Another busy week. Although I can't remember the last time I could write "another dull week - the days just dragged by" - that is just so not me. Andrew was away for a couple of days, and I went to ECDL on Thursday evening - did a mock exam in my database module. Not quite there but more revision this week and then I'm quietly optimistic.

My friend celebrated her birthday and loved the table topper I made for her which is great. Now we're involved in a Valentine conspiracy with reposting of cards to ensure they have a postmark well away from their source. Great fun. Also in the post this week was a wonderful invitation to a book launch written by a family friend - so exciting and I'm so proud of her. It's being held in Swansea at the Dylan Thomas Theatre (very appropriately) and there's a reception with some readings too. I can't wait.

I've been busy this week with a quilting project found on the Moda Bakestore website. It's dangerous going on there as I invariably fall in love with some fabric or get ideas for projects. Anyway, the project was to make a little bag, with a lining, handles and a magnetic closure. Doesn't sound too complicated you're thinking, and you'd be right. That isn't what I was thinking yesterday - I followed the instructions but needed Andrew to come and give me a hand when it came to the magnetic snaps in interpreting the written words. I also got myself in a complete pickle when it came to sewing the different layers together, eventually taking three goes. At my first attempt the handles ended up sewn inside the linings ( I still don't know how) then I ended up with the handles and the lining looking beautiful but the outside of the bag was inside out. At this stage, I was cursing and the seam ripper was red hot. Finally I got it, did the final stitching and drank what must have been the largest and most deserved gin and tonic in the universe. Still, this was my first time making any sort of bag and in fact I am thrilled with how it has turned out. My next idea is to make a cheerful 1950's style frilly pinny for glamour while doing housework. Why should domestic duties be done in boring clothes? Life is too short.

Yesterday, I took part in the annual event of the RSPB Great Garden Birdwatch. Anyone who reads regularly knows I love birds, have done since childhood thanks to keen parents and our postman, and take enormous pleasure and satisfaction from watching and studying them. I was looking forward to the birdwatch as although our Cardiff home is not blessed with the diversity we experienced up at Builth, the variety of birds in the garden has steadily increased and improved as the garden has matured, the pond has settled and we have continued to provide bird food of various types (typically, we put out dried mealworms, a seed mix, peanuts and suet fatballs). We have a cast of "regulars", some "occasionals" and the odd exotic visitor that adds to the excitement. We have tried our best to create a garden that is not only beautiful for us but respects biodiversity and uses the absolute minimum of artificial weedkillers or other substances that might harm our wildlife. Although the garden is barely four years old, it already has a surprisingly mature feel and I am very encouraged by the variety of life we have managed to attract. Hedgehogs regularly visit, we have bats, many frogs, possible newts, lots of butterflies and of course lots of lovely birds.

So, I topped up the fat balls and the meal worms, made myself a cuppa and settled down on the sofa with my notebook to record who popped in. A modest haul, with our regular flock of sparrows, the blackbird scuttling along the floor, the robin hopping and jaunty, a magpie who flew in for some mealworms and a lovely assortment of great tits and blue tits. Sadly the long tailed tits didn't visit during the hour sample and later in the day I saw the grey wagtail (confusingly named, as it is very yellow!) who is one of our "occasionals".

Today we booked a session over at the greyhound field which was made even more exciting by the presence of next door's goats en masse in the environs of the greyhound paddock (albeit, thankfully, in the outer area not the secure inner core). Apart from the honking smell of the billy this also meant that the dogs went absolutely potty with excitement with Andy trying to burrow under the fence, Booty trying to go through the fence directly and Boola the only one with any sign of residual sanity. This all meant that the dogs were hurtling about like lunatics (when not burrowing or charging) so when home, they promptly collapsed in a heap and have barely stirred all night, except to eat some scraps from our shoulder of lamb with garlic and rosemary that we ate earlier. As I write, Andrew is relaxing in a deep bath of fragrant bubbles and I'm catching up with some stuff on the computer. It's been an eventful weekend but a very enjoyable one. Some pics attached from the greyhound field, including the offending goats.

Yesterday, Andrew was in Birmingham at one of his regular staff meetings. As all the employees work from home and live all over the place, Birmingham is a good central location for holding meetings. As usual, I drove him into the station and what I do on those mornings is take the dogs with me and then walk them at Hamadryad Park, which is near the city centre, on the embankment of the river as it flows out into the Bay. If he's catching the London train at 6.55 I drop him off at around 6.40 so he's got time to buy a paper and a coffee before boarding, which means I'm usually at the park around 6.45. For Birmingham he was catching the later train, so it was just getting light (a very good bonus). From the park you can see many of the city's landmarks, the Millennium Centre, the stadium, some of the tall office and apartment blocks, all look very interesting early in the morning. On the river, you will see and hear the rowers who are out training - the dogs are always fascinated by the noise of the oars in the water and the clunk noises as the oars and the boats meet, as well as the colourful (!!!) shouting from the cox/coach. The walk takes me under the flyover bringing much traffic into the centre from the west of Cardiff and even in the early morning, it is busy. I also usually see regular walkers, some other dogs, and a lovely man who uses an embrasure by the river to practice his Tai Chi - he usually arrives about 7. I like the feeling of the park being used by a group of "regulars" at that time of the morning.

