Busy weekend. Took the dogs over to Cosmeston on Saturday morning which was enjoyed by all. Then off to Newport for my Christmas present - a new sewing machine. Selected a Janone Quilters Companion which is lovely and then spent the rest of Saturday playing with it delightedly. Have done some of the sashings on the quilt with the machine, which is exciting.

Sunday over to Bath to see Claire, Basil and boys. An enjoyable day, with a visit in the afternoon to the American museum to look at their quilts. That was wonderful, very awe-inspiring and made me realise how far I have to go. So nice though to see some of the same blocks being used that we've been making. One of the quilts I liked was made up entirely of Dresden Plate blocks - very attractive. Admired the Christmas tree on the way out - gorgeous hand made decorations. Now I've got the machine I might have a go at doing something like that.

Andy and Booty behaved themselves impeccably - we were both so proud of them.

Yesterday Andy ate a plastic sieve and a pink sparkly emery board. He also tried to steal a pot of mustard. That dog is determined to live on the edge.

Quilting class went well. Both homework blocks completed and sashing started. We used rotary cutters for the first time - very sharp, very scary but good results. Used quilters square to ensure the blocks were square (amazing how they vary actually) and trim before attaching sashing. Was allowed to use the sewing machine. Again scary! Last time I used one was aged 11 in needlework in school, which I hated. This time around, much better. Also a testament to a very good teacher. Marianne is incredibly patient and explains things very well, so you feel you want to have a go at things. Seeing the sashings going on really brings home how near the quilt is to completion. Wow. Mission to buy Christmas sewing machine will be happening on Saturday probably. Watch this space. Also received requirement list for next term's quilt, so I will need to start thinking about that (and colours and so on) quite soon.

On Saturday went to Jessops and bought a new camera battery. Of course, immediately I did that, the weather turned and it has been very wet, misty and windy and therefore completely unsuitable for photos. Hmmm.

We went out on Saturday night to jointly celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary and Andrew's birthday. We went to Le Gallois which is one of (if not the) favourite restaurants. Had a delicious meal, with fine wine and people watching which is always an enjoyable pastime when out. The service there is excellent; unlike some other restaurants, they have not skimped on the staff/customer ratio, which means the service is prompt, efficient and friendly and never feels stressed even when the place is really busy. I like some of the details there too - the cutlery, which is an unusual design, the napery which always feels good in the hand, the bread (lots of good flavours) even the chairs are comfortable. The only thing which I can ever find to criticise is that the accoustics (like in many modern restaurants) mean that when it is busy, the noise level makes it difficult to have an intimate conversation. Sound seems to bounce round the room. Interestingly, the taxi driver who picked us up to take us home asked what we thought of it, and we responded very positively. He was telling us that he had not yet had a negative comment about it from any of his fares. That must be quite unusual for a restaurant.

Also on Saturday went to the fabric shop for a look in daylight at the sashing fabric to be used on my quilt. This week, the homework has been to finish a block of fans - scary curves and to make another block which should be easier featuring triangles. Fabric selection went well- have a pretty blue to act as the relief to the blocks with an outer border of a lovely cream fabric featuring a delicate print of roses and butterflies, similar to the highlight fabric used on the blocks. I also bought what is called a "jelly roll" of pre-cut patches to make up a patchwork quilt after Christmas which I am going to make as a gift for a special friend's birthday.

Sunday was the annual Greyhound AGM. Hounds were welcome - so off we went up the A470 to Cilfynydd above Ponty, taking the Aberfan turnoff and then coming back along the old road. We walked the woofs first so hoping to enhance their behaviour and in fact I was very pleased in general with them. One of the local ladies had made a huge cauldron of cawl, and before I could say no had brought over two bowls for us. I'd had a late breakfast before leaving home so was not hungry. Andy was eyeing it keenly especially when Andrew was slurping his. My initial thoughts were not to let Andy and Booty have any, but the lady who made it had a huge soft spot for Andy as she used to walk him often when he was up in kennels, and made a massive fuss of him when we arrived. She therefore didn't seem to mind a bit when Andy and Booty shared a bowlful with great enthusiasm. We were all in the huge function room of the inn, and the temperature was freezing! We got colder and colder as the meeting went on. Both Andy and Booty were commandeered as mobile portable hot water bottles. Andy did well as he was sitting on Andrew's lap, with his head and neck stretched out and his cawl lady stroking his head on the other side. It was quite funny to look round the room and see various hounds and lurchers being cuddled and snuggled in a variety of positions. The meeting went very well and finished about three so we were all very glad to get back in the car and get warm. Came home and Andrew made a lovely casserole of beef in Guinness with some roasted beetroots on the side and sprouts. Warming and delicious.

