Time To Talk Day 2024: On Furbaby Loss...

Hello Honeys, 

I'm sorry I've been missing.  I'm not coping honeys, not even a little bit.  Today is February 1st, it's Time To Talk Day.  This year's Time To Talk Day wants to encourage all of us to talk more, to reach out if we need to and to say what we feel and not to just say "fine" when asked how we are. 

As it happens, I'm not fine actually and I know I'm not alone.  It would be lovely if the world was always understanding, always empathic and always caring, but unfortunately, even with the best of intentions and the kindest of hearts, finding understanding over the loss of a furbaby can be difficult. 

In the last ten days or so I've heard of two others who have lost their beloved furbabies and it breaks my heart that others are going through the same pain.  At this time of year too, when we're beginning to escape winter, looking towards better days. 

The start of a new year is when we're able to look ahead to the sunnier days of spring, planning all of the fun things you'll do when the warmer days arrive.  Maybe planning holidays, home projects, time with family outside, barbeques in the garden.  It's when you take stock, when you want your family close and Jade was our family.

Jade really was the whole world to us, she was everything and there are no words for how painful it is to not have her here with us. This is the first time in decades, over thirty years, that we haven't had furbaby paws blessing our home and the house feels so incredibly empty.

The Promise...

Back when times were so much better, we did something I'm now bitterly regretting dear ones. We made a promise, we agreed, when we adopted our precious baby Jade that she would be our last ever furbaby.

At the time, of course, it seemed like such a sensible decision. Even back then, I was already battling rheumatoid arthritis and then later osteoarthritis in my spine, and with hubby's knees not being what they were, well, as I said, it seemed a sensible promise to make.

So yes, a promise was made back then, in 2010, with our beautiful baby still a puppy and and with her filling our whole world with smiles, but now our home is unbearably empty, unbearably quiet, unbearably still, and that decision just doesn't seem so sensible any more.

Memories Everywhere...

Our baby is everywhere in our home, honeys. We were upstairs recently, arranging the guest room for my much loved brother in law's recent visit and while making up his bed for him we found one of Jade's tennis balls by the foot of the bed, tucked away, just underneath. I wasn't expecting it of course and it hit me harder than any physical impact could honeys.

Her jackets are still hanging in the hall, on their own tiny "dog tail" hooks, all waiting for her to go walkies with her Dad. Her seagrass baskets, stacked neatly in their little tower in the hall, still have her towelling dressing gowns and bath towels waiting for her, along with her brushes and other little accessories. She's everywhere honeys, everywhere except with her Mummy and Daddy, where she belongs.

When The Obvious Solution Still Feels Wrong...

Over the years, so many times, when I've heard that a friend, a co-worker, a neighbour has lost their furbaby, I've always been so quick to recommend they go immediately to their local shelter. So many babies all desperately in need of love and the safety of a home, and a sofa, of their own.

Our baby Jade rescued me from the worst depression following the loss of both of our furbabies in a single week. One to cancer and her little brother to the (unintentional) negligence of a veterinary nurse who dropped him during a scan. This lead to a bleed on the brain, left untreated of course because she hadn't told anyone, certainly not us. By the time we later rushed him to the small animal hospital, try as they did, they couldn't save our baby. The pain of the loss we felt that week was blinding. Both our babies gone.

Then, as if the universe was trying to help, a photo of our baby Jade appeared on Facebook. It was posted by a local rescue and I wasn't even on their page, it just appeared in my home/feed page or whatever it's called. I was talking to a dear friend on direct message who was worried about me (thank you my wee angel, you know who you are x) and there she was. I knew the minute I saw her face and I yelled for Hubby. Hubby looked at Jade's photo and said "let's give them a phone..." What followed was a little over thirteen years of happiness, cuddles and love. Did I still hurt for my lost furbabies? Of course I did, but Jade truly saved me from the depression that was beginning to overwhelm me.

Why The Hesitation?

Do I desperately want to run there, now, immediately and find a baby who needs love? Of course I do!

Something happened though, during lockdown and in the years following it, dear ones. Being immuno-suppressed, I was home, just Jade and I, for almost four years. This has had the effect of not only leaving me battling anxiety attacks whenever I find myself any distance away from our home, but it has also forced me to become far more aware of my own mortality, in a very real way too.

Do I worry about dying every day? No honeys, I don't, but what it has done is changed how I look at the future. There was a very famous slogan here in the UK years ago, used by The Dog's Trust that said "a dog is for life, not just for Christmas." It's a wonderful slogan, reminding potential pet parents of the responsibility they're undertaking when they adopt.

In years gone by, we'd never have doubted our ability to easily devote fifteen or eighteen years to the love and welfare of a little furbaby. The pandemic though has made me question what would happen if Hubby or I got ill, do we even have fifteen years now? What would happen, God forbid, to a furbaby if anything happened to either of us? In short, dear ones, it's made me doubt the certainty of the future.

So, here we are. Missing our furbaby so much that it's become a physical pain in my heart, and the one thing I've spent years advising others to do, the one thing that truly does help a pain-filled heart, I'm too scared to do, and that's without even addressing that promise we made all those years ago...

What's Next...

