FANNY WATCHING

I have been checking out the girl’s fannies for the weeks, more so than usual, because I am expecting them to come into season.  Whitney is not due until the end of August that Edna and Carly had yet to have their second season so I have no idea when to expect it.  However, judging from the behaviour of the girls over the last few weeks I know that is one of them is coming in.  When I checked Carly today I think it might well be her.  If so I shall be pleased because the timing is just right.

I was very disappointed to discover recently that going and giving talks and demonstrations leaves me just as fatigued and pain filled the day after as dog shows do. Pish! This of course means that any ambitions I had to work more frequently and further afield are unrealistic.

Perhaps just the way that I communicate on the Internet via my blog and on Facebook and/or e-mail and just with the people I meet, I can be spreading what I have learned.  My life has changed so dramatically that I really want to share how.  It is not something that one can just write about once and that is it.  Changing one’s beliefs about oneself, about one’s past, and about the world one lives in, takes time.  Often, just like I did, one needs to read the same message over and over and over in many different ways before it begins to sink in.

It is possible that I only thing this in order to cheer myself up!  I do find it odd that I have this gift to share (mediumship) but my body does not allow me to do so very often.  I had been forewarned that my pathway was going to change and that I would work in a different manner. I have only just come to realise how my body dictates what I am able to do.  I have yet to understand how my work will continue or even if it will.  It would seem to me to be such a waste if there was not some way I could talk and demonstrate more than occasionally to 20 people.  I guess the powers that be will guide me however I need to be guided.  In other words this is not down to me and I will have to go with the flow.

I am really looking forward to our trip to Dresden in Germany.  Germany is a beautiful country and as I have said many times its treatment of the handicapped is excellent.I barely have any access issues.The people themselves are friendly and polite and they do not patronise me. They do not assume that because I am in a wheelchair I am a dribbling idiot.  They speak to me not to John if it is me they are asking something of.  They do not pretend that I am invisible.

One of the reasons I really enjoy going away is that I get a break from having to do the day-to-day things.  It is nice not to have to deal with the dogs and it is extremely nice not to have to cook for myself!  It took me a long while to realise that this was one of the main things I liked about being away.  It is nice to be taken care of.

 

TIRESOME

I cannot say that I feel particularly fatigued, but I have felt rather tired. I have been sleeping at night and also having a two-hour nap in the afternoon. I am going to go swimming this morning.I might even bath dogs later today.

I am still shocked by what happened with the old bag in the supermarket on Sunday.  I am astonished by such behaviour.  I also get annoyed with myself because I don’t find such things easy to brush off.

I have also discovered that my feelings regarding a particular show were correct.  There is a close friendship between the judge and the winner.  I cannot be any more specific. I also looked at past judging records, which speak for themselves.  The arrogance of such behaviour! Taking the rest of us for fools.  I am never upset when beaten honestly though it is very difficult to feel magnanimous in defeat, when one knows one never stood a chance in the first place! It is such a shame that people behave in this manner.  We pay a lot of money to enter the shows and the least the judge can do is have respect for us.  No doubt they have rationalised their behaviour so will not recognise themselves in such comments as this!

My puppies are really quite delightful. They were 11 weeks old yesterday. Hopefully Mary Grace will one day be in the show ring.

My next show is Bournemouth, on 18 August.  I have yet to be certain that I’m going.  After that.  It’s the Welsh Kennel Club show on the 22nd. I think my next one after that will be Darlington.

 

TRIGGER

On Sunday, I had a run-in with a really nasty piece of work at the supermarket. this woman started shouting the odds because she wrongly assumed I was about to park illegally in a disabled bay.  She would not listen to reason.  Later in the shop.  She was still going off even know I was in my wheelchair, and she tried to prevent me moving and sat on me! I had pushed her off and reversed and left the shop because otherwise I would have lost it.

Later that night I had disturbed sleep, and yesterday I kept having flashbacks to my childhood.  It really f*cking annoys me that I can still so easily be transported back.  Still I feel much better today.

The cat belongs to a friend of mine. Isn’t he gorgeous? The photograph of me is how I dress for the show at Leeds on Saturday past. my next show is not until 15 August.  I have missed two shows out.  I can do with it not being so hectic!

CATS

I had a terrible day yesterday regarding pain.  However, I have woken up feeling much better today.

