Author: Sue

As  usual our annual second hand clothes stall at the Vide Grenier in Montcuq on the last Sunday in August was a huge success.  We arrived with a loaded up van and trailer and people were waiting just itching to get at the bags.  As you can see we had piles of garments and I am kicking myself not to have taken a photo at the end  when there were just a few bits and pieces left..  The secret of our success ?  We are not greedy,  most things are sold at just one or two euros whereas other clothes stalls were asking anything up to 20.  We would rather go home empty than pack up the twenty bags again.  We took over 500 euros, slightly down on last year but a very good day’s takings nonetheless.  Again my heartfelt thanks to Danielle and Lesley for their invaluable help during the very hot and busy day.  The money will be shared between Poorpaws, Danielle’s refuge and I will be sending an envelope off to Twilight.

The dogs have been going thick and fast – but of course, are coming in at the same speed too !!   Indy has found a great new home as have Chopin, Jezebel, Chester, Joley and fingers crossed for Moustache who some people are coming to see this week.  The best news is that Jojo’s owners have decided to keep him even though he looks as though he could end up being taller than them !!  My own lovely Josie will be going to stay with Jojo whilst I am on holiday and if it all works out then she will stay with him so that he has a playmate.  Whilst Josie is extremely deferential to all the dogs here, almost asking permission to play or sleep with them, she has the complete upper hand with Jojo and puts him in his place !

Did you notice how I slid the word ‘holiday’ in there ?!  Yes, it’s the Cap d’Ail time of year again.  We’re off with our friends down to the coast for ten days from the 6th to the 16th for a lovely time playing cards, reading and generally relaxing.  However, whilst we are there, I have to submit to the Ice Bucket Challenge !!  MVBF (my very best friend) sent me a video of herself having a bucket of cold water poured over her and before the ghastly deed said that she nominated me and friends Annie and Sue to do the same.  Now, we don’t have television so I knew nothing about this craze and thought it was something MVBBF (my very best BATTY friend) had thought up as a lark.  I do remember hearing something about a politician challenging someone to do it but thought no more about it.  Apparently I am living in the dark ages because this is sweeping the nation.  I have agreed to do it, possibly because I am so mean and would rather get wet than pay out 10 euros or is it pounds (?) but mainly because the Macmillan nurses were absolute angels to my Dad in his last days.  So, watch out for the next newsletter there may be a VERY unflattering photo of moiself.  I am actually practising flinging my head back so that my hair fans out in slow motion with droplets falling like diamonds as you see in commercials, can’t be that difficult can it ?!

Being so NOT a domestic goddess, when I discover little household hints I like to share them with my friends who are all very happy to receive them, so I thought I would share some with you.

Cooking hints. 1)  When making a cake in a hurry for people who are arriving for tea within the hour, always make sure that the white crystals you put in the cake mixture are sugar and not salt. 2) When making an apple and ginger crumble, always wear your glasses to ensure that the spice you put in the crumble is in fact ‘gingembre’ and not   ‘coriandre’.  There, I bet you are glad I passed those on. Watch out next month for washing household hints.

Enough of this silliness, I haven’t had a rant yet, my friends Shelagh and Mo will be disappointed !  I could go on about Chopin the very first dog homed by me eleven years ago and who has been left behind whilst his family have moved to the UK but you all know my views on that sort of behaviour.  A complete opposite is the lovely Siobain previously of Hope Association, who is moving back to the UK with 12, yes TWELVE dogs !  Look out Dorset, here she comes !

I was hoping to be able to give you the final figures of the total raised by Gaynor with her fantastic cycling achievement but I don’t have them yet.  I’ll add them in as soon as I can.

Love,

Sue

There is only one way I could start this month’s news.  Gaynor did it !!!!   SHE  BALLYWELL  DID  IT !!!!!  She cycled 171 kms in a day in the most horrendous conditions (as you can see behind her) up the steepest of steep mountains and coming down at frightening speeds through cloud where she couldn’t see the side of the road.  Read her full account on gaynorpedals4dogs.com and you will get just a small idea of what she has done for Poorpaws and La Mere aux Betes, our sister refuge.  I watched the professionals do the same stage on the television the other day (in perfect conditions)  and was horrified to think that Gaynor had put hereself through that for us.  “Thank you” does not even touch the surface of what I want to say to Gaynor.  So, if you haven’t donated yet, go to Gaynorpedals4dogs.com and get clicking, it couldn’t be easier.  Any donation however small helps and I promise you on the life of St. Cadbury (although I’m going off him since he sold out to Kraft !), that EVERY  SINGLE  CENT will go to making dogs’ lives happier.  Any expenses incurred in entering the stage have been met by Gaynor and Phil – who also did the stage with a damaged shoulder, mustn’t forget him ! –  their shirts were donated by the manufacturer and the printing of leaflets was also donated.  So, all your money goes to the dogs. I will let you know what it is spent on but at the moment we think it very likely that it will be spent on new solid insulated kennels and improving the parks.  THANK  YOU to everyone who has been connected with this event.

