Friday 31 August 2012

dietdevil: A year without Daisy

dietdevil: A year without Daisy: As anyone that reads this blog (or knows me)  will gather, I love springer spaniels. My Aunt Catherine had a cocker called Mandy when I wa...

A year without Daisy

As anyone that reads this blog (or knows me)  will gather, I love springer spaniels. My Aunt Catherine had a cocker called Mandy when I was a little girl and I always wanted one when I was a grown up. When the time was right to get a dog, I wanted one there and then but there was no cocker girls available in Cornwall so after combing through all the local (ish) newspapers we found a place in Devon that had one girl springer left. So on August 25th 2003 we set off to the sunny town of Bideford and  got a beautiful liver and white baby who we called Daisy. She was only 7 weeks old and still had blue eyes and such a pretty face.
 
My daughters were 10 and 6 at the time and I can still remember them sat in the back of the car on the long drive home through the bank holiday traffic, each of them with a hand on their new pet, sharing her care ever so equally.
 
Any animal lovers will confirm that in their lifetime there is always one pet that will touch your heart and will just be that little bit different from all the others. It doesn't make you love the others any less - just differently, and the one in my life was Daisy.
 
Despite her angelic face, Daisy was a demon hunter - no rabbit stood a chance when she was around. She 'had' 3 in her whole life but chased away hundreds of others. With her partner in crime Leo, my in laws' dog they would spend hours sniffing in hedgerows and digging in fields looking for their prey. They disappeared on more than one occassion and came back the next morning filthy and fat - quite what they had eaten I will never know.....or want to know.
 
Maddie was added to our springer family when Daisy was 4 - a 4 month old rescue dog from the local home. Daisy was not impressed at first and was always top dog, quite literally, but they formed an unbreakable bond. When my Dad died in 2008 however, Daisy just knew and never left my side throughout. It may sound corny but it's true.
 
She had always suffered bouts of tummy problems and no amount of vets visits could determine what the problem was, but it grew increasingly worse and more frequesnt last year. It was only when we decided to get Mutley in July 2011 and go to a new vets thart they diagnosed liver disease. She was only 8 and the disease was too far gone to treat.
 
To say we were all heartbroken was an understatement - my husband was in denial and we tried all sorts of meats and treats and tablets in a vain attempt to change the inevitable. Sadly, none of it worked and it was a year ago today ( day wise not date wise ) that my husband took her for her last walk up the horse field. He had to lift her back into the car afterwards but came home and said ''it's time''. I slept next to Daisy on that Friday night but after listening to her laboured breaths I decided to take her to Truro emergency vets so they could help her on her way. We all said goodbye, she was surrounded by so much love, and died literally 2 minutes after having gently laid her in the car. Possibly one of the saddest days of all of our lives and for many of our friends that loved her so much too.
 
Daisy was laid to reat in our smaller horse field, under the big tree and wall that she loved to jump over. It took me 3 months to go and see her there. I can still see her out of the corner of my eye, and if I close my eyes I can imagine her big brown eyes and the feel of her fur.
 
We now have Freddy too, and so are back to 3 dogs. Maddie, Mutley and Freddy are wonderful, but I will never ever forget the memories and love that Daisy brought.
 
 
This photo was taken a few days before she died - at St Eth riverbank, one of her favourite walks.
 
RIP xxxx

Thursday 30 August 2012

Mutley tries to cheer me up...........

I am really down in the dumps today - think I am on meltdown after the summer and I need some peace and quiet. It's been lovely having visitors here for the last few weeks but I will be glad when life returns to normal.

In St Ives the town is absolutley swarming with people and it takes twice as long to do anything or go anywhere. This can wear you down when all you have to do is nip to the bank or the post office , but I am aware that tourism is the main industry here and the one that I have chosen to be involved with so I should just bite my tongue and get on with it.
 