I know that only time will help, and painful as it is right now, that the memories of our baby will be a huge part of healing too. I've been going through photos and I genuinely had no idea how many we had.💖 So, so many precious photos of our baby and in all of them, all of them, she looks so happy. I know that will be a comfort too, someday. That our baby was loved and that she was happy.

I've battled depression for so many years honeys, and I know that being isolated, alone most of the time, which I am now, isn't helpful. It's already difficult to go outside, thanks to having stayed home for so long, although I spent all of that time with our baby Jade and for that I'll always be grateful.

I always try, when I can, to be positive and when considering adopting again, I can only see positives. Having a furbaby with me when Hubby is at work, really would make the house less lonely. It's a very long day waiting for Hubby to get back home at night and I live in a street where all of my neighbours are out at work too so it's really quiet here all day long.

Having a furbaby might give me a reason to go outside again. Even if it's just to join Hubby for furbaby walks in the evenings. Could we give a good home to a furbaby? Yes, I know we could honeys. Should we not adopt in case something happens to either of us in the future? If we all lived that way, no one would ever go outside or do anything. I am trying to see this rationally, but still, I have doubts. This is the legacy that the pandemic has left me with.

Listening To Heal....

A wonderful "Ted Talk" appeared in the "new for you" panel, on Youtube honeys. I've no idea why it was suggested for me, can Google read minds? I only know that I'm so grateful it was. I cried while watching some of it but they were good tears, healing tears, and after watching, I felt (just a little bit) lighter.

It's for that reason that I thought I'd share it dear ones. As I said, I've heard of two others recently who have lost their beloved furbabies and I thought if I share this video, even if it helps one more person in the way it helped me, well that would be wonderful.

So, here it is then, the Ted Talk by Sarah Hoggan DVM, she is an emergency vet and a wonderful, caring soul and, if like us, you have lost your furbaby, or know someone who has, please do share her video.  I'll add the direct link below in case you'd like to forward it to anyone.💖  

Thank you for keeping me company honeys, it means more than I can tell say.💖 Sending you mountains of hugs always, and if you're lucky enough to have furbabies, sending so many hugs for them too.🥰💖  Stay warm and safe dear ones, till next time x

Links:

Pet loss grief; the pain explained - Sarah Hoggan DVM 

My playlist on furbaby loss and healing at Youtube

A happier playlist full of adorable furbaby smiles💖

See Me Scotland: Time To Talk Day 2024

Loss And Heartbreak💔

Hello Honeys, 

You don't have to read this ok?  I just need to get some thoughts and feelings out and have no where else to put them. We lost our sweet furbaby Jade, almost five weeks ago, in the early hours of October 28th and I'm not coping at all well dear ones, I'm really not.  

She was the best wee dog in the whole world, a gorgeous little Staffy cross with the most beautiful, softest black and tan fur and the sweetest, gentlest nature you could ever hope to meet on life's journey.💖

We were blessed to have been able to adopt Jade from a local rescue when she was (the rescue told us) "a few months old."  and, like all Mums, I wanted my baby to be able to have a birthday every year.  

Off we went then, a few weeks later, to her first vet's appointment, where we'd arranged for her to have the first of her puppy inoculations. 

During that first appointment, I asked the vet if there was any way she could tell us Jade's age, even a rough guess would do.  She'd asked why and I explained that I wanted her to have a birthday.  Our lovely vet, after looking Jade over carefully (and her teeth in particular) told us that as a (very rough) guess, she thought Jade was possibly no younger than five months and no older than seven months old, since she still had all of her baby teeth.

With this precious nugget of information acquired then honeys, I did the math in order to work out an "official" birthday for our baby.  Well, why shouldn't our baby have an official birthday? As I said at the time, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth had one, and I was sure that as a furbaby parent herself, she would understand how precious furry family members could be and certainly wouldn't begrudge our wee one a special day.

So, since Jade had come to live with Mummy & Daddy on the 17th of October, and if the oldest her vet thought she might be was seven months old, then her official birthday would be... March 17th.  Yaaaay! Our baby's birthday would be St Patrick's Day!

We were blessed to have our baby as a part of our family for 13 years honeys, Jade would have been 14 this coming March, bless her. She was the absolute centre of our world and our home, she was everything to us. There isn't anywhere I can look without seeing some part of her.

Her little sofa is still sitting in front of her toy boxes across from where I'm typing this....

Her jackets are still hanging on her own wee "doggy tail" hooks at the front door. I was making the bed upstairs and found one of her tennis balls just under the bed and I swear it felt like someone hit me the hardest blow. My baby is everywhere but not with me and I can't bear it.

Every year I've always said I wish I could hibernate, like a wee grizzly bear. Jade didn't like winter either, bless her, the cold and damp and the almost constant darkness, so we'd mostly just snuggle on the sofa together, sharing a huge sherpa blanket, till spring. This year I really do want to sleep for the next few months, just till I don't feel like I'm being punched all the time.

As furbaby parents, we always know this day will come honeys, we know right at the beginning, but it always feels so far away. I remember losing my first furbaby, many years ago. I had no idea pain like that existed. My dear Granny told me that losing somebody we love is "only as sore as how much you love them, hen. Time will make it better."

