Hello and I hope everyone out there in blogland is having a wonderful Christmas time. Our Christmas Eve got off to a great start when Rita and I went to see the Nutcracker in the centre of Cardiff at St. David's Hall. It was entrancing, magical and gloriously traditional and Christmassy - just what I wanted to put me in the mood for an exciting festive time. We both thoroughly enjoyed it. While we were at the theatre, Andrew and Roger walked the woofs then came and fetched us, then it was back home for a glass of mulled cider and the start of the festivities.

Somehow on Christmas Eve, there is a wonderful excitement in the air. After eating, we all settled down to watch the Muppets' Christmas Carol (a Christmas tradition for Andrew and me) then off to bed, to wait eagerly for stockings, for rustlings and creepings and mysterious bulging packages. Waking up on Christmas morning it was fun to open our stockings in bed, before getting up for a leisurely cuppa. We took the dogs for a walk over the Cardiff Bay barrage, and it was glorious. Sunny, cold and still with the city looking beautiful and the mountains behind, with Somerset visible over the Bristol Channel. Back home for brunch and champagne (smoked salmon and scrambled egg) then all the fun of opening presents. Then preparations for the feast - sitting down to eat around 4.30 p.m. The turkey was glorious, very moist, with home made stuffing, my home made cranberry sauce, roast potatoes and parsnips cooked in goose fat, sprouts with lardons and carrots, with plenty of home made gravy made with turkey stock. Crackers were pulled, funny hats worn, jokes told. Naturally there was a keen interest taken in the proceedings by the resident hounds. We followed this with cheese and port, then retired for coffee, relaxation and chat on the sofas. Enjoyed Dr Who and looking forward to the next episode. Finally, bed, tired but happy and feeling the day had gone very well.

Boxing Day was a relaxed day of pleasure, with another enjoyable dog walk and very little actually done, except chat, eat, drink and browse through the pile of nice books I received. We walked the dogs up at Llwyn Onn reservoir, on the fringe of the Brecon Beacons. On the way up, we passed huge numbers of people queueing to get into the shopping centre at Merthyr - there was something so sad and dreary about it, and I was very glad we weren't there.

On Sunday, we had booked a session over at the greyhound field which worked out nicely for Rita and Roger, as it was on their way back home to Somerset. It was the first time they'd seen the woofs all indulging in off-lead play like that and it was very enjoyable. The afternoon ended in a rather dramatic way when the billy goat in the field next door climbed over the fence and got in. I have written before that the field has a secure inner fence, high enough for sighthound safety but we had to get from the inner area to the gate and then through it, without Andy trying to eat the billy or it escaping on to the road. Hairy stuff!! Boola, bless him, was his usual chilled out self - he is a lovely boy and has taken Christmas entirely in his stride. Eventually, all safely loaded and then home. Yesterday and today have been very quiet (just what we wanted)and tomorrow we will see Andrew's sister, her husband and their three boys who will be visiting, although we are keeping our fingers crossed on the weather, as snow is forecast.

Some pics attached.

Well, Christmas is now hurtling towards us. I just can't believe tomorrow is Christmas Eve. It's been an odd few days. On Sunday night, we had a fall of snow, which then froze, leaving the city iced for the past three days, so much so that I have not been out in it. The dogs have been at home too, sliding all over the flagstones in the garden in a most undignified fashion. Andrew has been in London until yesterday - the severe weather there made him decide to come home early as transport was being disrupted. I'm making a quilt for a friend, and have succeeded in finishing the quilt top, doing a nice reverse side and making a quilt "sandwich" - now all I have to do is the actual quilting and finally put a border on it. The colours are lovely - festive without screaming "Christmas". Today we ventured out into town, which was surprisingly quiet and Andrew got the turkey and the last minute shopping, mainly perishables such as vegetables, fruit and dairy. We've also finished wrapping a big pile of presents including two that came today I'd ordered for Andrew. Top marks to good old Amazon and to an interesting American website I came across - I ordered a gift last week and it arrived less than a week later - most impressive. I may well write more about these after Christmas. Later on, I popped round to see a friend of ours - she is currently going through radiotherapy and chemotherapy, so is having a tough Christmas. As usual though she was her normal cheerful self, with not a trace of self-pity, and her humour very much intact. Fingers crossed, she and another friend (planned recipient of the quilt) will be coming round for lunch in the New Year. We had hoped to drive down to Swansea to visit my cousin Jonathan who is currently in Morriston Hospital, in the spookily named Surgical Decision Making Unit. Unfortunately, we had a sleet shower this afternoon,which was followed by biting cold, so skating on the motorway was not an attractive idea. Very reluctantly, we decided to stay in Cardiff. Now we are preparing all the last minute things for tomorrow when Andrew's parents arrive. To all my readers, a very happy, peaceful Christmas and a New Year full of health and happiness.

