I had my heart scan today at the hospital and its good news... I still have one and its still working well! I will only have one more heart scan in August now seeing as how I am almost at the end of my herceptin. I can't believe how quickly time has passed.

Summer seems to have arrived today and we hit a high of 23 degrees which is totally amazing. Poor old Cola still has remnants of his winter coat so he needs to shed that pretty quickly. He was a naughty boy yesterday, thought he was a stallion when we were out on our hack. I made him work his energy out though and today he was alot quieter.

Had a hair cut - yipee! Just a trim to the back because I am growing it into a bob and from there it may go down to my shoulders, I haven't decided yet.

Harrys birthday tomorrow and he is so excited. He has promised his teacher and his deputy head some of his birthday cake and a party bag! I will follow through because it is important for him!

sigh.....

This cheeky chap is my youngest son, Harry Llewelyn (named after two great Princes). He is going to be 9 years old on Friday and I can't believe how fast the time has flown.

Harry was diagnosed with autism a few years ago and has help at school. He struggles with language and communication and this doesnt just mean the spoken word, it covers social language, gestures, the unwritten code of conduct... He also struggles with change so any change in routine no matter how minor will affect his sleeping patterns and his behaviour.

So as his birthday approaches, I have had a testing time with Harry. His behaviour during these periods of unrest push me beyond comprehension. Today, I am struggling with a tension headache and feeling sick, my tummy is all knotted up.

I know that a birthday should be fun and eagerly anticipated. Harry doesn't really know when his birthday is, he still isn't sure when his party will take place and this confusion leaves him anxious.

So only a couple of days to go and hopefully the storm will have passed.

India Day at School

Harry had an "India" day at his school today. The idea was that the children could dress up if they wanted and they made Indian decorations, played Indian music and sampled Indian food. Even the staff entered into the spirit of the occasion with their saris. We purchased Harry's outfit from the Hospice of the Good Shepherd, the young assistant was so helpful and so not only did we get a costume sorted but our money was spent on a good cause. Harry liked his turban the best which was one I used last year when I lost my hair. I used this one the most because I loved the colour red and it is well worn. I think its lovely to see it being used for something not related to ill health.


Harry did have a problem with his snack at snack time, the change in routine can be confusing and upsetting for children with autism. He was choked up and emotional when he came out of school but I spoke to his teacher and we got to the root of the problem and all is well.


I had some sad news today. My mums dog Al has been taken ill. He has liver problems and is on a drip at the vets, it is touch and go as to whether or not he pulls through. Al is an integral part of mums life, her faithful friend. As for me, he represents a wonderful part of my life with motherhood and baby/toddler trips to Erddig and Nains river. I only saw him on Monday and he was so happy, its hard to hear that my little friend is so gravely ill.


On a different note, I gained 2 1/2 lbs this week at weight watchers but I am not worried or stressed about it. Looking at the size of my fingers and the fact that I still can't get a wedding ring on I reckon that if I could stop the drugs I would lose half a stone in fluid alone! The main thing is that I am still going to weight watchers and if I hadn't been going I would be alot bigger than I am now.

Chester (Y Gaer)

Today my husband and I met his mum in Chester, the nearest city to us about 6 miles away in the country of England! It is a Roman city with quite a few roman remains and it is pretty. Alot of tourists visit there and do touristy things but we like to go there for some nice food and a bit of retail therapy.

We ate at Chez Jules which is a french resteraunt and was gorgeous. The food was beautiful! I enjoyed a chicken and bacon salad followed by a chargrilled pork chop with vegatables, mmmm delicious! It was nice to have some adult time with Jasons mum without the kids fighting or arguing or demanding...

Chester has lots of different resteraunts; mexican, spanish, italian, french, brazilian to name but a few and we are lucky that they are of a high quality so theres always lots of choice.

My shoulder has given me a little more pain today but the medication from the doctor is helping.

The boys have just returned from school with a "Finger of Fudge" - I sang the old advert song to them and Joe got quite annoyed!




but the advert is from my childhood and it brings back happy memories, plus the song is really cute don't you think?