Another successful event this month was our Hog Roast which raised just over 1,700 euros !!  Due to uncertain weather we plumped for eating inside the Salle de Fetes leaving the doors open so people could drift in and out as they wished.  No room to serve the food nside but the weather turned out to be kind and we could serve outside easily.  Thank you to the band Free Drinks who were stupendous.  Great, great music of all sorts with a good mix of new and oldies.  Go see them whenever you can – they will be at the Marché Gourmande at Château Aix at Saux on the first Wednesday of September.

For my friend Shelagh here is this month’s rant !  People !!!!   Just lately, I don’t know why, we have had a few instances where people choose a dog they want to adopt , get all excited, arrangements are made, paperwork is drawn up, then we get the email “Oh, I can’t take the dog after all.  My wife/husband/grandmother/brother-in-law’s second cousin first removed, doesn’t want it !!!  For goodness sake, talk to eachother !  How could anyone even think of taking such a decision without discussing it fully with everyone involved in the well being of the dog ?!  We are talking about a living being here, not a cuddly toy !

As for the guy who is intent on abandoning two elderly dogs who he has had since they were young because he is going back to the UK with a new lady who is  ‘allergic’ so it is “impossible” to keep the dogs, well don’t even get me started.

Ok rant over !  On to Poorpaws dogs.  The long eared Brunos have had a lot of success, in fact as I write there is just one female left, the Cairn Terrier puppy has gone to a super home as have a couple of other little pups who never made it to the website.  Take a peek at Jezebel, what a charmer if ever I saw one !  Our Tega, unbelievably has fallen on her feet again !  She has been adopted by a lovely couple with a huge garden and a lake next door where Tega has her morning constitutional.  You mess this one up Tega and I’ll be after you !!

It’s Fete and Manifestation time again, so I’ll give out the usual reminder.  Please don’t drag your poor dogs round markets and fetes, it is totally miserable for them, leave them at home in the cool and NEVER, however cool it seems, shut your dog in the car with the windows up.  I cannot believe in this day and age I actually saw one such poor dog outside Carrefour.  I reported it and left a rude message on the windscreen.  Luckily it wasn’t a scorching day but a car heats up very quickly.

Have a wonderful August and keep a  peek at the News, I often forget things and add them later !!

Love,

Sue

Sorry about the lateness of this months news, I have been glued to the TV for the last two weeks watching Wimbledon ! What a fantastic Mens’ final and how glorious to see a five setter where really neither player deserved to lose. I didn’t see the Ladies’ Final as my friend Lesley’s daughter, Marta was getting married and as I was a witness I sort of had to be there. I won’t tell you my reaction when I realised which weekend she had chosen for the wedding, all I can say is that some people push the friendship boundary very far !! Still, it was a wonderful wedding and so it should have been as Lesley has been working herself into a self-destructing stressball over the last month or so – or should that be year or so !!

Regular readers of this monthly waffle will remember Sky the most adorable Rottweiler (scroll back a few months if you want to read about her). Many hearts were broken when Sky became so ill there was only one kindness left that Kelly and her family could do for her. A Rotty breeeder (grr, don’t like breeders but I forgive this one) heard about Sky and has given the family a beautiful female pup who has been named Lulu. Lulu is turning out to be very bright and looks as though she will also be one gorgeous dog. Here you see her in the photo where it seems that she has her eyes set on a career as a pole dancer ! Lulu you are one Lucky Girl to become a member of Kelly’s family and I’m sure you won’t let them down. We look forward to more photos as you grow up.

My friend Shelagh says she reads this rubbish to find out what I am going to go off on one about every month. Well this month is it FOOTBALL, or rather FOOTBALLERS !!!! We have had to suffer months of World Cup this and World Cup that, the players are paid a fortune, they seem to consider they are little gods and don’t even get me started on their wives / partners ! Then what happens ? THEY CAN’T WIN A SINGLE MATCH !! After they had lost the first two, they were saying that if Italy won then the English team would still be in with a chance. No, sorry, you have no right to still be in with a chance YOU ARE INCAPABLE OF WINNING ONE MATCH. Go home you miserable apologies for footballers and don’t darken our newspaper pages again. What REALLY got me mad was that there was all the hype about them and little Heather Watson played a blinder of a tennis match against the world number 12 and beat her, but did we hear anything about that ? Yeah, right !!