In the city centre, I love the sense of the stage being set. In the offices the cleaners are chatting to the security guards, tables and chairs are being brought out on to the street, Metro distributors are receiving their bags of free newspapers, bins are emptied, deliveries are being made, the streets are being cleaned and there is a general sense of preparation and busyness. The Brains brewery is right in the centre of the city and often in the mornings you can smell the glorious nutty, malty aroma of the mash - there's nothing like it and I love it.

Today, we went into town to buy a birthday present for my friend. I've already made her the little table topper previously shown but wanted to buy her something from the L'Occitane shop. She loves the Cherry Blossom range so I was able to get some items for her and as usual the staff are lovely, always offering a glass of bubbly, masses of free samples and free gift wrapping, which is always a good extra when buying a gift. After that, we made a quick foray over to Waterstones, still mourning the passing of Borders (one of my favourite ways to while away a couple of hours on a Saturday, containing books, a Paperchase and then a Starbucks afterwards - perfect!). I bought Sarah Water's new book, The Little Stranger. It is a ghost book set in the immediate post war period in the late 1940's, an era I find fascinating. Then back to the car and home.

The rest of the day has been spent quietly, ironing, reading the paper and this evening catching up with some TV including a two part documentary on the legacy of TE Lawrence. I found it interesting but on reflection did not agree with all the conclusions of the presenter who seemed to be saying that if Lawrence was alive today he would not have advised or supported the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan. Lawrence of course had no say on whether the British were right to be involved in Palestine and the wider Middle East in the first place - to a large extent, he simply took the circumstances he and Allenby found themselves in and made the best of it - the peace deal that sold out the Arabs was as usual a product of mandarins and politicians - few soldiers get to the top table and that is sadly always the way. Further, Lawrence was very much a product of his time, and regarded and accepted as highly unusual even for that time. It is dangerous to move a set of modern assumptions to a historical figure - one of the reasons why I am so passionately against the current idiocy of "apologising" for all sorts of historical wrongs. Also, as I say, Lawrence was unusual in all kinds of ways - I don't necessarily think you can regard him as a template for British foreign policy and should be treated with caution as a primer for modern troops. He has been one of my fascinations and indeed heroes for many years and I've studied his writings, letters and biographies since I was a teenager. But that admiration is tempered with the necessity for historical context and the consideration of his flaws (which although interesting, were there).

Now it's time for bed. A cold night so woofs are wearing their pyjamas and looking forward to an enjoyable day tomorrow.

Just a quick post tonight. I've started back at my ECDL course. I only have the Database module to complete and that's it - finished. I'll be very pleased when it's done and I can sit and look happily at my new qualification. Nice to see the tutor tonight - she's great, very approachable and helpful. While I was enrolling, (delayed owing to snow) had a chat with the lady in the office and she was telling me about a sewing course on a Tuesday - very tempted and might just do that. Although I enjoy doing quilting I don't actually do any dressmaking - might be nice to be able to do that type of thing and make a pretty summer dress or a skirt. Anyway, will have a think about it. Woofs are all well, and I've been working (as in earning money) over the past couple of days, so not much excitement to share. Andrew and I are still gazing in wonderment at the new hanging.

Sometimes, things happen in life that are unexpected miracles. People do things that are magnificent acts of kindness and generosity. By doing so, they bring joy and happiness and go a long way to act as lights in the world. If you read my blog, you'll see a list down the side of other websites/blogs that I recommend or particularly like. One of these is a blog called the Calico Quilter, which as the name suggests is a quilter living in the USA with her husband, her cat Molly and a rather lovely garden, all of which feature regularly. Long term readers will recall my offering hand made Christmas cards to anyone who'd like one two Christmasses back, and CQ was one of the volunteer recipients. Since then, we've continued to read each other's blogs, exchange emails and again Christmas cards. CQ like myself is hopelessly devoted to her husband and animal companion (in her case, Molly) but unlike me she is a ferociously talented and highly disciplined quilter with a work rate that is pretty Stakhovian. Anyway, enough background - I commend her blog to you.