Coca Cola

Introducing Coca Cola, soon to be our new member of the family! Cola is a Fell pony which is native to this country. Thick set and rugged, built for enduring harsh moorland winters. He is such a handsome chappy, I may even get Jason to do some inhand showing with him while the boys can do ridden showing.

I am so excited! I just need to sort out the transport and we will be all set!

Hercepting #6

So today was my 6th dose of herceptin and I am a third way through my treatment! I am still getting palpatations and heartburn and bless the heart of the nurse caring for me today (Gwen) even though I have a doctors appointment lined up for next week, she called the duty doctor over and arranged for a prescription of ant acids to tide me over.


We used my compromised arm again which is a relief because it doesn't hurt as much but Gwen is such a star at getting a line in, I had no worries with her.


Two new ladies and their husbands were shown into the unit and one had a teary moment. I felt so sorry for them because this time last year, I was in their shoes, not ever having seen anyone fight cancer, never been into a treatment unit, seeing people hooked up to killing machines, it is over whelming. At that point, I decided that I want to use my survivorship to help others and with that in mind I am going to be joining Immerman Angels. I will post seperately about this charity but if I can help someone then my life will be good.


Harry went to his friends house for tea today... I was so nervous because Harry never gets invited to play dates. However, the parents of the child are so kind and gentle, I didn't have many reservations. When he was returned home at 6pm with reports of good behaviour, I sighed a HUGE sigh of relief.


So all is good today! The Gathering 2010 is looming.......

A Good Weekend

I was just looking through some of my video clips and I found this one of Harry which made me giggle! He is running and running but its the look on his face that makes me smile!

We have had a good weekend so far with few melt downs. Jasons mum came yesterday and we had a nice chat, she took the boys out around the village. They went to Christ Church, Rossett where Harry went into the pulpit and recited the Lords Prayer. They then said a little prayer of thanks for my good health - thats nice. I don't know if you have seen a picture of my crosses but the boys got me one each last year on one of their Nana expeditions. I have framed them and they are above my bed. They are hand carved and proceeds went to help others.

We had our pizza night but I made the mistake of changing the "make" of pizza which didn't go down well with Harry. I tried to tell him it was the same as usual but there's no fooling him!

Today the boys have been horse riding. Joe rode Cracker and Harry rode Red Robin. They had a good lesson, the sun was shining and it was a lovely day to ride. We stopped off at Farm & Pet to buy some rabbit food and now we are home, doing our own things!

Life after cancer. I think you open up your mind once you have faced your own mortality, you free your spirit and see only the good life has to offer. I am blessed with good friends who keep me flying high!

On that note...................... wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Images are courtesy of Amazon.co.uk My 8 year old son is autistic, (aspergers) and he has trouble dealing with the world and its complicated ways. Sometimes this leads to anger and frustration and because he doesn't look as though he has a disability people are very condemning but they just don't understand.

I purchased these two books from Amazon UK to try and help Harry with his anger issues. There is no support available to us from the authorities despite the increased awareness of autism so we are very much on our own. I am very impressed with the Red Beast book and I think the only way I can explain it to you is to quote parts of the foreword:

"Any parent of a child with special needs will tell you that it is the uncontrollable outbursts of rage which are the most difficult to contend with"

"Some children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder ASD are prone to regular outbursts of rage, since simply living through a normal day is often fraught with anxiety and frustration. Children with Aspergers Syndrome seem to be the most affected because they are more self aware"

The book disassosiates the feeling of anger from the child themselves and instead calls it the Beast. In doing so it takes away the feelings of guilt and resulting low self-esteem.

This book is going to prove invaluable to me!

I wasn't too impressed with "When Sophie Gets Really Really Angry..." We could all identify Harry as Sophie but I didn't like the idea that when Sophie gets angry she runs away into the countryside. Children with autism mimic things such as stories or films etc, they also take things literally so this book could prove to be quite dangerous. I am quite sure that this book has its place but not for a child with autism.


It is very exhausting living with a child or children with special needs because you have to teach them everything, things which are normally learnt automatically. That coupled with the fact that they usually have communication dishorders makes it a very stressful environment.