However, this news page is supposed to be about dogs !! Tondra is adopted, Ben is adopted, Guismo is adopted, Holly too, lots of interest in Indy and just one Cairn Terrier pup left to go. Lots of new dogs who will, I promise be on the website very soon. Oh big beautiful Tega came back. Silly, silly girl, had a wonderful home with gorgeous Geordie as a playmate and what does Miss Tega do ? Suddenly turns into Bitchzilla and makes the poor Geordie’s life a misery. Decides she is boss and wants all the attention. So she is here again where she has settled back into the gang but still looking for a home where she will be the only dog. I can’t understand it, she shares affection here with 17 other dogs, but when there are just two she gets stroppy.

It’s not too late to sponsor Gaynor in her Tour de France ride in aid of Poorpaws and our sister refuge La Mere Aux Betes. Just Google Gaynorpedals4dogs.com and follow the instructions how to donate. Ernst and I are going down to cheer her on so I should have some photos for the next news page.

I’m sure I had more to say but can’t think ( suffering from Wimbledon blues). Anyhow I’ll add if need be.

Love,
Sue xx

Well hallo again, aren’t the months just flying by ?  Ernst and I have just got back from our annual week on the Il de Ré and it was, as usual wonderful.  We are used to going in October when it is blissfully quiet there but thought we would have a change and go in May this year.  Quite a difference, all the shops and restaurants open and many more people around.  We are used to having the cycling tracks to ourselves but this time there were bicycles all over the place.  A bonus was the long light days which we don’t get in October so we think we will go in May again next year, but avoid a Bank Holiday period – if that is possible in May over here !  We had gorgeous weather, sun, fluffy white clouds but quite a bit of breeze which made the cycling, for me anyway, more difficult despite the flat as a pancake landscape.  I could never understand why whether we were going out or coming home, the wind was always against me !  I am quite a bit (well, actually a lot) shorter than Ernst so whereas he just cycles slowly along, I am behind him with my little legs going like pistons trying to keep up.  I don’t think we ever, during the whole week, got back home at the same time as he was always so far ahead and didn’t bother to wait for me at junctions so I never knew which way he had gone ! 

A bonus also was the fact that I could watch Roland Garros in the afternoon (we don’t have TV at home).  Mind you, I spent a lot of the time screaming at the screen ” have you even HEARD of Andy Murray ?”  Honestly, I love France and love living here, but really, in England when Wimbledon is on it is on television from midday until end of play WITHOUT ADVERTS.  In France, even though play starts at 11 am, it is not on TV until three o’clock and then goes off at 8 with adverts every five minutes.  Sooooo frustrating !  Actually I’m telling porkies to say we don’t have TV, we do have a set but I use it only for dvd’s and the lovely Keith comes round once a year to connect me up for Wimbledon, after which it is unplugged again.  People sometimes ask me whatever do we do in the evenings if we don’t have television.  Well, I have to say, Radio 4 is on from the minute I get up to the minute Ernst comes to bed and we read, we play cards and Backgammon.  It is surprising how quickly you get used to not having the box.  When I go to UK I always think I’ll have a real tellyfest but there never seems to be anything interesting on.  Obviously there are some really good series but I can and do get those on dvd.

Right, having bored you to tears, lets talk about something very important – fund raising !!  July 12th in your diaries please, our second Hog Roast.  The first was a great success two years ago so we thought we would do another.  Tickets are 22.50 euros and you will be treated to live music, a great meal and all round a great evening.  I know it is difficult for vegetarians – I am one – but we will be royally catered for, just let us know when booking and keep your back to the piggy.  To be held at the St. Pantaleon Salle de Fetes.  Please book as early as possible,you can email me, susan.glibbery@orange.fr or ‘phone me on 0565245303.  I will be sending out détails to those of you on my mailing list.

The second Very Important Event is my mate Gaynor’s INCREDIBLE attempt at one of the Tour de France – TOUR  DE  FRANCE  FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE – stages.  Besides being completely bananas Gaynor is an absolute dog lover and cycling fanatic and follows the Tour closely.  Last year she and husband Philip took part in the amateur stage (which is one of the most difficult parts of the Tour).  Gaynor didn’t quite make it, but this year she is determined to finish and she is doing it to raise money for Dog Rescue.  Please go to the website Gaynorpedals4dogs.com and see the enormous challenge that she is facing.  If, like me, you are completely in awe and want to support Gaynor and through Gaynor, Poorpaws, go to the donations page.  You can give as little or much as you like.  Every single cent will go to help make an unhappy dog happy.