It doesn't of course. We just get used to the loss. Like all of the bereavements we suffer through life, we get used to having a piece of ourselves missing I suppose. It's going to take a very long time for me to get used to how I'm feeling right now, I think.

I don't want this to read like a warning not to give your hearts to a furbaby honeys, quite the opposite! Is the pain of loss, the pain of heartbreak worth all of those years of cuddles and wet noses and one sided conversations (as if! Of course we learn to understand each other. It doesn't matter that others can't understand those snuffles and barks and tail wags, because pet parents do💗) Of course those years of love are worth the tears and there are so many furbabies waiting for their human to find them.

If you've read this, if you've kept me company, thank you so, so much honeys. It means more than I can say. Thank you for being such dear friends. For anyone else missing a piece of their hearts right now, please be kind to yourself. You're not on your own.💖 Till next time, dear ones, hugs always x

National Mother-In-Law Day And A Little Advice For Newlyweds💝

Hi Honeys, 

Do you love your Mother in Law?  I do. With all of my heart.💝 She was funny, loved coffee and a Jaffa cake. She loved roses, she could knit absolutely anything, she was so smart, she gave the best advice and she was the best listener too.  

Yesterday, our lovely American cousins celebrated National Mother-in-law day.  How wonderful is that?  Now I have another holiday I wish we could import and adopt in the UK.🥰  The other holiday being thanksgiving - a whole day devoted to being thankful for the blessings we're lucky enough to have, how fabulous is that?💖  

So, even though I'm a day late,  I just couldn't let it go by, without paying tribute to, in my humble opinion, the best Mother-in-law there's ever been.💖

My Selfish Hubby - The Parent Hoarder!

For years I've joked with my sweet hubby about his complete and utter selfishness and the hoarding of his lovely parents. I should probably explain. Hubby and I grew up in the same areas, we lived reasonably close to each other throughout our childhoods. Who knows, we might potentially have passed each other in our prams/strollers several times a week at the park, or at one of the supermarkets...😄  

I've always said we could easily have met long before we did, in our late teens, and then I could have shared his parents sooner.  But oh no! He had to hoard them all for himself... Is it asking too much for him to have waved a mitten at me from his pram or thrown a rattle?😊💖  

The Best Mother-In-Law...

On the night my beloved Granny, the woman I loved more than life, died, hubby phoned his family and my wonderful Mum-in-law immediately booked a train ticket for early next morning and travelled the 450 odd miles to be with us, staying over the weekend.  She was undergoing chemo at the time and had to then travel back on the Monday for her next chemo appointment on the Tuesday morning, only to travel back to us on the Wednesday morning to be with us for the funeral.

Mum was, like my Granny, such an amazing woman. She was always there when she was needed and always there even when she wasn't and I loved them both for that.  I swear honeys that I don't wish any ill or harm on anyone. Not ever, but it's never made sense to me that the world has so many bad people in it.  People who hurt others, who do wish others ill, and yet, "the powers that be" in the universe decided that two of the most loving and giving, least selfish women I've ever known, couldn't be in it anymore. I'm sorry, but that's just not fair. 

The Gift Of An Extra Mum... 

It's always saddened me to never have met anybody else who truly adored their "second Mum" as much as I did, and still do.  Really though, I never have and I can't understand why.  How can you not love an extra Mum?  What a fabulous gift! Of course, through the years, I have heard stories from co-workers about some less than loving Mothers-in-law too.  I can't help thinking though that, like most of life's problems, maybe it comes down to communication?  

Because of this, I thought I'd share a tiny bit of advice, given to me by my beloved Granny.  Advice that helped me to understand why my sweet Mum-in-laws attitude towards me had, ever so subtly, changed a wee bit since the wedding. So, for any new brides (or grooms) thinking they'll never get on with their new Mother-in-law...

Some Genius Advice From A Wee Scottish Granny...

I was so sure, in the run up to our wedding that I was on very good terms with my soon to be Mother-in-law, but it seemed to change after the wedding.  Nothing specific, she was never unkind to me, it just felt different.  A couple of months after our wedding, the phone rang.  I'd just made some tea and my Granny was there, hubby wasn't, he was outside.  On the phone was Mum (as my dear Mother-in-law had become.)  She asked to speak to Hubby and I said "he's outside, Mum.  I'll give him a yell for you..."

Mum: "Don't bother, I'll phone back." <click as the phone went dead> 

Me: 😯 <looks at phone> "That's it!  I've had it! <paces back and forth in our living room> What is that woman's problem? What have I done?  I'm a nice person, I have manners, I really like her, why doesn't she like me?"

Granny: <watches me pace while having a mini rant, sighed, sipped her tea and fed our wee dog a biscuit while waiting for me to run out of steam. I did of course.>   "Finished now have we?  I can tell you what you did.... if you want to know, and it's a terrible thing as well.  The worst, most painful thing any woman can do to another one actually..."

Me: 😳 <wind knocked out of sails.... sits down>  "What? What'd I do though?  Should I phone her back and say sorry?  What'd I do? Oh no! What'd I do Granny?"

Granny: "Like I said. You hurt her hen*(see below), you went and did the worst thing you could possibly do to her. You took her oldest son away."  