I could write a book about my life with my boys. I am not saying it is all bad because it most certainly is not in fact the disability brings joy with it as well as strife!! You learn to become tolerant of their ways and life is spent "walking on egg shells" because the wrong word, the wrong look - can lead to a complete melt down. I have learnt an indirect approach works better with my children, a few half truths and ignoring alot. However, it is emotionally draining.


Mind you, I might find it hard parenting children with special needs but whenever I start to feel hard done to, I put myself in their shoes, I try to see the world through their eyes and to be quite honest with you I am in awe of them. They have adopted clever strategies in order to manage their situation but no matter what, the world is a scarey place when you are not sure what comes next. No wonder Harry wants to stay home all the time!

Being Grateful

Image is courtsey of google search engine

I read a magazine article recently which suggests that by writing down 5 things you are grateful each day for when you wake up, makes you a happier and more content person.

I am always ready to try anything which might have a positive outcome so I did that this morning and I will share them with you today;

1. I am grateful for not drinking wine last night, I feel so much better this morning as a result.

2. I am grateful because Harry is getting better, he was so poorly yesterday with a high temperature and I found it really distressing.

3. I am grateful for being alive, that my lumpectomy was a success. Scars? Doesn't matter because I am alive to see Joseff and Harry growing up.

4. I am grateful for having such a sensible son in Joseff. He is so good, takes everything in his stride. I wish I could split my time more evenly. Harry takes so much of my attention.

5. I am grateful to be able to "SEE" because without my sight I would miss so much.

I won't give you a daily report on my 5 things I am grateful for each day because they will probably end up being mostly the same!

The Blessing of Children

I had a real "bee in my bonnet" today about getting the house tidy so after I had been to the supermarket for a few provisions, I set about my task. It was inspired really by my dog Wilbur who had thrown up all over my sofa! Luckily, it is a leather sofa so I was able to clean it and treat it with leather cream and it looks all shiny and new! The cushions didn't fair so well, I put them in the washing machine, 2 of them were fine but the other is all out of shape, however, the rabbits can have that one to snuggle up to in the cold.

So I have scrubbed and cleaned all day long.

Harry is quite tired today and he is like me in that when we get tired we just need to rest. He told me that he had been sleeping on his bedroom floor and he still felt really tired. I gave him some food thinking that he may have had an energy dip but he then requested that I have a warm bath with him.

"What a nuisance" I thought to myself, just when I was getting the house sorted out. I then pulled myself up and gave myself a good talking too! Housework will always be there even when I am dead and gone but my little boy won't. Very soon, he will be too old to have baths with me, what was I thinking of, putting housework before my boy?

As we relaxed in the bath, Harry at one end, me at the other, we chatted about things quietly. It then dawned on me that had it not been for Harry wanting me to spend time with him relaxing, I would have carried on working until I was exhausted myself. Probably naggy and not much use to anyone! He made me take time out to relax and that is the BLESSING OF CHILDREN!

I am now off upstairs to lie on my bed with him and watch a DVD. It will probably be something boring but I don't think Mr H minds if I read and watch at the same time.

I once cross stitched a poem, I must find it because it gave us parents a very important message.... children don't keep forever. Some of the passage goes like this "...so hush now cobwebs, dust go to sleep, I'm rocking my baby, and babies don't keep..."

Sigh.......................

2009 was such an eventful year for me, although not in the way I would have liked so 6? 7? days into 2010 its all quite calm....

The children were kept off school yesterday because of the snow and they had a brilliant time outside playing! My neighbour, Fran and I made a snowman with the kids and that was good fun although when the light went later that day the older kids came along and took great delight in destroying it, that was sad!

The older kids are a source of frustration for all residents of our small cul-de-sac. They play football and the balls hit our cars and our houses... in the end, Jason had to go out with his warrant card and tell them officially that it was against the law to play ball games on a public highway, they just wouldn't listen to me! The parents never supervise the children, never have done, they seem to think its alright that they cause hundreds of pounds worth of damage to other peoples property. When my boys are outside playing, I plant myself in the window so that I can keep an eye on what is going on.

