After one of the longest and coldest winters I can ever remember, spring seems to be getting going at last. We now have crocuses in the garden, plus a few daffs. Yesterday, we came home after running a few errands and doing a big shop at Tesco, to find the pond literally swarming with frogs, all getting busy with appropriate springtime activities. Almost overnight, huge clumps of frog spawn have appeared, again much, much later than usual. When Andrew went out the garden late tonight with the dogs, he could hear the frogs croaking and Booty found one on the patio - fortunately the dogs just sniff them and are not specially interested.

Today has been one of those beautiful spring days that just make you want to be outside. Andrew was running in the Atlantic College 10K race, one he has done before. Atlantic College is a 6th form boarding college set in the grounds of St. Donats Castle on the coast of the Vale of Glamorgan. I attach a picture taken from the grounds, looking out over the sea, you can see North Somerset quite clearly. The views and location are quite stunning, and the school is also the site of a small arts centre, that holds concerts, exhibitions and other performances. For the race, we parked in the school sports field, then strolled a short way through the grounds to the start area near the castle. It's a relatively small race, probably about 300 competitors, with lots of club runners, so times are fast, and the field spreads out. Unusually these days, it is not a chip timed race, but recorded manually as runners cross the finish line. While Andrew was racing I sat in the garden, on a lovely stone bench, reading the paper and soaking up the sun. Then I returned to the finish area, to watch him come in in about 48 minutes, a respectable finishing time after an undulating course. He picked up his souvenir T shirt and water, then we strolled happily back to the car, during which time I took the pic you can see of the view over the Channel. A very enjoyable Sunday morning.

After a relaxed afternoon, we had some spatchcocked roast chicken while watching a couple of programmes about the formation of the solar system. Very interesting with some beautiful photography, including shots of the Aurora Borealis; one of my ambitions is to see these (along with going to Dollywood).

The past week has flown by, and spring seems to be finally on its way. Last Thursday, Andrew's parents came over, and Rita and I went in the afternoon to see Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake, the famous production with the all-male swans. We loved it. It was beautiful, witty, funny, and entrancing. Surprisingly, it was Rita's first time in the Millennium Centre, and she loved the theatre. It was packed out, but as usual, I was impressed with the way the whole building effortlessly swallowed the crowd and made getting in and out, queuing for loos and so on, so easy and pleasureable. Having the all male swans added a very interesting dimension - they were wild, even menacing, and also quite vulnerable. If you haven't yet seen this production, I can heartily recommend it. Should also add that the costumes were fabulous - I coveted several of the dresses and a particularly dramatic black velvet cloak. Lighting and set design were also excellent.

On the Friday, Rita and I enjoyed a delightful day sampling the pleasures of the new John Lewis store and various bits of the new St Davids 2 centre. I had put off visiting JL as I guessed it would be rammed over Christmas, and then we just didn't have the weather for shopping in January and February. Anyway, I was mightily impressed. The store is enormous, and very well laid out, with plenty of room for getting about, and browsing without feeling crowded. Staff seemed plentiful, attentive, helpful and knowledgeable. I'd like to visit it again with Andrew to take a better look at the menswear section which looked promising from a distance, and I was very taken by the fragrances department, with a lovely selection for both men and women. We then went upstairs to fabrics and haberdashery, as I needed some Bondaweb (a certain greyhound with criminal delinquency tendancies had munched mine) and wanted a look at the fabric. I was not disappointed. As a special treat, they stock a wide range of Cath Kidston fabrics, and also lots of lovely Amy Butler designs - mmmmm, bliss! Had a nice chat to the lady in that dept, who again is very knowledgeable and was super helpful. I wish more shops could have staff like that.

After lunch, we continued a pleasant afternoon sauntering round L'Occitane and finished up with a quick visit to Lakeland. Most satisfactory. Home to relaxation, chat and a fish pie in the evening, followed by a wonderful lemon and polenta cake that Andrew made, which was fabulous.

Rita and Roger left after breakfast on Saturday, and I spent most of the rest of the weekend having a relaxing time doing some stitchy stuff. I finished up a quilt top I am making, which now needs basting, and I also started out on an apron I am making for a friend.

