Wednesday 17th June

TLC for Binnie and A Bit More Flower Arranging ....

Binnie is looking much more like her normal self this morning, although much slowed down from her normal speed, and she is taking great care when moving about. Fortunately I haven't had to use the buster collar on her yet as she is showing no interest in her stitches. She has to refrain from jumping up and not dash around in her usual Jack Russell style. Below, one of her favourite places to sit, comfort being the least she expects!

For those who don't know JR's are totally tenacious and have no idea that they are small dogs. They are full of spirit, fun, devilment, curiosity, and can be the cutest things going. She has all of those qualities in abundance. She is pretty well behaved and tends only to bark when provoked, by us playing with her, when she sees a cat (and there are quite a few of those in our neighbourhood) or she hears another dog barking. Sadly she doesn't get on with our cat, Twinkle, who is about 11 (she was a rescue, so we don't know for sure) and Twinkle positively hates her! But then whenever Binnie sees her, she chases her so can you be surprised? I will fill in bits about Twinkle another day. Jamie and Binnie in a usual position, she adores Jamie and considers it her job to make sure he is OK at all times, even when he is playing in the park, she sits on the edge of the sofa and watches him out of the window. She whimpers and whines if she sees him, or thinks he has a problem, I know what he is doing just by listening to her!

I did indulge her and spent a lot of the day giving her some serious TLC on the sofa, I watched Hannibal Rising, which was OK, but nothing special, well not for me - none of the sequels, prequels have lived up to Silence of the Lambs for me. That first experience of Hannibal cannot really be beaten and the ending, "I'm having an old friend for dinner" what a shiver, but what humour!

I did manage to produce another couple of flower arrangements today, while Binnie slept. The first was in a vase, in which an oasis round fitted perfectly and I did a fairly simple line arrangement, using gerbera, at the back I used Bells of Ireland. I have wanted to get my hands on Bells of Ireland to have a go with for quite some time and had not managed to find any until Colombia Road. What I hadn't realised is they have a nasty little prickle on them and caught myself a couple of times whilst arranging them! I added carthamus and brought some bright green sisal to the front to take the lime green right through the arrangement. This one works perfectly on the shelf in the hallway!

The second arrangement, was supposed to be more of a challenge for me, but I found it came together very well and very easily. I arranged the foliage in low groups around a circular base of oasis, there is a space in the centre, which could be filled with, well whatever you want, I was putting a candle in mine. I have used a variety of foliage including ivy and conifer. The main height comes from Bells of Ireland again, I've made sure I trimmed the top leaves to give the tops of the flower a clean look. I've then grouped the other flowers around the arrangement, in 3's, 3 white roses, 3 white peony, 3 white alstro and finally 3 pink lillies. I think this one is super and will be using that design again, certainly at Christmas with some candles and lots of red and gold! And I still have tons of flowers left, so 5 arrangements thus far and counting!

Jamie got his second praise postcard at school today, well done Jamie! Here he is displaying his new postcard still covered in chocolate ice-cream around his mouth, boys! Although I do love the way he just doesn't care, his attitude is so what if I'm dirty I'm OK, I'm having fun, stop fussing mother! In that aspect he is so much like his Daddy, whose attitude is I'm clean and don't smell so what else is needed?

Well done Jamie on your praise postcard!

Ciao

Sue

XX
Reading challenge 1/16 - currently reading The Stone Rose by Jacqueline Rayner
SLYMI - 1/52

Binnie

Tuesday 16th June - Binnie Has Her Operation

We had to be very organised and out early this morning, as today was a day I hadn't been looking forward to, today Binnie was heading off to the vets to be spayed, and I knew I was going to be very worried about her all day. I've always treated our animals as if they're part of the family, well they are part of the family and I'm incredibly soppy with them and spoil them to bits. Here she is sat on the sofa, looking totally gorgeous, she is such a cutie espcially with the colouring around her eyes. Both ears are down here, but more often than not, she can be found with one ear up and one ear down.

Binnie is a 2 year old Jack Russell and I have to say it was love at first sight on both sides between Binnie and I. When I went to look at some JR's, I wasn't going to have a brown/tan one and I wasn't going to have a girl. Binnie is tan and white and obviously a girl but I just fell for her BIG time! When I was looking at the puppies, they all went mad jumping up and down at the gate (except one which was eating sawdust - I avoided that one!). Then one really cute one which had been jumping up and down went to the back of the kennel sat down and just stared at me. Can I have a look at that one, said I, I picked her up and didn't put her back, in case she got mixed up! She still sits and stares at me when she wants something, feeding, letting out and mostly cuddling. Here is curled up with one of her toys when she was a puppy. As a puppy she would curl up on my chest and sleep, now she is bigger, she stills does it, and I can be found trying to watch my fave TV show around or over the top of her! Spoilt doesn't really come into it!!

She isn't used to be left at the vets, although she has been into kennels a couple of times, it wasn't going to be fun for either of us. We dropped Jamie round at Vicki's (lovely Vicki, who can cheer you up on any morning!), one of Jamie's school friend's Mum who was going to drop Jamie at school along with her daughter Lauren. Anyway we got her over to the vets about 8.20 am, and waited to see the nurse. We did all of the paperwork and chatted over what was going to happen and when we would be able to collect her, I then asked if they could ring when the op was done and just let me know all went well. Then we had to leave her, I held it together pretty well and I was pleased that I did.

I'd decided to head off to my floristry class as usual, something which a year ago I would not have been able to do, I would have sat at home worrying myself silly about it all. So I got stuck into my arrangment at class and waited for a phone call. It was not long in coming (thankfully) and by about 10.45 Mr Burke (who is a brilliant and wonderful vet) had rung Mike to say the op was done, she was ok and she had lifted her head. All she had to do now was come round fully from the anasthetic.

Today at floristry we made an arrangement in a glass with white sisal at the bottom before the oasis was placed and then the two candles were added (mine got a little bent on the way home!). We used the lovely white oasis again which was covered in gypsophilia, stunning white roses, carnations and eustoma (lisianthus) and added the silver thread. This would make a lovely table centre for a wedding or especially for a silver wedding anniversery.

Once I got home I was quite anxious to pick up Binnie as soon as possible, but she was still coming round when we rang at about 1.30pm, we needed to pick her up after about 3.30pm, so after collecting Jamie we headed off to get her. She was very pleased to see us and seemed to be in good spirits considering. She was not herself, in that she was quiet, subdued and very sleepy. Binnie is rarely subdued, in the normal course of things! She snuggled up with me once we got home and was quite happy to sleep for the rest of the day. But she was hungry, very hungry and was happy to clear up any food that was put down for her, which was a very good sign. She was given a special treat of some nice cooked chicken breast. The wound looked very neat and tidy and so fingers crossed it will heal quickly. She has a buster collar too but thus far has not shown any inclination to lick her wound, fingers crossed it goes on that way. Here she is being a little devil, you can see it on her face, she has run off with a bag of crisps, she is such a madam for running off with things!

I did feel a little sad, thinking that we would never be able to have any of her puppies, but as she has had 2 phantom pregnancies it was very much the best decision for her health and realistically, the best decision as if she had a litter I wouldn't have been able to give any of them away, especially if I had got around to giving them names (and I already have names picked out for several other dogs I woudl love). No probably not, so now just to work on Mike for getting the second dog! Below, she just looks so gorgeous! She is loved by all in the house, even Mike, though he would never admit it!

Ciao

Sue

XX
Reading challenge 1/16 - currently reading The Stone Rose by Jacqueline Rayner
SLYMI - 1/52