Dog people have always warned that when one becomes successful, people will be nasty.  I have not experienced much of this. One 'friend' was clearly jealous and our friendship is all but over.  Now she is causing trouble, with regard to Whitney's father.  So sad.  I am not overly concerned because I kept my distance from this person.  When it became apparent to me what she was like.  Whenever we spoke, she always slagged off other people including her friends.  When a person does that, you can be fairly certain that they are doing the same to you.  The only other bits of nastiness that I'm aware of is some woman who was overheard telling other people that my disease was all put on for sympathy.  As I said, when I mentioned this before, my play for sympathy, cost me an awful lot of money and a lot of inconvenience!  I must be an effing good actor, as I am prescribed heavy-duty painkillers like tramadol and morphine!

Jealousy, I do not understand.  I understand envy.  To me, envy is about aspiration, where as jealousy is about destruction.  At least this is how I view it.

Recently I have not found acceptance so readily available to me. Much to my chagrin, I have found that going and doing a talk and demonstration leaves me shattered the next day.  Just like a dog show does.

The pain of my disease causes I can cope with its never really been that much of a problem.  I am good at ignoring pain, and now of course I have medication when it gets too much and I can't ignore it. On the other hand, fatigue is not something one can do anything about.  It just is, one has to ride it through.  I find this very frustrating.  It also makes me feel old before my time.I do not like being able to do what I want to do and when I want to do it.  I also do not always take into consideration.  This part of my disease and John often has to point out that I have agreed to do too much.  I had a phone call just the other day, reminding me of a booking I had for a talk and demonstration which I have agreed to do the day after a dog show.  I apologise profusely to the person and said that I would not be able to attend.  Because I have worked there before, they understood completely and she also understood my reluctance to accept that it was beyond my capabilities.  No harm done , and I guess this means I am just getting better at accepting my limitations.

I am thankful that I can still swim.  Swimming is very important.  Not only does it help with stress, it keeps my weight down, and most importantly, it keeps me mobile.  The longer I can keep up swimming,  the longer I can stave off the worst.

It also annoys me that I cannot write about my disease and the difficulties it causes me without feeling like I am moaning and making a fuss about nothing. It makes me feel guilty.  A part of me believes I should keep a stiff upper lip and not talk about such things.  There are people far worse off than me etc etc etc

My dyeing has been going well and the selling of my hand-painted yarns has also been going very well.  I really enjoy the dyeing.  It is very satisfying and it is also exciting.  When I prepare to dye, I have no idea what I am going to produce.  That is one of the most exciting things about it.  Actually, it is the most exciting thing about it!  I also get a kick out of mixing up my own colours.  I am not afraid to try new combinations.  I'm also not afraid to see what happens if I'd put this dye in that dye.  I have produced some lovely unique colours this way.
I often mix dyes when I have little amounts left rather than throw away.

I have been up since 5:30 AM as I have to be in bed very early this evening because I have Leeds championship show tomorrow.  I am looking forward to it.  I have sorted out my outfit which is built around a wine coloured frock coat.  I may be able to have a picture of me dressed up later on today.

GET YOUR FINGERS OUT

It is disappointing to note that several of my favourite bloggers appear to have stopped blogging.  I do hope that they resume.

I have not done anything that is different recently.  I have been really into the dyeing and I'm pleased to say that my yarns have been selling well.  I really do enjoy doing it and I have discovered that on the days when I am feeling particularly bad, if I go and do some dyeing, I soon feel better.  I have an unusual looking metal chair that is fully height adjustable that I use  for grooming dogs, and now I also use it for dyeing.  I find that the pain, even with the morphine gets quite intense when I'm dyeing.

I have been asked by an American publication if I will provide designs for men's knitwear.  These will be for machine knitting.  I have yet to commit myself.

I am in the middle of a cashmere and silk machine knit sweater for John, I am still handed him my Aron.  Just a few rows here and there.  I also have a couple of pairs of socks on the needles.

I am very pleased with my puppies.  Their temperaments are excellent.  Mary Grace is very promising as regards show quality.  Tucker and Jackson are not show quality puppies, but they will make delightful pets.  They are intelligent and affectionate.  They were very easy to lead train.  I sometimes wish I could keep every puppy I breed!

I am looking forward to our trip to Dresden in Germany.  Germany is such a beautiful country and there will be plenty to see and do both on the drive there and during our stay.  Although we have been to Edinburgh, in Jeeves, this'll be the first really long trip in him.  I will take Big Daniel with us, not Little Daniel, as Big Daniel is much more suited for roaming around towns and villages.  Big Daniel is more robust.