This week has been quiet - as usual, Andrew was away for a couple of days in London. While walking the dogs at Hamadryad Park near the station, on the banks of the Taff, we saw an oystercatcher in the park, feeding on the grass. During the week, we have also been having regular visits from a heron. Rita saw it first, on the roof of the garage, when she got up early one morning. Since then, we have seen it on a number of roofs around us, but thankfully not yet near the pond. I was working on the computer yesterday and looked out of the bedroom window, and there it was, practically a couple of yards away. I managed to get this quick shot of it, attached.

Life with a greyhound is never dull. I'm going to repost some text from my other craft blog which is unusual but you will see that it is one of those occasions where craft and hounds collide. On Tuesday of last week, QVC had one of their regular Craft Days. Sometimes these are good value and sometimes they are just fun to dip into and get ideas. This time I was committed to watching avidly as Tim Holtz was appearing, having travelled over from the USA. Tim is an inspirational crafter and with Ranger, is responsible for a range of goodies including alcohol inks, distress inks and all sorts of other great kit, in fabulous colours. He's particularly well known for his "grunge" look but to be fair, many of his techniques and products can be used/enjoyed by any crafter who enjoys messy play. During the craft day they had a selection of goodies from Ranger that were tempting, and as the prices were good, I succumbed. I ordered a selection of 12 Stickles, a fabulous glitter glue in amazing colours which never clogs, drips or spurts. I also ordered a pack which included 3 different Distress Metallic Crackle Paint and matching Distress Stickles. Plus the TSV, which was Tim's new book, bundled with an assortment of goodies, including several products that I had seen before but never actually tried, so figured that now was the time to take the plunge. Previously, when Ranger stuff has been stocked, they've sold out very quickly, so I waited up until midnight on Monday, then ordered via the web, to be sure of getting what I wanted.

The rest of the craft day went well, as I was relaxed about having my purchases safely bagged, and could enjoy the various demos including lots with Tim and his new book. Fast forward, and on Thursday morning, the first of my parcels arrived. QVC do not bag up separate items - they always deliver them in separate packages - I was very impressed with the speed of delivery and sure enough when I opened it, it was a stack of goodies. The new book is brilliant - loads of tips, techniques and ideas, all very inspiring, both for browsing and for detailed technique following. For instance, I didn't know you could use alcohol inks to colour metal charms, so tried out this on a butterfly charm and it seems to have worked brilliantly.

On Saturday, we went out for lunch with my dear great aunt down in Swansea, leaving the dogs in the house. We had a fabulous time with aunty Floss, as we always do, going to one of her favourite pubs and having a carvery lunch. She was in excellent spirits, very cheerful, very sharp and much looking forward to her forthcoming holiday in April. The time flew past, and we were sorry to leave her to come home. I attach a pic which the waitress kindly took while we were having lunch.

Meanwhile, while we were out of the house, the postman pushed through the letterbox, two Jiffy Bags with the remaining items and Andy decided to do what he does sometimes, and attack the post. We are actually in the process of sourcing a mailbox to affix to the side of the house, as we quite often have letters with teeth marks, rips and so on. Anyway, his teeth punctured a pot of Antique Silver Distress Crackle Paint, so when we came home, the hall was a picture. Piles of ripped and munched post, with paint everywhere, including all over the criminal, and a selection of doggy footprints in Antique Silver on the wooden floor, paint all over the hall rug, and worse of all, paint all over the sofa in the living room, which has loose covers. Clearly, having had a good munch, he decided to go and have a lie down on the sofa and rest after all the excitement.

My feelings were very mixed, to say the least. A combination of laughter (it really did look ridicolous), annoyance at my paint being wasted, and worry over the dog being poisoned by the paint, plus concern over clearing up the mess. We managed to find the pot, and reassuringly it had NON TOXIC written boldly in big letters - did this apply to greyhounds, we wondered? The criminal was bouncing round quite happily when we got home, so it obviously was not a fast acting poison (if at all) so we decided to focus on cleaning up. The hall rug is a complete write off but as it was a very cheap one from Ikea, we are not too worried about that. We stripped off the loose covers from the sofa, and immediately washed them, and worked on the floor - fortunately that came clean immediately. The guilty dog was covered in dried paint on his legs - we've now started calling him Twinkletoes since there have been no ill effects. Unfortunately, however, the paint has not come out from the sofa fabric, so we now need to check our insurance policy to see if it is worth making a claim.

