his own back by forcing the baddie to drink gallons after gallons of water.  Good justice I always thought ! I can’t stand violence !

Well it’s all systems go getting everything ready for the Easter Book sale (15th April at St. Pantaleon salle de fetes).  I have sorted literally thousands of book, have about 100 boxes for you to browse through plus boxes of dvd’s and cd’s.  A plea, please don’t come with hundreds more books, we won’t have time to sort them and they will end up being got rid of.  However, if you have been saving for us, can I be cheeky and ask you to cherry pick and ONLY BRING books in good condition and saleable, they will be put aside for the next sale.  Nothing technical, no A to Z’s, Michelin Guides, or travel guides generally from the year dot.   As usual loads of home made cakes, coffee, tea and light lunches will be on offer.  It makes a great trip out especially if you have visitors and need ideas of what to do.

Colleague Danielle of La Mere aux Betes has been away for a couple of weeks so adoptions have been on hold.  The six pups I had all have good homes, the last one going down to St. Jean Cap Ferrat if you please !  Boy am I going to miss him.  Nick is a poppet and a great shoe collector. He steals all my shoes and takes them back to his bed !  Mimba will be on her way to Aix en Provence next weekend and Bella and Babarella have gone to some lovely people who were quite prepared to take on two eleven year old dogs, now that is what I call dog rescue !

Remember I said last month I was going to have a ‘dry’ March ?  Well I did it !  We went out to supper with friends last night (I started this newsletter on the 1st April and it is now the 2nd) and I was presented with some bubbly in the biggest wine glass I have ever seen !  I didn’t overdo it but still woke up this morning with that familiar fuzzy head and queasy stomach so I think I’m going back to tonic water and feeling good in the morning.  Mind you my wit and conversation last night was top notch …….. it seemed to me …. !

See you at the Book Sale !

Sue x

This is a lovely story, well the start is not but fear not it has a happy ending.  Hugh was out walking the lovely Jules during one of the recent very windy days when Jules went off on a mission and dragged Hugh towards the river.  There Hugh saw a gorgeous Brittany Spaniel trapped on a ledge with the river water raging beneath her and impossible to climb back up the bank.  Her older companion had not abandoned her but had made herself a bed on the edge of the bank where she could watch and hope.  Hugh to the rescue, both dogs were taken back to the house where they were warmed up and fed before settling down for a much needed sleep.  Enquiries were made and the dogs’ anxious owners made contact the following day.  If only the dogs had had telephone numbers on their collars the owners would not have spent a sleepless night !

My friend Annie telephoned the other evening so I took the ‘phone in to another room so we could chat without the radio in the background.  Unfortunately I had just started to prepare supper and had put oil in to the frying pan.  Annie and I were yapping away when I suddenly smelt smoke and looked into the kitchen where I could see the sort of thin cloud layer of smoke that hovers just below the ceiling when saucepans are left cooking but unattended.  We see such clouds often in our house !  What made that day different was that Ernst was just sitting there engrossed in his suduko and hadn’t even noticed until I shouted out !  Luckily no damage done and lucky too that it was raining so I hadn’t taken the telephone outside and walked round the garden whilst chatting which is what I usually do !

A couple of events coming up which you may be interested in ……. may be ?? of course you are !  Firstly our regular clothes sale to be held at La Sirene in Montaigu de Quercy on Friday 24th March starting at 11 am.  Lots of really good quality clothes at very reasonable prices.  La Sirene will be opening especially for us so we are hoping that many of you will stop for coffee and perhaps lunch too.

