Wednesday, 1 May 2013

Parade, Pixie Ears and Painting!


I went to the St George’s Day Parade to see my oldest granddaughter and oldest grandson take part (oldest makes them sound so old - they're 5 and 8). They've recently been invested into Beavers and Cubs.

It was lovely! Leading the parade was the Pipe Band, then came the little Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Venture Scouts and Sea Scouts.



The evening was hot and the tears in my eyes had nothing to do with the brightness of the sun!



And I forgot my camera! So I had to take pictures with my phone and because of the sun (not that I’m complaining) I couldn’t see the screen and had to take pot luck! Don't ask me how I managed to give the cubs pixie ears - I have no idea - phone wobble? My little granddaughter is the one with the two pigtails in the picture below - actually the only girl I think. She's not wearing the scarf because she wasn't invested until the following week.



I’ve been a bit busy preparing another short story book for Kindle, The Painting & Other Stories. This one has ten short twist in the tale stories and because the stories have a different tone to previous collections, I’ve gone for a completely different sort of cover to my usual.



In Indy news, we had a worrying few days with him refusing to eat his breakfast! Well, it wasn’t that he wasn’t hungry because he was yelling at me to hurry up and give it to him, but when I did, he backed away, even when I held the bowl for him. Most unIndylike behaviour.

I tried raising his bowl, holding it for him, changing the bowl, adding something extra tasty, but to no avail. In the end the only way to get him to eat was to hand feed him. Then after about half an hour, he’d be back at his bowl licking it all round the kitchen.

But in the evenings, fine, no problem.

Back to the vet. Weight stable – he’d lost a tiny bit. Diabetes controlled. Wee, nothing amiss. Teeth, nothing obvious. So a thorough check and his difficulty eating in the mornings seems to be all to do with a worsening of arthritis which causes morning neck stiffness, so he’s now on medication for that.

At this rate he’s going to need his own medicine cabinet! One thing Tom did say was that you would never believe Indy was going to be 13 on Friday! He looks like a young dog which seems funny when you think of all the medication he’s on, but it’s true all the same!



49 comments:

  1. Indie and my husband share the same birthday - it must be a very special day. Happy birthday Indie! I love the book cover, Teresa and look forward to reading it.

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    1. Sorry Indy - I can spell your name really.

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    2. It is a special day, Wendy - it's the day after my birthday too. 3rd May was also the birthday of one of the Boxers I had as a child.

      And at least you didn't call him a girl like the lass at the vet's - oh dear (I told him she was talking about someone else!) :-) x

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    3. Many happy returns for tomorrow, Teresa. Have a lovely day x

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  2. A proud moment for you, Teresa. Not surprised that you were a bit teary. Hope things continue on a steady path for Indy, too.

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    1. Thanks, Martin. I even took myself by surprise at how teary I got :-) x

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  3. I love the book cover too. My son's dog Kimber is getting on too, at 12, but I think maybe because he's a Heinz 57,his only signs of old age are grey hairs. Hope Indy continues to improve.

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    1. Thank you, Maggie! My Heinz 57 lived to 17 and for the most part he was very healthy and never needed any medicines! Hope Kimber is just middle aged right now :-) x

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  4. The St George's Day Parade would have brought tears to my eyes too. It looks like a beautiful occasion, especially with the sun shining.
    It sounds like Indy is managing well and being so well cared for keeps him full of zest for life. I like the way he showed you he was feeling a bit out of sorts in the mornings. It's the same process I remember with babies, constantly trying different ways of tempting them to eat and wishing they could explain why they feel the way they do.
    I really love your very pretty cover for The Painting and I shall look forward to reading it. x

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    1. The band was lovely too, Joanna - and seeing all the children marching along looking so proud - it was really special.

      Oh yes, tempting babies and wishing they could talk! I used to make pictures with their meals to try and encourage them to eat (didn't work!)

      Thank you for liking the cover - the agonies I went through over that... :-) x

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    2. Sounds as though you had a lovely day, Teresa. And I LOVE the book cover - really striking.

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    3. Thank you, Frances - I'm hoping to improve at this book cover lark :-) x

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  5. To have Grandchildren taking part in the Parade must have made it very special. I'm not surprised there were a few tears. A lovely evening, thank you for sharing it. Happy Birthday, Teresa and Indy

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  6. How lovely to see all the little ones marching, Teresa! You're allowed to feel and proud and teary. Hope Indy enjoys his great age.

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  7. Oops - too qucik! Meant to say that's a great cover.

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    1. Now I understand why my mum always got so teary when my kids were little, Rosemary :-) And thank you :-) x

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  8. What a great moment, I'd have had tears in my eyes too Teresa, because of the pollen obviously. Happy Birthday Indy.xx

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    1. Oh yes, that pesky pollen - it has a lot to answer for ;-) xx

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  9. I love the photos, Teresa! So poignant.

    The book cover is great, too.

    Happy Birthday for tomorrow.
    We're PF Special sisters this month - going to read your story in bed tonight.
    xxPat

    Tim 'n' Ted here.
    Sorry to hear about your stiff neck Indy. It must be bad to have put you off your breakfast but now you've got the tablets you'll be fine.
    Have a very woofly happy waggy birthday; we know you'll be even more spoilt...erm loved... than usual.
    Happy Birthday to your human as well.Make sure you give her plenty of licks tomorrow.