Christmas preparations are strange. In spite of being fairly well organised, and not having an enormous family, there is always quite a bit to do. Last week, I reached a point that most women are familiar with, when I suddenly felt - Aaaargh, and it was all just getting a bit stressy. Somehow, perhaps because of the settling relief of my checkup I began to feel by the end of Thursday that the worst was over and we were over the hump, so to speak. All the cards have been made and sent - inevitably you always get one (usually on Christmas Eve) that you haven't returned, and there is usually at least one with an indecipherable postcode and incomprehensible squiggle for a signature, leaving us both scratching our heads. The parcels that needed posting have gone, we're steadily organising assorted family visits, the tree and house is decorated, wreath is made and on the front door, and we're making progress with the menu planning/food shopping. As I write, Andrew is downstairs making a batch of chilli jam and some apple and cranberry chutney. Tomorrow, I am going to concentrate on finishing a quilt which is a Christmas present for a friend of mine.

What also helped enormously was yesterday going down to Swansea to visit my 91 year old great aunt. When I was a child, we used to visit her on Christmas Eve, and in my mind, seeing her is still the "kick-off" to the festivities. She was in her usual very high spirits, and we went out for a pub lunch at one of her favourite hostelries. We had a great time catching up on the news, admiring the huge quantity of cards she'd received, exchanging gifts, and discussing plans for the New Year. She's got a very busy week next week, (far busier than us, actually) involving a dizzying number of social calls and a trip to the pantomime on Tuesday - cues of us all shouting "Oh, no you're not" at the top of our voices in the pub. She finally had her central heating installed in the autumn, courtesy of Age Concern, and it was so nice to visit her and walk into a toasty warm house. When we arrived, small flakes of snow were falling and it was bitterly cold. She was interested in hearing all about our trip to Germany, our foster dog and a lengthy discussion of TV chefs (she is a keen cook herself). Suddenly it was time to go, as she had another (!!) visitor due later in the afternoon, and then back home to the woofs.

Today we walked the dogs and it is still very cold with ice in the garden pond, and thick frost on the frozen ground over at Tredegar House. The leaves on the ground were twinkling beautifully with their coating of frost - so lovely to look at. I've just done a big pile of ironing and later on, we're having braised peasant with red cabbage. No doubt a glass or two of red wine will be consumed as well.

Today is the most important day of my year. This morning, we trundled over to the hospital at Llandough for my oncology check-up. Saw a lovely new registrar this morning who was so friendly and reassuring (and she had beautiful, warm hands), had my exam and a chat and given the all clear. As it's now five years since my diagnosis - I'm free to go - no more check-ups. Naturally, the clinic maintains an "open door" policy in that if I ever am concerned about any symptoms I can go straight back, but my regular check-ups are now behind me. I was so delighted and relieved when it was over that I promptly burst into tears - much to my embarrassment, but the doctor was lovely, gave me a big hug, Andrew wielded his hanky and then we were able to walk out, saying goodbye to the lovely nurses and receptionists at the clinic who are also always unfailingly cheerful and friendly when you go over there.

The five years has been a long road - and it has changed me in a number of ways, both physically, mentally and emotionally. Some of these effects will of course be life long like the battle with lymphoedema, the fatigue and the scarring but I am pleased that in many ways my life is just as it was before, except with the bittersweet edge that never now leaves me, that I am very conscious (especially at the moment) of the rather arbitrary nature of survival and just how precious the extra, borrowed time has been. These past five years have been a wonderful bonus and very much appreciated. One of the changes has been an unwillingness to put up with crap (be it from people individually or organisationally) and to move on/away swiftly if someone is being an idiot, whereas previously I would have been more likely to give second, third or more chances.

The other thing that I'd like to mention is that when I was ill, I was so unspeakably grateful to those friends and colleagues who were supportive - even a small card or note or a quick visit meant the world and in my mind, they will be appreciated fondly for the rest of my days. Equally, there are a number of people who I would have expected to have been there who weren't. Of course, there may well be reasons I don't know, but the disappointment has been noted. I have moved on from a number of people who if you'd asked me before, I'd have gladly acknowledged as good friends/colleagues/family members.