Then we have the return of a very favourite event ……..drum roll please …….. The Easter Book Sale !!!!  Easter Saturday at St. Pantaleon Salle de Fetes starting at 10am.  Thousands of brilliant second hand books all at just one euro each be they large or small, dvd’s too plus, as always coffee, tea and delicious home made cakes.  For the last couple of sales we have proposed light lunches and these have been very popular so these too will be on offer – menu to be agreed.  I am delighted, in fact double delighted, to tell you that our own Quercy Culinary Goddess Amanda, who was so very, very ill over Christmas (at one time we were told that she only had 48 hours left) has confounded doctors and specialists by fighting her way back and is hoping to provide some of the cakes for the sale.  Phew, what a relief !!  If you have books to donate, can I ask that you contact me as soon as you like to arrange delivery/collection ?  We really want to try to avoid hundreds of books arriving on the actual day, unless of course you live a long way away when we will be very happy to see both you and your books !  Many thanks ! 

Dog adoptions and reservations have been brilliant in February.  Five of the six Spaniel mix pups are reserved – I’m warning all their future owners as their favourite pastime is nipping ankles and swinging on trouser bottoms at the moment.  those little teeth are like needles !! The magnificent Great Dane has gone to a great home as has Maguy.  Mila has a waiting list and we’ve had lots of enquiries for the French Bulldog so she will be away soon.  Fifi, after a VERY long wait has happily packed her bags and left too.  With all the adoptions you would think there was lots of space but no, as fast as they go, in come more so if you don’t see the dog of your dreams on the adoptions page, hang on in there he/she will be soon !

I’m having an alcohol free March, no particular reason, just thought my body could do without for a while, going great so far …..sorry ? pardon ? only the 2nd, are you sure ??!

Sue xx

 

 

First of all the excellent news that Amanda has defied modern medical science and is home making excellent progress !  After scaring the bejezus out of us before Christmas she has dismissed the home hospitalisation team, is walking again – slowly – and we are sure she’ll be out and about soon so long as this continues !

The ancient Brittany Spaniel who I thought had been dumped on us is back with his carers, the misunderstanding over dates being the cause for concern.

Talking of Brittanys our own Isabelle nearly broke my heart last week.  Isabelle is now three years old and came to us completely traumatised.  She was in such a state that even now after almost three years has passed I still cannot stroke her.  She will come towards me bottom wagging (she doesn’t have a tail) and will take treats from me, but if I stretch out to stroke her she runs off.  She now comes out on walks with us – after accidentally getting out by sneaking out in the middle of the crowd -and never runs off.  However, last Sunday as I came in through the gate Balto our English Setter who should be called Bolto, took me out at the knees and ran off with Josie and Isabelle in hot pursuit.  I didn’t worry too much as they all know the area well.  However, when Josie and Balto came back but Isabelle didn’t I started to fret.  I won’t bore you with the details of the whole angst filled four days, suffice to say that after being outside for four of the coldest nights of the year she came home on Thursday not a gram lighter and full of beans.  I on the other hand hadn’t slept for four nights, had eyes so swollen from crying that I could hardly see and was exhausted from walking miles over the hills and valleys behind our house !

Our little Lulu is still with us and is clearly made of very strong stuff.  Every morning I expect to find him lifeless in his bed, but no, that little (big) heart is still beating away.  Today I took him to be clipped and stayed to help Virginie, who runs Os’car toilettage in Prayssac, as I knew it wouldn’t be easy.  It wasn’t.  Poor Virginie was frightened he would have a heart attack on the table, but no, he just thanked her by doing a poo.  He has now had a bath and is snug in a very unmasculine pink jumper !

I’m off to the UK just for three days on the 16th, going to visit my new Great Niece, Maggie Ann.  I’ll stay with Susie and on the Friday we are going to have a day in London followed by a show (Wicked), then on Saturday off to Streatham to see Maggie Ann, Sunday lunch with a group of friends and home on Monday.  Soo looking forward to it.

Adoptions going well, delighted to say that Lucien went off to what looks like a fabulous home today, he really deserves it, such a great dog.  Scruffboy also went to a lovely couple, Mengo is reserved and will be away next week – you won’t believe how many calls we had for him – and Max who has been so patient got his reward a couple of weeks back finally being chosen.