If I have not said so before.  Germany is excellent for the disabled traveller.  Not only are there  plenty of facilities, but the people themselves are very kind and helpful without being at all patronising.  I am not ignored, and I'm not spoken to like I am an imbecile.  Here they are much more likely to speak with John than they are with me if I'm in a wheelchair!  Here, they tend to think that people in wheelchairs are dribbling idiots!  I have absolutely no idea what has happened in the UK that we seem to have lost all sense of respect and politeness.  Unless you should think this is a problem of the young.  I am here to inform you that actually the most polite and helpful are the yarn.  It is the older generation 50s and up that are terrible.

I have been invited to judge Lhasa Apso for the first time at a dog show next year.

THE RELUCTANT MEDIUM

Much to my annoyance, I have woken up feeling like a truck ran me over.  No swimming, and more pills than usual.  I did a talk and demonstration yesterday 50 miles away.  I am somewhat surprised that it has taken so much out of me.

I really enjoyed last night's work.  It went really well and I gave some good evidence.  I do wish that those who accuse people like me of faking and conning people would actually make the effort and go and see mediums work before they make up their mind that it's a load of shit!  Yes, there are bad mediums, and there are good mediums who give bad services.  It happens to the best of us.  However, if they were serious enquirers, and they went to enough services, they would soon realise that there is a lot more to it than a hoax!  It seems to me, most people just dismiss it without knowing anything about it and without making any serious study of it.  Both John and I are very intelligent people, and naturally sceptical.  We do not take anything on face value.  Over the last 30 years, we are in no doubt that mediums give information that cannot have been gotten by ordinary physical means.  I think that this is evidence that our consciousness does not die.  Only our bodies do.

When I am working, I see, I hear, and I feel the communicators.  I do not see them and hear them the way that I do in the physical world.  The images and voices are more like dreams and thoughts accept that I'm awake.  I often feel the physical condition that the person says they died of.  Obviously, I do not feel the full force of it, but I will often experience of discomfort in the part of my body that they had affected.  I also feel their emotions, if they get really close.  It's almost like they have come inside of me, and the feeling I have of their emotion is very strong.

I have to say that if I did not have this ability, I do not think I would believe. More than likely I would be a fundamentalist atheist.  However, I cannot deny my experiences, both John and I have tried every which way to explain this away, that does not involve survival of consciousness after physical death.  We have not been successful.

I think that one of the reasons many scientists, not all, are so adamantly convinced that people like me are liars and conmen is because if they accepted the truth of this, it would turn their science upside down and they could not cope.  The whole basis of their life and their study would have to be re-evaluated. Personally, I think science and enquiry are of the utmost importance, and I think that eventually survival of consciousness will be accepted as a scientific fact.  Not an airy fairy, religious thing but something that happens to every single one of us.

I do not pretend to know what the big picture is.  My work is not about convincing anybody there is a God.  I do what I do, to give evidence that our consciousness survives death.  That is all. I do not try and convince anybody of any thing, nor do I tell them what to believe and what not to believe. What they do with what they experience with me is entirely up to them.

I do not know what the purpose of physical life is.  And I do not know what the next life is like.  I do not know the mind of God.  I do not even know if there is a God.  (Those who say they do are deluded.) Just because our consciousness survives physical death, doesn't mean there must be a God.  However, as scientists are very happy to point out, giving God as an explanation for us and the universe, just presents us with another problem.  How did God come to be?  Their Big Bang theory presents the exact same problem, I think!  In other words, there must've been something to bang and there must have been something that caused the bang.  If so, what caused the cause!  It's no different to who created God?!

Having said all that.  I think much of what science has uncovered about the origins of our universe and of evolution is much more sensible than the idea that a being made all this in seven days and we are only a few thousand years old!  I do think eventually, particularly with the way that physics is going, that survival of consciousness will be taken seriously, and it will probably answer many of the unanswerable questions.  I do not know.   I only know that our consciousness survives death.

I should also say that when I discovered this I was not happy I was horrified.  And then very angry.  I wanted that when my life was over, that would be it.  At that time, I found life intolerable.  So much so that I've tried to end it and it is this that gave me the first indication that our consciousness survives death.  I did not feel like a huge weight had been lifted off me.  Nor did I feel peace and a great love.  I felt nothing like that at all.  I felt fear and rage.  I wanted to stop existing.  It has taken me a long time to come to terms with the fact that I cannot die.  And there is no escape.  I was left with no choice but to look at why I found life so intolerable, and thus started the long road to recovery.  Today I am happy and I understand what happy means.  I used to think that feeling good, was just an absence of pain or an absence of feeling and on the days that I was successful in numbing myself, I would have said I was happy.  I had no idea what happy actually meant!