One of the unexpected spinoffs of Andrew's early morning departures for his clients is that I generally find it very difficult to get back to sleep for a short time and find myself getting up early. This morning it was 6, so I was in the park with the woofs by 7.30. One of the benefits is the wonderful bird life to be observed and enjoyed at that time. This morning, as it got light I watched a buzzard at very close quarters and usually have a grandstand view of a couple of herons. The buzzard was amazing up close - normally you only see them from below, with that very distinctive "fingered" wing shape. It was a real treat to see it perching just in front of me on a low tree branch before flying off.

Should mention that our wedding anniversary was last Thursday. Ten years!! I can honestly say that being married to Andrew is the best thing I have ever done, I'd do it again like a shot and I can heartily recommend being married. Andrew's parents sent us a beautiful bunch of freesias in the post from Guernsey. We have them in the bedroom and every time I walk past there is the most wonderful scent. Have just realised that it reminded me of Chanel No. 5.

On the weekend Alastair and Jennifer (A is Andrew's cousin)visited Cardiff to see some friends and came to us for a leisurely lunch on Sunday. I tried out a new recipe - a garlic and parsley flatbread, served with a Vietnamese chicken and mint salad followed by a winter fruit compote (or compost as we always affectionately refer to it). The flatbread was topped by three heads (yes whole heads) of garlic that were roasted in foil parcels, drizzled with olive oil. When cool each clove slipped out of its skin, golden and slippery, a bit like squeezing toothpaste. You then whizz that up with some olive oil and loads of parsley to form a green goo which you lavishly smear on the dough, bake quickly and then apply to face. Guaranteed to repel vampires but absolutely delicious.

There were a couple of small pieces left when we were tidying up after A & J left for the airport. I was stacking the dishwasher while Andrew put the pieces on a plate and stored them on top of the microwave. While my back was turned, our crafty food thief reached up, pounced and ran upstairs with his spoils. Unfortunately the stealth element was ruined by the plate smashing to the floor, so we were both torn between catching and shouting at our miscreant and clearing the kitchen floor of dangerous splinters. Andrew was not happy as he was looking forward to them for his supper later.

The weather is now much colder. Frost this morning and the dogs are wearing their thick fleecy coats when we take them out. Garden looking good but I am missing my camera. I will do a longer post on this when I have some photos to post.

Hello, all. Firstly, many apologies for the hiatus in posting. Things have been a bit topsy-turvy. Also, my digital camera battery has given up holding a charge and I haven't as yet replaced it. So no very recent pictures. This is frustrating in a number of ways as I want to photograph the growing collection of quilt blocks, the garden, the greyhounds (as always!) and the beautiful autumn we are having with some spectacular colours.

I am also considering changing my online presence - possible options include a craft-focused website as well as or instead of the blog. I'd welcome comments and feedback. Email me on Kathryn_woodhouse@btinternet.com if you want to share a view, make a comment or be kept informed of any new addresses.

So, quilt blocks. The latest one to complete is called a "Nosegay" which is an unfortunate name. It is very similar to an eight pointed star and if I make it again that is how I would prefer to do it. But set in to one corner is an icecream cone shape which represents the bunch of flowers, with diamond shaped "blooms" radiating round. I realise I am not describing this very well, and it would benefit really from a photo, so I will try to remedy the battery situation asap. This was the hardest block so far (even harder than the Dresden Plate) but in a curious way, the most satisfying. Class tonight, and we will be doing another block using applique embroidery (that should have an acute accent, I realise).

I have decided that I like quilting and will be carrying on with the class after Christmas which will be venturing into machine quilting. Then things will be really able to take off and I have a few plans for making some quilts as gifts. I am also eager to do a classic patchwork one - the shop has some lovely pre-cut patch assortments which are very (allegedly) easy to piece together especially if you have a machine. I don't at the moment, but we are researching one as a Christmas present. Our tutor has been giving several of us in the class some pointers as to what to look for as a few of us want to buy one. More on this as it develops.

Much to write about. Have harvested the gourds which are now drying on an old grill pan. Will illustrate with photos shortly. A varied crop although the number of plants was seriously depleted at the start of the summer by the horrible slugs.

The day started with a trip to the vets. Andy has his post AB checkup and vet has now confirmed the toe is officially recovered, and not in danger of amputation, which is a huge relief. Booty had her annual booster and a look at her shoulder which is showing early signs of arthritis. The vet has prescribed a higher quality glucosamine to supplement her diet and we will assess progress in a few weeks.