After the hospital, we went over to a good butcher at Penarth, where we stocked up on some game for the freezer (pheasant casserole to celebrate the New Year), then home. After walking the dogs, we are now sorting out the Christmas tree, lights and decorations - Fun!! My hospital news is the best gift I can wish for - now I really do feel we can celebrate. May even have a glass of champagne tonight.

After we came back from Germany, I inherited a cold from Andrew that he had picked up in London at the client's office he is currently working at. It sounds like my idea of Hell, in that it is a large, open-plan office block with windows you cannot open and a form of air conditioning. Of course at this time of the year, everyone has sniffles so you can imagine all the germs just endlessly recirculating - poor Andrew didn't stand a chance. Anyway, I am over the worst, just a bit snuffly now, thankfully. Let's hope it's not one of those irritating ones that lingers.

Yesterday, we went down to Burry Port to see Rhian, the lady who adopted our much loved first foster dog, now called Callie. We last saw them at the Greyhound Rescue Wales show in September and I had been threatening to go down and see them for ages, so we finally got our butts in gear and went down there. Since Rhian adopted Callie, she (like most greyhound owners!) decided to foster and took in an older dog called Mikey who had been over-raced and left with stretched tendons in his fetlocks, giving him a strange gait. Anyway, the foster was a failure, in that Rhian, (understandably) fell completely in love with Mikey and he is now a permanent member of the family. Mikey has gone from being rather battered looking to a gleaming, healthy boy with a glossy black coat and an insatiable appetite for being cuddled. He still has quite bad scarring on him from his previous hard life (the fur will never grow back) but Rhian's TLC has done wonders for him.

Callie was her usual completely adorable self and it was great to have a cuppa and a chat to catch up on all the news. Rhian is a talented knitter (hand and machine) but was saying that the hounds do have an unfortunate liking for playing with her wool! Anyway after a cuppa we all headed down to Pembrey Country Park. I've written before about this - it's gorgeous, miles of beaches, sandy dunes, open grassy areas, picnic tables and copses of trees extending for miles. It overlooks my beloved north Gower (where I was brought up) and is also full of lovely bridleways, and jumps for horses. We could see people playing with stunt kites when we arrived and then went for a lovely walk through the woods and open spaces, enjoying the sandy turf, the trees, the sky and watching Rhian's two dogs run round us like lunatics having a wonderful time. Having five greyhounds around is wonderfully anarchic and very pleasureable. Callie of course gets on great with our two and even Mikey was playing happily - Boola is pretty chilled and he enjoyed himself as well. All in all, it seemed like no time at all before it was beginning to get dark and even colder, so we bundled everyone back into the car and back to Rhian's house. I drove, and Rhian was in the passenger seat; Andrew sat in the back with Callie and Mikey and our three squashed into the boot. Great fun. Then it was back up the M4 to Cardiff through the dark. I attach some pics.

Today we've had a quiet day - a pleasant walk with the woofs this morning and we went to get our Christmas tree this afternoon from the garden centre. It's a Noble Fir, smells fabulous and we'll be putting it up on Wednesday. While there, I also got some spray gold paint to decorate a big bag of pine cones that Penny gave me earlier this year. They make a wonderful Christmas decoration. Also we bought a plain, holly wreath and I will decorate/embellish it myself with ribbons, pine cones and berries. The garden centre was charging £20 (!!!!) for a wreath with just a few pine cones and one tartan bow on it - daylight robbery.

Wilkommen! So, we're back from Germany. The trip was the first time we've done a holiday without the hounds which was quite a milestone. We took them to the kennels that GRW use, just north of Blackwood which has always impressed us when we've visited to drop off or pick up hounds for the charity.(Link to their website here - http://www.pantymilah.moonfruit.com/) They are used to greyhounds' special requirements and are happy to accommodate neurotic fusspots like us! So, off we went with a list of typed instructions and notes, a bag of coats and muzzles and a heavy heart. Leaving them was a wrench and coming home to a house without dogs in it was horrible, but it was also very exciting knowing that we were going to be travelling in the morning.

Met the coach at an unholy hour of the morning and travelled over to Medway services in Kent, which was the meeting point for all the feeder coaches. Then swopped over to our permanent coach and two drivers. Off we went to Eurotunnel, my first time, and it is amazing. You can't photograph the site unfortunately, but it is very striking with rows of ramps swooping down to the carriages, which themselves are giant silver double decker coaches with tiny windows. Passengers stayed on the coach, then the coach itself was driven on to the train with its own compartment. To allow easy access for vehicles entering and leaving, you drive on to what is effectively a giant metal tube and once all vehicles are in place, out of the ceiling come drop-down shutters and doors to compartmentalise you. I loved it. It takes about half an hour (travelling at speeds of up to 90 mph) to cross and you smoothly emerge into the dingy surroundings of Calais on the other side. I've crossed the Channel before on ferries and hovercrafts, but this was an impressive addition to the list.