The same boys taunt the younger children, in fact, they run off with their bikes and earlier on in the year it was because of such an act that Harry (who takes great care of his bike) had his bike driven over! It's funny how quickly the older children disappeared, leaving Harry hiding in the shed having destroyed my pot plants in frustration, crying and shivering with distress.

Yesterday, the same boys taunted Harry again and the result was that he threw one of his new gloves into a tree and the other down the drain. I was then left to deal with the mess at home. By mess, I mean Harry's mood.

I had enough by 5.30pm, I had reached my melt down point because Harry is always challenging but he is growing up and so is challenging in a new way. I have to re-group and decide how I am going to deal with this, its not easy! Luckily my husband took care of the children and I took myself off to bed with my book just to chill.... I didn't read much, too emotionally exhausted but at least I did shake off my bad mood.

It is so hard dealing with children who have Speech, Language and Communication Disorders. Such small words really but they have a much deeper meaning, significance. It impacts on every aspect of life and learning... Going to the shop is never easy, going to the pantomine, anywhere outside the home...... I am sick and tired of parents at school putting a label on Harry as a "bad boy" because they haven't got a clue on what he has to deal with, or me for that matter!

I am so sorry, I didn't want this to turn into a whinging post but I have hit a rock in my life with this one. Its good in a way though because it shows that I am getting back to my old self after cancer but frustrating never the less.

I also feel that it is my duty to highlight the issues of this dishorder and that of autism. So many people look at my beautiful boy and just do not realise what he has to live with.

Promise me that if you see a child swearing, lashing out, lieing on the supermarket floor, fiddling with buttons or belts..... you won't condemn that child or his parents. You will smile at the parent, you will smile at the child and you will say a prayer for them.

Review of the last decade....

Somebody mentioned a review of the decade on facebook and I decided to blog about things which have meant something to me, personnally. You will probably find alot of it boring, but it is theraputic for me! They come in no particular order.

I had the car of my dreams, my MINI COOPER - our first ever brand new car

I was diagnosed with Stage 3 Breast Cancer

I fought and beat Stage 3 Breast Cancer

I beat depression in 2008 following therapy with a brilliant guy Dave Atkinson and for the first time in my life, accepted myself

I beat my disordered eating pattern

I lost all my hair!

I gave birth to my second son Harry Llewelyn in May 2001

9/11 and the aftermath

My son was diagnosed autistic and I fought for years to get help for him and I eventually did!

I re-trained as a dog groomer

I set up and ran a successful part time business as a dog groomer for 4 years until cancer struck

I have had my hair long, short and bald!

I learnt how to blog and opened up a whole new world of friendship

Tony Blair got kicked out of government - sadly, not before he did the country alot of damage

The unnecessary war in Afghanistan and loss of so many livesI met HM the Queen and Prince Philip when they visited Wrexham. What a charming couple!

I did the Race for Life in 2008 - my first ever race

I got back together with my dad

I started running seriously

I made a Digital Story about Harry to help teach those in authorities how hard it is for children like him

I got my eldest son through his "issues" and at the age of 9 he actually ate Pizza (mixed up food)

The list is endless but to sum it up... it has been a difficult decade for me in lots of ways. I have battled and conquered disordered eating and depression. I have had two children with special needs and I have dealt with them successfully. If they hadn't had me as a mum, they would be prisoners of their own disorder. I have battled cancer and come out the other side. I lived for 3 years with virtually no sleep because Harry was such a troubled sleeper. Despite it all..... I am HERE and I am ready, just ready to make the next decade count.

Pantomine Fun

- REVIEW: Llandudno panto is Strictly stunning This is one of the reviews about the pantomine we went to see yesterday!

For those followers of Strictly Come Dancing, you will appreciate Craig Revel Horwood and some of the jokes in the show!

Thank you to my mother in law, Margaret who arranged this Boxing Day treat for us. I thoroughly enjoyed it. We had good seats, Margaret made sure of that and the show was spectacular. The costumes were a joy, the jokes were so funny, the dancing and singing was great....... The only thing that spoilt it a bit for me was having a Harry with me who doesn't have a great attention span. He kept asking "when do we go home" and yet, whenever thunder struck or the wicked witch came on stage..... he was mesmorised! Panto experiences with a child with autism require patience.......