Another problem that I have and always seem to be moaning about is NOISE...............I am quite a noisy person myself and I live on a busy street in the middle of town but I have real issues with people being selfish late at night or very early in the morning. The main offenders are as follows -
 
1 - People with 10 door cars, ie, people that park outside and bang each and everyone of their car doors very loudly and it's always more than 4!
 
2 - Fighting drunks - I have seen them rip drainpipes off walls, flowers from window boxes and wee in the lane next to my house. If I wanted to watch or listen to this I would put Eastenders on.
 
3 - Happy drunks - The ones that feel the need to sing , laugh or shriek loudly outside my house.
 
4 - Chatty drunks - The ones that will have indepth conversations at 3am or even worse, ones that will have one sided conversations on their mobiles so that everyone can hear.
 
Reading this, you will probably gather that I am incredibly grumpy - I am incredibly grumpy but as my dad used to say ''wor Liz comes down as fast as she goes up'' so hopefully tomorrow normal service will be resumed.
 

In amongst all this misery, my brave boy Mutley just knows that I am a bit glum and keeps gazing at me with his big loyal eyes and handsome face. I wish I was a springer spaniel - they are loyal, loving and happy, but then again if i was then i wouldn't be able to write this blog. xxxx

Wednesday 29 August 2012

dietdevil: Sorry seems to be the hardest word............

dietdevil: Sorry seems to be the hardest word............: It's just after lunch and I have had a very hectic day - everything  happens at once in this house and today was no exception. I had irate ...

Sorry seems to be the hardest word............

It's just after lunch and I have had a very hectic day - everything  happens at once in this house and today was no exception. I had irate people on the phone, barking dogs, Tescos deliveries, barking dogs, people being ill and yes, you've guessed it, barking dogs!
 
Incident number one involved a mistake I had made - we are all only human and work wise I am usually on the ball, but I had written a date for something down wrong so had an outraged guest shrieking down the phone at me at 9am. I apologised profusely - several times, rectified the situation immediately and seemed to calm him down, only to have a further phone call from his even more outraged wife shrieking down the phone too. She opened the converation with ''I believe you spoke to my husband'' and then continued to yell like  a banshee on acid. I repeated the same apology to her and assured her that all would be sorted but the psychology of it all was that she probably thought her husband was too soft with me and she wanted to sort it out banshee to woman.
 
Incident number two involved another customer, but this time I was the one that deserved the apology. At 1430 hours I received it and all is well now between myself and that person. I think he was rather embarrassed and so when he said sorry I accepted. The older I get, the more I realise is that life doesn't always run smoothly and what's the point making someone feel even worse when they do when they have swallowed their pride, fessed up and righted their wrongs?
 
In the words of Sir Elton John, sorry does seem to be the hardest word - difficult to say, and even more difficult to accept for some people.
 
Oh, and the man from incident number two asked if he had ever met me, to which i replied ''no, if you had you would remember'' and he then asked ''do you have big tits?'' I am not joking -  he really did say this and I was so gobsmacked that I replied ''yes''. Sometimes I think I live in a very very strange world......
 
On a brighter note, I have stuck to my diet religiously today! I know that so far 'today' has only been breakfast and lunch but I am trying to be all upbeat and positive.I have fruit in my fruit bowl and I am not afraid to eat it! Dinner will be a lovely roast chicken with heaps of delicious healthy veg and no stuffing, bread sauce, yorkshire puddings or wine. It will taste nice, it will............

Tuesday 28 August 2012

dietdevil: Super salads and strangely shaped nectarines

dietdevil: Super salads and strangely shaped nectarines: I bit the bullet and went to fat club - I gained a whopping 3 pounds, Susie was cool and there was a few giggles to be had. One member of t...

Super salads and strangely shaped nectarines

I bit the bullet and went to fat club - I gained a whopping 3 pounds, Susie was cool and there was a few giggles to be had. One member of the group, let's called her 'G' had also gained weight.
Susie - Oh, G, do you know where this gain has come from?
G - yes love
Susie - where?
G - I had a Macdonalds - I always seem to put on weight when I go to Macdonalds.
Susie - Oh and are you ok with this?
G - No love, not really.
I suppose you had to be there, but it did make me titter quietly to myself.
 