    Wags-lick sTim 'n' Ted

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    1. Thank you, Pat - and thank you for the gorgeous card :-)

      I haven't got my PF special yet - can't wait :-) xx

      Hello Tim 'n' Ted - I nearly got caught out this morning. She put my bowl down to put more food in once she'd got my medicine in me and while her back was turned, I forgot myself and started licking round it - oops! Wages and licks, Indy!!

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  10. I had tears in my eyes this St George's Day too, Teresa. That's when our new gorgeous little granddaughter, Isla, was born. She's a week old now and already we a see the change in her.
    I'm sure that on your little ones' special day you must have been feeling that they didn't stay babies for long.
    Loved the pictures, and what a great cover for your new book.
    Give Indie a cuddle from me. xx

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    1. Congratulations, Rena and what a beautiful name Isla is. What a wonderful St George's Day present for everyone :-)
      The grandchildren seem to grow up about ten times faster than their parents did!
      Cuddle delivered - Indy thanks you :-) x

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  11. Happy Birthday, Teresa (since it's now 1.37am) and Happy Birthday for tomorrow to Indy. Re the neck probs. being worse in the morning for Indy, I'm sure I've seen a food and water bowl stand in one of the catalogues that regularly pop, unsolicited, through my letterbox. The stand's about 6 inches high and might help with that problem. I can look for it for you, but I'm sure you could solve the problem simply by standing his bowls on something.

    The new book looks good. When will it be ready?

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    1. I've tried putting his bowl higher, Jacula and if it worked, I'd have got him one of those raised bowls. I think what I need to find is a bowl that is warm and hand-shaped tee hee :-) The book is out on Kindle now :-) x

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  12. P.S. When I looked at the photos and saw all the pointy ears I thought they were Vulcan ears and thought, 'Blimey! Mr. Spock's been putting it about a bit.' :-)

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    1. Giggle!! Vulcans in the cubs! Naughty Mr Spock :-) x

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  13. Happy Birthday Teresa & to you too Indy on Friday. Your pictures are good for your phone. What would we do without our phones. Remember the days when the phone stood on the hall table and the camera was a big black box? :-)

    Good luck with your book

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    1. Thank you Paula from me and Indy! How times have changed :-) x

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  14. Glad Indy is keeping well with medication and all your TLC. Hope you had a good birthday, today. xx

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    1. Thanks, Lydia- I had a lovely day and Indy is enjoying a birthday snooze now he's had his walk in the sun :-) x

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  15. So glad you had a good birthday, Teresa, and happy birthday to you Indy today. Hope the medication is working and breakfast is now a pleasure not a trial?

    It's amazing how when we go to see our little people we tear up don't we :o) xx

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    1. Thank you, Sue - those little people certainly do bring forth the tears :-) x

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  16. Hi Teresa,

    Sorry I've been rather absent with my um highly collectable comments as of late :)

    And thus, a meaningful parade. I'm sure the parade didn't um 'dragon'. Ignore that attempt at a St. George's Day joke.

    That's a cute cover. And Penny and me, her mere human, sends Indy pawsitive birthday wishes.

    Penny's human,

    Gary :) x

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    1. Ha ha, the parade certainly didn't 'dragon' :-) Thank you for your kind wishes! And I know you've been busy with your z to a :-) x

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  17. PS I'm so sorry I meant to say fabulous cover and all the best for your book Teresa :o) xx

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  18. All grandmother's are allowed tears! It's official. Proud granny moments are to be savoured. I know mine are!

    Hugs to Indy! My dog is on the anti-imflamitory - Loxicom - he's had a 2nd wind with it, like a spring chicken which is lovely. Long may it last. And like Indy, he's 13 too. Caroline x

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    1. Oh lovely, Caroline, I'm glad it's helping him. I looked it up and I think it's the same thing Indy's on but under a different name. He's on Metacam. He's not exactly a spring chicken on it, but this morning he managed to eat all his breakfast from the bowl and he jumped out of the back door without help :-) x

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  19. p.s like Sue, forgot to say I love the cover of your new book, and the best of luck with it (not that you will need it!)

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  20. I'm wondering if Indie wold benefit from a massage. I know horses benefit, and I'm just wondering if it is worth you trying canine massage. I'm sure you could do it yourself.

    I can't see why it wouldn't reduce stiffness to joints, and improve flexibility. I bet Mr Google could help with information. Perhaps, worth a look...

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    1. Can't you tell its late, sorry I've spelt Indy's name wrong, and not said well done on getting another book out there either! I like the cover too.

      Belated birthday wishes, I hope you had a lovely day.

      Bedtime now I think. :-)

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    2. I've been trying a little massage, Maria :-) Thank you for your kind wishes - and being nice about the book cover :-) x

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  21. I was once a girl guide. Happy days indeed.

    Love that cover. It's really cute.

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    1. I never made guides, Maria - I was a Brownie but they had a ceremony where they had to jump over a bench when they became guides and it was a very scary bench - what a wimp I was :-) x

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  22. Love the pixie ears Teresa.Perhaps you were the only one who saw those fairy folk? Your little granddaughter looks so cute as well - I was never a Brownie or a Guide (preferred to host my own clubs - a bit bossy perhaps!)But most of my five were Brownies/Beavers/Cubs and Guides for a while. The Brownies were around when the new uniforms arrived - all those gorgeous yellow sweatshirts instead of those dull brown dresses. Great cover and isn't this sunshine delightful?
    Debbie :-)

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    1. Thanks, Debbie :-) The sunshine is - was - lovely! Windy and wet today. Was that summer do you think? :-) x

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