Christmas Day 2009

This Christmas Day I want to wish everyone Christmas Blessings. It doesn't matter what your religeon is, it doesn't matter if you don't believe, all that matters is that we are here and we are sharing love and joy. My thoughts and prayers are with those who are less fortunate than me, those who are mourning the loss of loved ones, those who are ill, or trapped in conflict.

We have just had our Christmas dinner and I am so stuffed full of food! I am sitting here wearing my paper crown and watching the traditional Christmas edition of Top of the Pops, waiting for the Queens speech at 3pm. I have Wilbur curled up next to me, he stole a party popper and it exploded in his mouth. He was very scared and dejected and immediately came to me for reassurance, he is such a silly dog. I love Wilbur because there is not a nasty bone in his body, even if he has just met you he will look at you with such complete adoration, I think thats why when things go wrong or upset him he gets very hurt!

Pickles loves her new toys especially the dog beer! The dogs have had their Christmas dinner too and loved every morsal! Oh no! Pickles has started........ she is grumbling....... mumbling......... woofing....... she wants my coffee!

Just look at all the the gifts Santa brought my boys. The best part about it was that neither boys asked for much because I have taught them about the cost of things and both were over the moon with everything they had. Even though there were gifts I was unable to get for them, not a complaint was made, I am so proud of them.

Joe enjoys playing chess and all he wanted this Christmas was a proper chess set. The one we got him is hand carved and is beautiful, something I hope he will keep and treasure for years to come.

My boys got me this Steiff pony! She is a welcome addition to my collection of bears. I love Steiff creatures so much because of the attention to detail. I didn't know of this pony but its lovely and I will treasure it forever.

I have been so lucky this Christmas but the best of all is just being alive and well this Christmas, being with my family, enjoying them, relishing in their youth. They still believe in Father Christmas and its such a special time. This is probably the last year that Joe believes because he is off to high school in September.... bitter sweet.

So on this special and Holy day, I wish you all health and happiness this Christmas and for the coming new year.

Snow!

We went to our friends house today in Llanarmon DC, it was snowing when we got there and the wind was blowing a bit of a blizzard. We did really well until we headed up the lane towards there home and then we got stuck on the road. We tried to get the car up but in the end we had to abandon it. Luckily we were able to park it at a holiday cottage which was not being used and we walked up the hill. On the way we walked along the stream and it was so wonderful to see the icicles in the stream, you can see them in the picture above.

The stream was quite fast flowing with all the snow.

This is a picture of me and Joe on the walk up the hill to our friends house. The walk was steep and by the end of it I was boiling hot!

Oliver is my friends youngest son. He is 2 and a bit years old and a complete joy. He is sooooo funny and entertaining. He was ready to go sledging here but only lasted a short while in the cold!

My friend Llinos, my son Harry and her daugher Eleri having some sledging fun. You can see how thick and fast the snow was falling.

I had to take this picture of the view from the hill, it was so beautiful. At this point, Jason, Llinos and the children were higher up having sledging fun. The snow was being whipped up so much I decided to stay put where I was.

Alvin, Oliver and Jason getting ready for some sledging action. Didn't manage to stay out long because it was so cold and the horses had to be brought into their stables.

It was so cold up there but the children had so much fun. I wished I didn't feel the cold so much otherwise I would have had alot more fun myself. Mental note to self...... must get myself some insulated trousers and then I can participate!

How Do We Solve a Problem like My Harry?

I have had to focus on myself this last year. I have had to somehow get through cancer treatment and get to the end of the year. I have done it! However, during this time I have not been able to be as hands on with my sons, especially Harry who is autistic and has communication difficulties. I was always pro-active with Mr H and always watching him but after the months I have had, I have distanced myself. I have had to, otherwise I just couldn't have coped.

Both my kids have had so much to deal with aside from their difficulties. They have seen their mum worried, scared, sad, angry, seen the effects of surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. They have seen my hair fall out and re-grow. What a difficult situation for "normal" kids.

