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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I have so much to write about it is difficult to know where to begin. I think I will start with the big stuff and work from there.

One of our close greyhound friends and neighbours has been ill for a while and has been waiting for investigations to take place. Her GP surgery didn't send on the original hospital referral, delaying her investigation, but eventually she did go and we learned that she had bowel cancer. Initially, her doctors were cautiously optimistic and we were too, but she then went for further scans including an MRI and a CT scan (memories came flooding back when she was describing these to me), and these have shown the cancer has spread and is inoperable. Her medical team are still going ahead with radiotherapy to shrink the tumour but this is miserable news. At this stage, we are all feeling pretty flattened - she herself is admirably calm at the moment and focusing on the smaller practical sides of things. We are on standby to help with dog walking and shopping and so on - but inside I am grieving for the imminent loss of someone who has become very dear - always cheerful, very talented and someone who takes a great interest in the world and loves life. She is a talented quilter and is also a skilled beader and maker of jewellery. I don't really want to say too much more at this stage as anyone reading who's been through it knows there is not a lot to say.

Similarly, another dear friend (in Plymouth) is looking after her mother who has recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. In this case, I am much more concerned with my friend and so am at one step removed from the illness itself but it's miserable seeing its effects on family members and loved ones.

There, that's the big stuff - the emotional turmoil of the past couple of weeks of finding out the awful news is going to move into the next phase of action - physical support for our friend here and love and support down the phone for my friend in Plymouth. I don't really know if all this happening is made worse or better by being someone on close terms with cancer myself. Bits of both, really. At least I have a familiarity with hospitals, and the terms used - but also that awful nagging question about the peculiar randomness of survival - why me and why not my friend? The one lesson that does emerge is to be the patient from hell with your GP and CHECK they send letters, nag, be a pain, but do it, and not to ignore any odd symptoms - if you'll pardon the dreadful pun, go with your gut and stamp your foot. Initially my friend thought that her symptoms might be due to a food allergy but that didn't stand up to logical analysis for a second.

As well as all that happening, there's been quite a bit going on in our little world. I have now completed and passed six out of seven modules on my ECDL - great news. All being well, I am going to try my hardest to complete the course by the end of term thus saving the cost of enrolling for another term after the Christmas break.

Boola our foster dog has continued his stay with us. He is now fully vaccinated and we had rather a traumatic time when he went into the vet for a GA to allow for a dental to be done (very common with greyhounds)and a biopsy. Unfortunately he did not do very well when he came home from the vets and we had two sleepless nights and were both like zombies until he finally turned the corner. Since then, he's back to his usual loveable ways and is a delightful addition to the household. We had another emotional hiccup when as instructed I rang the vets to pick up the results of his blood tests and biopsy. The vet nurse wouldn't tell me the results over the phone and simply insisted the vet would ring me the next day to discuss them. Of course, you can immediately imagine what I was thinking and I spent a pretty miserable night with not much sleep and considering the worst. To my immense relief the vet phoned and all was well - I still have no idea why the nurse couldn't tell me that. Grrrr. Now that Boola has completed his vaccinations and health checks I have written up some notes about him for the charity website and enclosed some photos, so he should be up on the site very soon. Although he is a handsome boy, who is very well behaved, his age is against him (he's nine) so I doubt if a new home will come along quickly. However, we'll keep our fingers crossed, and while he's waiting, he's enjoying himself immensely with us and our two hounds. We expect that he will be certainly be here over the Christmas period.

Yesterday was the Swansea Charities Christmas Fair and I have been immersed in a sea of glue, paper and card upstairs for the past couple of weeks making a mountain of lovely Christmas cards to sell on our stall. This year, the event was held in the Leisure Centre, my first visit to it since it has been re-opened and refurbished. It makes me feel very old to admit it, but I can remember the original Leisure Centre opening on the site in 1977, opened by the Queen as it was her Silver Jubilee year. The new centre seems very whizzy and attractive. As usual the fair was very well organised, and three of us were on the stall, myself, Penny and Margaret, who I was meeting for the first time, and liked immediately - turns out she is a fellow quilter!

