"Me" time...just heaven

yesterday after the usual morning start , I got my bits together and "how long are  you going to be?"  came from the sitting room!

I have this sign that says "a retired husband is a full time job". They are not kidding!!!

I know he wanted to come with me to Newcastle Emlyn...but I just have days every now and then that I want to be on my own.  I enjoy my own company. I like being able to look around a shop without keeping an eye on the children to make sure they haven't wandered off or see DH out of the corner of my eye looking at his watch!( not that I take much notice of that)  Since retirement was forced on DH , I think he is still finding out what to do will his spare time.  He reads loads, helps around the house but doesn,t have a real hobby, not like me.    The thing is I cherish thinking time, where I can drive somewhere....grab a coffee and don,t have to rush and  I am not clock watching....  I only have myself to please, maybe that's selfish but I don,t care because I don,t do it often and when I do I feel ...well Maria again, not wife, mum, cleaner, housemaid or cook! DH on the other hand likes company, he likes the TV on or the radio, sometimes both !! He gets bored on his own , so being prepared , I left him with a little to do list to keep him occupied whilst I was out!!

Anyway I spoke to the vet and picked up Dexter's medication for his ears, she asked how his diet was going.  I told her he is not happy and sulks when he sees the much smaller portions. Portion control is a Dally's nightmare...but I will not be give in even when those beautiful Amber eyes look at me as if to say"please mum can I have smidge more?" Since a pup he has had a few limping episodes so he cannot afford to carry more weight...sometimes you just have to be cruel to be kind.

After the vets  I grabbed a coffee in Newcastle Emlyn, I am very fond of this little place.  It has  Pgrown on me since moving here , especially since Cross Patch's arrival and of course I couldn't
resist...you know what's coming .....oh yes.....I am naughty but ...............
a quick look in Cross Patch .   I bought some Christmas scrap bags to finish off a few ornaments and
had a lovely chat with the lady there busy sewing away hexagons for a workshop this weekend.  I spotted some little keys too which I have another idea for.  My poor old brain is buzzing , I always keep books of ideas and boy it is getting very full.  I do need a few "days off" to really get sewing done but it is my darling little man's birthday today and we have promised him his favourite tea (steak and homemade chips) and sort of a cake and a birthday cake for the rest of us. Little man has a limited range of foods he will eat (all to do with his sensory delays, he hates sharp/bitter tastes, fruit apart from bananas , lots of other flavours he just can't stand ) and there is only one cake he will eat and that is a certain type of mini rolls....so I am going to make a little thingy cake incorporating them
for him.  I'm not complaining about his diet, he hates rubbish food that is processed, he never eats sweets but enjoys kinder chocolate and milk chocolate, again only one type. , I can "hide "vegetables he wouldn't otherwise eat in pasta sauces and homemade pizza sauces , so he gets a balanced diet and he is happy and a healthy , tall boy .  I do wish he adored fruit like his sister, and bringing them up the
same, with the same diet as babies and toddlers I still am confused just how their tastes are so very different..such is life.

I have still been having broadband and signal problems..coming to the end of my contract so time for a change I think... Did a tiny bit of sewing today...then the microwave started burning and sparking,
Birthday cake was later than expected ....delayed by lovely people calling around with cards for Little Man and the exploding microwave!!!! oh well I can smell home made chips.....tomorrow is another day...Little Man so happy. ...he said "mummy my birthday has been brilliant " love that boy xx so been a happy day .


See you soon
Xxxx

A bit of this and that sort of week.

This weekend has flown by, doing nice relaxing things as a family.

I having been using the die cutter loads , I fear I have got a bit carried away.....loads of ideas buzzing in my head, colour combinations....playing with ribbons, brads and buttons.

I confess I absolutely adore buttons ....

In my clearing up I found 2 large sweet tins and a large French Kilmer type jar that I have picked up at charity shops but never sorted.  There is quite a collection and one boring day I will no doubt have a pleasant few hours going through them.....I think the kids schools will be in line to receive a few no doubt too.

Sunday morning was spent visiting a friend of the children's with her birthday present.  Doing a few errands for a neighbour who is having quite a time of it with a sick husband and sick friends too.

Then coming home with a Sunday paper ,  having roast lunch and just having a lazy afternoon catching up on "strictly come dancing" with Little Miss who adores it!!' reading the Sunday paper, sewing and even a couple of rows of the stripey blanket. I have so many ends to sew in already and think I need to get that done too as the idea of sewing in hundreds of rows at once is not going to be appealing..little and often I think with this sort of thing.