I have often thought that if I wrote a book about my life.  I could call it The Reluctant Medium.  This is not a gift I wanted, nor did I seek it, but it did explain much of my life and experiences I had as a child, which I was told were either signs of mental illness or of Demon possession!  I had enough problems in my life, and enough people thought I was weird without adding this into the mix!  It is just as well, I no longer give a fuck what people think of me!  What other people think is not my business.  I have to live my life according to my conscience, I cannot live it according to another person's.  Just look at all the pain and suffering in this world because people try and live by the  conscience of other people instead of being true to themselves!

It always amazes me what I end up writing about.  The above is not what I had intended to write amateurs can write about my ordinary everyday things which I thought was pretty dull, but I didn't really seem to have much else to say.  It seems I was wrong.

Moaning Minnie

I'm afraid it's been one of those days I had a bad night due to the pain in my hips and my ribs and the pain in my hips has lasted all day.  I did not go swimming, and I feel somewhat tired today.  I do plan to swim in the morning.

Mary Grace is such a clever little girl.  She already gives her paw on command, one at a time.  I taught her inadvertently.  She gave it to me once and I took it and praised her and that was all it took .  She does it whenever she is asked.

All three puppies are lead trained,  and happily trot along with the lead on.  I have to say that these puppies are the nicest sweetest temperaments I've ever had.  They are very like their father, and they have also inherited his penchant for speaking to you.  Whitney they're older half sister also speaks.  And by this I mean, they howl and make strange noises.  When they are pleased to see you and when it's dinner time, they throw their heads back and howl.  It is a special howl.  It's not like a coyote howl.

I have been busy dealing with the hanks that I have died, and putting them in my shop.  I really rather pleased with this lot of dying and I am itching to do more despite the fact that I have got rather a lot already done!  I have kept one hank back for  myself because I really liked it.  I have already got halfway up the foot of one sock using it.

The weather is crap.  It has been very windy chilly rainy and dull, although right now when I look out, it is still breezy, but the sun has finally come out and the clouds have all but disappeared.

Neither Edna nor Carly have come into season yet, but I'm expecting one of them to do so shortly. The atmosphere here has changed  Carly is being over affectionate, and the girls are being a bit stroppy with each other.

WHAT I HAVE BEEN UP TO

you can see some of these in my shop where I have a £2 off sale until July 2oth, midnight UK time. KNITMAN’S KITCHEN

CERE’S SOCKS

These socks are Cere, my vet. She has the same size feet as I. The yarn is my own Knitman’s Kitchen, SW Blue Face Leicester / nylon, 400m / 100g. My last of this mix. The design is my own. I used The Andersson Construction Method with the revised Mach II heel. This is the second pair in which I have used the 1 x1 gusset, with a modification on the first time. I much prefer this.

Click on pictures for a larger view.

I knitted them using 2mm ADDI Lace circulars. The pattern was made up as I went along and is in my head and therefore not available. I may one day figure out how to download from my brain to a pc/iMac!

MAMMOTH READ

I have done a huge amount of dyeing.  Mainly because I was trying to get a particular colourway to look right, but also because I have been experimenting with different ways of putting the dye on.  I now have an awful lot of work to do because I need to rewind them into balls and then in to hanks.

I have a beautiful cashmere and silk sweater half done on the silver reed knitting machine fine gauge.  This is the John and is in three shades of grey.  This has to be my favourite yarn ever.  It is strong and machine washable and slinky soft.

None of the girls are in season yet, but judging from the way they are behaving either Carly or Edna is about to come in.  I think it is Carly because she also is not eating that well and is just behaving rather oddly.  She is normally an affectionate girl but she is over affectionate, right now.

I am reading my first Stephen King novel for years.  This one is called Under The Dome.  It is another mammoth read rather like The Stand, which I enjoyed very much when it first came out.  I have enjoyed many of his novels, but I think he became too long-winded.  Or maybe I just got bored with that sort of story.

It is excellent news that the oil spill in the golf appears to have been stopped.

The difference in the weather is amazing.  It has gone from very sunny and an extremely hot and humid to cloudy and breezy and cool!

I am really looking forward to our trip to Dresden in Germany.  I know this was a far better choice for us than Barcelona.  Assuming of course that there is no heat wave!  Even if there is, I doubt very much that it will be between 35 and 40, which is what it's likely to be in Barcelona.

