Walking with Patch at my side is the best! Perhaps I should rephrase that…following behind my beloved companion as he decides exactly which path we will take is the best.
Three times a day, I open that front door stand to one side and let His Nibs through. From this point, he will either stop at the car, turn left or right. And that’s just the way I like it. Leaves me to blog-think-mode and him to be in charge of his own destiny for a while. Win win.
Without Patch, I fear I would not get much exercise at all. Which is a tad worrying. When the time comes, I will clearly need a chat with myself about remaining fit… but I will cross that bridge when I come to it.
In the meantime, we will be out there together every day come rain or shine… and at the moment, autumn in England is spectacular.
If you were forced to wear one outfit over and over again, what would it be?
A short n sweet answer to our daily prompt ..
A French/Belgian (they produce the best) linen top, of some description. The thermoregulation it provides will keep me warm in winter and cool in summer.
High waisted straight leg jeans, for ultimate comfort.
And some new Sambas/whatever, as mine have seen better days.
It wasn’t a crush per se, but there was this lad in my class at primary school…He had a radiance, a broad smile which reached his eyes. Saying he was ‘ nice’, sounds a bit lame, but he was.
This man has a lot to answer for…but he did utilise the phrase ‘ Be Prepared’….. Someone else, I cannot pinpoint whom, chose ‘ Be ready’ a variant of the idea, somehow sounds, to me more modern. But there are times in your life you do need to be prepared. A shock factor on top of anything else only adds to the weight of grief.
I’m talking to you today about my old dog Patches. My sole/soul companion. I’m his 4th mom and he has sometimes repaid me with agression. A time I ended up in hospital being stitched back together, when his frustration had nowhere to go..but towards the hand that feeds him.
Sure I threatened him with all manner of alternative living arrangements, but both he and I knew it was just talk. It was never going to happen.
But he’s more frail now. Eleven years old is not always considered a ‘ good age’. But it’s the only data I have about him. He could be older, for sure. He’s feisty when he wants to be. He can climb the stairs ( albeit slowly) and get onto the bed ( with the help of a step-up) He knows what he wants and when he wants it. But I love that about him. His spirit. Eons ago I cared for kids, rose through the ranks and became really good at it. I have/had the same sentiment, I relished my charges being ‘ spirited’. Harder work, but the product ended up a treat!
So here we are. I’ve arranged to take Patches down to Cornwall for what may be his last beach holiday. A very dear and lovely friend has given up many days of a rent free Airbnb break, to accommodate us.I thank you Trish, soo much. Your Shepherds Hut ‘ The Sheppy’, is fabulous! ( Dear readers, should you want somewhere easy going to stay during a trip to Cornwall, get in touch and I’ll give you the details)
I’ve researched mobile vets for euthanasia at home and will use a close by pet cremation services for his final send off.
I had no help or support when I lost my Tony( which happened really fast) and the pain was unbelievable. I used prescribed drugs to get through the loss of Joe and Mia. This time I will have simply preparation when the time comes to lose my companion. So, being prepared..being ready, I can only hope will support my fragile mental state when I lose my ‘ best boy’….
What’s the oldest thing you own that you still use daily?
How this beautiful mirror stayed intact all these years, through so many moves, I will never know. But it is without doubt the oldest thing I own and use every day.
It was given to me by a very special friend ( thank you TW) crafted by a friend of hers.
When he came to live with me Tony was a bag of bones. Battered and bruised, his bare pink skin without fur showed the extent of a life on the street. The years had taken their toll. He was exhausted and losing the will to live.
A large bandage around his neck protected him against further damage. The maggots had made a gaping hole.
It took a while but his misty eyes began to clear. His fur started to grow back. Those bones now had flesh on them. What a star!
And then it happened, someone walked too close to his gate and he barked. Just the once. A beautiful moment.
It is about to turn 6 am here in England. There is an unusual calmness ( of late) outside. The air is warm. The dog snores gently and my first coffee of the day has been drunk. So far so good, as ‘ notable’ has many layers. One can only hope for the best, that the day will go smoothly, Perhaps ‘nothing notable’ is the safest bet, for today.
My heart feels heavy as the tragedy of the London bound Air India flight fills my mind. The shock, the sadness and grief in that part of the world will be palpable.
Life will go on, but the world has stopped spinning for the families, friends, the loved ones of the perished souls.
The one sole survivor, the young man who walked away, my thoughts turn to him. Despite having just a few visible cuts and scratches, his emotions will surely be running deep….
Across the world luxury is going to mean something different to everyone. A private jet? Or maybe clean drinking water?
But the word FREEDOM begged to be written for my response.
Today I chose to copy a poem by W H Davies, a Welsh poet and wanderer. His book The Autobiography of a Super-tramp is interesting.
At this moment I am sitting on the sofa with the dog asleep at my side. The sky is overcast and it’s blowing a gale. The french windows are securely open wide. The fresh air rushes in and out taking light billowing curtains with it. A blackbird and a few pigeons are finishing up their breakfast and the squirrel is digging up some potted chives to hide his stash- word is squirrels forget where they put 50% of their swag. Who’d have thought it?
I’ll brew fresh coffee now and exercise some remaining grey matter before anything else on my list of ‘ things to do, if I want to’. This my friend is luxury!
Edit; the wind blew away most of the clouds, the dog awoke and went outside to catch some sun…
It has been a long time coming, this kind of peace.
I’ve enjoyed reading what others in my newly-found WordPress family have had to say is their idea of luxury.
IN THE BOOMER PIGEON HOLE? 