Looks like another busy week is forecast ...Little Man will be 10..... so some birthday present buying to do and a cake to bake.  Little Miss is really into bread baking and wants to do some more cooking having spent some time reading cookery books...where did that come from ???!!! So I need to stock
up on bread flour etc.  I have a couple of parcels to send off ..one I will explain about later to my
shame !


On a fun side the seals have started to appear in numbers off New Quay and Cymtudu beaches ready to pup!
They are apparently a few weeks earlier than usual.  One seal has already birthed on a part of New
Quay beach which has now been coned off.  I understand they can pup into February.....yesterday the locals in Cymtudu were asking owners to keep dogs on the lead as you could see the seals in the distance but as the beach was quite busy it was scaring the mothers off.  Hopefully I will pop down
Without Dexter in the week and might have some lovely snaps and oh to be that close to seeing the seals and pups is very exciting.


Yesterday I awoke at 3am just feeling "rough"..,.... I didn't fall back asleep.  We went to Aberystwyth
as planned to get presents for little man but I felt car sick there and back....and that is not me.  We got back and I just felt rubbish .  I hid the presents in the annex just couldn,t face wrapping them and then realised we haven't got birthday cards!! I have to go back to the vets today , Dextie's ears are still
waxy and the vet over the phone said continue with the cleaning and drops for another week so got to pop out (if you call 10 miles  either way"popping out" ) to pick up more drops , so can get the cards then.  Something is wrong with the phones and broadband AGAIN....DH tried to send a parcel for me... Post Office closed!!! Maybe with the broadband not working they gave up and shut shop ? We did see "Reach" vans driving up and down and examining a telephone pole in the next field...don,t know if it is connected but even with my booster box my mobile wasn,t getting any signal either...such a faff , we seem to have had such a bad service for months !!!

Today feeling tickety boo again..thank goodness...can't be doing with having off days.

Forget I had this die cutter

I love gingerbread men decorations 

so having a play with these 

For Christmas. Fair.

Can't make my mind up about 

The Christmas puds

They are smallish too 

So need to be 

Backed onto something???

decisions, decisions..

Well that's me for now.

Parcel to try to post off (again)

Phones and broadband (obviously) back on 

See you soon

Xxxx

A new park found at last!

Here is West Wales we really did not have a summer at all.  It has it,s compensations in other ways
but I wish we had managed to spend more time out on the beaches and had a few more trips.

I will miss the bright evenings most , it seems to be getting darker earlier and earlier each day.

Reading through my blog list, I know a few of you are feeling like I am and especially was yesterday... feeling flat , or just lacking  some oomph.    I love all the seasons for different reasons, I don,t mind change , if it is a good change of course, but I dislike the evening getting darker earlier, almost to me like loosing a huge chunk of  every day.  I love the colours of Autumn but even so I miss long bright days.

I have been looking at my dresser that is still full of Spring and summer things and it doesn't look "right". I change the display twice a year, Spring and Summer  together and Autumn and Winter together (with a few Christmas bits added when the time is right!) . The forecast for us is supposed to be bright days into next week and we'll I am reluctant to let Summer go yet and acknowledge Autumn is really here and time to change the display...... Maybe one more week and then ......

Little Miss' pie was yummy and was so big we froze  half of it.

Little Miss has always helped with cooking.  Both me and DH share the cooking, we don,t eat
convenience food so the children have always had fresh food and a fast food lunch is a treat
We like to have a traditional roast every Sunday and the kids love fresh fish which we buy every week  when the fish man calls.  Little Man would rather starve then eat a sausage or chicken nugget..
his favourite food is fresh meat or fish , we don,t mind as both kids are rarely sick and tall and strong.


Little Miss' unit concentrate so much on strengths with the autistic youngsters.  For her it has been a place of happiness......something she just had snippets of when we tried for her to attend mainstream after moving here from Kent.  Spaces in units are scarce and the education department felt she could cope in mainstream (since a toddler than school age she had always been in special need provisions in Kent) education told us she would have good teaching assistant support  and they thought she would be able to adjust to mainstream.  Well for a few months she did but then things got too much for her .....but that is a  another story .....

but so far in the unit .....
She is so enjoying the cooking and is obviously very good at it, her pastry is  marvellous and the staff
tell me they supervise but what she makes is her own work... I am so proud.


