Better to have loved......

It’s 17 years since Dad died, and as he and Mum are always in my heart, I thought I’d banished that deep, searing pain of grief.  But tonight proved me very wrong.  I was sitting contentedly by the fire when we switched on the TV a few minutes early for our intended viewing.  We caught the end of Gardeners’ World featuring an amazing display of dahlias in an enthusiast’s garden.  Mum and Dad loved dahlias and the sight of this glorious collection caused such an unexpected physical sense of loss, I was left breathless.   Requiescat in pace Mum and Dad

More pyrotechnics

Our log stove is a “roaring” success.  We’ve lit it several times over the weekend and have been thrilled with its performance.  Within minutes of lighting we’ve had a glorious burn with flames dancing seductively behind the glass.  They’re hypnotic to watch and can hold me captivated for hours.  So far there has been very little ash as the wood has been totally reduced to fine powder, forming a fire bed. As it’s August we’ve only burnt a couple of logs each evening but the heat output has been more than enough to chase away the dampness of the dusk

Dog Shaming

The Dog Shaming website seems to have taken the internet by storm.  The hilarious site  is based on a simple idea; owners post a photo of their naughty pet (It’s funny and NOT degrading to dogs, Uncle Sam) with a card detailing what evil antics they’ve been up to. Maybe it’s because we’re life-long dog owners we can firmly identify with those cards that cite widdling and puking in unfortunate places, shoe eating and furniture chewing as shameful behaviour!  We’ve laughed out loud at some of the adorable “shaming” photos of much loved pets and think we’ve got off lightly!

Nature in the raw

Did you know that weasels are weasily wecognised because stoats are stoatally different? 

The reason for this dip into “Dad’s old jokes catalogue circa 1968”? Well, Mr Glis and I were driving to visit Grandma when we witnessed a life and death struggle as a stoat dragged a huge rabbit across the road in front of us.  We knew it was a stoat as it had a black tip at the end of its tail, one of the main characteristics, along with a white coat in winter, that differentiates them from the smaller weasel.  It was nature in the raw.

Miss Molly

Miss Molly has kennel cough.  That she hasn’t been anywhere near a kennel is irrelevant as it is highly contagious and apparently she could have picked it up from a dog she met on a walk.  On Wednesday morning she began coughing and “womitin” white foam so  I did a little bit of googling and concluded that it was kennel cough.  The vet confirmed the diagnosis that evening and she’s now on antibiotics.  Her coughing has more or less stopped now but she’s been less keen to run ahead on her walks so it’s obviously taken its toll on her

Parade's End

There’s something compelling Benedict Cumberbatch, especially in a costume drama.  I found myself strangely moved at the sight of him nursing his screen-son in the recent showing of Parade’s End.  He portrayed the role of decent, honourable Christopher Tietjens in such a sympathetic and moving way that I think most women, not only Valentine Wannop, must have fallen a little in love with him!. On a related note, when I asked Nerea if she thought I would have been a Suffragette, she turned with such a look of incredulity and said “It goes without saying”, I was enormously flattered!

Fire!

Let the pyrotechnics begin.  Our log stove is now in place and we’re thrilled with the  fabulous job Crown Stoves have done over the last 3 days.  Our ceremonial lighting went like clockwork  (although we had to have the backdoor and living room window wide open) with a quick burn and some great flame patterns from only a couple of logs hewn from our former fire surround.  I truly love a “real” fire and have really missed not having one in this house.  In a perverse way, I’m actually looking forward to the winter evenings.  Now where’s the toasting fork?