Me: <confused now> "No I didn't!  He's outside, with his head under the bonnet of a car! He's fixing some wot-not or whatever.  I haven't taken him anywhere!" <points at window to make the point> 

Granny: "Aye, hen, but he's no her wee boy anymore, is he?"      

Me: <blinks rapidly> "That's daft though! How can I fix that?"

Granny: (and this right here is why she was, God bless her, the best Granny the good Lord ever put on this earth) "Oh, it's easy enough to fix. She's same as any woman, scared she's lost her son, so all you have to do is show her she's no lost him, and that she won't." 

Me: "What?" <never thought about it before, but I might not be the smartest grandchild in the family😊>

Granny:  "Both of you, go for a walk over to her house on a Sunday, after dinner. It's a good wee walk for the dog.  Take her a box of chocolates or some flowers.  Every now and again, send him on his own.  Make sure he doesn't miss a Sunday, even if you're no always with him." 

Me: "But she works all week, she's got two jobs, what if she gets fed up seeing us every single Sunday?" 

Granny: "Nae mother ever gets fed up seeing her weans hen, but she'll no worry about losing him anymore, will she?"  

So, there it is honeys.  A tiny piece of genius advice from my wee Scottish Granny.  I hope that it might help somebody out there on the internet break the "fear of losing her wean" barrier that might exist between them and their fabulous, absolutely awesome, wonderful, best pal (even if you don't know it yet) Mother-in-law.💖

Last Thoughts And Counting Your Blessings...

To anyone lucky enough, blessed, to still have their Mother-in-law, their Mother or their Granny still with them.  Life is so, so short honeys.  For all of us who wish, with every fibre of our being that we could see ours again, even one more time.  Please give them a call, or even better, if you can, go visit and give them the tightest, squashiest, so full of "love you" hugs, like the ones that we all wish we could give?  I guarantee, it'll mean the world to them and you'll be so glad someday you did.

Wishing you the best week dear ones, till next time, thank you for keeping me company.  It means more than I can say, hugs always x

*Note: Just a wee note for anyone who may not know.  The word hen in Scotland can indeed refer to a bird who supplies eggs, but in most cases, is a term of endearment and will be used when speaking to a (usually younger) female. 

For example: "Would you like a cuppa hen?" if addressed to an (again, usually younger) man, the same statement might be "would you like a cuppa son?" Used whether you are the mans mother or not, it's just a term of endearment, just slang, hugs x 

 

Rosie's Adventure: My First Trip Outside In Almost 4 Years...

Hi Honeys, 

How are you today? All well I hope?  This morning I was in the kitchen, watching two adorable collared doves at the feeders on our little apple tree when it dawned on me how many leaves there are all over the garden.  It was pretty windy, and rainy, during last night so, it's officially autumn then I suppose.🍂

Poor Hubby.  Every year he spends hours in our back garden, cleaning up all of the leaves only to go back inside and in no time at all, you'd swear the trees wait until he closes the back door and give themselves a good shake, because it's just as "leafy" all over again.🍂😊 

I'm so sorry I've been missing for so long.  Things have been happening.  Not world ending things, but they've certainly made life challenging.  Yes.  Challenging is a good word for it.  

I have no idea how long this post will be, but I get the feeling that this is probably a post to get comfy for honeys.  It might be a good idea to go grab a cuppa (and maybe a cookie or two... no, bring the pack🍪😊) and I'll meet you here after the break?  See you in a few minutes...

Coping, Comments And Apologies...

Hi Honeys, 

I noticed something this morning and just wanted to post an apology, lots of apologies actually.💖  

I'd noticed recently that a lovely comment had been left under one of my posts (weekend musings and finding smiles) but before I could reply it disappeared.  Actually a bunch of comments, under lots of different posts, have been deleted but as far as I know the rest were "spam" comments (not related to anything in the post but including a link to a website, or sometimes just a link itself.)  

I have no idea if it's Google who've done a "clear up" of some kind, (although I don't remember them ever having done it before) or if whoever left the lovely comment (it mentioned the roses💖) came back and deleted it, thinking I couldn't be bothered to reply?  I do hope that's not what happened honeys, I really do.  I had noticed the comment but just wasn't able to reply at the time. 

Scroll past this next bit honeys, life's too short x

Anyone who has read any of the posts in this blog will know dear ones, that I dislike "pity parties" and try really hard not to let myself wallow in any "woe is me" time.  I've battled depression for too many years and know how easily it can take over.  Far better to be positive, to see the best in situations and to count my blessings, of which there are many I know and for which I really am very, very grateful.  For the last, almost two years though, it's been incredibly difficult to find my inner Pollyanna, my always happy, always "it'll be fine" attitude.  I'm still looking for her though x

This has had a domino effect on other areas of my life too, making it more difficult to cope with (or put up with) worsening health issues including stubbornly high blood pressure, asthma and arthritis (rheumatoid and osteo) that's trying to take away what little mobility I have left.   Apparently the osteoarthritis in my spine may have "progressed" they won't know for sure until I have another MRI scan.  I'm due back to the hospital clinic in the autumn so might find out then.  I don't sleep honeys, most often I have two to four hours broken sleep every night.  

You can see why dear ones that I try very hard not to wallow. I'm trying to find my way back to the sunnier me, some days it's just so much harder is all.  Now, that's enough complaining, really enough and if you just read all of that, thank you dear ones for caring.💞  It means more than I can tell you🥰💖🤗  

Comments and apologies...