As you know Little Miss was very up and down during the summer .....I prayed we had made the right decision to send her to a special ASD unit.  Mainstream , the last 18 months was hard for her.
 She coped with the academic work, but the noise, going to assembly with crowds of kids, just the
commotion of everyday life, the hustle
and bustle of school life just proved too much.....  Now she happy, loving her weekly cookery lesson,
swimming lessons and just it seems everything about being there.
She now has weekly speech and lanuage, physio and occupational therapy , every day is catered for to meet her individual needs.  Now she has started to read to me again, her confidence to
share..returned.... Her excitement about telling me about what she has been doing in her school day,
school work, going into detail...things that she had stopped doing....big smiles from mummy to hear
happiness in her voice again. Despite  the difficulties she has at the moment and she may always
have,  to know she is happy....well it seems a wonderful gift not only for her but us too.

Not wanting to repeat another day like yesterday , we got in the car and took spotty boy out.
We only found a "proper" park 2 weeks ago!!!! We have lived here for over 18 months and it took us that long and we only found it by talking to out gardener Chris!  It was worth the wait....

The current was so strong and I was pleased 

Dextie didn,t want a dip

I haven't seen ducks since we left Kent ....such a beautiful day ,

I have been busy cutting felt and hopefully over the next few days will show you some more goodies on the craft table (not desk!  Given up that idea... I'd rather be messy and play!!)

                                                         See you soon
                                                               Xxxx

Sticky fingers!!!

Did you play this game when you were a kid?  You needed a group of kids and the game went on forever... You had the story teller who held out their hands. Each kid held a finger and the teller told a story and incorporated in the story they had to use the words "sticky fingers" .  When they said those magic words the other kids had to run off and basically a big game of chase happened ....when the teller tapped you , you had to stand still and another kid had to crawl under your legs to set you free.  After you were tapped 3 times you were "out" and the last kid (not the teller) left won the game and became the next teller.  My kids laugh so much playing this game with their friends.

Well last night I felt a bit bored and got my die cutter out and decided to make some decorations after all.

I love felt and it cuts so well through the die cutter and my little Eriks were popular last year at the fairs, but they take quite a bit of sticking together before you even begin to stitch them..so I thought I would at least make a start.

This glue is fab for sticking felt..the best I have used

this is a selection of the little lot I made.....I don,t think I have ever made 2 the same....and I must of made maybe 25 over  the last year...... Well Santa needs lots of little helpers doesn't he? When I get inspiration I may even attempt to make a girl version.....

I also cut out some big mittens ... They are very small though, decoration size...I am going to join a pair together with elastic, did your mum  do that ? ...
..thread the elastic through your coat so you never lost your mittens?  My mum did.....

I didn,t do any stitching though as the glue is best left overnight to dry and to be fair even having washed my hands several times I still have dried glue stuck on some fingers!!! Need to dig a nail brush out.

Finally posted the season's swap and had a stroll, forgot to take the camera.....finding it hard to get motivated today.....DH says he feels the same...lots we could be getting on with..but just don,t feel like it.  Just one of those days I think. The lanes are full of leaves ..loving the colours..next time I go for a stroll will put my wellies on to crunch through the leaves ...what a big kid am I !!

Little Miss is making a chicken and leek pie in school today so tea taken care off.   She made a
quiche last week and I have to say it was the best quiche I have ever tasted and I love quiche, and consider I make a "pretty mean " one but she trumped me , and oh proud she was ..bless her. DH
picked  some runner beans to go with the pie , but I don,t think there will be many more..really disappointing the small amount we got this year.  Hopefully next year in beds (fingers crossed) we will do much better.

                                                       See you soon
                                                                 Xxxx

Forgetting it was Wednesday....

Yesterday was such a bright day

Very chilly though

......

and this sunset was just so beautiful

The doggy ear cleaning is going well

I think Dextie must be feeling better 

because of it ...this morning

he sat next to me to do it

what a difference a day makes !!!!

My seasons swap is all wrapped 

And I wandered down to the Post Office 

this  afternoon to send it on it's way

And completely forgot

the Post Office and many small shops

close every Wednesday afternoon

here and in the surrounding area.

I have completely lost track of what

day it was!

Will post it tomorrow for sure.

I had a potter in the craft room later

And

 sorted all my Christmas books ,

magazines and patterns ..

I have magazines going back years...

I never throw those out.