So, armed with this month's magazine and lots of motivation I took myself off to the lovely health food shop around the corner and got one of their delicious tuna salads.
 
I know there's a few calories here and there with the mayonnaise etc but it's better than chomping on a pasty which seems to have been my staple diet for the last week and the cause of most of my 3 pounds.
 
I then went to the greengrocer next door and got a punnet of my new favourite summer fruit - the flat nectarine! Now I don't know about anyone else, but I am physically unable to eat a normal shaped nectarine without a lot of slurping and dribbling but these little bad boys fit in my mouth perfectly .
 
They also taste lovely too.
 
I have given myself until December 18th to get to target - I know I keep changing the goalposts and I seem to be going in the wrong direction, but my spirit is definitely willing - well it is on a Tuesday anyway. I seem to say the same thing every week, but i really must try harder and do some cooking so I have things to nibble on that are healthy and not resort to one of the many takeaways that are literally a stone's throw from my house.
 
Wish me luck!

Monday 27 August 2012

dietdevil: Soggy kindles, scary scales and special tea.

dietdevil: Soggy kindles, scary scales and special tea.: It's the last bank holiday before Christmas and as predicted it has been wet all day. I know I obsess about the weather a bit - it's what B...

Soggy kindles, scary scales and special tea.

It's the last bank holiday before Christmas and as predicted it has been wet all day. I know I obsess about the weather a bit - it's what Brits are good at, and I think I get it from my Dad. When he died I took and read all his diaries and when reading through them, every single day of the year he recorded the temparature and the weather. When I look at the weather map on the tv I always look to the North East, which sometimes I have no choice to as the weather person usually stands in front of the Cornwall section.
 
I picked my eldest and her uni friend up at 3.30 this morning from Penzance so after lunch I was more than ready for a little cheeky siests and some quality time with my beloved kindle. I don't care what anyone thinks - I flipping love my kindle - I never ever run out of books  and it's the future -  so there! After I had been missing for a couple of hours Freddy the puppy came to find me and was so excited by the sight of me snuggled in my bed that he jumped up and 'sprayed' - I hope I have managed to limit any damage with an old tea towel as I really don't fancy ringing Amazon to explain the cause of its' demise.
 
Diet update - oh dear, is all I have to say. Our regular consultant won't be at fat club tomorrow but Susie will........ To all fat club members, the very word 'Susie' rings fear into our very bones - she has battered us for our misuse of fruit on more than one occassion and I am scared, very scared. I haven't even had any fruit this week - apart from the strawberry jam that was in my doughnut earlier today. I have taken the plunge and weighed myself on my scales in the bathroom and it aint pretty! In true fat club styleee though I will take it on the chins and show up as usual with a pained expression on my face. I am definitely going for the sympathy vote this week.
 
I bought some 'tea' a while ago from Holland and Barrett, which let's just say 'gives you a good clear out' and reduces bloating. I am sure that there is only so much bloat that a cuppa can reduce but I have just had a mug of it as I am getting desperate. I would like to say that it tastes nice and refreshing but it tastes like dirty socks. The smell of it makes me urge slightly but if I let it go cold I can down it in one.
 
Life should get a little bit quieter for us this week and soon kids go back to school and uni, so I am going to eat fruit and veg( in a proper manner) and COOK insetad of eating junk............honestly.

Sunday 26 August 2012

dietdevil: Idyllic country churches, cute babies and big gooe...

dietdevil: Idyllic country churches, cute babies and big gooe...: We have just returened from the christening where Hattie my oldest daughter was godmother to baby Charlie. The service was held in Gulval c...