We then travelled on the excellent Continental autoroutes/autobahnen through France, Belgium and Germany until we reached our hotel base, in the pretty village of St. Goar on the Rhine. This part of the Rhine valley is a World Heritage Site. It's the heart of German wine growing country and the valley sides are covered in steep vineyards and orchards. The Rhine is of course a major transport artery through Europe and all along you could see the big barges carrying goods up and down it, as well as a plethora of assorted pleasure cruisers, mostly festively decorated with pretty lights. Small car ferries also cross the river at frequent intervals. As well as the pretty villages and towns laid out along the river, the valley sides are spectacularly topped with wonderful bergs - castles and fortified manor houses, some in ruins and many still inhabited. Seeing these fairytale castles emerging from the rocks made me expect to see knights on horses or a dragon crossing the skyline. Naturally, I took plenty of Wagner on my Ipod along with some Kraftwerk to get me into the German vibe.

The valley floor is also a rail artery with fast, frequent trains serving the towns and villages, very clean and modern with each train having dedicated areas for bikes on many of the carriages, helping passengers to properly integrate their travels. I found this both inspiring and depressing - it shouldn't be that hard to take these simple steps to help make transport easier yet in the UK we don't seem to make it easy for cyclists. More generally, the Germans (and continental Europeans generally) don't seem to have the terrible mindset affecting traffic planners in the UK that if you drive a car you must be some Jeremy Clarkson figure and the alternative is a system where you only cycle or walk, while wearing a hair shirt and a pair of sandals. In fact, in reality, many people use multiple modes of transport and would be happy to use alternatives to the car if (and it is a big IF) public transport was clean, reliable, reasonably priced and integrated. So, this would make things like having bike areas on trains a no-brainer! Certainly in Germany, town centres had plenty of cars - most were not pedestrianised except where medieval streets were simply too narrow for cars, yet this was not a problem. There didn't seem to be any parking wardens, yet people parked neatly and considerately and we didn't feel that cars impinged on our experience as pedestrians. I do wish we could get this right in the UK - when I think about the current shambles in Cardiff, I just want to bang my head against a wall somewhere. But don't get me started on that - that's a rant for another day....

We loved the beautiful Christmas markets in the town centres. Squares would be filled with a selection of stalls selling a variety of handmade goodies and huge quantities of food and drink. The Germans certainly respect their sausages - I tried a Bratwurst ( a roasted sausage, which was really delicious) and as well, there was a whole plethora of grilled, boiled wurst, served with curry, bread or chips according to preference, of every conceivable shape, size and colour. Other popular food stalls were chips (pommes frites, sold in gargantuan quantitites), crepes and hot fresh waffles. Gluhwein was immensely popular and around the stalls you'd see big groups of Germans, meeting up with friends and family, all warmly dressed, cheerfully knocking back glasses of the wonderful hot, spicy drink. You get a glass with your first wine, which you pay for and then either have refilled or you can keep it as a souvenir. If you give it back, your small deposit is returned to you. This system worked very well and we've now got some souvenir mugs to remind us of happy times spent savouring a hot glass of festive cheer - it is certainly a wonderful drink when it is cold as you can feel it warming you and giving you that festive glow.

We also went to a wine tasting in a medieval cellar in Rudesheim which was very interesting and informative. We have bought some wine to bring back, including a sweet dessert wine that should go well with Christmas pudding. Again, we had some souvenir glasses as well! Rudesheim also has a particular speciality which is a Rudesheimer Kaffee, a potent mix of sugar, flaming Asbach brandy, hot coffee and huge quantities of whipped cream. It is served in a pretty, decorative china cup and saucer (these made popular gifts) and I tried one, which was delicious and would certainly ensure you went shopping feeling warm right through, as the brandy gave it a powerful kick, even after some of the alcohol had been burned off.