I

know I have to start

my Christmas making soon. 

I love nothing better than , feet up ,

hot cup of something ,

and browsing through my little collection

of books and patterns . 

gaining inspiration ,

making a list of things to try to make..

Probably next week 

I will have to start making.

This year now everything is sorted I know I 

don,t need a thing..

jingle bells found...Christmas ribbons

and buttons found

fabric and felt all sorted .

Little Miss has sorted her beads out 

to make her little angels

last week too.

I feel quite excited !

I did cut out a few ornaments 

ready for the Christmas 

decoration swap.

Over the next few evenings they will be sewn...

and I hope to get around to 

some Halloween sewing too.

Little Miss 

says she still wants me to put Halloween 

decorations up

this year 

but doesn't  want a party .

noise is a real issue for her at the moment...

she wants things calm and quiet

and well a party 

would just be too much for her right now.

Maybe too a sign she is 

growing up...

Little Man doesn,t care either way,

no doubt we will have a 

Themed tea and then 

popcorn watching Hocus Pocus...

See you soon

Xxxx

A kerfuffle

When I worked , I always was organised (had to be), my desk was neat, tidy and clean.  Work had a clear desk policy , your desk was supposed to be clear at the end of the day, no one's ever was but at least mine didn,t look like a tip.  Well when I began my project to tidy the annex in my old brain I thought if I called my craft table a "desk" ! I would be methodical again and I would rediscover my old sorted and tidy ways ...WRONG......it seems to be a perpetual work in progress...even my blogging friend Kimberley said she laughed when she saw it on my post last week.......
 Why I make such a mess when I craft still mystifies me, maybe it is the inner me being a rebel..yes that's a good excuse and I'm sticking with it.  I just seem to spread out and make such a mess......
at least I can shut the door on it at the end of the day!
Yesterday I needed a certain fabric to finish off a swap project and the joy of knowing exactly where it was......happy me...not up physically to a hop and skip but did a little mental one!!. The craft room
now has nothing in the way if the radiators , so when the time comes to turn the heating on we can , so DH happy too about that...the end to the chaos is in sight.

Now what a kerfuffle I had this morning !!.I do so love that word ..he he ..this is how my morning started after the children were collected and off to school...  the washing fairy hasn,t turned up for work since the weekend and so I caught up with that......wormed Dextie , he has to have two tablets and kept spitting them out ....another job for mummy...daddy doesn,t want pupster to get upset!!!!
so that means be being the meany again...then ..

What a performance cleaning and administering ear drops to the pupster's ears is ...no muzzle or anything like that...he is putty in my hands bless him , but he saw those bottles, cotton wool and latex gloves and I have never seen him move so quick!!! He hid under the table and no amount of coaxing with offers of treats...showing him his lead could shift him, so picture the scene......there I am
crawling under the table, banging my head, then having got down there , forgetting the cotton wool,
swearing, getting up,getting the cotton wool, getting down under the table again,banging my head For the second time ...and the pupster moving further under the table and DH splitting his sides with laughter!!! I did get a big lick by pupster after my nursing duties for my efforts......but I have nightly
drops to do too and this for another 6 days!!!! I think tonight I may have to corner pupster in the front
porch..no escape there..... I went to wash my hands after and looked in the mirror and looked like I had been dragged through a hedge backwards.......and it wasn,t even 9.30am!!!!

Lovely sewing this afternoon ......just need to do a bit of ironing and wrap it and my season swap will be on it's way.

I have also joined this SAL...I need to get motivated to finish things off......details in my sidebar.

The idea to the SAL is every Friday you dig out one of 

your.  works in progress 

and make some progress with it

and boy do I need too!

The cattle grid already full of leaves...

Dextie after his ear treatment

Looks like it is going to be a long week

for poor old him and me 

Ha ha.