Thence to Swansea for lunch with great aunt in belated celebration of her 89th birthday. Wafting in a classy cloud of Chanel No. 5, she has declared an ambition of making a 100 and I sincerely hope and believe she will. She is still razor sharp mentally and has a wicked sense of humour. What really cracks me up is that she sometimes refers to the "old people" she sees at the day centre in a clear belief that she is not one of them. We caught up with news of all her latest travels, friends and adventures - it sounded exhausting. Went to a pub on the Mumbles Road, near Clyne Gardens but the lunch was a bit disappointing. After, went to Mumbles and a look at a specialist wool shop as she is a keen knitter. The only sad thing is that as she is becoming older, I often find myself strongly reminded when with her of her brother, my grandfather. Not in temperament, as they are/were chalk and cheese, but in looks, and language. Andrew doesn't see this, as we got engaged just after Grampy died, and he never met him, which is one of my abiding regrets. Dropped her back home and came back home to an ecstatic welcome from the woofs. Dr Laithwaites' evening prescription was a Mearsault we've been maturing for a couple of years, very satisfactorily. As I write, Booty is emitting ladylike snores by my feet and pegleg seems to be asleep.

Grrr. After going to bed last night, was rudely awoken by some muppet letting off fireworks. Booty was nervous and growling at them, and came onto our bed for a bit of reassurance and TLC. She was curled up quite happily after that stopped, so I decided to leave her there and go back to sleep. Just getting off to sleep and the police helicopter decided to hover noisily over the estate, with its search light flashing back and forth. Yes, I know they have to catch villains, but do they really have to be quite so noisy at half past one in the morning? Finally got to sleep after much muttering and swearing.

Took the dogs this morning up into the forestry - they loved it and we did too. I love the smell of woods at this time of year, damp and earthy and gorgeous. There were horses there too which Andy liked and wanted to play with.

The most important news is that Hil has a date for her operation so all systems are go for that. Saw her yesterday and did some food shopping for her.

A very busy week ahead in work. Lots of meetings scheduled and a lot on the go at the moment.

Greetings comrades! Hot greyhound news is that the ABs are now kicking in and while pegleg's paw continues to improve, things are not so good at the other end. Green and yellow not so good. Scooping while out on walks is becoming extremely difficult. Is this TMI? Perhaps. The invalid joined us in bed last night, not something he makes a habit of when both of us are in it. Woke up this morning to find a large hound securely wedged between us, looking contented and sleepy. Booty continues to sleep in her normal location. What is noticeable is that as the mornings are becoming less light and definately colder, they are not so keen on the 6 am wake up call, in fact a comfy duvet is more attractive and some days they have to be "encouraged" to come downstairs. Rattling the Bonio box always seems to work. My tactic is to lure them outside with Bonio bribes and then shut the door behind me, so they cannot return to the warm until they have performed. When it's cold and wet, they are much less interested in prolonged and leisurely sniffing, and a more businesslike approach prevails.

Quilting class tonight. I had done my homework, and was pleased with what I had done, although I did need to redo a couple of the squares, when the smaller square pieces weren't quite lined up. After stitching them all, pressed them, which does make a difference. Tonight we joined up rows of the squares, and then joined rows together. All very exciting. Then we moved on to cutting out the pieces for the next chunk, which involves triangles. This is more tricky as you cut the angle on the bias which means the fabric can wiggle as you sew it and there is the possibility you won't end up with a perfect square. More homework to do, involving both cutting out and making up pieces. Should keep me out of mischief.

Debating at the moment whether to go to see Christy Moore, when he plays here next month. Andrew has bravely offered, which I'm impressed by, as he loathes folk music or anything like it (yes, I know CM is not a "pure" folk artist). Have also been contacted by Sarah, who wants to come up for a weekend soon. Since leaving school and going to college in Llanelli, her fledgeling Gothiness has matured, and her Bebo page is now very black, and full of pictures of skulls and so on. Ah, happy memories. I must admit I am very glad she is a Goth, as it's a look I like very much and it offers a lot of scope. I'd be mortified if she turned into Chavzilla with an orange tan, enormous hoop ear-rings, scraped back hair, and her muffin top on display, nicely accessorised by a tacky thong and naff tats.

On a more positive note, Leila has booked her flights and hotel for New York - hoorah!! By the wonders of the internet, she can now call up her hotel booking and gaze at it lovingly. At this rate, she should be a union rep.