The puppies are nine weeks old today and they are going to their first vaccination this afternoon.  All the puppies that had over the years, these have to be the nicest tempered I've ever had.  I've never produced bad tempers , but these three are especially a bold and friendly.  They also talk just like Luque and Whitney do!  Luque is definitely a dominant sire.  I am very pleased with Mary Grace.  She is built very well moves very well and has a lovely attitude.  Unfortunately, she also has mis-coloured fleck in one eye.  I think this would preclude her from being shown, but we honestly is far too well-made, to not at least have a litter from her when she's old enough.

DYEING SPREE

John and I went to the Plate and Porter last night for our 29th anniversary meal. As always, the food was excellent. John had a melon and Parma ham from both for his daughter, followed by a seafood Thermidor, followed by a fruit salad with sorbet. I started with a chicken and fried leeks Caesar followed by filet steak with seasonal vegetables. Then followed by a trio of chocolate mousse, white chocolate ice cream and a dark chocolate crème brûlée with dark chocolate crème brûlée was the highlight for me! So far, I appear to have got away with it as well. It's been at least 13 hours since I ate, and my gut seems to be okay.

Today's utility day at the East of England championship show, and I am not there. This show was on my doorstep, but I didn't enter and it feels rather weird. It was my choice and I stand by it.

The puppies will be nine weeks old on Tuesday and I will get them their first vaccination. At the moment only Tucker is available to buy, but I haven't found a suitable buyer for him. They are delightful characters and take very much after their father, and their older sister, Whitney. Luque certainly puts his stamp on his puppies.I am still very pleased with Mary Grace and I feel confident that she will be staying.

I have really been on a dyeing spree recently. I have been experimenting with different ways of putting the dye on the yarn. I think I have come to the conclusion that having the yarn soak in the acid solution gives me better results than having the acid in the actual dye. However, I have a lot of Landscape dyes and Gay Wool dyes and they all have acid already in them. I have a load of base colours in new dyes now. I am very pleased with them. They give very vibrant colours, with only a little amount of dye. Half a gram to 200 mls of water, gives a very strong colour. I have had a heck of a job trying to diet commission somebody. She sent me a piece of yarn from a hank that she had bought from me months ago. I thought that this would be easy to recreate that she doesn't want it in the same yarn. After many attempts to replicate the colours that she wants, I finally realise that the reason I cannot get what she wants is because of the yarn, not the dyeing. I have discovered something very important: it is not just the dye that makes a difference but also the yarn.

 

GREEN EYED FOOL (DOG SHOW MORON)

I took the puppies to be micro-chipped today.  My friend who did it was also at Windsor show last Friday.  He shared something with me, that made him very angry.

He had overheard two women in my breed speaking about me.  One of them was saying ' there's nothing wrong with him, you know, he just does that for sympathy'!!!!!!

Well my friend was rather incensed by this and told them exactly what he thought of them.  He also has similar problems, so he understands.

I find it amusing that somebody would be so unintelligent, and so twisted by jealousy, that they would say such a thing!  I go through an awful lot of inconvenience and expense just to get a bit of sympathy.  I ought to feel complimented, because obviously if I can fool, a neurologist, a rheumatologist, an orthopaedic surgeon and an x-ray machine, and a regular GP  I must be f'ing good!

I guess this means that some people are getting pissed off at Witney winning so well!

I also did my swim this morning but other than take the puppies for their chipping.  I have done nothing much else, I feel as though somebody has pulled the plug on me!  No energy at all.

All say aaarrrhhh.... poor thing.....

UNEXPECTED JOLT FROM THE PAST

I was speaking with somebody I know today, and whom I like.  I got to know them about 18 months ago, because of my involvement in dogs.  During our conversation, she said something using my old surname.  I was really taken aback.  Whereas I have only known this person for 18 months,  even though I have been aware of them for the last 6 to 8 years, she has known me for 25+ years!  I do not remember her at all.  She clearly remembers me and clearly remembers what I used to be like. 

Before I go any further, I want to make it clear that this person has done absolutely nothing wrong.

All those years ago I was severely disturbed.  I was in and out of psychiatric hospitals.  I was doped up to the eyeballs, most of the time.  My behaviour was erratic.  My mood swung violently from elation to deep depression.  I was actively in to self harm and actively bulimic.  I was completely unaware of myself and others.

I changed my surname by deed poll, and I cringe when ever I hear that name or see it written anywhere.  I hate the sound of it and have done for as long as I can remember.  I changed my name in 1979.