See you soon

Xxx

The postmaster isn,t speaking to me again !!! Ha ha

over the weekend as you know I have been resting my back...and I am still amazed at how wonderful you all have been with such lovely comments.... Thank you xx .  as you know I am a novice blogger, but you ladies , ever since I started have been so kind and I wish I had been braver sooner  .,  I am enjoying blogging so much and this weekend I have sat and read more back posts and snippets on your blogs than ever before, I have  caught up on you lovely ladies, laughed, smiled,  sighed and the sadder posts have brought a lump to my throat.....so I consider this bad back a blessing in disguise.  I feel recharged  and have so enjoyed getting to know you all more by reading you blogs . Up to now I have read your recent posts , I always do when I have a new lady join my blog  and try to remember to follow and add you my blog list too (think I need to do a bit of blog housekeeping though, I fear I am a bit behind!!) sometimes I have just subscribed by e mail or bloglovin ,  but it's been lovely to to have that special thing "time"  to read at leisure.  Xxx

Sunday dinner was not a disappointment!!! This was DH's dinner...not mine promise (wink wink) I don,t like broad beans or boiled potatoes , I like roasties..yum yum. I suggested next time he might
want to go the whole hog (get it pork dinner he he !!) and use a turkey platter instead of a normal plate.......

Well I had loads of post !!!! So pleased it has all been wrapped .

We are so lucky to have a little post office in our village but it had a major glitch with the computer last week...call me old fashioned but I know I could of posted somewhere else..a few miles away , but if we don't "use it" we will loose the Post Office with all cutbacks going on and having a local office for cash back (school dinners, local fish and butcher calling once a week...I know, I am still amazed this still happens!!!, )is so handy for ready cash is important at times.  So although I had a couple of
things to post I waited until today to post.  My little lot will raise the figures a little for our little PO.

Anyway Bob our Postmaster is a fellow Londoner like me!'.... We always have a joke and
laugh..when I go into the shop he shouts "out !!..I refuse to serve riffraff !" At first DH was a little
taken aback by our banter...he always says when I talk to other Londoners (family etc )I speak so fast
that even after 26 years nearly together he struggles to understand me!!!'..I think the same of him when he goes "back  up north"!!!! Anyway finally the computer was repaired and as I told Bob he was a lucky boy to have the joy of my company whilst he sorted my little bag of goodies!!!
Although moving here to our little village was in reflection completely "out of my comfort zone" , I love it.  People are friendly, nosey in a caring sort of way and it reminds me of growing up in South London...all our neighbours then were honorary aunties and uncles, no one had anymore or any less that anyone else .  When I was five I had a nasty nasty deep gash to my leg that needed A&E treatment and we only had two neighbours who had cars..so Dad yelled to my sister" ask Uncle Bert
or Albert if they can run us to the hospital" and one took us and the other picked us up later... ... That
sort of neighbourhood spirit is still in our village and I love that.

So I hope all my post arrives safely , it is going here there and everywhere.  I now have my season
swap to finish.....happy days......and a couple of bits for the paper and string (in my sidebar) swap and then concentrate on my Christmas swaps.

Dexter has been shaking his head all weekend... Trying to put his paw in his ears...so off to the vets this morning...as most animals he barks and shakes and hates it.  I muzzled him as he is a good boy but not knowing what was in his ears , better to be safe then sorry.  Transpires he has loads of wax in his ears and had a scratch from where he has been trying to itch, so ear cleaning and ear drops on the agenda for a week, but vet said no infection as we caught it early. DH has designated me as nurse, another skill to add to m CV..!!!! Will my talents ever cease ..ha ha..know DH 's game he doesn,t want Dextie to hate him because he is going to do a mean thing to him !!!! ..oh and Dextie needs to loose 4 kilos !!! Thought he was heavy last week, we have to reduce his food by a third ..oh dear !!!
Dally's like labs love their dinners...going to be major sulking going on!!! Next weigh in when he has his jabs in early December.. ...

Took these few pics from Newcastle Emlyn  whilst waiting for our boy's appointment...

Love the sound of flowing water

over rocks 

Oh stormy weather..

Have a great week

See you soon

Xxxxx

A bit of feet up and a gentle stroll now and then.

Thank you for all your lovely comments re the old back, it is holding up and I am taking it easy.  During the exercises I always have to do  for my back yesterday morning , I a felt a clunk in my back. I love that sound and feeling, it usually means what wasn,t where it should be has gone back to where it should be!( hope that makes sense) gently does it for a few days and hopefully I'll be able to avoid the chiropractice option.

Yesterday I had a gentle wander and a few sit downs around Cardigan with Little Miss.  It was a beautiful and dare I say a hot and sunny day!

We treated ourselves to breakfast first, then a couple of shops, another sit down here and there, my Little Miss is a great nurse!  "Take it easy mummy" she would say....and I did !

Cardigan was busy but of course the holiday season is coming to a end , so not too busy.
The castle has recently undergone restoration but we haven,t been yet.  A friend went in August and said she was a little disappointed because there still weren,t things finished so to leave it a while, maybe a spring morning outing?