Idyllic country churches, cute babies and big gooey cakes

We have just returened from the christening where Hattie my oldest daughter was godmother to baby Charlie. The service was held in Gulval church, the same place where Charlie's parents gor married last September. Today the weather was very different - a perfect sunny day - unlike the wedding when it poured and poured and poured. As churches go, Gulval has to be one of the nicest I have ever been to - tucked away in a little village next to Penzance and so picturesque - it even has a 'groovy' sort of vicar.
 
The 'do' afterwards was held at the Engine Inn, at Cripplesease, another little village between St Ives and Nancledra. The spread was, as they say down here, 'bleddy ansum' and there was a gigantic gooey christening cake covered in maltesers. I was too full from lots of sandwiches and sausage rolls and a bit giddy from a couple of cheeky afternoon white wine spritzers so I made do with a nibble.
 
Charlie was a star and has to be one of the best behaved babies ever! Hattie had lots of cuddles and as Charlie has not much hair to speak of yet, decided to lend him a bit of hers to see what he would look like with a blonde combover.
 
All in all, a lovely day - I am even more scared to step on those dreaded scales on Tuesday! I have a fridge full of healthy food and a bowl full of fruit and I should really start eating some of it. Oh dear....I must try harder.

Saturday 25 August 2012

dietdevil: Bag lady.......................

dietdevil: Bag lady.......................: Well today is the last Saturday of August and even though it will continue to be busy throughout September, it's all psychological - the pr...

Bag lady.......................

Well today is the last Saturday of August and even though it will continue to be busy throughout September, it's all psychological - the pressure is off!
 
It poured with rain all day while we were working and was even wetter than yesterday. Everyone is complaining and looking so glum, but not me as tonight is X factor hooray!!!!
 
One of my lovely members of staff ( and one of my daughter's best friends) worked today and found an ingenious way of carrying all of her laundry. Luckily she has ( or certainly had ) a good strong set of teeth and I'm sure that they will be fine......I hope so anyway.............
 
I am at a christening tomorrow and my 'diet'  is up the creek without a paddle . So far today, I have managed to resist any pasties but as it's my 22nd wedding anniversary I shall be indulging in a chinese and a bottle of wine. Am not sure if this is to celebrate, or to drown my sorrows, but as we are still alive and kicking after all this time I suppose it does warrant a pat on the back for both of us.
 
I can't believe that my wedding day was all those years ago and so far away - up in Northumberland- I may dig out my album later and look at it and all the people that are sadly no longer with us, like my Dad and my Granny and my friend Denise.
 
My hip and cheek bones are also no longer with us, so maybe it will inspire me to get back on track soon.

Friday 24 August 2012

dietdevil: Bank holiday blues.....and greys

dietdevil: Bank holiday blues.....and greys: As is the tradition with British bank holidays and the weather today it has poured with rain. It is cold and wet and miserable and so is ev...

Bank holiday blues.....and greys

As is the tradition with British bank holidays and the weather today it has poured with rain. It is cold and wet and miserable and so is everyone that is roaming around the streets, wondering whether to hang on for a chance of sunshine or cut their losses and go.
 
A few of them have already gone early so that should make for an easier day tomorrow, but it aint over til the fat lady sings and I am very very quiet.
 
 
I think that the photo taken today ( from the top of St Ives ) captures the mist and drizzle perfectly. It has also captured a telegraph line but I have never claimed to be David Bailey.
 
My diet has gone to pot - I was too busy to have breakfast and then got really hungry, so if any local people saw someone that looks like me cramming a pastie into their mouth around lunchtime, then it was infact me.
 
Tomorrow is another day - I am going to crisp some salad and have my bottle of Kalms at the ready.
 

Thursday 23 August 2012

dietdevil: So near......................and yet so far!

dietdevil: So near......................and yet so far!: So last night I decided to go to the cinema - I don't go very often, infact I'm not sure many people do - given that it cost me £6 to get i...

So near......................and yet so far!

