Sad News

Hello Friends,

I`m sorry to have to tell you that we had to have Jake put to sleep on Tuesday evening. He has been getting worse over the last two weeks but not too bad, he certainly wasn`t in pain but had started to eat less and less and was sleeping more and more.On the Tuesday morning he had worsened drastically since the day before. he didn`t even raise his head when I got up in the morning and when he did he didn`t even attampt to move from his bed. I hand fed him some chicken wish he took slowly but gratefully. I knew he was just too weak and I knew it was time. I don`t know how I managed to work that day but somehow I got through the morning without making mistakes but couldn`t wait to get home to my precious boy.When Jim got home we had that difficult conversation, we talked and cried for an hour before the vet called us with Jake`s latest blood test results. They were as bad as its possible to be so it made the decision easier to make. We said goodbye to him at 6.30pm Tuesday 24th November. His head was on my lap the whole time and I`m not even sure he was aware of anything. I stroke his head, kissed him and told him that I loved him and he just slipped away. Our gorgeous boy....we miss him so much it hurts. I know it will get easier, today is better than yesterday, but it will take a while. One day soon another dog will join our household but for the moment it feels as though Jake is still here...maybe he is, who can say...

Run free precious boy, chase those squirrels and jump over fallen trees. Be happy. Thank you so much for being our dog, you enriched our lives. Love you always.

Sad News

Goodbye To JLand, Meet me at Blogspot

I`m writing to let you know that My Scribbles will be closing after this entry. Yesterday I started a new journal at Blogspot and I will continue to write as I have been on AOL.  I feel really angry as well as a little sad that JLand has been treated in this way after all the years. We had a nice little community going and I, as well as many of you, had come to know all about the lives of our online friends and their famillies. When Kerry was expecting Roman my I kept my readers informed of her progress, when he was born again I posted bulletins. Now he is 3 yrs old and will in March have a new baby brother or sister. I won`t be able to keep you informed via AOL but I WILL via Blogspot. I know journals has been a lifeline to many people in JLand for many a reason. I really think AOL haven`t thought this one through properly. I know of quite a few poeple who will give up subscribing to them altogether, very likely I will be one of them. They are expensive and can be unreliable and now the journals are going, I have no need to stay with them. In these days of financial problems, can AOL really afford to lose customers?

Anyway, my very dear readers and friends, I have enjoyed the 4 and a bit years I`ve spent journalling. Sometimes I`ve posted daily, sometimes every couple of weeks, either way I DID have the choice. I have decided I will go before the journal is shut down completely. I have all the photos I`ve ever posted saved to disc or external hard drive so there`s nothing left for me here now. I do hope you`ll visit the new journal because I don`t want to lose touch.

For the last time Bye Bye and take care. :o)

Love Sandra xxxx

New Journal Link:

  http://sandrasscribbles.blogspot.com/

 

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Daffodils and Road rage

                 

 

Brrrr.....a chilly day today, the last vestige of Summer, what little there was, seems to have gone for this year.  I bought a sack of daffodils at work and set about planting them this afternoon but after putting in about a dozen I decided that I`d do some more tomorrow as I really wasn`t in the right mood, most unlike me as I`m sure you can guess. I then planted up two hanging baskets with Winter pansies before clearing up and putting everything away, hence my doing an early entry today. I just don`t seem able to get warm which is again, unlike me. I think it`s this virus thing that`s going on with me, I have swollen neck glands and a icky throat but nothing seems to come of it. Hopefully it`ll pass soon so I can get back to normal again.

Yesterday we went to Kerry`s for dinner. It was lovely to see them as it`s been over a week now what with Roman having been poorly too. He`s a lot better than he was but still isn`t 100% yet. We had a lovely afternoon and a tasty roast chicken dinner, Kerry`s a great cook and it`s always nice to have a meal cooked by someone else I find, it always tastes so much better. At the end of the day when we had to leave to come home, Roman wouldn`t give me a kiss and cuddle when we went home despite my coaxing. I felt a bit sad even though I know it was only because he`s not feeling his best.  Never mind, I know he loves me really. :o)

This morning when I left for work the road was almost blocked by school traffic. It is never usually like that but since the new school term it`s become a nightmare just leaving our drive and trying to get out of our road. One driver who blocked my way wanted me to drive on the grass even though I had the right of way, I refused as I didn`t want to damage my car`s suspension and luckily for me he reversed his vehicle, albeit reluctantly and gave me a very dirty look as I drove by. The school are very strict about the parents parking and at first when the new school opened last year there were no problems. Now however, there are cars parked on corners and very other available space. Householders drives are blocked and on friday I saw a car almost run over a small child with his mother. I really think there will be an accident soon, I just hope something will be done before it`s too late.

Did I mention that I had a tax rebate the other week? Well I did and it has come at the right time too, I really need a good winter coat but do you think I can find one I like? Not a bit of it. I did find one but the shop didn`t have my size and were very vague as to when they may have another delivery. I will keep looking though as I`m bound to find something. I know what I want, it`s just a question of finding it.

We`ve been giving our bathroom a revamp and I`m really pleased with the results so far. It didn`t need very much doing to it as the walls are completely tiled but the grouting looked tired and the window blind made the room look too dark. firstly Jim cleaned the grout and the shower door, then he installed a vertical blind we had made to measure in cream colour. He then laid new tiles on the floor to finish it off. What a transformation it is too, its very light and airy in there now, so clean and bright that it looks like new, and it hardly cost very much at all. I always think its the little things that make all the difference.