How many pop songs refer to Monday in the title? Lots. Why is this? Should I start a campaign on behalf of Tuesday? New Order - Blue Monday. Boomtown Rats - Tell me why I don't like Mondays ( I concur, by the way) Bangles - Manic Monday. And so on.......

And another thing, a warm, fraternal welcome to all and any union colleagues who may be reading this. You're very welcome. Feel the comradely love. Our greyhounds are paid up members of NASHER - National Association of Squirrel Hunters and Exterminators of Rabbits. I, on the other hand, am not. I must admit to a certain amount of mystification at my blog being of any interest to union colleagues - perhaps one will post a comment. Meanwhile, I'm sure your knowledge of my quilting habits and greyhound poo will be very useful in future meetings.

Top news. The young master did excellently yesterday - despite miserable conditions. We both got soaked. He did a time of 49:13, a new PB and sub-50 which is what he was aiming for.

I have posted a photo and also one from his last run at Bute Park. The invalid makes good progress. His poorly paw appears to be improving and thankfully we are having no problems in getting him to eat his antibiotics. Mixed with kibble they disappear in a flash. Also fortunately not too many effects at the other end - just turned a very peculiar colour, now being bright green. Walked him and Booty after work over at Park Tredelerch and got caught in the deluge - glad they had their coats on as it is definately getting colder now. The invalid is now lying on the bed watching me type. Jacket potatoes are in the oven and will be ready shortly. Later, my quilting homework will be completed, which should not take too long. If time permits I may photograph each stage, to illustrate progress made.

My life at the moment feels like I am in a tumble dryer. Just as one thing gets sorted out, another upset comes along. Where do I begin?

On Tuesday I left work early and went down to Swansea to see Hil, new emerged from hospital. We went and did some food shopping as of course she had run down all her supplies thinking she would be away from home for a few weeks. It was good to see her and I am so amazed and impressed by how philosophical she is being. Much more than I would be. She went to GP on Tuesday am and it looks as though her BP was good,normal. Sounds like she had severe "white coat syndrome" (completely understandable) while she was on the ward. Now she needs to clock up at least three of these normal readings and then we're back in to the ward. Watch this space.

Got home, found dogs a bit subdued and their leads/muzzles lying in a heap in the utility room. Message from Andrew shortly after - our dog walker Sue has resigned with immediate effect. Apparently she took the dogs (wearing their muzzles and on leads, as normal)over the park, and Booty got into a scrap with another off-lead dog. Somehow, her muzzle came off and as Sue was trying to sort out the melee, got bitten on the hand. Understandably, she has resigned. So search for replacement dog walker has been going on all week and we have one visiting us for an assessment next week. Fortunately A was working from home on Wednesday and Thursday, so woofs have been in good company.

Wednesday night, started my quilting class, over at Tredegar House. It went very well and I really enjoyed it. One of the few bright spots in the week.


We also dealt with a query from the accountants over the demographic basis for some of the bids in the MTFP. So spent some time rounding up various stats on the growth in number of students (15.5% over the last three years), increase in visitor numbers, car journeys etc.... as all of these of course impact on our services.

By Thursday morning, the tumble dryer was taking effect, as I turned up at our Highways depot for a union meeting that is actually taking place next Thursday. Well, at least all the papers are printed out ready.

Thursday evening - mixed. Andrew found some baby fish in the pond - very exciting. They are tiny little goldfish, about 2 cm long each. I had no idea our fish would breed. We can see them swimming about happily in and out of the waterlilies. Andy began limping and was holding his paw in a most pathetic way, so we took them for a shortened walk. It was the paw he ripped the nail off and it was apparent that that toe was the one with the problem.

By Friday, I was wondering what else would happen. In work, we progressed with the interviews for the Clean Streets Manager. The concentration required is tiring and draining and it was obvious by the end of the day that with four very talented yet different candidates there was no easy choice. Rather than try and stick it out, I decided to think about it over the weekend.

It brightened a little yesterday evening when Andrew returned home with the new Terry Pratchett, Making Money. Started reading it. Good so far. Andrew took Andy to the vet this morning - while they were gone, Booty was howling mournfully. I do mean howling - with her head thrown back and a proper vulpine "Grr-ooooooooo". I bet the neighbours loved it. Still, I think it's a much more attractive noise than brats screaming, and we have to put up with plenty of that. The patient returned with over a £100 (!!!aargh) worth of antibiotics as he has an infection in the nail bed. Apparently, these should do the trick, but if not, his toe will have to be amputated. Aaaargh. So our dear hopalong is moseying round the house on three paws at the moment, and I am sending out vibes saying "HEAL". One of the less attractive side effects is that apparently the ABs will induce the runs. Lovely. But let's hope they cure the infection.