Last night, we went back down to Swansea to the Dylan Thomas Centre, near the Marina for a book launch. Marion the author is an old family friend - she is a contemporary of my parents and her husband and my dad were friends as teenagers before they all married and had children. Anyway, they ended up living in the house opposite ours growing up, and Marion and Len had two children, Andrew (my age) and Liz (my brother's age). We all grew up together, playing together a lot as you do. Over the years, I have been close friends with Liz, she was MOH at our wedding, and when she had the children we've been honorary aunts/uncles, with all kids coming to stay with us often. During all this, we see Marion and Len often, either at Liz's house, or here when they drop off the kids, and we love their humour, laid back style and closeness to the kids. Marion's had some health problems, but has still managed to do a first class honours degree in English and be part of a number of writers' groups.

I drove down from Cardiff and picked up Andrew at the train station as he was coming straight from a work meeting in Birmingham. The trouble with revisiting your home town is that all your driving confidence is horribly misplaced. After struggling to get to the station (even though I knew where it was) we then had a rather hairy journey through the centre of town to get to the Centre, again even though I knew where it was, as the road layout had changed markedly, including all sorts of complex one way systems and new traffic lights that seemed designed to hold up traffic rather than encourage flow. Still, we got there eventually and were able to park easily. The room was packed and the publisher gave a short introductory speech before a reading from the book, while we all sat quietly and drank wine. Then there was a mass stampede to buy copies and get them signed, followed by a lot of mingling, chatting and further wine drinking before it was time to leave. I enclose a pic of me with Liz and Katie, her middle daughter, plus another pic of Daniel, her son and the youngest of the three children.

We've had a busy day today. After our dog walk at Tredegar House, I popped in to Busy Bees, my local quilt shop, which is in the courtyard of Tredegar House. Today and tomorrow is their sale. The shop is small, and with three or four customers feels very small, but when I got there today, it was packed to the rafters with happy quilters laden with stash. I was able to find what I was looking for, some backing fabric for the quilt I am currently working on, plus some other nice things which I have a few ideas for.

After a relaxed brunch, we went down to Ikea to see if we could find another rug for the hall, but unfortunately weren't able to find one we liked in an appropriate size. I'm sure we'll find one soon though. While there, we picked up some lightbulbs, some candles and an amazingly zingy duvet set, full of bright colours. Ikea's bedding is great, usually washes and irons really well, and the prices are so stupidly cheap. Since having the dogs, we've upped considerably the change rate for bedding - both on a routine basis and due to scampering pawprints in muddy weather - having another set handy is very useful.

While we were out, we also dropped off the living room rug to the dry cleaner, went to Tesco and then to Pets at Home. While there, we had a new tag for Boola engraved with his contact details, plus got a box of pigs' ears, some kibble and a bag of mealworms for the birds. Now we're at home, Andrew is preparing Moroccan lamb with couscous for tonight and we'll shortly have a gin. Tomorrow off to Bath.

It's pretty unusual for me to do two blog posts in one day, but then it is pretty unusual for me to appear on TV. One of my volunteer activities for the greyhound charity is that I compile and write the monthly e-newsletter that goes out to anyone who wants it. If you're reading this and would like to be added to the distribution list, just drop me a line, and I'll gladly add you. February was unusual in that as well as our normal monthly bulletin, full of the normal stuff about upcoming events, I'd been specifically asked to do a campaign special to be distributed the night before the campaign kick off down at the Senedd. So, in order to write a good newsletter, I did a lot of liaison with Alain the guy who was the driver behind the campaign, and nearly drove the poor man mad with a barrage of questions. Anyway, the net result was that by the time the newsletter went out last night I did at least feel that I was on top of the main issues.

I suggested to Alain, that although dogs are not allowed in the Senedd building (except guide dogs of course), that I was happy to have ours on standby if needed for a photo-op outside the Senedd building. Generally, journalists/photographers love having greyhounds in the picture; no disrespect to our politicians, but a pic of them standing outside an office building isn't very exciting. Put a gorgeous hound in and you've got something a bit better. Alain said he would let me know if I was needed. Anyway, during the course of the afternoon, this morphed somehow from "Yes, come down to the Senedd and lend your greyhound to a politician for a photo" to "How would you feel about doing an interview up at the kennels?"