I am not so sure why I feel so disturbed.  I am not that person any more.  I have worked very hard to get to where I am now and am very happy with where I am now.  I am no longer disturbed.  I know what is what.  And I have come to terms as much as anybody can with the horrors of my childhood.

When I think back to how I was and the people that I was friends with,I cringe.  I cringe both at how I used to be and how I could possibly have had those sort of people in my life.  Many people judged me severely or took advantage of my situation, and my weakness.  Not any more. I do not allow it.

There is somebody who goes to the shows that I know from way back then.  But I don't really care what they think because they are a homophobe.  Always have been and have never thought well of me.  So I don't care what they think.

Although I am a product of my experiences.  My past is the past and I wish it to stay there.  I have my grief days, and I know that I always will.  Those who know me from way back then, are not owed anything by me.  They have absolutely no idea what I was dealing with, and it is none of their business.  If they choose to judge me or find it amusing, that says much about them and nothing about me.

I really am surprised at the strength of my feeling about this.  I think perhaps I should have more compassion for myself and for that poor wretch that I was.  I do, I know only too well what he was suffering, yet at the same time.  I do inwardly cringe at the memory of the person that I used to be.  So vulnerable and easily taken advantage of, and I let people walk all over me

I am confused and I don't really know why I am so upset about this jolt from the past.

ALL CHANGE

It looks as if we shall go to Germany instead of Barcelona for our holiday.  I realised from the way that the heat affects both John and I that Barcelona in their hottest month of August, was not a good idea. We will go to Barcelona March - April time next year, when it will be cooler.

We will probably be going to Dresden, Nuremberg, and then onto Mannheim, where we will stay for a few days and visit with our friends Lia and Lui, as well as visit surrounding areas.

Good friends of ours bought an Apso from us seven years ago.  They have two sons that are now adult, and they have left home.  They have been sharing, Vienna, between the two homes!  I have decided to give them the gold and white boy from this letter.  Now the boys have their own dog.  Coincidentally, they have decided to call him Luque not realising that that is what his father is called.  I also didn't know that Luque is the name of a well-known footballer!

I am doing a service at Bradwell on the Norfolk coast this evening.  I will leave here at about 4:30 as it is 90 miles away.

It looks as though Mary Grace is going to be another howler.  Luque and Whitney, his daughter, both howl when they are excited.  They both talk as well, they are quite vocal dogs.  They are not barkers.  So I am not saying they are noisy dogs trust that they are very expressive.

It is a beautiful clear sunny day outside.  Not as warm as it has been and there is quite a breeze going.

WINDSOR

Despite the difficulties of getting to Windsor and home from Windsor, I really enjoyed the show. It was in the low 70s and overcast, so it wasn't all unbearable. I enjoyed meeting with and chatting with people.

Whitney showed her socks off and won her ninth challenge certificate. Whitney really does enjoy this. Much to my surprise, she nosied up to the Best of Breed male. Normally, she will growl at any dog that comes near us. She does not do this at home and is very mild mannered when we are out, though she does not tolerate any dogs coming near us.

It was another lovely day weatherwise and we are going to go to Panini's as usual for brunch. I hope we get to the market butcher early enough that she still has venison left. I really enjoy the steaks and the cubed for casseroles. Very low-fat, but very tender and tasty.

It looks as though our plan to go to Barcelona is still on. Neither of the girls that I want to breed are in season, and neither are showing any sign of being so.

It is amazing how gossip gets around. I will clear something up right now. Whitney will be retired by the end of August 2011. This is when I will breed her. I have not made my final decision as to whom I will breed her to. But yes, it is likely that I will breed her abroad. So whatever else you may hear what you read here is the actual truth! (Whitney comes in season like clockwork. She is in season for Crufts and August SKC .)

I am managing my pain much better. I am able to swim five days a week, which I really enjoy and am so thrilled to be able to do again. Now all I have to do is get rid of the seven pounds that I put on! I'm not sure if I've mentioned that those of you who have been reading my blog for a long time, will recall that last year, I have a problem with one of the lifeguards bullying me. It all came to a head as you will remember, and I had a couple of interviews with the manager. I am pleased to say that since that time, which is now over a year and said lifeguard has never returned to the pool side. I am so grateful to the young lifeguard, who at the time was only 23 for having the courage to back me up as he witnessed her behaviour towards me.

John shoulder is doing much better now. However, as is usual with incidents like this, it changes forever the attitude one has. He is much more conscious of security on the way home from the station and now makes sure that he is carrying nothing. Which of course is very inconvenient. It also means that I have more concern, and am anxious to get his phone call to say that he is safe and indoors.