  I can tell you that having just cycled round Ré which has no hills over six inches, my legs go to jelly just at the thought of the mountains Gaynor will be cycling up.

Following our holiday I went round to Danielle’s to collect a few of the dogs she had been looking after for me and to catch up on who has been adopted and who has come in.  May was a good month !  Off to new homes went Itou and Ilou, Caline (yey !), Chopin, Athéna, the two lab cross pups and my little Bobby.  Of course lots have come in and you can see them all on the adoptions page – I’m keeping special fingers crossed for Jag, what a super boy !  You may  spot some changes to the adoptions page in that I have found out how to add little cartoony figures !  The dog running means the dog has been adopted, the little cute dog means “please adopt me” and the puppies mean …….. well, puppies actually.  How arty farty is that ?!

So, that’s my waffle over for another month, see you in July.

Love,

Sue x

So, we’ve had a nice bit of sunshine and I’ve already seen them about.  Rare birds ?  Baby wild animals ?  No,  people who think they are keeping themselves and their dogs fit by cycling around with the poor dog tied to the bike.  ARRRGH !!   NO,  NO, NO !!!  Not only is it so dangerous that they may end up not having to worry about the dog’s health or their own any more, it is just downright cruel and will probably shorten the dog’s life due to a heart attack.  Dogs are like footballers, they run they stop, they turn they run they stop.  They are not long distance runners.  Imagine yourself being tied to a moving machine and being forced to keep up even if you are well out of breath and have to keep going and keep going until the person on the machine decides to stop.  It’s just too ghastly to think about a poor dog in that situation.   So, please, walk with your dog and cycle alone.

Another thing that has been spotted and if you were in Carrefour one hot sunny day a few weeks ago, you may have seen her too, a lady doing her shopping in her swimsuit !!  The cashier told me and said the guys on the butchery counter were having funny turns, so if your chops and mince were overweight and under priced you will know why !!  Although, even in my (much) younger days when I used to look ok in a bathing costume, I would never have gone shopping dressed like that, I do admire the guts of the woman to be so sure of herself.

‘Guts’, horrid word but I couldn’t think of another, ‘balls’ didn’t seem appropriate !  Other words I hate,  ‘belly’, ‘tummy’ is so much nicer, and ‘bitch’, horrid word, I don’t think I have ever referred to a female dog as a bitch even though that is surely what she is.

Talking of dogs, it has been a great month here !  My beloved Tega went to a great new home, as did Gamin, Kali, Emma and Sarko.  You can see pictures of them all on the Happy Endings page – although it has been pointed out to me that that page should be renamed Happy Beginnings  – like it !

Our Easter Book sale was a great success and thank you to all who supported us.  We made 1,500 euros, up on last Easter and a little down on the Autumn but we always take more just before Winter.  Happily we didn’t run out of cakes this time, in fact we had so many that some even didn’t make it to the table – as was the case for a couple of mine, but perhaps that is no bad thing.  Thanks for all the lovely books donated and sorry we had to refuse some which were offered just a couple of days before the sale.  I’ll get in touch nearer the Autumn one.  I would especially like to thank the person who put in the beautiful untouched address book.  It had a dust cover with a lovely bouquet of flowers and flowers throughout the book.  When I saw it, my heart did a triple bounce, it is EXACTLY the same as the address book my Mum and Dad had for many years until they died.  Looking through the book I could see my Mum and Dad’s writing on every page.  Naturally, it is now here with me.  Also a copy of Kai Lung Unrols His Mat.  My Dad loved Kai Lung books and even quoted him at (one of !) my weddings – “a man does not burn down his own house even to annoy his mother-in-law” !!

My Dad was a lovely gentle man, except when playing Bridge !!!  He adored it and tried so hard to be a good loser but never quite managed it, blaming all his bad hands on the God he didn’t believe in !

I’ve had a couple of weekends away since the last News Page – isn’t not working great when you have friends all over the place ?!  I went to the UK to celebrate my mate Sue’s birthday and we did it well !!  Curry on the first night with the Essex gang, then off to Bromley for celebrations with the friends the other side of the Thames.  Then last weekend we went to stay with friends Chantal and Claud down at Martigue.  Chantal and I have been friends since 1971 when I was an au pair in Toulon working for her sister-in-law.  Chantal is great but just doesn’t get the ‘vegetarian thing’.  She made an effort on the first night, peppers, aubergines and tomatoes ……………..stuffed with minced meat !!  She is convinced I am going to die because I don’t eat meat or fish but has been saying this for thirty years and doesn’t seem to notice I am fit, fine and healthy !!