Back to this post then.  I just really wanted to apologise to whoever had written that lovely comment (there wasn't a name, I think it just said unknown) I'm sorry that I wasn't able to reply before it was deleted.  If you should ever get to see this post, thank you for taking the time to comment and for being so sweet.💖🤗🥰  

I'm sorry honeys that I haven't been posting so often for such a while, I am trying to do better, but thank you for still keeping me company and making this little corner of the internet less lonely.💖🤗 

I hope that you're having the best week and looking forward to the weekend, till next time dear ones, sending you mountains of hugs always x

Weekend Musings and Finding Smiles😊💝🐶🥰💖

Disclaimer:  I haven't been paid to promote or recommend any shops or products, just wanted to share some smiles x 

Hi Honeys

How are you today?  I'm having "a day" of it.  A week of it more like really.  My arthritis is trying to turn me into a human pretzel, the lovely spring sunshine did appear for a while but left again when the rain clouds appeared and because it's a bank holiday weekend (extra days always throw me off) I got mixed up and forgot to take the chilli out of the freezer for dinner tonight.😐 It's fine, we took the chilli out when I (eventually) remembered and will have that tomorrow.  We raided the freezer for homemade burgers instead.     

You know, I think it's my own fault.  I dislike winter so much and I spend so long counting down to spring every year that maybe by the time it gets here I'm expecting too much from it.  Do you mind winter dear ones?  It's the almost constant darkness that gets me.  For months on end, really months, we have between 5-6 hours of not-really-darkness and the rest of the day is midnight.  I've always known  the stork got it wrong and I should have been delivered somewhere with lots of lovely sunshine.🌞🌻🥰  

I need to find a few smiles dear ones.  I have our furbaby, Jade, hugging me on the sofa as I write this, she always knows when her Mum needs a cuddle, bless her.🥰💖🐶💖

Of course Hubby, our furbaby Jade and other loved ones are always first on my list when I'm trying to remind myself how lucky I am.  Finding smiles (or counting my blessings as it was called when I was young💖) is something I try to do often honeys. It helps on not-so-great days.  

Apple Blossom Means Apples Soon🍏🍏🍏

I love to see the apple blossom appear every spring.  It's so pretty as the tree bursts into an abundance of pink tinged white flowers.  Through time the flowers wither away and are replaced by the apples that we later harvest and turn into apple crumbles, apple turnovers and other tasty treats.🍏🍏😋

Watching the garden burst into life...

Of course the beautiful apple blossom (and yummy Bramley apples🍏) aren't the only beauties that appear every year in the garden.  There are my much loved roses, lavender and the tiny bees who visit them and sometimes buzz past me. Once, when I was pegging out laundry, a little bee landed on my shoulder and stayed a few minutes.  I stayed very still to let him rest, which he did and then flew off again.🐝🥰  

Laundry🥰💖💖💖

I've always loved laundry day.  Every little bit of it. The washing, drying (outside on the line is always best) folding and even putting it all away.  Over the past few years, osteoarthritis in my spine has tried to take it away from me but, bless him, Hubby helps me keep going by helping peg out our laundry and helping me fold sometimes too (thank you sweetheart💖)

It would be wonderful if I could just hop online and order a new spine, hip and... well, a new body really.  This one creaks and makes loud cracking noises when I move and is pretty much worn out I think.  Do Amazon sell new Rosie bits do you think honeys?😄  I joke but I really am so grateful to be able to still do what I can still do.  I know it can be (because it has been) so much worse, so for any good days I have, I thank my angels👼and am truly grateful.💝   

Best mugs ever 🥰💖🐶💖

I can't end a post full of smiles without sharing a beautiful gift from a sweet lovely friend (thank you Sarah, hugs honey💖)  Sarah got me a mug (shown above) which proudly proclaims I'm a dog mum and even has a little paw print on it.🐾 It's wonderful and I love it!  

Well, we found out there were dog dad mugs available too, so we had to have one for Hubby.💖  He took it to work with him and it's now his official mug in the office and he's had so many co-workers ask him where he got it.  I don't remember seeing mugs like these, but they're just fabulous! They also have cat mum (and dad) available too.  If you'd like to find them you can see the dog ones here and the cat ones here.  I'm not being sponsored to promote them but I love mine and thought I'd share in case they made anyone else smile too.🤗🥰💖   

I Hope you're having the best weekend honeys.💖 If you're in the UK, do you have plans for the bank holiday Monday holiday tomorrow?  Hubby brought home a huge bag of planting compost yesterday and is going to help me plant some more seeds tomorrow.  I'm looking forward to it. 

If you're not in the UK,  I wish you could have a day off as well, but am sending you mountains of hugs.🤗🥰💖  Have a wonderful new week everyone, hugs always x

Spring Cuteness Overload! Adorable Smiles To Welcome Spring🥚🐇🐰

Disclaimer: I'm not being paid to promote any products or shops honeys, just wanted to share some adorable, tiny gifts from Hubby that just made my day and thought maybe they'd make you smile too💖

Hello Honeys, 

Happy new year🥳🎉🎈🤗🥰💖💖 Yes, yes, I know dear ones, we're at the end of March really (as I'm writing this, it's 31st March but it might be April 1st by the time I press publish)  I've been stuck.  Trapped.  For quite a long time.  I still am, sort of, but I'm working on an escape plan...   