One of the lovely things about these sorts of events is that you realise that the UK is full to bursting of people who like to bake, knit, embroider, craft, and do all these things we are always being told are dying out. Far from it. There were stalls selling home made jam and marmalade, lots of handmade cards, handmade jewellery, beautiful knitted goods, painted glass items, and so many gorgeous home baked goodies! Scones, pies, pasties, cakes, buns, mince pies - everywhere you looked, iced fairy cakes of every hue. There were tombolas and raffles and I ended up coming home with a peculiar stuffed robin (I still don't really know what it is) which was quickly snaffled by Andy as a new toy. I also came home with a beautifully embroidered miniature cross, barely an inch high, and of exquisite needlework, and a knitted woollen small stripey blanket, suitable for pets, knees or any personal need, plus a bag of home-made brownies and some chocolate fairy cakes. Andrew ate most of the brownies last night and declared them to be delicious.

Now that this big push for the cards is done, I just have to make the cards for our own Christmas card list and have already cross stitched an assortment, with more being completed. We are also starting the countdown to our German adventure - very exciting. I am hoping for snow - it will make such a wonderful change from the miserable never ending rain we've been having here and the constant battering gales. Today we walked the woofs via Hamadrayad park and the wetlands behind St Davids Hotel before making a quick trip to Ikea. It was very busy there and we stocked up on tealights, some sheets, paper napkins, some preserving jars and wrapping paper. We have already made a foray to a Yankee Candle shop in Cardiff to stock up on some larger scented candles for the festive season, but I love burning tealights with their beautiful romantic glow. Whenever I have visited Norway or Sweden, you always see these little candles lit in cafes, shops and so on - such a welcoming sight.

When we came home, we listened to the radio adaptation of "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" by John le Carre, starring Simon Rusell Beale, who does George Smiley so wonderfully. I love this book, and loved the original TV adaptation with Alec Guinness, but this radio version is doing it justice and is part of a bigger George Smiley season that Radio 4 are doing, and what a treat it has been.

I am going to finish this marathon blog post with one of my favourite poems.

The Cultivation of Christmas Trees

There are several attitudes towards Christmas,

Some of which we may disregard:

The social, the torpid, the patently commercial,

The rowdy (the pubs being open till midnight),

And the childish -- which is not that of the child

For whom the candle is a star, and the gilded angel

Spreading its wings at the summit of the tree

Is not only a decoration, but an angel.

The child wonders at the Christmas Tree:

Let him continue in the spirit of wonder

At the Feast as an event not accepted as a pretext;

So that the glittering rapture, the amazement

Of the first-remembered Christmas Tree,

So that the surprises, delight in new possessions

(Each one with its peculiar and exciting smell),

The expectation of the goose or turkey

And the expected awe on its appearance,

So that the reverence and the gaiety

May not be forgotten in later experience,

In the bored habituation, the fatigue, the tedium,

The awareness of death, the consciousness of failure,

Or in the piety of the convert

Which may be tainted with a self-conceit

Displeasing to God and disrespectful to the children

(And here I remember also with gratitude

St. Lucy, her carol, and her crown of fire)

So that before the end, the eightieth Christmas

(By 'eightieth' meaning whichever is the last)

The accumulated memories of annual emotion

May be concentrated into a great joy

Which shall be also a great fear, as on the occasion

When fear came upon every soul:

Because the beginning shall remind us of the end

And the first coming of the second coming.

T.S. Eliot (1954)

After we returned Lady to Angie's house, we went back there the following weekend to meet Boola, taking our two with us. This was also an opportunity to catch up with lovely Lady who practically threw herself at me for cuddles and was a wriggly bundle of joy, putting on weight. She's subsequently had her dental, which went well, and this has considerably speeded up progress on her condition - it's amazing the difference this makes. Then it was out the garden for the introduction between Boola and our two. To our delight, madam didn't start performing, in fact seemed distinctly indifferent. Andy seemed thrilled to have another boy to play with, and they commenced an orgy of bum sniffing and competitive weeing on all of Angie's nice rose bushes - a positive start. Then we opened the boot of the car and the two boys simply leapt in without any prompting and quietly lay down. Brilliant. And that, happily, is how it has been. Booty hasn't minded him at all, and just seems to ignore him, occasionally sniffing him. Andy has now got a new boy chum and all is going well. There have been one or two minor incidents but overall fantastic in terms of relationships between the three.