So, I found myself driving through the snow and bitter cold with dear Boola in the boot up to Pantymilah kennels - one of the kennels the charity uses for boarding our dogs and also where we took our three when we went to Germany before Christmas. The couple who run it are lovely and they have a great team of staff. When I got to the car park, there was a Transit van parked up with satellite dish on roof so made contact and was fitted up with a little microphone on my jacket. Then it was up to the kennels, had a chat to Martin, the owner, and confusingly all the BBC men were called Rhodri. Of course the benefit of this was that I didn't have to remember too many names.

It was bitterly cold, and I was desperate not to look as though I was shaking from nerves when I was shivering. We did a couple of run-throughs on the questions, then there seemed a long period of waiting about, and then we were told we were going live in about a minute and a half. One of the Rhodris then rushed over and we did the interview (he was very nice and asked good, sensible questions and I didn't feel too rushed) then it was suddenly all over. Boola said Goodbye to the other dogs and we slowly left, having a little chat. Another of the very nice BBC men helped me get out of the car park (doing a 27 point turn round his Transit) then it was time to go home. I've had some feedback which has been positive, and a big thank you to everyone who made nice comments. What really surprised me is the adrenaline rush during the interview and of course downturn afterwards - I feel shattered.

I've put another link up - there's a video clip embedded in the story.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8528159.stm

I must say Boola is fantastically photogenic and he was a real star - so well behaved, both Rhodris were fussing over him. Huge thanks are also due to Martin and his team up at Pantymilah for allowing us to use the kennels for filming.

More greyhound stuff to talk about today. I'm continuing to inch forward with painful slowness on my research into local authority and Trunk Road Agency practice on scanning stray dogs and what they do with dead dogs found at the side of the highway. On Friday, I FINALLY got the final response in for authorities on the first question, after posing it originally on January 12th. Getting this has been like pulling teeth - I've had to repeatedly email some Councils, and in cases have had to escalate to Chief Officer level, invoke Complaints procedure, and argue with senior officers about their own information scheme - horrendous.

What has become apparent is that scanning is not universally carried out and there are some worrying gaps in practice, and more importantly information. Only two local authorities out of 22 kept accurate records on numbers of dogs scanned or wearing ID - given the forthcoming possible legislative change I find this surprising.

Results are still trickling in for the dead dog question. I have about four authorities who have yet to respond. Again though there is a complete disconnect between the departments that sort out live strays and those that shovel up dead roadkill - very few have any sort of coherence in their policy. We seem to have the bizarre situation where in some Councils, dead dogs are scanned but live ones are not, and vice versa. Also, all the Trunk Road Agencies work on behalf of WAG which is looking at compulsory chipping, and guess what? None of them scan dead dogs, even though the Highways Agency (English equivalent) has done for some time. So a case of do as I say, not as I do?

Also on the issue of campaigning, today sees the launch of a campaign to persuade WAG to adopt legislation to give greyhounds a better deal. A petition has been launched and the idea is to persuade WAG to adopt a Code of Practice for Greyhound Welfare that is legally enforceable, including things like

• Microchipping
• Vets present at races and trialling
• Better licensing of greyhound racing stadiums and breeding kennels
• Welfare sector input into licensing (a bit like prison Visitors)

I feel very torn. I loathe petitions and don't believe they are generally successful, but would like to be proved wrong on this one. Part of me is desperate for many of these measures to be implemented - if they were put in, Wales would lead the way in greyhound welfare across the UK. However, as with many things, consequences would undoubtedly be that the current situation where greyhounds are bred and raised in the Republic of Ireland then exported to the UK for racing would continue and worsen - ROI has virtually no welfare laws for greyhounds.

Also, Wales is mercifully down to only one greyhound track at the moment - near Caerphilly. I can well imagine WAG doing a Cost/Benefit Analysis and asking why legislative time should be spent on an issue which is probably going to affect only around 100 dogs, and as the recent Swansea prosecution showed, court action can currently be taken where welfare standards are poor.

