31 December 2013

Happy New Year Every Friend.With Love....



                  To all our very dear friends. We wish you a very happy and prosperous New Year.
                          With love to all.. Carol, Barrie and Angel GJ xx

PS. Will be back in the New year with news and plans x

27 December 2013

Bits and bobs from Christmas........

Christmas Eve was on early shift which as not too bad a shift and not too many call outs. Then we went to our local pub in the evening and had a fun night. Christmas day was a lovely day with Tristan Sue and Mollie and Lilli coming for lunch. We enjoyed a lovely meal and had a lovely time giving and receiving presents. There were a few tears before they arrived an believe it or not they were brought on by Barrie's calendar. I always do him one made up of his favourite pictures from the year. This year I did the calendar before we lost Jasper and of course first page was his lovely face. We didn't stay sad though because it was not what he would have wanted. The day was lovely.

                                  We were sent the next two pictures along with a thank you for the coats and hats.  think we can say they fit ok  and they were pleased.

                                                           Nicholas in his..
                                    Alivia and Leon in theirs...
                                          Lilli with her build a bear dog who she named Nugget..
                                                     Mollie in her hat..
                                               Fun and games..



We enjoyed the day... I had to go to work on nights but even that was a good shift so all in all it was good..
 
At the beans house. Ben Millie and Azzie were joining the beans in Christmas fun..
I don't think Azzie was too thrilled..
                               Ben always a good sport

                                            I think Azzie gave in
                                           Millie wondering if it was her turn for the hat..

So I hope you enjoyed a little look at our Christmas.
Love and best wishes to all our friends xx
Carol xx

23 December 2013

Thank you all my very special friends... Merry Christmas xxxx

My very special friends. This year I was so dreading putting cards and decorations up as I knew I would miss my Jasper's cards so very much. That is until the postman kept each day dropping through the door cards from dear blog friends. I cant tell you how much that means to me. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. It means such a lot...

                                            Jasper's door....
                                      At the weekend Barrie and I went to a housewarming and just looked who lived there. Maverick is a Snoodle ( half miniature Schnauzer and half miniature poodle ) just four months old and adorable.
                              Now I want to tell you of two things that made me so sure that my boy was close by me this week.  must have vacuumed the carpet lots of times since we lost him and the furniture has been pulled out too. This week I put my hand down by my chair to pick up a pen and look....
A huge piece of my boys fur...
         Then I was putting on my scarf and down floated a white feather.

   I like to think he knew I was feeling low and let me know he was there ...

                                 Merry Christmas from Barrie and I xxxx
                             Last years greeting from my boy. So this year from my angel...
                   To you all. You are wonderful and I send love to everyone.

                                                                  Carol xxx

22 December 2013

Happy birthday White Dog xxx

Our dear woofie friend Siku at the White Dog Army is 9 years old today. They are having a commentathon over at their blog and they want to get 48 comments when they will donate a case of 48 blankets for Animal Crackers Senior Dog Hospice and for Fat Katz Rescue. hat a wonderful thing to celebrate their sweet girl's birthday. Pop across there and wish White Dog a Happy Birthday. Here


                            Will you look at White Dog as a baby... Beautiful..
 
 
I have been so busy getting things ready and at work. Two early shifts to do  and then nights Christmas night. but Family hear Christmas day. I will visit you though before then.
 Love and hugs to all. Carol x

21 December 2013

Visit to grands and greats...

Yesterday I went to see the grands and greats that live a couple hours drive away, A fun day and always good to see them..






Would be jeddi's...
                                                    Look at our Alivia now...

                                                   She has come on so well since she had the surgery,,,

                                            Jamie is 13 and already head and shoulders above me..
                     A lovely day...     Love and hugs to all.. Carol xxx

18 December 2013

Will you look what came in the post today....

Today the postman came and brought us a package from Budapest. When we opened it we were so pleased. As you can imagine there were many tears from us both but that is because look how Ami captured our boy. In his favourite place on top of the garage. just look at his eyes Ami captured him so wonderfully.. Ami is my woofie friend Asta's mum and they blog Here
                                    Thank you   so much we will treasure forever.

                         While I am showing treasures I must show you something else that came in the post. I should have blogged as soon as it came but with the kitchen work and going away I didn't. For that I am sorry because it is very special and I wear it so much.
                                  
 
The very talented Sharla from Beaded tail and her friend Edi made this for me. How special and how like my boy. Another treasure forever.

Our friends at Beaded tail blog Here
             Treasures indeed.   Love and hugs to all.. Carol x

17 December 2013

Rush rush dash dash....