So far, the rest of the day is spent undertaking domestic chores.Later, I will be doing my quilting homework. Tomorrow is the Swansea Bay 10K where the young master will be running. Watch this space for photos and update on his time, along with greyhound poo, I expect.

Sometimes life sucks. Sometimes it doesn't. As per my previous post, our week off "at home" flew by in a deeply relaxed and enjoyable way. We spent a day with Hil doing some shopping for her forthcoming hospital visit, took in a film (the Bourne Ultimatum, which was good), a lovely meal out down the bay at Le Garcon and plenty of dogs, wine and garden to keep us out of mischief.

Returned to work to 280 emails and a hectic schedule. Jason left on Friday, so it's been busy with last minute handover stuff. Shortlisted for his replacement and did the interviews for the CC Support Officer. Tried to plough through the correspondence and am still doing so.

Andrew ran the Bute Park 10K last weekend and did an excellent time - he was very pleased and had a nice medal at the end. His next run is the Swansea Bay 10K this coming weekend.

After one cancellation already, Hil had her operation date confirmed and we took her in to Singleton Hospital on Sunday morning. Got her settled in and left her with a mix of feelings - glad it was finally happening and some nerves. Took the woofs with us and went for a lovely walk afterwards in Clyne Valley. Went to work today and got a text from her - operation cancelled due to her blood pressure being too high. Aaargh! Poor Hil. Now back to square one while they sort out and stabilise her BP - no idea how long this will take. After this, work went swiftly downhill with annoying emails from a variety of senior colleagues, prominent Cllrs and stupid press queries about nonsense. Just one of those days when nothing seems to go right. Grrr. Very glad to come home to the dogs who are currently reclining stylishly. Hope the week improves for Hil and for me.

The weather continues to be very fine, and today has been a most enjoyable and relaxing day. We took the dogs this morning over to Park Tredelerch which they and we enjoyed. Returned home and enjoyed a breakfast of home made bread. A washed the dogs' duvet and I got down to some serious card making. Went over the garden centre in the afternoon and had an enjoyable browse, treating ourselves to a few nice plants. Came home and pottered happily in the garden, before enjoying a stir fry and watching "Pan's Labyrinth", a very interesting film by Guillame de Toros, the same guy who made "Hellboy". I really enjoyed it. With it being Tuesday, CSI Miami followed, with some vintage Horatio posing action - his hands never seemed to be off his hips. Great! Now writing this before retiring to bed in a happy and contented frame of mind.

I write this with a certain sensation of surprise. We went on our holidays yesterday and am now home again. We loaded the car to the gunwales with dog food, duvets for us and woofs, suitcases, clothing for every weather eventuality and plenty of wine, before setting off for the cottage. The key attraction was the 2.5 acre wild flower meadow, securely fenced that would allow off lead romping for woofs. We eventually found it in the hills of the wild west, not far from Lampeter. Banjos played softly as we approached. Sure enough, the cottage was remote and pretty and certainly had plenty of wildlife.

What we were less happy about were; the fence that allowed a greyhound leap into the next door field of sheep, the appalling lighting that meant you could only read something if you stood underneath one of the lights in the sitting room, the cold, the damp, the smell, the dirty mattress, the Baby Belling stove that would let you put the oven on but not rings simultaneously, the bed that creaked and was probably the most uncomfortable I have ever slept in, the bathroom that would not allow A to pee standing up, and a sit down shower(!!) as well as non opening windows, a staircase of Alpine proportions and glacial slipperiness, deeply uncomfortable seats, gothic levels of cobwebs, and so on........

A pathetic attempt at dinner meant that the quiche had to be heated first in the oven before we could cook any veg on the rings. Consequently a simple meal took around an hour and a half to prepare. By this morning, we were both desperate to leave, so resumed the long job of packing, and left with a glad heart. Home again by around 1. I have never been so glad to come home to a house that is clean, warm, dry, comfortable and sensibly proportioned i.e. you can stand up without braining yourself. I appreciate even more our comfortable furniture, Sky Tv, ensuite shower, king size sprung mattress, halogen spotlights, fan oven, gas hob, three loos, and secure fencing. Bliss. Thank god we live in the 21st Century with all its comforts and ease.

A roasted a duck and we have spent a leisurely evening watching an old black and white movie from the war years enjoying a bottle of red wine. Andrew had a long pre-dinner soak in the bath, and both of us are slowly feeling less traumatised and more relaxed.