Boola is a fabulous boy all round. I attach some pics. He is very handsome. We took him to the vet for a checkup - yet again, he needs a dental, although there is a possibility his previous home may be persuaded to contribute. He's going for his dental on Thursday morning - so watch this space. I'm not sure if he'll need extractions - it's certainly possible as he is struggling with hard kibble - clearly he can't bite down on it.

On Sunday, we had the AGM for the greyhound charity up at Pontypridd. The pub allow us to use their function room, and unusually are happy for folk to bring their greyhounds. So, imagine if you will, a function room filled with around 50 people and approximately 30 hounds, all elegantly draped, or lying on seats. We had a number of speakers including a member of the Welsh Assembly but we found that when we applauded, this set all the hounds off on an outburst of howling, barking and whining. So when any speaker was applauded, the entire audience shook their hands in front of them - this apparently is how deaf people applaud each other. It worked brilliantly and didn't disturb the dogs. We took Boola and left our two at home. He behaved himself very well and enjoyed meeting a variety of other people and dogs. I also dropped off a huge pile of hand made cards for the greyhound shop. The meeting finished about 3, and then it was time to come home. The weather has been very wet for the past week or so - I seem to be constantly battling to keep the house clean. I attach some pics of Boola and the AGM.

Apologies - I spent most of last week flattened by some sort of flu type virus and have not blogged. Greyhound news primarily tonight. The charity is now stepping up a gear, as the local track at Swansea is closing this Saturday. We knew the closure was imminent, but the last straw was the prosecution last week for animal neglect at the track. See link here.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/8332622.stm

The final races will be run on Saturday 7th November. Operation Greyhound has now swung into action, involving a partnership between us, (GRW), Dogs Trust, RSPCA, the Council, the track, Greyhound Welfare and Swiss Valley Greyhounds. By operating in partnership we believe we can ensure that every racer that needs rehoming can be, and none need to be put down or dumped. Knowing this was imminent, we were quietly trying to maximise the number of spaces available for immediate intake and we had a phone call last week about fostering.

The first dog (photos attached) was an elderly female, believed over 11, with possible arthritis. The owner had taken her to the vet to be killed, but fortunately the vet declined and pointed them in our direction. I should stress the dog is perfectly healthy. The owner asked us to collect the dog or it would be killed on Monday (today), so the clock was ticking. We collected her on Saturday and also found that she had been sleeping out of doors (!!!) with no coat - most people know how skinny greyhounds are - minimal body fat and thin coats/skin. Not surprisingly, she'd been crying and this was irritating for her owners. Also not surprisingly she had bad pressure sores on her elbows, where she had been resting on concrete with no padding.

I leave readers to make their own assessment when looking at her - the owner claimed that she didn't have much appetite. Unfortunately, although she is adorable, and a friendly dog with people (God knows why, after treatment like she's had) she did not get on at all well with our two. When we first fostered Murgatroyd, things were a bit tense, but this was World War 3 in comparison, particularly between the two girls, both used to being dominant bitches.

We quickly realised that this would not be a long term option, and contacted another foster home, where she would have gone if we had not taken her. We spent a rather tense time on Saturday, having to maintain UN style neutral zones but it was a joy to see her eat, relax and soak up tickles and cuddles. She polished off three excellent meals while she was with us, and on Sunday we went down to see Angie, her back up foster. Fortunately, Angie had a little submissive foster lurcher with her in the house (she also kennels greyhounds on her property), and they got on like a house on fire. It was a horrible wrench leaving her after only 24 hours, but good to know that she is in excellent care.

Our next step is to return to Angie's next weekend, and see how our two get on with another foster that has just come in- if relationships are cordial, we'll be fostering that one. It will also give me a chance to have a catch up cuddle with our beautiful grey girl.