Wandering the little cobbled streets was delightful. Everywhere was decorated for Christmas with lots of fresh greenery and twinkly lights, and the medieval buildings, many half-timbered were wonderful. In spite of the huge quantities of takeaway food, the towns were spotlessly clean and it was also nice to see German people out and about with dogs. Pets seemed to be welcome in shops and cafes, and were very well behaved (again, we saw no dog poo anywhere on the street). What a pleasant contrast from the UK. Koblenz in particular had suffered bomb damage during the war, but in general the Germans decided to rebuild and restore along the medieval town plans rather than adopt the UK model of completely obliterating the old town layout. When I think about Swansea and Plymouth for instance, both heavily blitzed, their town centres bear almost no resemblance to the pre-war orientation and layout. So, in Koblenz, it was very difficult to tell which bits were rebuilt and which were original and we liked the higgledy piggledy streets, the little squares and the natural dominance of the Rathaus and some of the bigger churches. Poor old Plymouth has the 1960s monstrosity of the Civic Centre plus some very dodgy shopping areas. The German approach had kept the scale right for pedestrians and hadn't suffered the dead hand of too much architectural and planning interference. The other benefit of the Continental approach to towns is that they are lived in. Most of the town centre shops at ground level were topped by two or three stories of apartments - this gave the whole town a lovely feel. People could walk out to their nearest amenities (again, a sensible approach) with shops, schools and local amenities intermingling nicely. Many British town centres are rigidly EITHER shopping zones or a hot spot for bars and nightclubs which is often a no-go area for folks who don't want to party in the street. And while I'm on my soapbox, how come the Germans were knocking back gluhwein all day long, as well as copious quantities of schnapps and brandy, all with glass containers and we didn't see a single fight, nobody vomiting, weeing on the street, being loud and obnoxious or generally behaving like a British drunk. We did see lots of groups of happy German people, obviously well lubricated, and the most boisterous behaviour we saw was a group of lads singing carols, as they were walking along a street. And we didn't see a single police officer in any of the town centres. The contrast with Cardiff was quite depressing.

Anyway, to end on a more positive note, we loved Germany, and we can recommend a trip to one of their festive markets wholeheartedly. You'll come back with a healthy respect for sausage diversity, and an admiration for the art of the cake maker (patisserie is taken very seriously indeed with wondrous results) along with some unusual presents, a taste for gluhwein and very happy memories. I've put a couple of pics up here, but you can see the whole album if you're interested by clicking the link below, which will take you to my Facebook photo section, and the pics from the trip. I will also add that it was lovely to be reunited with the hounds yesterday and it seems they had a very good time while we were away. All are well and quickly resumed their habits of sofa stealing, snoozing and demanding tickles. The Woodhouse pack is reunited.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=128107&id=764428322&l=25faa56088

Well, today is the first day of winter, and appropriately enough, the temperature dropped down last night and when I woke up there was the first frost we have had, with ice in puddles. Our car is a Mondeo estate (I love Fords) and it has an interesting feature on the dashboard. When the temperature drops below 4 C an orange snowflake glows, and when it is freezing or below, the snowflake turns red - to warn you of adverse road conditions. I took the dogs over to Tredegar House, and never cease to enjoy the beauty of the park and of the house itself. From the outside you mainly see the 17th Century exterior and it's gorgeous; dignified, mellow bricks and just a touch of grandeur with the stone carvings and ornate ironwork of the gates. Andy was very disappointed that there were no squirrels for him to play with - he's not interested in architecture.

As well as being the start of winter, it is also the beginning of Advent. I've opened the first window of the Advent calendar (I love doing this) but have also been giving some serious thoughts to other matters. Advent, like Lent is a time for reflection and preparation, and I have been musing on charitable giving. I had got out of the habit of tithing, with having an interrupted employment history recently, but now that I am earning a smaller but steady amount now feel the time is right to give this some serious commitment. As someone who has been involved with running a small charity, I know how important the foundation is of a regular, reliable income stream. This sort of donation is also much easier to manage in a tax-efficient way. I'm not knocking or criticising donation by event or special occasion - I'm glad to take part myself, but regular giving can do so much more for a charity. I also think there is a special reward in tithing - a regular donation of part of my income. Even though my income has dropped in recent years, in global terms I am immensely wealthy. I have a warm, spacious house, plenty of good food, reliable private transport, warm clothes and shoes, access to travel, dental care, access to health care, three dogs with access to veterinary care and enough spare money to enjoy hobbies, books, entertaining and wine drinking. All this makes us well off beyond the dreams of many people in developing countries and I often think with sadness that our dogs have better access to veterinary care (and vaccinations) than many children.

So, over the next few weeks, I am going to be drawing up a list of three charities and will be donating to them regularly from the New Year - the next few weeks will be spent in researching and refining my list. Any suggestions or ideas very gratefully received, for charities that you think are particularly special, interesting or worthy of support. If anyone reading this is already tithing and wants to encourage me, or share experiences of giving in any way please do let me know.