Yesterday was a productive day. Went to the hairdressers in the morning, after spending the early part of the day engaged in a vigourous bout of housework. Having the hounds means that regular hoovering and mopping is essential to keep the place looking clean and tidy. With Andy's paw still sporadically bleeding as well, it is important to remove that "crime scene" look on a regular basis. Also have been catching up with washing and ironing, always a never ending job.

Returned from the hairdresser with a trim and new colour - a deep reddy brown, looks good. As I was leaving the car to come round the house to the front door, my Lands End parcel arrived. I had ordered a little fleece jacket and a fleece sweatshirt, both in a deep browny purple colour - lovely. In the winter, I adore fleece, and would happily dress in nothing else. It's warm and light and snuggly and just mmmmmmmm - lovely.

Dogs mysteriously failed to pass any comment on my hair (tchah, eye-roll) but were otherwise very pleased to see me. Had a good chat to Hil in the afternoon, catching up with all the news.

Today Andrew comes home - hurray! I left the house early and went first to Inkspot and enjoyed a good browse and bought myself a few nice crafty bits. Then went over to Pets at Home for some holiday kibbles for the woofs, and thence to Tesco for a shortish shop to get some things to take away with us.

Returned home to the usual ecstatic welcome from the woofs, along with a mysteriously clean floor (I'd been intending to give it another go later this afternoon.) A note from Sue our dog walker explained. Over-vigourous squirrel chasing had resulted in more bleeding, leaving the house like Macbeth's castle, so Sue had done some hasty mopping up. At the moment I am beginning to feel like Lady Macbeth myself, as I do seem to be spending a lot of time wiping up blood spatter. I am once again very thankful that we opted for wooden floors downstairs and have tiles in the kitchen.

Just done another marathon ironing session, leaving me feeling that the beast is pretty well conquered. A good sensation. Next, some bathroom cleaning, then if time a little play with my new toys from Inkspot before doing some leisurely chopping and prepping for tonight's curry.
May also put a few clothes in a suitcase to help encourage that holiday vibe......

A happier post today I hope. Disappointing CSI last night, especially as last week was a real corker with full-on H doing his manly posing and quotable lines - "Burn, baby burn" being a fine example as he walked away from an exploding car that he was brave enough to drive away from people so as to minimise blast damage - ah, bless..... all the while of course, wearing his darkest shades, flexing his hands on his hips, and flashing that badge. It's like the world's most stylish panto and I love it.

Took the dogs over to Tredegar House this morning. Walking round the lake, I noticed the cygnets - they are now nearly as big as their parents, although still grey. It's been lovely watching them grow over the summer. After returning the woofs to the car, I then strolled over to the craft shop and successfully enrolled in an autumn quilting course. The lady in the shop was very helpful and showed two examples of the quilt we will be making (a sampler quilt). Each quilt was in a different colourway which changed the look of the finished item dramatically- so I now have to give some serious thought as to what colours to choose, which in turn will be dependant on where I put it and what I do with it.

Have just finished another mountain of ironing, and am about to do some card-making. Bliss. The hounds are fast asleep on the bed, looking very peaceful. Booty came in to me in the middle of the night - I was vaguely aware of her hopping up and when I woke this morning she was still curled peacefully at my side. Jake continues to hop along happily, still licking his paw regularly. He is thoroughly enjoying his walks and appears incredibly bouncy the rest of the time so I am not too worried about him. He is also enjoying the extra attention. Loads of cuddles and lots of soppy brown eyes looking cute.

A sad day. Kayla, another lady with cervical cancer has died. Kayla and her husband Stu fought the recurrence of this disease so bravely for the past two years. On many occasions I've laughed while tears ran down my cheeks, reading Stu's blogs, or Kayla's posts on Jo's Trust (charity to support women/partners with cervical cancer/pre-cancer). Kayla was treated at the Royal Marsden, and even they struggled at times as she went through the hell of all sorts of complications, infections and her condition went through a roller coaster of ups and downs. Yet all the time each obstacle overcome still seemed only to take her back to a slightly lower start point. I had been expecting the news for some time when Stu said that they could offer no more treatment, then the cancer spread to two new sites and then the only concern was to make her comfortable. In one sense I am so pleased - her fight is over, and all the pain too. In another, it breaks my heart, as Stu and Kayla were one of those couples whose love was so strong that it quite literally shone out of their communications, their behaviour and their love for their children. In the bizarre world of cancer, nothing could seem as romantic as Stu's loving description of his little pit viper snoring and dribbling with vomit in her hair, or as blackly funny as the descriptions of the stranger ways of the NHS. Stu is one of those husbands who love and care tenderly for their wives through the most horrendous times, and completely gives the lie to the nonsense some women spout about men. Andrew is another, and I can think of several more, some known IRL and some via Jo's.