So last night I decided to go to the cinema - I don't go very often, infact I'm not sure many people do - given that it cost me £6 to get in , and the actual floor, seats and building made me want to scrub myself with a wire brush and dettol afterwards. The film however, was very funny, a little bit un pc and very enjoyable.
 
I always get a text from National Lottery on a Wednesday and Saturday with the winning numbers and they looked vaguely familiar so when I got back in I decided to check our work syndicate lines.
 
We got 5!!!!!!!!
 
I was very calm about it all and I checked and rechecked several times but yes, there was still 5 of the numbers on one of the lines. I took a few deep breaths and tried to tell all the young people in my house but they were quite frankly, very uninterested.
 
Going onto the lotto website, it doesn't reveal the prize breakdwon straight away so I did a bit of detective work and saw that 5 numbers a week ago paid out £4000 smackeroonies! There are 10 of us in this syndicate so it had to be shared, but all the same £400 each can't be sniffed at.
 
After a nail biting hour the website did reveal the prize breakdwon and the payout on 5 numbers last night was £872. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry and felt robbed! It's still £87.20 though and I should remember that and of course, money doesn't buy happiness and yada yada yada.........
 
All the other members were 'thrilled' 'chuffed' 'ecstatic' etc and we did all have a good giggle about it but I just keep thinking that one more number would mean that today I would be sipping champagne and not going to look for my bottle of Kalms for the weekend.
 
I am now going to adopt the philosophy that we have done it once.....so we can do it again, only next time a bit better .
 
 

Wednesday 22 August 2012

dietdevil: The happiest dog in Cornwall!

dietdevil: The happiest dog in Cornwall!: We took Mutley to the vets today - his fractured paw still has a slight lump but he is no longer limping and the toenail on his other paw is...

The happiest dog in Cornwall!

We took Mutley to the vets today - his fractured paw still has a slight lump but he is no longer limping and the toenail on his other paw is growing back.

Gemma, our lovely vet said that he can now be released into the wild, aka, resume his daily walkies.She advised us to make sure he 'takes it easy' - am not quite sure how we will manage to keep a 15 month old springer spaniel that hasn't been out for 3 weeks calm  and I have an awful feeling that there will be more fractures in years to come, but I ( and Mutley ) are over the moon that he can go out again.



He fractured his paw in the first place by running so hard - he actually gallops like a horse when he runs so am not sure how we are going to change his habits now. All I know is that at 4 pm he will be very very happy and so will Maddie and Freddy that they have their partner in crime back.
There are balls, crows and rabbits to be chased and there'll be no stopping dear Mutley once he gets going.

Tuesday 21 August 2012

dietdevil: Love is..............a grill up!

dietdevil: Love is..............a grill up!: My hubby and I have been married for 22 years on Saturday and like many other couples we have had our ups and downs. But, here we still are,...

Love is..............a grill up!

My hubby and I have been married for 22 years on Saturday and like many other couples we have had our ups and downs. But, here we still are,  so despite the fact that we work together and often would probably like to smash each other's heads in, we haven't!

It was fat club this morning ( I gained 1.5 pounds and deserved every ounce ) and when I got home I was starving - obviously on days when we weigh in no breakfast is eaten beforehand so I was looking forward to one of my hubby's fantastic grill ups. They are honestly so delicious, and taste even nicer because I haven't cooked it.

The sausages are low fat and grilled , as is the bacon so it's all totally allowed on Slimming World. Most people are amazed that meals like this are allowed on a 'diet' but they are and that's what makes it so good.

We have a visiting consultant running our class next week  (our regular one is away camping) and she is super strict so I am going to try very hard this week as I'm sure I will get nagged if I don't. I am having fish and chips tonight ( woops) but as from tomorrow I am back on track 100%......ish.

Monday 20 August 2012

dietdevil: Nice salad, shame about the face!

dietdevil: Nice salad, shame about the face!: Everybody associates diets with salads. I hate the word diet as it instantly smacks of depriving yourself but I do love my salads! There's...