Of course, one of the background issues to the Welsh situation is that DEFRA (in England) begin regulation of tracks in April of this year, which is widely expected to lead to the eventual closure of the six remaining "flapping" tracks in England, who will simply find the new regulations too expensive to implement. That's fine, and nobody will shed any tears for their closure, especially if their welfare standards are poor - BUT here's the thing. If Wales is unregulated, we could be seen as the "Wild Frontier" where racing can take place with no troublesome requirements for vets, or good animal care - we could see new tracks opening. Once that happens, it will be hellishly diffiicult to fight against them, particularly if they locate in economically troubled areas (pretty much all of Wales, then) and can recite the magical formula "Jobs and Investment". My bet is that if they turned up wanting to open a bear baiting stadium, with cock fighting on alternate Wednesdays, then as long as the signs were bilingual, and some jobs were created, WAG and local Councils would welcome them with open arms. Greyhound welfare campaigners would be seen as animal huggers trying to prevent economic activity in an area.

My other reservation is that, as already mentioned, WAG has begun work this year on a work programme which looks likely to include compulsory microchipping (at least the issue is being seriously considered). My guess is that the greyhound campaign falls awkwardly in relation to this, and the Govt can quite easily say that if microchipping is introduced for all dogs in Wales, a huge element of the traceability concerns over greyhounds will be addressed (as indeed they will ) and this will weaken the case for a separate piece of legislation for greys. Also, this year WAG has its hands full on the animal front with its hugely controversial decision to begin a badger cull in some parts of Wales. I won't get into that argument here (except to say that I think the science behind WAG's case is not convincing me, at all) but it will mean that the Govt is going to putting its small Animal Welfare section under enormous strain this year dealing with this issue - I just don't see the civil servants having spare time in their work programme for a full consultation and implementation. Finally, of course, there is the other issue of the General Election - although AM's are not being elected this year, the Westminster election will be hugely important, and the campaigning will affect the AM's in that I can't see new policies being agreed or implemented too close to a bitterly contested poll. I desperately hope this rather negative analysis is wrong, but I'm trying to make a realistic assessment of the political landscape. Watch this space as events unfold and develop. Here is the link to the BBC reporting of the greyhound story. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8528159.stm

Last week was fairly quiet - nothing too exciting to report but we had a nice weekend. On Saturday Andrew ran in the annual Love Run in the centre of Cardiff, in Bute Park. Pics attached of him at Sophia Gardens car park after returning. He did an excellent time - just under 49 minutes. The course was quite flat and this year it was a small field. The car park and park were heaving though as Wales were playing Scotland later that afternoon (and would go on to win) at the Millennium Stadium; consequently the car park and the riverside were a sea of rugby supporters, wearing the most glorious assortment of outfits. Most of the Scottish guys were wearing kilts - it is such a good look - it seems to suit guys of every shape and age. On top of the kilt there would be either a Scottish rugby jersey or variations on a theme including very smart jackets and most were paired with sporrans. Welsh fans were wearing a variety of beautiful red outfits with quite a few daffodil hats, lots of red jester hats, some dragons and quite a few Welsh flags draped round shoulders. I think it would be fair to say that a great many fans of both nations were rather the worse for wear but what was so lovely was the fabulous atmosphere - so good humoured and festive with everybody out to have a really good time and enjoy the match. Such a contrast to football matches, sadly.

Sunday was of course St. Valentine's Day which we spent quietly. We exchanged cards, and I bought Andrew a bottle of vintage port, while he bought me a bunch of beautiful flowers and my own website domain. I think that is a really thoughtful and rather romantic gift, and I've spent most of my time since thinking about possible developments for the site. More on this in the future, no doubt. At the moment, I'm considering some form of online shop.

Today we took the dogs over to Tredegar House for their usual walk. Near the house are the formal gardens (closed to dogs) and the open parkland (with ha-has) and carriage drives. Also within the park is an ornamental lake and a wooded area, with a large amount of rhododendrons and cherry laurels. Recently, the park management have been doing some pretty extensive work around the lake, pruning trees and repairing pathways so that part of the park has been closed, much to Andy's disappointment. We call the wooded area "Squirrel World" as not surprisingly there are a large number of squirrels and Andy loves going in there, trying to climb trees and generally have a very exciting time, with much squeaking, bouncing and leaping along the way.

