Christmas in our house

There were only 5 of us plus the 3 dogs - age 7 to 87 very neatly - but it felt manic. Great time, actually, and Antony and I make a good team in the kitchen. Dogs were pretty good, although I suspect that was mainly because we made sure there was no food left in Satchmo's reach. Maxie developed a penchant for Quality Street - wrapper and all. They went down in one, so there can't possibly have been any flavour. Nonetheless, he still clenched his teeth tight when I tried to get a toffee penny back out. I had visions of it coming out the other end unmarked. If I really hated someone, I could perhaps have washed it an offered it to them. Fortunately, I don't hate anyone. By the time we were back on our own on Boxing Day evening, we were all crashed. As you can see...

Pregnant ladies

Some of you may remember that, last time she was preggie, Nina had a thing about eating compost and dug almost all the summer plants out of my garden tubs. This time, whilst not actually averse to a bit of compost, she's fonder of wood. She's demolished the tub that one of my clematis has been in for years, and she keeps taking logs off the fireside pile and ripping them up on the rug. Needless to say, this is only ever done when I've just finished vacuuming. (Of course, I say 'she', but we all know Satchmo will be joining in enthusiastically, don't we?)

Puppies!

Yes, she's pregnant. A litter of 3-4, due 17 January. Already got several people interested, which is a nice position to be in. Nina was scanned Weds; whilst waiting in the vet's reception I realised she had a real gash on her shoulder, so she had a scan and 7 staples in one go (needless to say, only 5 left now). These days they give you a printout of the scan. The embryos are about 2 inches long so far.

Puppies?

Usual hormone hell for the last couple of weeks while Nina has been in season. Good in one way as it meant Max was really keen to go round the garden 20 times a day sniffing where she's weed. Nasty habit except when it keeps an old dog mobile.

I had to spend 2 nights sleeping on the breakfast room table as the only way to keep Max quiet.

Then, last Tuesday, I took Nina to Jay Horgan's in Staffs to visit Bracco her boyf (Nina's, not Jay's) and the usual deed was done. I took her back Thursday to be on the safe side, but nothing doing. She sat in the back of the car and curled her lip at him.

Fingers crossed. Due on 17 Jan if she's preggie. Bracco has never stopped still long enough for me to get a really good look before, but this time I did and, goodness, Satchmo has his Daddy's head.

Good luck, bad luck

I've had some serious bad luck in recent years. It's almost as if I used up all the good luck and then it ran out big time. So ... I've lived in Wheelwright Cottage for almost 15 years and during that time, my kitchen cupboards have been organised the same all the time (bear with me, this is going somewhere). So why is it that, having had a metal hob for almost all that time, as soon as I buy a nice halogen one to replace it, a honey jar falls out and smashes it? Never happened in the first 14 years when it wouldn't have done any damage. Never happened when I was flush with money. Just had to spend a couple of hours online (very annoying when a site says they have it in stock, then you get almost all the way through the purchase before you find they haven't) and £200 to get a new one ordered. Fortunately the delivery is for Weds. But then again, perhaps all my luck these days goes into having dogs with lovely temperaments including a 14-year-old who's recovering pretty well from his spinal stroke. If so, I'll stick with that deal.

Magic Max - daily bulletin

Felt foolishly disappointed yesterday because I coudn't see a specific improvement in Max, but for heaven's sake, he'll be doing backward somersaults if he makes a leap forward in improvement EVERY day. However, today, he's really walking around whenever he wants, wobbly, falls over occasionally, but OK. And he managed to get outdoors on his own, so I followed him and just steadied him from time to time for a minute or two, before using the towel sling again. He's definitely not going to be confined to the sitting room today - wants to have the freedom of the house, and I'm letting him. I'm letting the other dogs do their own thing too. I was worried about Satchmo being too boisterous and knocking him over, but he's being very respectful so far. Now that Nina's around agaain, Max is silently sending Satchmo out of the room again. Wish I could get Satch to do my bidding so easily!

Very trying week

It's been an incredibly difficult week, but thank God things are looking up now. Last Wednesday Max collapsed while out walking. He lost the use of his back end completely - didn't know where it was. I managed to get him to a neighbour's, and they (bless them) helped me get him back home and then take him to the vet. They sent us home for the night and said they would arrange an MRI for first thing in the morning. It's when you're on your own all night with 33kg of helpless dog that being on your own feels especially hard. I stayed up all night with him. I tried to get him out for a pee at 3.30, but just couldn't. At 5 am, I managed to get him out with a makeshift sling under his waist, but he was too stressed and unstable to do anything. I spent the night convinced he was in his last day. At 7.30 my neighbour helped me get him out and he peed. He lifted Max into the car and I set off to Bristol. They had to carry him in and I hated leaving him there for his MRI.

They didn't find anything on the MRI (eg slipped disc) and the assumed diagnosis was therefore a spinal stroke. Never heard of it before and was amazed to hear that most dogs recover well from this. Of course, Max is 14, so tougher. He came home Saturday with a sling. I was worried whether I would be able to look after him, esp peeing and pooping, but I managed OK with the sling. I put him in the sitting room so he had the carpet for grip and could get outdoors through the patio doors. We sat out in the garden for a while as the weather was lovely. I slept on the settee Saturday night.

On Sunday, he was dashing round the garden with me supporting him. He still couldn't stand up unaided, but when I let Nina in to see him, he leapt up and ran round the room after her! He wobbled a lot and fell over a bit, but nonetheless... The physio came and took me through the exercises I need to do. He did pretty well though.

By Monday he could get up unaided and walk about the room a bit. This was much faster progress than I expected, and I was thrilled. He even got up 8 stairs to try and find me ... and then got back down with minimal aid from me when the cleaner arrived and was greeted by the other two.

More of the same today. Expecting the physio again tomorrow. Can't rightly say how relieved I am. Long may it continue. God is definitely in my good books!