After leaving Angie, we headed over to Penny who lives close by. It was a delight to get out of the car and be greeted enthusiastically by two torpedoes of lurcherdom, both muddy and exuberant. Then after a quick cup of tea, onwards back up the M4 to our two and a much needed gin, feeling emotionally very drained.

As usual, I find that my life seems to be a case of trying to squash in about 29 hours worth of activity into every 24 hours of real time. Since I last wrote, a number of things have happened. Firstly, my status has changed from being a housewife into tentatively dipping my toe back into the world of work. After over 20 years in local government, I am now in the private sector, in fact I am self employed. Regular readers will recall that the young master works for a management consultancy, a small but busy company, that uses a core of employees and a wider range of associate consultants that are brought in for specific areas of expertise. After some discussion, I have now become a consultant, primarily and initially doing desktop studies and assisting with the management of company databases and so on, for the company he works for, but with the freedom to take on other work as it suits. In the traditional manner, I am now available for weddings, funerals and bar mitzvahs and would be pleased to discuss any proposals via the usual contact mechanisms. I can't stress enough though that I am not wishing to return to full time,permanent work - that's not a lifestyle I want to rejoin, for all sorts of reasons.

My first project was started last Thursday and completed on Friday - involving some research on a local government related project, with added suggestions for useful reports, data, public polling and so on. This is the sort of work I really enjoy - there is some very good quality data out there now on public services, and pulling it together in a useable package is right up my street. It uses the skills I accumulated doing my MBA and the wide experience I have in local government informs the crucial practicality tests.

After such a positive day on Thursday, I went to my usual ECDL class in the evening, feeling happy and anticipatory. I've commented before on my disappointment that the class is not using up to date software, but am plodding on with it. The tutor wanted to get me set up to do my first exam, in word processing, probably my strongest module. It took her over an hour and a quarter to be able to gain access to the website through which the exams are conducted. Eventually, just before 8 pm I sat down to do my test. Initially, all went well. I was flying through the questions very comfortably. Then, with two questions to go, the computer crashed.

By this point, I had passed through the fury stage and had reached the state of expecting a piece of space junk to land on the roof, a power cut to take place or some other similar freak of nature. Due to some quirk of the system, you cannot resit your test on the same day, so I will be taking it again this Thursday night. Fingers crossed we don't have an invasion of locusts, or killer squirrels or something equally improbable.

On the weekend, we travelled over to Somerset to stay with Andrew's parents to celebrate both Andrew and his father's birthdays. The birthdays are separated by one day, and in fact Andrew was born about ten minutes to midnight, the family story being that if Andrew's mum could have held on for ten more minutes, they would have shared the same birthday. Naturally and understandably, Andrew's mother is less sympathetic to this point of view, making the reasonable point that by that stage in the proceedings, waiting was not really an option!

Anyway, we drove over there on Saturday, which is also Booty's official birthday (as we don't know the real date). After a short lunch, we headed out in the afternoon to Hestercombe, near Taunton. This is a lovely house and garden, the estate of which had fallen into a state of some disrepair, but has now been lovingly restored and is open to the public. There is a formal garden at the front of the house, designed by Lutyens and Jekyll and then behind the house there is a traditional 18th century parkland setting with lakes, follies, vistas, a ha-ha and all the usual accoutrements. It was a glorious autumn afternoon and we enjoyed walking up through the grounds to the highest point and then descending, before strolling round the formal gardens. Maintaining the follies, planting, water features and so on is a massive task and it had changed and improved since Andrew and I last visited some three years back. His parents are regular visitors as they hold a variety of garden and indoor events there. I attach some pics.

In the evening, we stayed in and enjoyed a delicious celebratory dinner, before retiring. In the morning, after breakfast, we were joined by Andrew's sister, her husband and their three small boys. The boys had made Booty some gorgeous cards, and there was a present for her of a squeaky rubber chicken. This was a huge success with both dogs and I will try to attach some video footage of them playing with it, along with the boys climbing the apple trees in the garden. The day passed very quickly and soon it was time to return home, with both woofs and people tired and happy.