Couples like Stu and Kayla are an inspiration - I frequently fail in my attempts to live as I should but draw strength and hope from people like these. Some people have the wonderful gift of acting as lights to point the way - quite literally wayfinders in Burton's case but there was another man who was passionate about doing the right thing. His motto was "Honour not Honours" and is entirely in accordance with how he lived. It would be right to say that I cared deeply about living the right way before I was ill (as befits a keen 7 Habits girl) but the illness really emphasised it. When I went back to work, I really couldn't see the point in a lot of the things I saw - I had chosen consciously that job, in the full knowledge that I could be living on borrowed time, and therefore when the end comes I don't want to look back at wasted time spent on petty nonsense. It was very helpful and refreshing having Phil as a boss, as he seemed also to understand this and gave short shrift to political posturing or morally questionable behaviour (never in short supply in the workplace). I never asked him if he had gone through any illness either himself or with someone close - it never felt right to ask such a personal question. One of the difficulties I have now is the seeming lack of clarity in the current management arrangements - the view of the 5th floor at County Hall has been disappointing in many ways, although an eye-opener.

A phenomenally long and busy week since I last posted. Whenever I go on leave, there is always a frantic attempt beforehand to clear out my email inbox and sort things out. Also had further meetings to do with budget bids and have presented them to the unions. They opposed the savings I had put forward, but did not make any suggestions for where the cash should come from. Met our new CO for the first time. Difficult to make much of an assessment, she was polite, seemed friendly, but obviously early days yet. She is hoping to start at the end of October.

Thursday was busy as Chris and I were interviewing for the CC Support officer. We had scheduled seven, two pulled out, and we have another three scheduled for September after all the holidays. Interviews went well and we were generally very pleased and impressed with the calibre of candidates. It will be a tough decision whoever we pick. We have recently adopted a new feature in interviews and used it in this one - we gave each candidate a written copy of the questions, so they could refer to it. This seems to go down well, and helps them to keep abreast of things.

Decided to leave work early as was going out later. A came and collected me as he had been working from home. Got home, parked car, and walked round the front of the house, hearing the usual tumult from the dogs, excited squeaking and bouncing against the door. A put his key in the lock and suddenly we heard a high pitched scream instead. Rushed inside to find that Andy had bounced up to the door, but got one of his front toenails caught in the big keyhole and then ripped it out completely, leaving the bleeding stump of the quick. The hall immediately resembled a murder scene from CSI - paws and nails always bleed so much. Eventually the bleeding slowed down, and we now have a new nickname - Jake the peg for him. We took him to the vet, who gave him the once over and an antiseptic spray, but there isn't really much more to do except wait for it to grow back.

After all that excitement, we went out with Alan, over to Caldicot Castle for an open air production of Twelfth Night, with a picnic. We loaded up the coolbox, with lots of nice things, including home made bread - especially delicious with about a third rye flour vs wheat. Really adds a lovely flavour, texture and aroma. Enjoyed the evening thoroughly - the production was enchanting, the setting beautiful and intimate, the company congenial. Amazingly the weather was perfect - one of those gorgeous summer evenings you imagine in the middle of winter. Cloudless blue sky full of swallows, evening shadows golden on the grass, perfect. I had been struggling all day with the beginnings of a sore throat, but simply enjoyed the anaesthetic effects of Pinot Grigio in the evening. Eventually drove home, dropped off Alan and collapsed into bed, officially on holiday - hurrah!

Found out Sarah's GCSE results on Friday morning - she has seven, including two A grades, one not surprisingly for Art, the other for Science. Fantastic, I am so pleased for her. Her next step is to go to college in Llanelli to do an Art course.

Less happily, by Friday morning the throat had developed further, and by today, I have officially lost my voice and have a hacking dry cough. We reluctantly cancelled our attendance at the Evans family do - frustrating on a number of levels, as we still pay the dog walker and will have to pay for the buffet and the room hire - £30 a head is not cheap. Andy is continuing to hop around with his poorly paw - he wants to do things but it is apparent that it is still very painful for him at times. We took them over to Tredegar House this morning, for a shortened walk, mainly on the grass so it would be softer for him. Rather ironically, we finally had our home visit yesterday from the Greyhound Rescue Wales people to see how the two dogs are settling in. I was able to make squeaking noises at Sandra - we see her at the monthly greyhound walks over at Cosmeston so she knows the dogs and us. Went through the questionnaire and it seems all is well. Sandra commented on how well the two dogs look, Andy's foot notwithstanding. I must admit their coats are looking fantastic. The hound mitt, along with the sardines and the cod liver oil has really done the business. Andy especially just gleams. There, I will stop here, as it is time for them to be fed.

