Jewel

Jewel

August 2003 - 26th 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.

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!

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.

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?

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.