Hello everyone. This time of year we all seem to rush around and get ourselves so stressed as so much to do. I am the same and don't have enough hours in a day. Before we went away we had the mess of the kitchen and then we went away. We came home and the rush started getting everything done. Shopping, cards, wrapping and decorations. We have got the kitchen all put back to rights and it is finished. I am on nights so it is all work and bed, but Barrie bless him has got the outside Christmas lights up and they look wonderful. Yesterday before work I got the tree and inside decorations up and I put up our boy's stockings as I could not leave them out.
    Last night I went to a lovely old couple were the husband had fallen, they were still so much in love after so many years together and were both in their 90's. I helped the gentleman up and back into a warm bed with his wife fussing round him. He was not worried about himself just that his wife was warm enough.
    We got to talking and they asked was I ready for Christmas, I said oh no so much to do yet and so little time. We talked more and they asked about family. I said I had 8 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren and that I was going to see some of them and the greats that lived away from me on Thursday  and I   was looking forward to it so much.
     They asked was I seeing any of them on Christmas day. Yes I am the ones that live near are coming on Christmas day. The old man said... well it seems to me that there is no need to rush and worry, you have many blessings around you and what gets done gets done and what doesn't is not important. You know what he is so right.... The blessings are many and the little things are just nothing to worry about... So I will try and follow that advice and what gets done gets done and what doesn't is not important...
   Hope to show you photo's of the great grandchildren when I have visited on Thursday. wait until you see how Alivia has come on since her operation. She is a joy.
   So everyone try and follow that old man's advice too.
   Love and hugs to all.   Carol x


              A couple of lovely sun sets in Lanzarote

13 December 2013

A card from our Angel...To all our friends..With Love



A Christmas card to all our friends with love and hugs....


                              Our dear friend Ann did this beautiful card for us. How wonderful that our Angel can send love to you all.  I am going to email some but.. Please take if you would like    Love and hugs Carol xx

10 December 2013

A little update from me......

Hi everyone, well I am back from the week away and yes I do feel so much better. I was able to relax and to take stock of my feelings. I had been letting the feelings go round and around in my head and it just was making me so miserable. What with losing Jasper, working and then having the work going on for the new kitchen I  suppose it was just a lot going on. The week in the sunshine was just what the doctor ordered and recharged both Barrie and my batteries. I read 4 books and we just generally had a lovely time. Yes we still had a few tears  at times but then I suppose we will for a long time.
  I was I know holding things in and I am sorry to say I found it very hard to visit blogs. This made me sad because  I so love the blog and so love all the friends we have made. I don't want to lose any of that. I will be visiting now and will try and stay in touch with what is happening. Please keep me in the loop with any auctions and fundraisers and events because I always try to join in.

 Now one last thing is I want to get off my chest and tell you about that last couple weeks  of Jasper's life. As you know he was just not eating much at all and then he would not have anything and existed on just cat milk. There was no flesh on him at all and he was just all bones and fur. We were so very worried and we knew that that time was coming. I spoke to the vet several times and went in and just spoke and cried with the vet nurse. I explained that I didn't want him to go but that  also didn't want him to be in pain and for us because he was far too important for that to happen. They said you will know when its time. The last two days were awful especially the day before. Jasper wanted to be as close to me as was possible and was pressing himself into me as though he could get inside me but he was so uncomfortable that he had to keep shifting himself to try and get comfortable a little. He would not leave me and I would not leave him. I stayed up with him in the chair and just tried to make him comfortable as I could. I knew it was time. Next morning I told Barrie that I must ring the vet, he was so upset and said must we don it yet. I said that we owed it to him and although we didn't want to we must not let him suffer. I called the vet and spoke to the lovely young man that has been there for Jasper many times, he asked me what was the nature of the visit, I couldn't speak properly and he knew and just said I understand. We hugged and loved Jasper for the last few hours and we so did not want to go but he did not know how to be comfortable at all. When we walked in we were greeted by our favourite little nurse who just said don't worry we understand. Our special vet was still not at work after his accident but Nigel the boss man was wonderful. I said I had to be sure and he said let me examine Jasper and see what I   think. He did so and said you are so right he is just so ill and he is ready to go, if he was mine I would do the same. We both held him and he was so quiet and just looked at us as if to say thank you for this. Nigel said oh bless I have only got a small amount in  and he has gone, he was so ready and now he has no pain. Nigel understood that we didn't want to make the decision but said when a cat was so terminally ill it was the only choice to make and we were giving him the last gift we could. He left us alone and said take all the time you want before leaving him.
   The next morning the phone rang and it was Alistair our vet calling from home, he had been told about Jasper and called to see how we were. I thought this was such a lovely thing to do. Alistair said please remember that you had two more years with your boy and he fought so well. Yes he was right we did.
 I just couldn't say all this before but wanted to tell you all as I wanted closure and you all understand so well. This is my closure and I thank you all for listening and being there through it all. I so appreciate that. Very much.

  Now I will show you the promised pictures of the kitchen. Before and after.
                                                           Before we had a dead corner because the built in fridge and freezer were at the end and the free standing cooker was  in the recess where the old fireplace used to be. ( very old house ) we cant move the alcove because its a retaining wall.




                   The builders did a grand job and revamped the design for us to utilise all the space. They moved the fridge to the other end and took the work surface all the way around the alcove where the fireplace was.
  




 
Then today we put back all the pictures and ornaments. It just finished it off lovely.
Remember when we has new windows we left the window and table free of everything because Jasper loved to sit there and look out. Barrie put the kitties from then unit tops on the window so they could carry on looking out.

                                              His painting looks down on us...

                                               Kitties look down from here too...
                                                        



                                                  Mum bought me this kitty many years ago...
                                               And this one.....
We love the kitchen a lot..
So a very mixed post today and now I will go and visit my friends blogs.
Take care all. Love and hugs Carol x