"Escape from what or where Rosie?" I hear you say.  Well, from a place that isn't on a map honeys.  For me, it can be far too easy to find my way there and far more difficult to find the way out again.😞  

I've been working on a post for almost two weeks now, trying to explain what's been happening and I can't get it to say what I want to say. Maybe now isn't the time to talk about it, dear ones.  

Now is the time for positive things, happiness, anything that brings smiles with it because smiles are sorely needed right now it feels like...🥚🐇🐰

Every year I dread the arrival of winter, to be honest I'm not even all that keen on autumn actually, but winter... yuk!  Even when I still had my job, winter brought with it a giant, heavy blanket of ick and the beginning of months of cold, grey nothingness that's only filled by me counting down to the arrival of spring.  If you've ever experienced a Scottish winter, you'll know what I mean dear ones....

Spring though, while it hasn't exactly sprung yet, according to the weatherman it's officially arrived and that's good enough for me.🥚🐇🐰😊

Spring Cuteness Overload...

To celebrate (slightly) brighter days outside, baby birds in the garden at the feeders and just an all round need for smiles😊 I thought I'd share the latest, smiley additions to our home.  Almost all of them have been gifts from Hubby (thank you sweetheart x) and each of them made me smile😊 

Spring arrives in the kitchen...

New cookie cutters!😍 Hubby appeared with these a couple of weekends ago and I was so chuffed!  How adorable are they honeys?  I already have a bunny and an egg cookie cutter in my baking collection already though so I think I'll add the existing ones to my crafting things and these new wee cutters can join my baking collection.  I just love them!😍 

What could be better than new cookie cutters?  Only a carrot shaped whisk🥕 

This has to be the best, coolest, carrotiest whisk I've ever seen and I just adore it.😍 A couple of years ago I spotted something similar in a shopping haul video on Youtube.  It was in an American shop called Target I think, but I couldn't find one anywhere (back in the days when I went outside) and I really didn't think we'd ever see them over here.  It's definitely a smiley addition to our kitchen. 

Next is the cutest little salt and pepper set in the shape of a little bunny and, you guessed it, a carrot.🥕  There is definitely a carrot based theme emerging here but it's adorable, it's making me smile so I'm fine with it.😊

Next up is the sweetest little ceramic plate and yes, it's a carrot🥕

It's so adorable!  Perfect for filling with spring and Easter themed cookies or cupcakes and since I haven't baked in a while it's a great excuse to get back into the kitchen again.💖 

Last of my spring themed gifts from Hubby was this pack of tiny crafting carrots🥕 I didn't even know there was any such thing as crafting carrots but here they are, in all their cuteness.😍  Now I just have to break out my other crafting supplies and see if I can figure out a project in need of tiny, adorable carrots...

In case anyone is curious and wants to add any of these wee smiles to their own kitchens, I asked Hubby where he'd found them and he said Home Bargains and Poundland, hope that helps honeys.🤗

Garden Smiles 🌱🥕🍆🍅🍏

Last item is something I spotted on Amazon honeys.  Do you remember last year I had asked Hubby to add some rails to our back door so that I could grow some herbs there?  If you missed it, you can see the post here.🤗

Well, this year, in an effort to make myself go outside, even if it's only as far as the garden, I ordered this pack of assorted seeds...

There are ten different things to grow, with their seeds all sorted into tiny individual sachets.  There are seeds to grow cabbage, parsnips, aubergines, red onions, leeks, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, tomatoes and.... carrots.🥕😄

I've no idea if I'll be able to grow anything, other than my herbs, but Hubby says he'll help and I've been told by a sweet friend that tomatoes are quite easy to grow on the kitchen window ledge.  

I really do want to get back out into my garden, my poor roses have been totally neglected for the past two years.  I need to make an effort.  

What are you planning for the spring and summer honeys?  Are you off on holiday anywhere?  What are you doing over the Easter weekend?  Till next time dear ones, thank you for keeping me company, hugs always x

Harry And His New Broom🧹 Sharing A Little Smile🥰

Disclaimer: I'm not being paid to promote any products or shops honeys but had to share the silliest, tiniest wee thing that just made my day.💖

Hi Honeys, 

Warning!! Moany person alert!!😊  Not really.  I am battling a chronically exhausted body that keeps yelling at me but as any spoonie knows, that just means it's a day with a "y" in it (gentle hugs for fellow spoonies🤗) If you've visited before dear ones, you'll know I don't do pity parties so there is an "up" side.  

It's a good excuse though to mention my yearly countdown to spring (only 107 days now honeys🥰)  I'm determined to get things done in 2023.  Time just seems to be flying past us, where has this past year gone?  So, time to sit down, make some plans and get to work on them. 

First on the list has to be decluttering our home.  Seriously honeys, I need the rooms in our home to be emptier, calmer, and I want to be able to push the vacuum cleaner around without having to move things first.