Harry is having difficulty coping with his emotions at the moment and it is becoming a growing problem as he hurts others which is not acceptable. I am worried sick that he will grow up to be in constant trouble. I think this has been a big contributor to why I have been so depressed this weekend.

I bought the book "Volcano in my Tummy" a couple of years ago but like alot of strategies it wasn't right for Harry at the time. Now he is older, I am going to be using this book to teach him about his anger and how he can manage it without hurting others.


I have just spent £30 with Amazon on a selection of other books about anger and dealing with it in a more positive way. I won't bombard Harry with the books but will use them to drip feed the message. I will bring school on board with my plan so that it can be further re-inforced there.

Lets hope these books work! I have already used others similar to this "Is It Right to Fight" etc with great success.

I will let you know how we progress!

Being a mum is the hardest job I have ever done but the most rewarding. Sometimes though, I just wish..... I just wish with all my heart that I could have had a more "average" or, dare I say it? "normal" experience of parenting.

Today I am Negative

Today is a BLUE day for me! I am feeling depressed. Sorry if you are hoping for a cheery and positive post today because it isn't going to happen.

My hormones are all over the place, I understand this. The drugs I am on are playing havoc with my system and I am still recovering from chemotherapy and its side effects.

I am a positive person, I try my best to be kind to people, always have a smile on my face but sometimes its all too much.

My way of dealing with bad things in my life is to put them in a box and close the lid on them. Every now and again, the lid is opened and I am overwhelmed with the enormity of everything and this is how I am feeling today.

I am sick and tired of the hands I get dealt in life. Nothing is easy, everything I ever have comes with a huge price tag.

I am so angry that I lost my big brother Peter. Life would have been so much better if he had lived and I wouldn't have to see the loss in my mums eyes. I am fed up with the fact that my other condition (other than cancer) had played havoc with my body all my life, leaving it hard to have children. Miscarriage, years of fertility treatment..... Do you know what its like to live each month in hope and each month your dreams are dashed and you grieve again and again and again....

Then when I have children they are riddled with colic and not only that, they have speech, language and communication difficulties. If you see a child in a wheelchair you can see the disability but with my boys it is hidden. You can't begin to understand what living with this disability is like, what it is like to be a parent of a child with this condition.

Then I get breast cancer......... Life SUCKS BIG TIME!

Why me?

I don't want to look the way I look either. Overweight... hair too short... scars all over my body. I feel like a reject....

Christmas Plays are Great!

We have just returned from the first showing of St. Peters School Christmas play, Scrooge! It was a really good show and children from all years were involved. I thought it was so funny that my Joe being the smallest in his class was Tiny Tim! Sad to think that this is the last ever production that these children will perform together. These kids have been through mother and toddlers, nursery, reception through to final year 6 and come September they will move on to high school. Some will be going to the feeder school of Darland which is where Joe will be going, others will move further afield to Castell Alan and Bishops Heber.

The only child in the audience who looked thoroughly miserable was our Harry. I was lucky that tonight he didn't misbehave he just looked grumpy. I was waiting him to wave a fist at me but he managed to keep himself in check!

I was in Chester today and passed Mother Care, a shop I used to frequent when the boys were babies. I saw lots of babies. I remembered my boys as toddlers and I am sorry that those years were so fraught that I wasn't able to treasure them. I remembered what it was like to cuddle them, nurse them and now they are so grown up and sufficient, putting on plays and singing their hearts out!

Round 4 of Herceptin tomorrow and I actually remembered to phone the unit this morning to let them know I would be coming in!

My Birthday Yesterday!

I have been so lucky this birthday with all of the wonderful gifts and cards I have received! Last year I was in Rome for my birthday but this year I was at home which is truly where my heart is! The only sad part of it was that my youngest son was away from home on a school trip. My mother-in-law bought me this gorgeous PANDORA bead. I hadn't seen this one before but it is so pretty.

This horse PANDORA bead was one of my gifts off youngest son Harry. He also bought me a glass paperweight shaped like a diamond which he chose himself. He gave me his gift just before he left for Nant BH. Harry loves sparkly things.

This card is just gorgeous! My friends daughter, Chloe made it for me! I have a special "keep sake" box and this card is definately going in it!