Since the closure, he has taken to looking longingly at the path into the wood, and trying to pull us in there. When we've previously let him off near the wood he has also tried to make a bee line for it, so we are very careful to only let him off further over on the open parkland, where there are fewer temptations. Anyway, this morning, the park was very quiet so we let off Boola (who behaves very well), Booty who was sniffing molehills ecstatically and Andy. To start with, all was fine, as he and Boola had high speed chases over the grass - fantastic to watch, as they hit some terrific speeds. Then the chase got over to the entrance to the wood, and sure enough Andy decided to take the opportunity for a bit of exploration and squirrel hunting. It was actually very funny as he went deaf to all calls, looked back at Andrew with a very defiant expression and trotted off purposefully yet with a rather guilty slink. Andrew jogged in after him in case the local Yorkshire Terriers were having a convention and I followed more slowly with Boola, who was just very interested in finally getting to see inside the wood. After a few minutes, we met the escapee returning on the lead with an expression of mixed defiance and embarrassment. Apparently, as Andrew had been jogging after him, he'd been looking back at him with a distinctly naughty expression, would wait till Andrew nearly got to him, then continue to trot into the wood, still occasionally looking over his shoulder.

Since returning home, the criminal has been snoozing peacefully, having enjoyed his prison break and subsequent recapture. I've been ironing and continuing to listen to Husky Rescue - the glorious Finnish band. If you haven't tried them before imagine a dreamy electronic soundtrack with ethereal, slightly folky female vocals (they sing in English)- absolutely hypnotic and beautiful, and one of those bands who you can enjoy more and more with each subsequent listen.

Our other piece of exciting news is that we've managed to get tickets for WNO's Die Meistersingers later this year at the Millennium Stadium. We had tried to get them before but they had sold out (probably because Bryn Terfel will be singing) but we went on the list for returns. Very happily for us, the WMC called on Friday to let us know of some returns and we were very glad to take them. Apparently the performance is six hours long (good old Wagner, never one to rush)with a meal break in the middle.

The big news is that after a lot of thought and discussion we have decided to formally adopt our beautiful foster greyhound, Boola, taking us up to three permanent canine members of the family. So, I thought that in this blog post I would tell you all a little bit about him.

Boola's full name is Boolavogue Gold and he was born on 11th February 2000, probably one of five littermates. He was born in Ireland to Irish parents (his mother was Boolavogue June and his sire was Roanokee). Like most greyhounds, he has distinctive and unique ear tattoos, which allow us to look him up on the worldwide greyhound database at http://www.greyhound-data.com/, a fascinating site with all sorts of racing stats and dog pedigree information. This site allows us to trace Boola's pedigree right back to the 19th Century. We can also see recorded here his racing information. His racing career was fairly short, mainly at Enniscorthy Stadium, County Wexford, just seven races in 2002, with not very impressive results. Boola was one of the lucky ones - at this point, a lot of greyhounds are shot or killed in other ways but in his case he made his way over to Wales, probably to race on one of Wales' unlicensed flapping tracks. A steady stream of cheap Irish dogs (and English ones too) come to Wales as a sort of "last chance saloon" to have a pop on the flapping tracks - these dogs are cheap, often as little as £10.

Their attraction is that they are unknown on the local Welsh tracks so the new owner will try and gain money by betting heavily on the new arrival - the idea being that because they are an unknown quantity it may be possible to get a big payout from the bookie if they do well. If they don't do well, not much money has been invested in the dog. At this point, again Boola was lucky as often dogs are shot at this point if they don't do well. Some reputable owners will hand them over also at this point (Andy got rehomed at this stage) but Boola ended up being dumped on the streets in the winter. This is how greyhound racing repays the dogs who don't do well. Eventually he was found straying and taken to the Council dog pound in Neath, South Wales on New Year's Eve 2002, and from here he came for the first time into the care of the charity.

He was successfully rehomed but unfortunately ate a pet rabbit and had an incident with some chickens, leading him to come back to the care of the charity and being rehomed again in 2007. This time he went to an alternative therapist and her family but allegedly displayed severe behavioural problems, including pooing in the house, whining, disturbed sleep and other issues. Eventually, the owner contacted the charity in autumn of last year and simply asked them to take the dog away. And that's when he came to us.