I took some pics there though while we sat near the river

This display really was beautiful and 

Still going strong

The castle wall is in the background

Dextie and his birthday toy

enjoying  the afternoon sun

and the toy is still in one piece

Must be a record !!

I thought this was a  spring flower  ?

The agenda for today is sewing , more  sewing (!!) 

swap wrapping 

and baby present wrapping , oh a few cards 

and a birthday present 

to wrap too.

At least now I can find my washi tapes haha.

DH is cooking a roast pork dinner, 

the runner beans are still being picked ..

oh , my favourite ... 

With

apple crumble

for pudding

Too...

Happy Days....xx

See you soon

Xxxx

Oops ..need to get a move on

I intended to finish the annex yesterday ... I really did have good intentions honest, but my back had other ideas!!!! I did go in there and pottered, sorting my cross stitch bits into nice baskets, my hexagon patchwork obsession, I have quite a selection of sizes now.....all,sorted,in trays of different sizes...
My they look so pretty.....

 And I put all my very favourite fabric in the brown suitcase

Then I found a place for my washi and fabric 

tapes

and something I had wanted to do for ages and ages organise 

my  die cutting machine and dies into themes 

But no lifting 

so the last bit of moving boxes and tubs

will have to wait for another day....

I have a history of slipped discs and sciatica and when my back say "enough" I listen otherwise I will be laid up for weeks !! Lots of gentle stretches and exercise , some anti-inflammatory tablets and I am sure it will be tickety boo.......I am going out , fingers crossed with Little Miss today to choose a present for my new great nephew and a little treat for his sisters and brothers.  I really don,t want to miss our little outing.  On days out like this Little Miss shares her thoughts with me more so than at home.  She seems to be enjoying the new school  but although she is in a special ASD unit , she still uses the canteen etc and tells me it is so loud and noisey when the big kids are about.....noise has always been a problem for her ....I have told her just to take it a day at a time ....easy for me to say..not so easy for her.

So yesterday  I did something at least ...frustrating  because I wanted to do more  .but I did do something!!! I did spend time in the annex, I did a little sewing for a swap......even did some daydreaming .....nice.

My desk looks like this

The rugby thing has started, I am not a fan and had to endure grown men dancing around a rugby ball like a bunch of nellies!! last  night. Hubby says it's on for 6 weeks..oh no it's not I told him!!!  I feel a lot of sewing will be called for !!!!!! Looks like it might be a long 6 weeks otherwise!!!


                                                                      See you soon
                                                                             Xxxx

That Friday feeling

Thank you from me and Dextie for all the lovely comments yesterday.  He had a great birthday, a new toy that he hasn,t destroyed (yet !!!!) a lovely walk and big swim with daddy on the beach and a big chew later .
In between he was my shadow in the craft room and we had a big 38kilo cuddle at bedtime and my lap and ribs held out!!'!


I am so looking forward to the weekend.  Been another busy week, lots done and lots yet to do .
Yesterday went well in the annex , today I really do think it is going to be a very workable space at last.

I got another e mail from Sewandso, this time offering £2 off the price of tickets for the below show

visiting www.theknittingandstitchingshow.com and quote promotional code FWM15 at the checkout....

So if any of you were intending to go to the show and book in advance another £2 off sounds good, it is valid for 

Both venues , London and Harrogate.

I found this stamp 

made me laugh.

I can only dream !!

This is more like it...!!!!

Jo - Throughthekeyhole is hosting 

a 12 days of Christmas swap 

if anyone wants to join in..

it is international.

My repotting last week has

produced these little surprises

I do so love pansies..

Another snap dragon 

I just love this colour 

and these two pretties.

Told you that compost was good.!!!

See you soon

Xxxx

My pupster is 5 today

Happy birthday Dextie xxxx
--------------------------------------

If you look closely you will see Dextie has two spots so close 

They are below his eye

Together they form a love heart

I love that heart

nature made him that way

he is VERY spotty like his mum

Some Dally's in comparison hardly have 

any

Yes I am bias but he is such

A very lovely part of our family.

I cannot believe he is 5 today.!!

Well this is the tale of how we got our boy.

One day when Little Miss was about 4 we 

We're walking in the park and a naughty , cheeky

poodle jumped up and stole her ice cream.

That little act would cause absolute misery for my little 

girl and us for over 3 years.

