Friday 26 August 2011

Jewel


Jewel
August 2003 - 26th August 2011


Saturday 20 August 2011

Day By Day


Thank you for all your good wishes regarding Jewel.
Unfortunately,
she has been back to the vets
and a further X ray on a different part of her leg,
(not previously X rayed),
shows that she has bone cancer.

We are taking one day at a time
knowing that soon we will have to say goodbye to her.


Sunday 7 August 2011

Wet Garden


Thank you for all your good wishes for Jewel.
We have seen an improvement in her.
She is able to make her own way up and downstairs,
she is eating better,
and generally seems more like herself.
So we are hoping that
she is recovering
and that there is no underlying cause.

Thanks also for your encouraging comments
regarding my orangy red elongated hexagons.

 

These photos were all taken in the garden
on Wednesday, after the rain.
I meant to post them yesterday,
but went off to a wein kirmes last night,
returning too late to write anything sensible.
Or maybe it had something to do with the amount of wine consumed.

Yesterday started off sunny and warm,
hot even.
But by midday,
the sky was very heavy,
bringing with it,
thunder and torrential rain.
It was a shame.
I had planned to go and see
the crowning of the king and queen of the wine in the next village.
But as it was due to take place in the market square,
I thought it would be a rather wet affair.
So wisely,
(as it turned out),
gave it a miss,
(I would have got soaked to the skin!)


In another nearby village,
a group of Harley Davidson bikers
have been visiting.
We could hear them
passing on their bikes all afternoon.
We felt sorry for them,
knowing that they had a run out on their bikes planned for the afternoon,
winding up somewhere for coffee and cake.
But the rain didn't seem to stop them.

We know what it's like to come to the Mosel
on motor bikes and get caught in a thunderstorm.
I remember when we visited here in 2003
(it might have been 2004),
we had to shelter in a shop doorway in Bernkastel.
I got soaked to the skin.
Once the rain stopped,
we got back on our motor bikes
only to stop and shelter under a bridge
not far from here.
Little did we know then that we would be living here now!


My sister bought me this Echinacea
last year.


But marigolds have self seeded themselves about the garden.
A bit like the one and only sunflower.


I think potatoes and tomatoes
belong to the same family.
It's easy to see why in these two photos.
The one above is a potato plant,and the one below,
a tomato.
I'm quite pleased with the tomatoes,
as they are all grown from seed.
I didn't really expect them to germinate,
so now I've got loads.
But I'm no gardener,
and so they have all been fending for themselves
and are therefore smaller than my neighbours plants.
But I'll put it down to a learning experience.
And try and do better next year.


I'm surprised to see this lupin in flower.
I sowed the seeds this spring,
so I didn't expect them to flower this year.
When I checked this morning to see if the plants were all still standing
after the deluge yesterday,
I noticed this lupin flower had turned a delicate pink. 


I hope you are all in the pink this weekend!


Thursday 4 August 2011

Trial and Error


It's been a bit tense here lately
as we have noticed Jewel becoming unwell.
It's difficult with animals,
they can't come and tell you that they have a pain
that won't go away.
You have to notice the signs.
What you first thought was a bit of stiffness
due to age,
a reluctance to go down stairs
or a reluctance to eat,
(she's often indifferent with food),
becomes more apparent
when instead of improving,
it gets worse.
Then you begin to fear the worst.
So today
we took Jewel to the vet.
A thorough examination
in which the vet
manipulated Jewel's limbs and joints
in what I think must at best have been uncomfortable for her,
(and yet she didn't protest),
and X rays
were inconclusive.
So now we are hoping that the anti inflammatories
that the vet prescribed for Jewel
give her some relief
and that she is soon back to her little minxy self.


Wednesday 3 August 2011

Hot and Bothered


Yesterday I was hot.
The thermometer on the balcony,
in the shade,
was reading 30 degrees centigrade.
Which is hot for me.

I decided to get my hexagon quilt out.
Truth be known,
it was already out,
just waiting for me to
leave the crocheting I have been doing,
and start stitching instead.


I've always thought that I tend to have
lots of projects on the go
so that :-
I don't get bored;
there is a project to suit my mood;
there's a project to suit the time (such as crochet in front of the TV);
or location (such as hand sewing to take on holiday).
I'm sure there are other reasons I could add.


But yesterday,
I realised that I have all these projects
because I can get a different one out when:-
I can't find the thread I need for the first one,
(that's the thread I found sorted out last week
and thought I had put in the tin with the hexagons).


Even if I did find the thread,
that I simply MUST use,
no other will do...
I can't find my sewing glasses.

When I get the next project out,
I can't decide on the layout for it.


And when I do decide on the layout,
I think,
I really do need to prewash the fabric.


In the process,
of all of this,
I come across some fabric left over from some other project,
(completed I might add),
and think,


shall I start a new project?

Do you have days like that?

In the end
I watched this bird for a while
helping himself to our plums
that aren't quite ready.


If you are interested,
you can see the right side of the quilt
from the first 4 photos here,
Just don't look at the date!

P.S. Can you tell I like hexagons?





Monday 1 August 2011

Grey to Blue in a Day


August already.
This year seems to be flying by.

Our walks with the hounds today
have taken us
above the vineyards,
through woods
and overlooking the river.

This morning we stayed on this side of the river.
It was rather grey.
But still beautiful.

In the afternoon,
we crossed the river,
and walked in the shade,
it was so hot.

The river has gone from grey to blue.
All in a day.