Thursday 14 January 2010

Our dog

Our dog has had to leave us. She has been a challenge from the day we got her. She was a rescue dog, her mother didn't survive the birth of her pups so she was hand raised by the Vet nurses (one being our next door neighbour).

When she was 5 weeks old she got parvo virus and thankfully as she was in the care of a vet nurse she got the treatment she needed very quickly. We brought her home when she was recovered at about 7 weeks old.

She has always been a bit biteish (a word invented by my kids) but she has been getting worse. She knocked my 6 year old daughter over, stood over her and bit her face. That was the final straw for me but it took me a week or so to actually do something about it. Out of courtesy to my neighbour I wanted to speak to her first. Unfortunately she was away and wouldn't be back before our holidays.

Winnie was going to be looked after for us while we were on holiday by a family friend but she has small children and I was too scared to put them at risk. So I called one of the Vet nurses, who wasn't surprised to hear from me (my neighbour had been letting her know what was going on). She took the dog back right away and has found Winnie a new home with a couple without children.

My kids - well I have told them that she has gone to do some intensive training and provided she passes she will come home. I will tell them soon that she has had to go to someone else.

I feel bad about it but mostly I feel relieved that my kids can play outside without being bitten.

Monday 11 January 2010

Beautiful Blogger Awards

Thanks Kristy for tagging me.

7 things you don't know about me.

1. I am a Chartered Tax Advisor and have worked for "both sides", as a tax agent and as a tax investigator, though I haven't practiced tax since 2003.

2. Jon and I got married in Barbados. We took a few close family members and friends with us and then had a big party for everyone else when we got back home.

3. Each of my 3 children were born in different countries and have different passports, England, New Zealand and Australia.

4. I have been identified several times by people I have never met before, just by my eyes. Apparently they are exactly the same as my fathers and grandfathers. Freaked me a bit at the time but now I think it's pretty cool.

5. My first car was a pink Citroen Dyane. Just like this one but my dad painted it pink for me. Yes it is a "convertible". I loved it and Jon was so proud to be seen it it!


6. I luuuurrrrved Jon Bon Jovi until very recently. I saw picture of him recently and he now looks a bit erm - "plastic". Think I need to reserve judgement and do a bit more research!!

7. I once slept through a Metallica concert.

I am pretty sure everyone has done this already but if not, I look forward to reading about you.

Tuesday 5 January 2010

Memories and Millionaires

Was just browsing the web this morning catching up on emails and blogs and got distracted with flickr.com.

I found this picture that reminded me of my childhood.


Picture by renown

Sunny days, the bus at the Town Hall taking passengers over the bridge to the beach at Bigger Bank. The Bingo Hall in the background. The picture was taken around 1980 when I was living in the town so has big memories for me.

I am also reading a book at the moment about a student nurse training in North Lonsdale Hospital in the 60's. This is probably what sent me off on a tangent looking for pics of home.

I also watched the episode of 'The Secret Millionaire" that I missed. It was in my home town and actually the run-down flats that the secret millionaire had to live in was in the same street that I was raised in for my first 5 years of life.

They don't paint a pretty picture of my home town at all. It is pretty bleak but not as bleak as that. Most of my family still live there, actually the only ones that don't left before we did.

It was an eye-opener though for my son to see where his dad and I lived and grew up.

Friday 1 January 2010