But what really matters is that at the end of last week, a wonderful tube arrived via the postman. The contents were so securely wrapped I spent ages peeling off layers, surrounded by greyhounds all gradually disappearing under waves of tissue paper. Eventually, I reached the precious cargo. Oh boy!! A glorious handmade wall hanging, beautifully quilted, foundation pieced of a black greyhound. I sat there with tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat as I looked at the lovely hanging, hand made with exquisite care and finished impeccably. Andrew was away so all I could do was burble down the phone to him. Once he got home, we have spent the weekend wandering round the house with the hanging, holding it up against various walls and saying "Shall we put it here? Or here? How's the light in this spot? " anyway, we think we have a place for it, on the upstairs landing. We are going to move one of our John Knapp Fisher prints and use the space for the hanging. We haven't hung it yet, but I attach a couple of pics of it, laid out on the bed, one taken with flash and one without.

Since the weekend, I've continued to be busy with my microchipping research. I feel as though I am peeling off layers of an onion, as with every question I ask, at least three more pop up to be answered. Answers are slowly coming in from Councils to the basic questions about chipping strays, but I now have more questions to be raised about dog pounds and scanning dead dogs as well as a whole slew of technical queries about scanning, different scanners and the chips used.

In answer to Jan's query, here in the UK, microchipping is promoted heavily by nearly all reputable and major dog charities including our own, the Dogs' Trust, the RSPCA and so on. Although chips can and do migrate round the body, especially in dogs that are very thin (step forward all sighthounds and many rescue cases), I have not come across any queries about the health effects of chipping - I would say there is far more concern about vaccination. Microchipping is now compulsory for horses as part of the horse passport scheme and believe me, horse welfare is not generally something Brits compromise on as love of horses goes all the way up to the Royal Family. Can you imagine Princess Anne on the warpath if there was the slightest chance of it being harmful? I don't know what the general feeling is among the cat fraternity - generally cats in the UK are much less likely to be wearing a collar or any form of ID and they are treated differently legally - there is no such thing for instance as a "stray" cat as cats are recognised as being wanderers by nature.

So, all in all, a busy time, what with hangings, and chips and of course the daily routines of dog walking, housework, work and crafting.

Just when I thought we were getting close to a thaw, more snow. It started yesterday afternoon, and began to settle almost immediately. It kept going steadily all night and when I woke up this morning (with Booty cosily tucked in beside me), it was still falling and the garden was transformed. I leaned out of the bedroom window and took a couple of pictures to illustrate. The dogs are funny - they like sniffing it, and Andy in particular loves to play in it. Booty is less keen (perhaps due to her arthritis?) and Boola will have a play if he is in the mood.

I've had a busy couple of days researching some issues to do with stray dogs and microchipping. Readers may recall I went to a companion animal welfare conference before Christmas, where the Minister for Rural Affairs said she would be looking at compulsory microchipping. Well, the date has now been set for a day long workshop on the issue, and progress is being made, with a real possibility of legislation on this later this year or early next. There are some real difficulties to overcome in making the legislation work, but I don't think these are insurmountable barriers. Hence doing research at this stage, and trying to ensure I understand the likely barriers and the position the greyhound charity should take on the key points. I do think microchipping is one of those issues that cuts across a number of dog welfare concerns and could lead to some real improvements in traceability and reducing some welfare problems. There are no magic bullets sadly but like many environmental issues I have worked on in the past, it is about making it easy for conscientous owners to do the right thing, and gradually reducing the wriggle room for the bad guys.

I've also made another log cabin table topper - details and pics over on Silver Nutmeg. Other than that, not a lot to report.

Well, it's been a momentous day. Andrew had been scheduled to go to a meeting in Birmingham today but the company wisely cancelled it. As he was home, we decided to venture out for a walk and went over to Tredegar House with the dogs. Our estate was icy but passable with care, but once we hit the main roads they were clear. So,we went over on very quiet roads and when we arrived, there were hardly any cars in the car park. The little shops (like Busy Bees, my quilting shop) that are based in the stables were all closed, and no sign of the gardening project either.

All wrapped up, we walked up the drive and into the open area, with the long avenues of trees, and there wasn't a soul to be seen. The dogs were loving the snow, which was quite deep in the grassy areas, so we decided to let the dogs off the leads and have some free play. This may not sound very major to most people but this was the first time we have ever done this in a public park. Andy and Booty both have what is called a high prey drive - this means that they view any passing small dog such as a Yorkshire Terrier as a thoughtfully provided mobile snack - food on the go, if you like. They don't "see" small dogs as dogs - just as something to chase, like a squirrel or a rabbit. Some greyhounds quickly make the connection when they come off the track - others, like Andy and Booty don't. This is why they always also wear muzzles and of course why we walk them on the lead. It also explains why we go all the way over to England for off-lead play on a regular basis.