She refused to go to the park unless she was in a pram,

and when she saw a dog would hide under blankets.

I could be driving along and suddenly she would scream out

in fear if she saw a dog

very dangerous as the outburst would be sudden 

and could distract my attention..

One day I feared I would have a accident

I too found myself always looking for dogs.

Her fear and it was an absolute terror

of dogs had to be addressed

and somehow we had to get her 

used to dogs of all sizes.

So , like everything that the kids don,t like or understand

I had a plan, in a controlled, gentle

way introduce the offending subject.

I had tried visits to an animal rescue place

distressing for her and the dogs..

Not the answer.

Dogs quite rightly so are everywhere.. 

This  problem was not going to go away 

it just could not go on..

thankfully Little Man was fine 

but would he soon develope a fear of his own! 

DH had always wanted a Dalmatian

I always had dogs 

mainly lab/German shepherd crosses and a poodle.

But when we got married we decided not

to get one because we worked long hours

And we're often out of the house

up to 12 hours

and that just would not be fair

on any pooch.

But

with me now at home full time ,

now was the time.

We decided at the weekend to start looking for a  

Dally pup .  My plan was Little Miss would get used to a small dog 

(Pup) and then get used to bigger and bigger dogs as the pup grew

into a large dog.

Luck was on our side ..

I kid

you not , we  found on Monday evening

a litter of 9 had been born that weekend!

We contacted the breeder and they had 3 dogs and 

6 bitches 

DH  wanted a dog not a bitch.

The breeder lived 30 mins away and lived

Near Hever Castle one of my favourite places.!!!

How lucky was that? 

We had expected to have to travel 

To different counties...

We always planned to meet not only 

The mother but father too

I wanted to see the temperament 

Of both

that's why we didn,t get a Heinz 57

We had to be as sure as one can be 

The pup would have a good temperament,

if not our problem 

would only worsen and it was not

Our plan that we would then have to 

give the pup back for re homing.

This was the first picture we were sent .

Dexter's mum "Twiggy" is a liver/white dally

Here she is with the pups only a few days old.

All the pups turned out black/white

they are born white and the spots develope 

during the following weeks

(Dexter is still developing spots !!)

Dexter is at the top left of the above picture

He obviously was always going to be "top dog"!!!

He has a row of slanting spots that start

just above his nose...

Here is our little chap on the day we picked

Him, he was 4 weeks old 

Unlike his two brothers, he was a very

Confident , nosey little boy 

And he seemed to respond well to noise

Unfortunately Dally's 

Are prone to deafness and deaf pups have to 

Be put to sleep

But our boy passed his hearing test  with flying colours.

He has full hearing in both ears, his brothers only 

have  hearing in one ear , but that is fine

But you can,t breed from them without full hearing though.

This handsome chap is dad,

"Gunner" 

We visited his owners too as we wanted to check out

His temperment too.

His owners are part of the Dalmatian Club of GB.

What they don,t know about Dalmatians is not worth knowing. 

When we visited I felt we were being interrogated!!

They were lovely but wanted to know that we knew what we were taking on !

Dalmatians are very strong minded 

dogs, they can become quite a handful

If you let them..

Dexter was no  different .

Thankfully having dogs all my childhood , 

I had the experience to know what he was up to 

and play him at his own game!!

He was a stubborn pup

he tried to be top dog over us 

no chance  pupster !!!

Finally he found where his pecking

order was and it was not top dog! 

but we picked well

he is a very affectionate chap 

 a great house dog 

and so protective of us 

but that is all in his breed.

Dalmatians used to protect stage coaches 

they are faithful and loyal

and "working" dogs

They are full of energy and need 

Lots of exercise.

Dextie  brings us so much companionship,

and love ... and when a 38kilo 

wants  to sit on your lap

for a cuddle 

......

You know about it believe me!!!

Little Lady was part of everything when we decided  

to get our boy, 

the breeder was great 

Sending regular pictures and updates.

Little Miss helped make a blanket 

for the new pup

and yes she was nervous for a day or two

when he arrived ,

but within a week she helped feed him, 

played  in the garden with him.

Then his first walk in the park in the snow 

was amazing. ...she

wasn't in a pram, dogs of all size  everywhere

And 

She was fine, fear gone

problem solved

And 

we had a much loved new addition to 

Our family.

Off now for a birthday walk...

Happy Birthday Dextie xxxxx

See you soon

Xxxx