Nice salad, shame about the face!

Everybody associates diets with salads. I hate the word diet as it instantly smacks of depriving yourself but I do love my salads!

There's a wonderful health food shop in St Ives that has the best salad bar - they really are delicious and such good value that I have at least 2 a week. This is at the top end of the town. At the bottom end of the town is a lovely deli, which amongst other things has also started to do salads, and whilst they don't have as much selection,  they too are delicious.

One thing both places have in common is that the people that work in them are lovely - always friendly, jolly and helpful and genuinely ready to have a chat.

I ventured to the metropolis of Penzance today and popped into a local deli style cafe - the salads there are totally top notch nosh, but I have to say that the woman that served me really couldn't be arsed. There's an expression I love - ''she had a face like a bulldog licking p*** off a thistle'' and I have to say that I think that it was written with her in mind. I was almost scared to ask for salt and pepper and made a hasty retreat as she lobbed it over the counter at me. And there was I thinking that organic type salad type shops were friendly!

Will I go back? Of course I will ! The roasted vegetable couscous was like angels dancing on my tongue and it all went nicely with my 2 pork chops I had for dinner.

Tomorrow is weigh in at fat club - I am hoping that my salad may have pulled back the damage of the 2 STP's but I doubt it!

Sunday 19 August 2012

dietdevil: Am I a STP addict?

dietdevil: Am I a STP addict?: After a horrendously busy weekend, a couple of panic attacks on Friday , nearly a whole box of Kalms on Saturday and then the excitement of ...

Am I a STP addict?

After a horrendously busy weekend, a couple of panic attacks on Friday , nearly a whole box of Kalms on Saturday and then the excitement of X Factor last night I felt today that I needed a bit of chill time.

We trotted off to the Firehouse Restaurant in St Ives - and very nice it was too. I had a delicious burger with proper chips and shared a bottle of Australian red wine with my ma in law. When the waitress asked if we wanted anything afterwards I really wanted to say ''no thank you'' but there's sticky toffee pudding on that menu and it's something I simply can't resist.

It's the second time I have had STP this week so I am dreading the scales on Tuesday. No amount of water, fruit or stir fry tomorrow is going to redeem me but I enjoyed it and had a nice couple of hours which is the main thing.

Friday 17 August 2012

dietdevil: All kalm on the south western front

dietdevil: All kalm on the south western front: It's the penultimate weekend in August and today I officially lost the plot! Headache, rain,  tired, head full of things I have to remember,...

All kalm on the south western front

It's the penultimate weekend in August and today I officially lost the plot! Headache, rain,  tired, head full of things I have to remember, rain,  a few prima donnas on the work front,  rain, rude holiday property owners, rain, miserable  looking tourists wandering around and more rain!

I have never been one for pills and potions of any kind - my mother swears by vitamins ( note, she is always ill ) and I always remember telling her once that Richard Madley thought they were a pile of rot and she was fuming - to this day she still thinks of him as a 'common shoplifter'.

Anyway, I gave in and bought myself a bottle of Kalms so that tomorrow I will be all serene and tolerant . If this happened, those tablets must have miracle properties, as I am never serene or tolerant but am hoping that I feel a bit better than today.

I tick along with my busy life all year and then when the really nasty busy bit is always over I seem to get more stressed. Am sure it's a meltdown and just pure fatigue but it still happens to me every year.

One thing to look forward to though is the return of X Factor tomorrow evening - I don't watch much tv but I do happen to adore the show!

Merlot and Dermot O Leary - pure bliss.

Thursday 9 August 2012

dietdevil: Sometimes all you need is a bit of yummy

dietdevil: Sometimes all you need is a bit of yummy: I miraculously managed to lose a pound and a half this week at fat club - I think I was forgiven for my 'syns' and basically got away with i...