My ‘Grrrr’ of the month goes to the unspeakably horrid people who owned a lovely young female Lab mix. The dog was given to us by some travellers who had found her and decided they didn’t want her.  Danielle found that the dog was in fact chipped so she was able to trace the owners who are Doctors.  Now usually when this happens the owners are over the moon and very grateful.  However, ‘phone messages went unanswered and after a week, a friend of Danielle’s went to the address on the identity records only to be told that the people had been very upset when the dog got lost but had got used to it now so didn’t want her back !!!  I have very rarely seen Danielle angry, she has seen so much nothing surprises her, but on this occasion she was seething.  We think we have someone on our waiting list for the dog but if it doesn’t work out she’ll be on the adoptions page very soon. 

Right, that’s about it for this month, just to say that for those of you in the area of where The Quercy Local is distributed, look out for my article in praise of adopting adult dogs.

Also, Danielle and I are still in need of any old blankets you may have.  Oh, nearly forgot, we are collecting books and dvd’s for the Easter sale already so get in touch if you need us to collect.

Love,

Sue x

So late, so late, so sorry, so sorry !  Our Christmas / New Year celebrations have gone on and on this time and I just haven’t had a minute to sit down and bring you up to date.  Susie arrived to spend the Festive Season with me and Ernst escaped up to his sister to have a much calmer time.  In fact he seems to have spent a lot of his time there ferrying people to and fro Geneva airport.  Some American friends came over and had so much luggage, one car was not enough !  Therefore Ernst was roped in to help out with a taxi service, my brother in law flatly refusing to do it “if they are so stupid etc., etc. !).  Susie and I had a great time, lunching, shopping, seeing friends and falling asleep in front of the programmes we had ticked to watch on the television.  We kept the television plugged in exceptionally as we were not alone but I have to say there was not much on I couldn’t have lived without.  It is now unplugged again, Susie has gone home and the decorations are down – it’s all very bleak !  Susie was due to leave on the 30th but the flight was cancelled due to the fog and the next available seat was on the 3rd so we had bonus time together and she was able to join us for the Gatsby party we were invited to for the 31st, drinks with neighbours on the 1st and aperos with friends on the 2nd.

Last year very nearly ended too sadly to bear.  Our own dear Domestic Quercy Goddess, Amanda, she of the amazing Book Sale cakes, very nearly left us the week before Christmas.  The horrid blood disease that she is suffering from, lulled us all into a false sense of security then came back with a vicious vengeance and the family were told to say their farewells and prepare themselves. However, no-one gave Amanda the script and she is happily still with us, despite being very poorly and is swatting back the nasty blood munchers with as much strength as she can muster.

 I am now back to my normal life of work, (cleaning), library duty, charity cat shop duty and, of course, dog care.  One of my 2017 resolutions was not, absolutely not, to take in any more dogs.  However it looks likely that an ancient Brittany Spaniel we agreed to look after for the holidays may have lost his foster home so I expect he’ll be staying.  The other resolution was the one I make every other year, not to buy any clothes for a year.  Last year it was not to buy any box sets, I managed it and now am excitedly catching up !  Oh, I nearly forgot, there is another resolution, to think before I speak and to count to ten before hitting the ‘send’ key !  I don’t hold out much hope for that one !! 

Adoptions have not been bad over the last month, Maddie has gone again, this time let’s hope it’s permanent, Mila has been adopted, as has Maika.  I should point out that the dogs who appear on the adoptions page are all, unless otherwise stated, at Danielle’s.  I have 20 old dogs here who no-one wants – and, if I am honest, I would not let go now they have been here so long – so Danielle of La Mere aux Betes takes all the ‘adoptables’ and I just put them on the Poorpaws website as we get quite a good following.  Little Lulu who I took to be PTS last month is still alive but hardly kicking.  Bless his heart I just hope that he will soon be at rest from his confusing life.

So, 2017, bring it on and I hope it’s a great one for all of you.