Enough of my moaning myrtle impression though dear ones. On to today's post🥰 It's a silly wee thing really but I wanted to share because it made me smile, and what better to share than a wee smile (silly or otherwise🥰) 

Do you remember my little smiley shelf with my Potter themed gnomes honeys?  You can see them here, in the Halloween post.  Well, the tiny "cubbie" of the shelf unit that is home to my little meerkat gnome in his Gryffindor robes is starting to become quite a little diorama💖 

The latest addition is a pen, believe it or not.  Hubby brought it home for me and instantly it just had to join Harry (what else could I name him, really honeys?) in his little home🥰  

Yes, it's a pen, shaped to resemble Harry's famous Nimbus 2000 broomstick.  This little pen is among the latest Potter themed range at Primark and it's just the right size too...

  

What do you think honeys?  I'm loving how his little shelf is changing.  The tiny "books" are made of a sort of heavy pottery or clay (not sure) and Hubby spotted them in either Poundland or One Below, and the tiny cauldron is a candle and came from Poundland last year in the run up to Halloween🎃 The adorable wee owl is so old he's practically vintage and has been with me since my mid teens (told you he was old😄)  

Now Harry Meerkat has his Nimbus broomstick too🧹🥰  What's making you smile today?  Are you starting to get excited about the holidays yet?  Have you started decorating?  Whatever you're doing this weekend, I hope you have the best time with the most smiles.🤗 Till next time dear ones, stay warm and hugs always x

Happy Halloween Everybody 🤗💖🎃🎃🎃

Hi Honeys,

How can it be the end of Blogtober already?  Every year this happens, time passes so quickly that before you know it, it's done again.😊 Best thing is that the last day of Blogtober is also one of my favourite days of the year!  

Happy Halloween honeys🤗💖🎃🎃🎃  I thought I'd get my little gnomes to wish you a happy Halloween too.😄  

There's Minerva (of course, what else would I call her?😊) with her crystal ball and cauldron (and a tiny ghost friend.)  Next to Minerva is Harry Meerkat in his Gryffindor uniform and robes and even a tiny owl friend.🦉  Yes, I know, it's not Hedwig but he's been with me for so, so many years and is very precious.🦉💖 They look cool together, don't you think? 

Lastly then, there is Albus (oh no, stop!  You can't be surprised by now?😄) There's a theme here, isn't there honeys?  Yes, yes, I'm a Potter fan.  At work we always dressed up each year and once I even managed to convince a tiny human that I was in fact a student at Hogwarts.😄💖  

I saw the first movie because one of my favourite actors was in it (the much missed, much loved Mr Rickman💔) and was hooked.  Albus was a gift from a very dear friend (thank you Sarah x) and is one of my treasures.💖 He has lovely, twinkly, friendly eyes, just like the real Albus.😊💖

Whatever you have planned for today/tonight honeys, even if you don't celebrate Halloween at all, whatever you're doing, I hope you're having the best day, that it's the start of the best week and sending so, so many hugs....  

 

Till next time dear ones, hugs always xx

How 10 Tiny Changes Really Can Make A Big Difference🌍💖

Disclaimer:  I have not been paid to recommend any products or stores or items.  These are just the tiny ways Hubby and I have been trying to change our home in an effort to live a healthier life and to reduce our impact on the world around us.🌍💖 Do you have any other ideas? Hints? Tips?  If so, let me know please in the comments below, hugs x

Hi Honeys, 

How are you today?  Well, we did it!  We've reached the last day of Blogtober for another year and I'm still playing catch up, so today there will be two posts to complete it.😊    

Today's (technically yesterday's but it has so many photos and so much content, well it got to be 1am and I just couldn't finish it, so, here we are💖)  Well anyway, for this post😊 I thought I'd share ten tiny changes we've made in our home over the past couple of years.  Just tiny changes but (hopefully) they all add up.

Some of these tiny tweaks have been made to try to live a healthier life, some have been to try to lower our impact on the tiny planet we all share.🌍💖

    

As I said honeys, there are a lot of photos in this post so it might be a good idea to grab a cuppa and maybe a cookie (or two🍪) I'll meet you back here after the page break?  See you in a few mins...

The Best Cops For Halloween Week! Have You Met The Wellington Paranormal Unit?🎃🎃

Disclaimer:  I haven't been paid to recommend these dvds, just sharing in the hope that this wonderful, funny series might be discovered and loved by anybody who might not have seen it yet x

Hi Honeys,  

I'm playing catch up with Blogtober.  I'm sorry I didn't manage to post yesterday, I've been battling a flare of pesky arthritis and yesterday I was just exhausted from it.  It might have won a wee victory yesterday honeys, but I'm determined to catch up and get back on track.  Only another week of Blogtober to go.💖 

Since we're now in the week leading to Halloween, I thought I'd share one of our favourite TV cop shows. If you've already enjoyed this fabulous series, set in gorgeous Wellington, in New Zealand, I won't need to tell you how perfectly it fits into any fun Halloween countdown week.🎃🎃🎃

An average shift for Officers Minogue and O'Leary might include dealing with anything from haunted houses (and cars) to zombies, vampires, werewolves and even an alien invasion.👽🛸 

In fact, during a busy Christmas period they even had to deal with an office photocopier becoming a portal to a hot tub in another realm, not to mention Satan himself arriving to act as a shopping Mall's Santa for their Santa's Grotto!🎅🎄 Who knew it could end up being the fault of a typo in the fax requesting a Santa (think about it honeys.... so silly and made me giggle😊)

O'Leary and Minogue are joined in their adventures by Sergeant Maaka, also known as Sarge, the head of the WPU (as Minogue tells O'Leary he'd like them to be known, with huge letters on the backs of their jackets of course.😊)  

Sarge runs the Wellington Paranormal Unit from a tiny, hidden room (that everyone knows about) in Police Headquarters that Mulder would feel perfectly at home in.  Sarge is very much a believer in the paranormal.  