Sometimes all you need is a bit of yummy

I miraculously managed to lose a pound and a half this week at fat club - I think I was forgiven for my 'syns' and basically got away with it so I have started this week on a cooking frenzy and am being ultra good. I am polishing my halo right now! ( obviously I'm not as I wouldn't be typing, but you get the message)

My saviour last year on my weight loss journey was the Slimming World 'swiss roll' - I was eating dozens of them as they are virtually syn and fat free. Our group has invented all sorts of adaptations of them but I like to stick to the original recipe, using either strawberries or raspberries.

Have made my first one in ages today and it was delicious. I have had a huge slab after dinner and thoroughly enjoyed it. Sometimes all we need is a bit of something sweet and sickly to give us a boost.

It's all still mad in my house - everyone is working flat out and the forthcoming weekend is another busy one.

Youngest daughter is off to a festival in Newquay and I am not going to worry.......much. All her firends are going and I am sure they will all have a great time so I am trying to focus on the positive and not on the negative. It's hard to watch them go off and do things that could potentially go wrong, but on the flip side, I am happy she is off to have fun. Am not sure if I will have much fun over the next couple of days, but at least there is swiss roll in my fridge!

Thursday 2 August 2012

dietdevil: Paw baby

dietdevil: Paw baby: It's been another tough day for Mutley - his bandage is constantly being pulled off either by himself or Freddy, his antibiotics are making ...

Paw baby

It's been another tough day for Mutley - his bandage is constantly being pulled off either by himself or Freddy, his antibiotics are making him very quiet and he couldn't go to Rebecca's today and had to settle for a quick stroll on the lead up the road whilst my hubby discreetly took the other 2 out.


I think his eyes say it all here don't they? You can just about see the sock on his bandage behind his left ear. I'm sure if he could count then he would certainly be ticking off  the days off until he is released into the wild again.

Dietary wise, I have eaten for England! Slimming World encourages its' members to eat lots ( of the right food of course ) which is just as well because there is no way I could weigh chicken breasts and half ounces of cheese. As much as I want to get to target I do not want to be hungry!

And work wise.......................it's a busy one! The busiest weekend of the year so far and I am not looking forward to it. The weather forecast says lots of rain down here tomorrow so that should chase a few people home early, but all in all, I think a bottle of kalms may be in order before 3pm on Saturday.

Wednesday 1 August 2012

dietdevil: Magic melon and glum dogs

dietdevil: Magic melon and glum dogs: One of our exemplorary members at fat club lost 7 and a half pounds this week and has attributed this to eating lots of melon...... so we al...

Magic melon and glum dogs

One of our exemplorary members at fat club lost 7 and a half pounds this week and has attributed this to eating lots of melon...... so we all charged out of there yesterday in search of this magic fruit.

I managed to bag one at the local greengrocers and had a big slice at lunchtime. There is no polite way to eat a melon and as I slurped and dribbled on it all I could think about was how well I am ( hopefully ) going to do on those blasted scales next week.

On a less fun note, Multey got up this morning feeling even more sorry for himself than yesterday. His bright pink bandage was just about intact on his ripped toenail paw but soon Freddy had ripped it off in a bid to get him to play.

He had an early appointment with Gemma our lovely vet, and he has got some more antibiotics and painkillers. He also had a new bandage put on which has been removed several times throughout the course of the day by the now famous teeth of our youngest puppy. Gemma said that Mutley is banned from walkies for at least another 3 weeks and he is not happy. It's hard keeping a one year old springer amused even with an energetic walk every day but to keep them amused when they are stuck in the house is a nightmare.

We have luckily found a solution of sorts - our friend Rebecca has 2 daughters that adore our dogs and they are very kindly Mutley sitting for a couple of hours each afternoon. My hubby drops Mutley to their house en route to feeding the horses and walking the other 2 dogs and Rebecca's kids give him lots of fuss and love. He isn't running around fields as normal but psychologically, as he leaves home as normal and comes back as normal, in his doggy head we're hoping that he thinks  he hasn't been forgotten. Am not sure he'll fall for it for 3 more weeks though............