Sue x

November was certainly not a good month this year and I was glad to see it go.  A lovely friend died from pancreatic cancer after giving it a really good run for its’ money for two years, which is amazing for pancreatic.  Then we had the tragic death of one of our own Poorpaws, Honey, a lovely Border Colley who, in her old age, was living with demons she was finding it difficult to cope with.  I am a wussy person who does not cope well with bad news – in fact a Chinese doctor I went to see once, told me that, just be looking at prints of the soles of my feet !!  I cry for a “oui ou un non” as the French say, which wouldn’t be so bad if I could cry daintily or prettily, but no, not me, screwed up face, great gulping sobs and eyes that disappear into red blobs.  If anyone has shares in Kleenex, you can thank me if you get a dividend this year.

Dog adoptions (why has the print suddenly changed colour ??!!) were well down, in fact, non existant.  Dear Maddie went off happily to her new home only to be returned a week later because she ran after the cats.  Maddie has lived here for a month or so amongst ten or so cats so is quite used to them and in fact has been on the receiving end of many a swipe !  She is only a pup so would not hurt a moggie, she was just missing her playmates here and wanted to have fun with someone.  However, the resident cats packed their bags and gave an ultimatum, so poor Maddie lost out.  To add insult to injury, as soon as she came back there was a bit of over excited playfighting and she ended up at the vet with a nip to her leg !  Nothing serious and she is back on all four paws again, only limping when she feels in need of a bit of extra tlc.

There was a little bit of exciting news in that our ‘middle room’ ( the room between the kitchen and the bedrooms) was finished, so we have a proper house at last !!  It has only taken 14 years !!  Of course there is the terrace to complete and lots of ‘little fiddly’ bits to finish off but I think I can honestly say we made it !!  Ernst was rather pushed into crossing the finishing line as we are hosting our Strictly Sweepstake finals this year and I offered to do this because I knew we would HAVE to be finished.

December didn’t start too well when I decided that time was up for our 18 year old Bichon after I had found him fallen in his pee and he couldn’t get up.  So it was tears before bedtime again as I took him off to the vet.  BUT when the vet gave him a thorough examination he checked Lulu’s ‘private parts’ and Lulu started to wag his tail !!!  So the vet decided that perhaps he (Lulu) had a few more weeks and gave me some medication for him to help clear his head and reduce the pain in his joints.  I’m still not sure, as Lulu is blind and deaf and when not in his large cage, walks around banging into everything or just walks round and round in circles, this when he is not peeing and pooing everywhere. Anyway, I wasn’t going to argue with the vet over something like that and dear Lulu came home again. So it’s back to sleepless nights, getting up two or three times a night to let him out to do his business – I imagine it must be like having a baby who doesn’t sleep through, though I am not suggesting that anyone puts their baby outside to pee !!

Well, it’s that time of year again when the world goes into a consumer frenzy.  I’m happy to say that our circle of friends don’t give gifts, saving them for birthdays, but there still seems to be masses to do.  We had a ‘Prosecco Tasting’ the other night for a friend’s birthday, think we’ll have a change from Champagne, all very enjoyable.  The one that won came from the Italian Deli in Montcuq (yes, we have an Italian deli in the village  !  In fact it is on the premises where I had a gift shop back in the 80’s !).  Ernst will be going to visit his sister in La Clusaz in the mountains and my pal Sue will be coming over to spend the Festive Season with me.  I’d love to go with Ernst but it is impossible to get someone to house/dog sit at this time of year.  I went to London last year so this time it is Ernst’s turn.

So that’s it for November, I’m hoping that the next Newsletter will be a bit more cheerful !!!  Oh, nearly forgot, it’s getting very brrrrr and we are in need of old blankets / quilts to help keep the dogs warm, so if you have any you are thinking of getting rid of, give me a call.  Thanks.

Clearing out a load of boxes at the weekend, I came across my old school report from Hargrave House School in Derby for 1955 when I was six.  The headmistress had written  “Susan is a very bright and interesting pupil”, hmm, what happened ?!