The weekend was cold and wet. Yesterday we met up with Andrew's sister, husband and three boys, down at Pembrey Country Park, near Burry Port. We brought a picnic, after a stroll along the beach. I had imagined lots of sunshine, instead we froze, in a howling gale and spots of rain. A typical British summer! The beach at Cefn Sidan was beautiful, and not surprisingly, not too crowded. Miles of golden sand and the boys enjoyed picking up lots of lovely shells.

Busy day today in work. The advert has appeared for J's job, and I've been finalising the cover arrangements. Had a meeting at County Hall this morning to discuss budgets - MTFP bids, savings, capital, and this year's picture. Quite gloomy. Ho-hum. The usual Monday assortment of odd Cllr correspondence. Loads of Cominos to sign off, for some reason. Also our monthly IIP (Investors in People) review with our consultant. All in all, a busy day.

Much more to post.

First piece of news is that J, our Clean Streets Manager is leaving us! He is headhunted by his old boss and is going to be working with the company that makes Welsh Whisky - a bit of a change from street cleaning. He'll be leaving in mid september just after I return from my leave. I'll be very sorry to see him go, as he is incredibly good at his job and what took a bit longer to reveal is his evil sense of humour, aided by his ability to maintain an absolute poker face in all circumstances. This is a rare gift. I have just completed all the forms for progressing with the recruitment for his replacement. Some tweaks demanded by HR as apparently we can no longer use words like "enthusiastic" as this could be ageist...... ho, hum. Our new colleague in Waste Management, Robert, who's covering Tara's maternity leave, has kindly agreed to assist with shortlisting. He'll bring an interesting take on it, as he's got a broad range of experience, and no baggage with any parts of the Council.

Chris and I have completed the shortlisting for the CC Support Officer, ironically this would have made J's life a whole lot easier. We've shortlisted ten candidates, the majority graduates and some even with Masters. It's becoming noticeable that graduates are doing a lot more entry level jobs than they used to. A function of supply and demand, I guess?

Today we waved a temporary goodbye and had a presentation for one of our colleagues who is about to get married and go on honeymoon. Very exciting for all concerned, and Chris put it very well when she said that she hadn't been a Bridezilla at all.

Went this afternoon to a meeting with the Environment Agency. They've proposed a flytipping officer in an area on the border between us and a neighbouring authority, with funding contributions from all three. We are very keen on this idea as it offers a real possibility of improving an area with some serious issues. Had the luxury of finishing early as their offices are only about five minutes or less from the house. Came home and greeted by a storm of hound tail wagging, bouncing and general glee - very happy for all concerned.

Last week was one of those long, busy weeks that seem to go on for ever. Tiring and humid, with lots of activity in work, including a lengthy and odd disciplinary to hear, and the annual round of budget proposals and savings. I completed these today and sent them in, along with a frankly peculiar risk analysis for each spending bid, which I don't think will be much help to anyone. Total value of bids is over £2 million - I don't for a moment imagine we'll get all of it, but it's important to bid and each individual element would add something positive to the service.

Had the fortnightly meeting with our portfolio holder on Friday morning. It turned out he couldn't find the bike shed (he's a keen cyclist) and to my horror, his bike was nearly taken away and scrapped by an over enthusiastic member of staff who thought it had been abandoned. Saturday we went over to Somerset for the day to visit Andrew's parents. The dogs were very well behaved and loved the big garden where they could run around and sniff lots of interesting aromas. Took them for a nice walk around the village. Sunday was very hot and our monthly greyhound walk over at Cosmeston Lakes. Over 80 and we were out at the hottest part of the day. I am never doing that again - I was melting!

Work today was more work on the bids before they were finally submitted - it is very satisfying when you complete a big piece of work like that. Also had some discussions with HR about a possible re-deployment candidate for a post we have vacant at the moment. I am due to shortlist with a colleague, Christine on Thursday. She is off at the moment as her beautiful daughter Lauren is just off to California for a semester as part of her university drama course. Incredibly exciting but also we will all miss her too. Still, I'm sure the time will just fly by, and Chris will be going out there later in the year to visit and see the sights.

Will post some photos of dogs in Somerset.