I have to speak as we find. We are not (most emphatically) experts, or have any expertise in dog behaviour. Since Boola has been with us, he's been spotlessly clean in the house, and generally sleeps through the night. Like all greyhounds, if he needs to go out, he lets you know, and he does whine but it's with excitement when we're preparing food or going out on walks. From being a little shy on first arrival he's blossomed into a gorgeous, confident, affectionate boy who is a pleasure to be around. Some other interesting trivia:-

• He loves cold curry
• He has a nail missing on his front right paw and on his front left paw he has a mis-shapen nail.
• He likes having his belly tickled.
• He is a very messy eater.
• He has a funny bark when he is out the garden and wants to come back in.
• He likes to pee on the raised bed in the garden.
• He loves cuddling Andrew on the sofa.
• He doesn't like the vacuum cleaner very much but at least he doesn't try to bite it (unlike Andy).
• He doesn't like going upstairs.

So, to conclude, welcome to our newest family member and I'm sure many of my readers will enjoy meeting him in person in the future.

Just a quick post tonight to say that I went to my class tonight, and sat my last exam on Databases. I PASSED!!! Yippee! So now I am the proud holder of an ECDL. Watch out for me on your cyber-street. I will miss my lovely tutor Liz, who is a real star.

I asked her tonight about the certificate. Apparently it is sent out to the exam centre, (which would be the community centre) then they phone me to pick it up when I am passing. I asked Liz if they have any adult learners' presentations. Apparently not. I don't want this to turn into a bash the Council blog (although occasionally that is so easy) but I really feel they are missing a trick here.

Looking at my fellow students, some don't have English as a first language, and others have been out of the workforce for a number of years for various reasons. They are doing ECDL as a route back into work or as a stepping stone to a better job. Many have not had good experiences with education at school. In fact when I worked in local government I quickly realised that bad experiences of education were the norm not the exception. Given these obstacles, these people turn up week after week and plod through the different modules, and you should see the excitement, pride and congratulations when someone passes an exam. I have far more respect for people like adult learners (or seeing people get their NVQs in work) than I do for the average pampered middle class university student living in their comfortable bubble.

Why can't the Council hold an evening somewhere like City Hall at the end of each academic year, lay on a few trays of egg sandwiches and get in a few bottles of brown ale/beverage of choice and invite all the learners who've passed something to come and get a huge, collective pat on the back. Not, God forbid, a graduation ceremony, but something to recognise the huge effort put in by people who are taking the steps to make themselves better qualified. I think it would also say something about how the city regards itself - I saw a bus today with the sick making slogan " Cardiff - Proud to Innovate". I mean - urgh!! What does that actually mean? Because in practice we teach people on seriously out of date software and then don't congratulate them when they become qualified in IT, one of the most rapidly changing fields imaginable.

And while I am on my bash the Council high horse, the standard of cleanliness in the city centre is now woeful. I mean dire. It is grim. Regular readers will recall I go back and forth the train station regularly to pick up Andrew and deposit him so usually travel via Rover Way. The pavements along Rover Way by the steel works are awful then there is a big roundabout by the docks entrance. The roundabout itself is strewn with huge quantities of broken glass and bottles, and right round the roundabout the pavements are an embarrassment. The irony is this is also the main route for any manager that is visiting the cleansing depot from County Hall or vice versa - so this crap is being seen on a daily basis by countless people from the department who are doing sweet FA about it and should know better. I can only speculate on the reasons for this.

I often walk the dogs at Hamadrayad Park after dropping off Andrew and go there by Dumballs Road from the station - this is one of the main arteries from the city centre to the bay - it is usually strewn with litter. The early morning should be when it is cleaned as there are problems with parked vehicles later but I never see any cleansing vehicles there. I park on Clarence Embankment by the back of Hamadryad Hospital (now a social services office) and broken glass from a car break in has been on the pavement and road near the park entrance since before Christmas. Again, awful. When I am actually in the city centre (not often these days) again I am struck by the general air of scruffiness. I can only assume this is due to a change of management as in general the operatives and supervisors in the city centre were among the hardest working in the city. The young master is doing a London run tomorrow and a few next week so it will be interesting to see if/when these get cleaned.

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.

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.