Sue x

ps Happy Christmas !!!

I know, I know, soooooo late this month but in my defence I have been rather busy !  As you can see from the photo I have been to Witchy College, passed with flying colours (hence the purple hat) then had to come back and train up all my Apprentice Witches !  Luckily they all scraped through, took to their cauldrons and managed to magic up some fantastic goodies ready for the Book Sale before flying off on their broomsticks.  The Halloween Book Sale, well, wow, what can I say apart from jumping toads and cartwheeling cats ! It was great.  Our very best with a profit of 3,500 euros which was split fifty fifty between Poorpaws and Cancer Support France.  The Poorpaws half will be shared with my colleague Danielle who runs La Mere aux Betes and who is always there when Poorpaws needs a helping hand and also a donation will be made to Twilight Retirement Home for Dogs, another wonderful rescue organisation run by Leeanne and Mike.  So a huge thank you to all who attended and we look forward to seeing you again next Easter Saturday.

Since the last News Ernst and I have had a great weekend in Southwold with some friends of very long standing who have a tiny one up two down house there.  It was my friend’s birthday and we had a lovely lunch at a restaurant not far from the harbour.  In the evening Phena realised she had lost an earring so the next day we walked back to the restaurant to see if, by chance, she had dropped it there and hopefully not during the walk back along the beach.  However, when we got to the restaurant it was closed ( Monday) so we just walked around the outside and on to the back terrace where Phena had had a cigarette.  I noticed that the door into the actual dining room was open so we went in expecting to find a cleaner or someone.  Imagine our shock nd surprise when the alarm suddenly went off, screaming in our ears.  We immediately ran out again then realised that that wouldn’t look good on the CCTV so went back in, looked all over the floor for the earring and waited for the security firm to arrive.  No-one did turn up so we left a note on the table with telephone numbers and left.  We walked back up to the village and could still hear the alarm ringing when we got home.  Probably the restaurant wasn’t shut up properly on Sunday evening so I’ve a feeling someone got a flea in their ear on Tuesday.  We never did find the earring !

I’ve had news of the lovely Gavaroche plus a photo of him on his return from the ‘hairdresser’, he looks fantastic and brilliantly happy.

I’m very happy to report that all the pups have been homed, but if you missed out don’t fret there are more due to arrive in a couple of weeks.  Meantime, is there not anybody out there interested in Lucien ?  Such a gorgeous creature and so loving.

Had a nasty thing happen this afternoon, I was leaving for work when one of our oldies, Doushka, who is about ten years old, clambered over our two metre high fencing.  I heard a car coming, shouted at Douschka and threw my bag at her hoping to deter her, but no she ran straight out on to the road and straight into the car.  It was awful, a ghastly thump and I saw her spin round and round on the road.  I was screaming hysterically (I’m great in a crisis !) and ran over to find her lying with blood coming out of her mouth and nasty cuts on her legs.  She just lay there and didn’t move and I was sure she was dying so I just sat in the road with her stroking her.  Then she opened one eye and looked at me as if to say “well just how long are we both going to stay in the middle of the road because you are going to get run over too very soon and I need to get to a vet”!  I did a Lewis Hamilton to the vet where they rushed her in and ‘tubed’ her up.  Three xrays showed no internal damage so goodness knows where the blood was coming from, possibly a few broken teeth.  She is still at the vet’s under observation but is expected to pull through.  I’m hoping that will put a stop to her high jump hurdling skills.  The driver of the car never even stopped even though they cannot possibly not be aware of what they had done.  Not that I would have blamed them or been angry, they had no chance of not hitting Douschka she ran straight into them and even if they had been driving at five miles an hour they would have hit her.  I was just surprised they didn’t even stop.  I bet they will come back if the car is damaged.  So, fingers crossed for my girl.

This time next week we’ll know if Trump is the next President – heaven help us all !!!

Sue x