So we had the most magical time with all three hounds frolicking and prancing and rushing round in circles at high speed, and sniffing trees, and sniffing molehills and generally having a blissful time. As we walked back toward the house, we reattached the leads and not long after some other dogs appeared so we timed it well. But it was a really memorable session and a big landmark for us.

This afternoon, I have been continuing quilting and finished making up a pretty little table runner for the guest bedroom - if you read this and come and stay with us regularly, as I know several of you do, you'll see it on your next visit. A couple of pics attached. You can read more about the table runner over at Silver Nutmeg my craft blog. I had let it lapse a bit over the autumn, but have decided to keep it running and there's lots more details and pics over there. While I was finishing that, Andrew went over to our friend Paula's and walked her dogs for her (greyhounds Jim and Blue). She's now completed her radiotherapy which is great news. It's now dark and getting colder, and we are wondering if we'll have more snow tonight.

My first blog post of 2010, so can I wish you all a very Happy New Year, filled with peace, love and greyhounds.

We had a nice start to the New Year with a lovely Sunday lunch on the 3rd, hosting friends Paula and Penny. Paula is still going through her radiotherapy, so didn't feel like eating much, but it was fabulous to see her and we really appreciated her making the effort to join us and be sociable. Penny traversed the frozen wastes to get to us, and couldn;t stay as long as she wanted, as she needed to get back to the farm, but again, it was fab to see her and enjoy ourselves, nattering and catching up. We made a pumpkin and ricotta lasagne, reindeer shaped cheese biscuits and a spicy pudding, one of those ones that looks like a cowpat when you put it in the oven but you end up with a lovely sponge sitting on top of a rich gooey sauce.

We were also able to give Penny her surprise Christmas present, which was a quilt I had made for her. It is only a small lap quilt, but I thought she would like it on the rare occasions she sits down on the sofa to watch the racing on TV, and can snuggle her feet and legs under it. I'm sure she won't mind me saying her farmhouse is very, very old and does have a few draughts, so I'm sure it will come in useful. We also gave her a pot of home made cranberry chutney -not yet ready to eat, but the most lovely colour. I have attached some pics of the quilt - as you can see, Boola was on the sofa while Andrew photographed it, doing his usual chilled out thing. The fabrics were a Moda charm pack (called something like Kansas Winter) and the sashing was a Moda Scrap Bag which just seemed to work nicely with the colours. On the back I made a central panel using some of the leftover charms, some other Moda fabric and two side panels I picked out at Busy Bees. I quilted in the ditch once it was basted - nothing fancy and used the reverse of the quilt to make the binding, simply folding it over and doing a double seam. The quilt block I used was one I discovered on the Moda site - basically you make a 9 patch block, then cut it into four equal quarters, which are then spun round and resewn, giving each quarter an assortment of large and small squares and rectangles. It was a nice block to do, and I think I might do something similar again. Between the blocks, I just put in some sashing and then two borders round the edges, once made up, of the scrap bag strips. Fortunately, Penny was thrilled with it, and even more happily, she had just (unbeknown to me) taken delivery of a beige sofa, which has a red throw over it to help lurcher-proofing. The colours of the quilt will work really well with it.

Since Sunday, we, like most of the country have been struggling with some rather exciting weather - well, exciting for the UK, anyway. Most other European countries would be amazed that we grind to a halt following a light sprinkling of snow, but I feel this is a national characteristic that has been honed over many years, and we should be proud of our inability to cope with or enjoy anything other than damp drizzle. Andrew is due on a training course in Birmingham on Friday, but this is looking doubtful.

Brightening up the evenings this week has been a Lynda La Plante murder mystery on ITV. We almost never watch ITV and I am not a big La Plante fan normally, (with the wonderful exception of Prime Suspect) but this had Cieran Hinds (apologies to him for missing the accent in his name), currently my favourite eye candy. I may have written before about his Captain Wentworth in Persuasion, a beautifully executed adaptation of one of my favourite novels, and I also enjoyed him recently in Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (again, another wonderful book, which I cannot recommend highly enough). I realise that if he is going to choose quality literary adaptations on a regular basis, he can't go far wrong - the La Plante however was the usual slickly done police procedural with the standard cliches of the hard hearted senior officer who barks at his staff (but is really a sweetie underneath) and a ludicrously overdone posh family of villains with suitable loyal, aged retainers. Maybe it is a feature of my own middle age (45 very soon!!!) but I just cannot get excited about younger men (well, obviously the exception being dear Andrew). I should also stress that I am not looking for any real excitement - but in terms of visual enjoyment I do prefer a man who looks as though he's lived a bit. Other contenders would be Jean Reno or Alan Rickman (mainly for his voice, admittedly) - I'm sure you get the picture.