These are a gift in themselves! 12 years ago I was almost at the point of giving up on the possibility of having children and now I have two gorgeous sons! Having two birthday cards sporting the word "MUM" means more than words can explain!

My Auntie Heather and Uncle Phil gave me this card. They know how significant the blue butterfly has been for me during my fight with breast cancer. The blue butterfly is means "healing, sent with love".

My husband always gets me the nicest cards with a really slushy message inside!

Just look at all of my gifts!!!!! I have been so lucky! I happened to spot the Carvella boots in Chester a week or so ago and I was lusting after them secretly and just look........ Jason got them for me! The NOA perfume is from my eldest son Joe, we sipped the sparkling wine, the Clinique body stuff is devine!

I love my new boots!

Not sure if everyone is familiar with GOK but in this country, he is a fashion and style guru. He has brought out his own range of body pampering products and just look at the size of the box I have been given!

My dad bought me this dirt devil for my car! What a thoughtful gift this is! I was struggling with my big hoover but this will make the job so much easier.

I had lots and lots of lovely things including a schnauzer glass keyring, a wolf t-shirt, a wii fit, a red scarf and a puzzle photo of my cousins children in Australia! I have decided to put the puzzle together then have it glued and framed!

I am so grateful for all of my birthday cards, gifts and good wishes.

An Eclectic 24 Hours!

What a varied 24 hours!!!!!

Last night, I was in the Golden Lion Pub, Rossett celebrating the Breast Cancer Support Groups Christmas Party. Pictured above are the founders of the group, Pauline and Barbara who started it around 18 months ago. Its a fabulous group of ladies of all ages, really down to earth, nice people who are fun to be with. Our meals were very nice but the only gripe really was the fact that the "Christmas Mess" had too much cream and not enough meringue!!!!

This morning saw the departure of my youngest son, Harry on his school trip to Nant BH in the Snowdonia ranges. He is eight years old and autistic so you can imagine how anxious letting him go there has been for me. However, his favourite teacher is going, Mr Lloyd along with his classroom support assistant, Mrs Pattingdon. Mrs P has given up her own time in order to accompany Harry, and if she hadn't have gone, I doubt whether I would have let Harry go either. He was off with a wave and blew a kiss. Once in school, he is in school so I knew that from then on he would be happy.

I went out for my run which was excellant, I am getting fitter and stronger by the day and after that we drove to Cheshire to collect a parcel for a friend then on to Beeston Horse Market....

When I first walked into the thick of the auction, I was overwhelmed. Choked with tears, I just had to get out of the building. I couldn't be a part of that scene, those poor horses and ponies; scared, worried being pushed around, prodded..... It felt like a scene from Anna Sewells Black Beauty.

My husband talked me into going back in, asking me to make some ponies day a little brighter by stopping to fuss them. I did that but I can tell you, it broke my heart. I lost count of the thin and undernourished animals there, probably over run with worms and other things! Some destined for slaughter, others possibly to be transported in inhumane conditions across Europe in order to be served up on plates in resteraunts.

I will not go back there again.

I was quiet going home. Feeling quite emotional because of Harry and what I had just witnessed.

We decided to stop at the Grosvenor Garden Centre for a good cup of coffee. They serve up a lovely Americano!

On display are the "home baked" mince pies and to the right are the flapjacks. All of the food is hand made on the premises and its open cooking so you can actually watch the chef prepare it all. It is delicious!

I was happy with my lovely coffee but Jason decided to have the caramel shortcake (his favourite).

We purchased some "Grumpy Mule" filtered coffee from the shop which was quite apt given our day!

This afternoon I clipped and bathed Wilbur and took all of his "feathers" off his legs. I do like him looking like a proper schnauzer; being a dog groomer, I like them to be clipped to breed standard but Wilbur..... He is a full on "action pup". He is the original "Million Hours a Day" dog. He lives life in the fast lane..... All things considered, he runs or sleeps and I am fed up with him bringing half of the woodlands home in his fur. He is nice and neat now and must feel so much better. At least he won't have to suffer me pulling bits out of his hair all night.

All in all, its been quite a different 24 hours!