At the end of this month we are off to our beloved Isle de Ré – don’t think I’ve ever been away so much – thank you to good pal Louise who looks after the dogs and cats for us.

Anyway, back to dogs !  Please, please, please look at Caline, she is a Darling and has been hoping for a home for much too long now !

Love,

Sue x

Wow,  what can I say but WOW !  Our clothes sale at La Sirene raised a fantastic 500 euros !!  I was only able to be there for an hour or two and when I left it looked as though the sale would not be that successful but there must have been a surge after I left.  Huge thanks to Pat Lockett and Pat Norden Angus for all their hard work and thank you to all of you who donated and who came along to support.  Hope you got a few bargains.  I must give a special mention to Gaynor Pugh who never fails to pull fantastic clothes, brand new and unworn, out of the hat, her generosity knows no limits.

Talking of Gaynor, she not only donates wonderful clothes she is going to be cycling the amateur stage of the Tour de France ……..yes, you read that right THE  TOUR  DE  FRANCE (!!!!) in aid of dog rescue. We will be setting up a website where you will be able to donate easily direct by a click.

Oh come on, whilst I’ve got the begging bowl out, I’ll continue !  First of all our very popular (big-headed or what ?!) book sale in support of Dog Rescue and Cancer Research.  The next one is Easter Saturday, 19th April, 10am to 3pm, as usual to be held at Lesley’s lovely barn at her home in Beliben, which is five minutes from Sauzet in the Cahors direction.  As usual there will be hundreds of great books – I know because I have read them all just to check and those I haven’t read my brother has (this phrase stolen from Sophie with apologies).  We ran out of cakes too soon last time so are making lots more to make sure this doesn’t happen again but better come early to be sure !  I’m desperately trying to get on to good terms with Bitch Betsy my new cooker, so that I can make something edible if not too presentable !   It has been pointed out that if I stopped calling her Bitch Betsy she may behave better.  The price for books and dvd’s (please no videos) remains at just one euro each.  If you have any dvd’s or books to donate, please get in touch so we can arrange to get them.

Next and last grab at your money, following the success of our hog Roast a couple of years ago, this is to be repeated on Saturday 12th July at the Salle de Fetes at St. Pantaleon.  so, put it in your diary and I’ll be giving you more news in the next newsletter.

And so to dog news !  The lovely Hamish was returned from one home and went to another on the same day !  This time it is for keeps and I knew it would work when I found out the new owners are fellow Essex people (yes, folks I am an Essex girl from ‘Sarfend’ – Southend for those who don’t speak Essex) and the chap even lived in the same tiny hamlet as I did just before I left England !  The tiny Yorkie, now Oscar went off with his new owners laughing all the way, they just couldn’t believe a dog could be so small !  As for me, after looking after Oscar for a few days, I couldn’t believe so much poo could come out of one so tiny !  I’m still waiting for a photo of Oscar with his new huge playmate !!

Excellent news in that my lovely (though not so lovely since she was party to scaring one of our cats to death) Tega will be off to a new home in a couple of weeks.  Tega is just a Darling, Darling dog and I couldn’t be happier for her, although I’ll need to get a giant box of tissues for the handover.

We are really keen to find a home(s) for Janet and John.  Two little babes who were found fending for themselves in the woods – should have called them Hansel and Gretal.  I have been looking after these two for a couple of weeks and they have come on enormously.  Both still slightly timid but walking on a lead now.

Evelyn at Doglinks has brought Dino to my attention.  Dino is a Spanish Mastiff mix who has been in a refuge since the age of five months.  He is now NINE  YEARS  OLD !!!  Please, please, please, if there is a Mastiff lover out there, step forward.  Go to Doglinks WordPress and scroll down until you get to him.  A big boy with the temperament of a kitten.  All expenses will be paid to get him out and into the right home.

Right, I have to prepare now for a week of fun and frolics.  My mate Susie is coming over from UK tomorrow then I will fly back with her on Friday just for four days to celebrate her birthday.  That’s if I can bring myself to leave ……………..my KITCHEN !!  There will be a couple of updated photos somewhere in this newsletter, goodness knows where, I don’t seem to be able to control photo placements !! Ernst says don’t take any notice of the drawer fronts, they are temporary !

Love,

Sue

ps Oh, and to the person who sent me an email telling me to “rot in hell”, I probably will, see you there !

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 !