Our trio are accompanied on adventures occasionally by Parker.  A fellow police officer, Parker originally turned down a place in the WPU (as did everyone else at the station😊) but changes his mind and wants to join when he sees the cases, and adventures, that Minogue and O'Leary face every shift.

The series is a spin off from an appearance by Minogue and O'Leary in the movie version of What we do in the shadows, which itself has it's own very funny spin off series (although I would say that series is more adult in nature.)  You can see their cameo here.

If you'd like to see a little teaser for this amazing series, you can watch a trailer for series one to three on YouTube here. 

An important public service announcement from Officer O'Leary!  You can see it here.

This is a character guide from last year when the series was launched in USA.

Honestly honeys, if you haven't seen this fantastic, better-than-anything-made-for-tv-in-forever series, I can't recommend it enough.  Unfortunately they've cancelled it!💔 After four fab series, what will we do for chuckles and giggles without Minogue, O'Leary, Sarge and Parker keeping order on the streets of Wellington?  Hubby and I are going to be binge watching all four series over the next week, leading to Halloween.🎃🎃🎃 

Over to you then, are you a fellow fan of the WPU?  Will you be doing anything over the next week for Halloween?  Hubby and I still have the treat bags to make up for visiting tiny humans, so no doubt we'll do that while watching and giggling away at the adventures of the WPU.😊  

Till next time dear ones, thank you for keeping me company, stay warm and have fun, hugs always x 

What Would Be At The End Of Your Rainbow?🌈

Hi Honeys, 

How are you today? We've reached day twenty three of Blogtober, can you believe that?  We've had a lovely quiet day today.  It's still raining outside, it's been raining for days, so hubby hasn't been able to cut the grass or clear up the leaves as he'd planned.  I'm actually glad, it's chilly outside and I'd rather he was inside where it's warm with our furbaby Jade and me. 

I'm just not an autumn/winter person honeys.  If I ruled the world... (Love that song, such beautiful lyrics and heavenly voice of Harry Secombe singing them.🥰)  Beautiful songs aside though, if I did rule the world, among other changes, I'd have spring and summer in a constant loop.🌞  

Goodbye to awful arthritis flares all through winter that try to turn me into a human pretzel.  Goodbye to losing all of the leaves for months from the gorgeous sycamore trees that line the back of our garden.  Goodbye to the almost constant smirry rain, the kind that seeps through your clothes and chills you right through to your bones.  

Mostly though honeys, goodbye to the more than eighteen hours of complete darker-than-midnight darkness we have in the deepest part of winter.  The darkness pulls the life out of me, it really does.  Happiness can be so much harder to find in those dark, winter months.  Is it any wonder that every year I long to hibernate until spring arrives and countdown the days?  It's one hundred and forty seven days actually, in case you're curious.😊     

Have you ever wished you could find the end of a rainbow?  I have.  As a child I'm sure I read, or maybe I was told, that at the end of a rainbow would be a little magical being who would grant wishes if found.  

As I got older I read the magical being was a leprechaun, that he would have a crock of gold and if you caught him he'd either give you his crock of gold or would grant you a wish.  Well, even as a child this completely appalled me! 

Setting out to find the end of a rainbow would be an adventure, exactly the sort of thing that would appeal to my younger, Famous Five & Secret Seven novel loving self.😊   To find it and to then demand personal property with menaces from the little person you find there, be it his gold (what if it's his pension!) or the granting of wishes, well, that's just not right!  I know, even as a child I over-thought everything.  I used to worry about the relative lack of supervisory adults in the Charlie Brown stories too, you know...

Rainbows & wishes..

What if instead, when we see a rainbow, especially a double rainbow like the one above, what if we just close our eyes and make a wish.  Not just any wish though, what if we give ourselves permission to wish for whatever we want more than anything else?  

Making wishes doesn't work Rosie! I hear you say.  OK then, suppose you're right?  What if wishing for the thing you want most doesn't make it magically appear?  Well, then at least you got to see a beautiful rainbow and now you're left with a clearer understanding of what you really want in life.  Now all you need is a plan... 

As beautiful Ms Mia Angelou said "your dreams won't work unless you do..."  Maybe by suspending disbelief, just for a moment, by allowing yourself to wish for what you want most, you would give yourself a destination, a goal. Maybe that's the real gift?   

Personally though, I'm not willing to give up on making wishes and hoping they'll come true.  It's been my experience, just sometimes, they do.  Just not always exactly how you expect them to.  Maybe sometimes we're sent what we need instead of what we want?  

Wishing all of your dreams come true honeys.💖 Till next time, thank you for keeping me company.  It means more than I can say, hugs always x