Our Jake has a bad leg again, we know it`s his arthritis so we are giving him shorter walks for a few days, that usually works for him, then it`ll be back to his usual runs again. Like the vet told us before, it would be wrong to deprive him of his long walks long term. She said it would be better that he had a shorter life that was full than a longer one that was boring because of lack of exercise. She is right of course but I do hope his life will be long regardless. His joints have been much better since we started giving him Seraquin, a supplement that helps lubricate them and contains a mild anti inflammatory. I`ll just keep giving him the tablets and hope for his continued good health.

Anyway, I`m off to cook something for my evening meal. I have no idea what I want to eat, I`ll have a look in the freezer for something quick and tasty as I`m not in the mood for cooking today. Take care and Bye Bye for now. :o)

                             

 

                   

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All At Sea With The Boys

The motley crew

My son and heir Daniel taking things very seriously

SIL Slava taking things.....well, not so seriously...lol!

A French ship that shouldn`t be in British waters. Jim said HM Coastguard had just boarded the illegal vessel.

Coming home again. :o(

As you can see the fishing trip went ahead and they all had a wonderful time. They were catching fish all day, no-one was seasick despite the very choppy seas and they all had a really good laugh. Jim only brought three fish home as did Slava. Dan didn`t bother bringing any home as he lives in a shared house and his housemates wouldn`t be too happy about the smell of fish wafting into their rooms...lol!

After their adventure was over they went for a meal. There was an offer that you could buy two meals for £10/$20.  They all took advantage and each ate well very cheaply.  The guys have decided amongst themselves that they should go on these trips more often....good for them I say. One thing though, do you think they`ll ask their wives along???....lolol! ;o)

 

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Butchart Gardens, Canada ~ Photos

Hello everyone,

Well it seems that the so-called Indian Summer has departed after just a couple of days. When I woke up at 6am it was still dark but as it grew lighter you could see it was very overcast and, might I say, a bit chilly. I hope the weather holds for Jim`s fishing trip tomorrow. I`m actually waiting to hear from him to see if the trip is comfirmed yet, he rang the boat owner at midday but he asked him to call back this evening. Slava is calling me in 30 mins to find out whether to come here from work or go straight home....oh oh, phone.............Panic over, trip is going ahead, Jim is happy, Slava and Danny are happy....oh joy, I`m happy because they are happy....lol!

I didn`t sleep very well last night because of aches and pains from all the weekend gardening.  I had decided not to set foot in the garden this afternoon and content myself with a weekly clean of the bedrooms but somehow I couldn`t get started with my gardening `fix` first.  One of my new plants, one that I bought in the half price sale at work, is a Cordyline "Dazzler" and very nice it is too. For some reason it came with a half filled pot so I topped it up ready for Winter. It`s a very tender plant and I`ll overwinter it in the shed as I don`t want to lose it. I`m trying out a few sub tropical plants, hardy ones of course, but even they are tender when they are young. I also hope to mark out the new area that I`ll be cutting out of the lawn for another planting bed. Oh yes, I have grand plans afoot...and much spade work for Jim...lol!

Butchart Gardens, Vancouver Island. It was a beautiful, hot sunny day and I loved every minute of the 2 hour visit there. Butchart  was dug out of the rock, and gradually made into a beautiful garden by the Butchart family 100 years ago.

The Italian garden

A beautiful acer in the Japanese garden

Oh dear, I can`t remember which garden this is!

Oh look, wildlife lurking in the bushes...lol!

One of the many fountains.

Stroking the snout of the Butchart boar, it`s supposed to bring you good luck. If you look closely you can see how shiny his nose is from all the tourists trying to see if the luck will rub off.

From the Japanese garden again, one of my favourites

Sorry, I didn`t mean to post this many photos but it was hard to choose from all that I took there. I do hope you like the few I`ve shown you.

We visited Butchhart on the way back from Vancouver Island. We were all feeling a bit flat after the wonderful visit to the city of Victoria and the thought of it being the end of the holiday. The trip to the gardens cheered us all up enormously.

Anyway, my friends, I must go now. Take care and Bye for now. :o)

 

                

 

 

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Photos from Dorset

                 

                    Jake, at home in the Dorset countryside.

 

Hello everyone,

Well I`ve done it, even though I said I wouldn`t.......I dug up the cosmos despite them being in flower. I decided that as it is getting toward the end of September and that this warm and sunny weather can`t last much longer that they would have to go.  There is much to be done in the garden in preparation for winter and I want to take advantage of the good weather while it lasts. Cosmos are huge plants and they have to be desposed of and I can`t put them all in the compost even though I`ve had a good try. AND I haven`t pulled them all out yet, I have that job still to do and my back has started to complain so I will take heed and take my time.

On Tuesday Jim, Danny and Slava and some of Jim`s mates from work are going on their long awaited sea fishing trip. They will be going 35 miles out to sea and will fish near a wreck where the fishing should be excellent. They are really looking forward to it, especially Jim, who was so disappointed when the trip had to be cancelled earlier in the year due to bad weather. They will be leaving here at 3am and travelling to Hayling Island in Hampshire where they will set off in the fishing boat called TRIO. I do hope this time the weather will hold for them as they would have to cancel until next year and they really don`t want that to happen.

                       

                         

                          Bowleze Cove, Dorset

I haven`t seen very much of Danny since he went on holiday to Rome but then I`m not surprised as he has a `secret` girlfriend...yes really. Jim and I have concrete proof but have no intention of telling Dan of our discoveries. I think he knows we suspect but the strategy is to NOT question him but carry on as normal. I know my son and I don`t think it will be long until he says something.  Watch this space.  Oh yes, we know who it is too. ;o)

Roman started nursery school this month, he had previously attended pre nursery playgroup but now he is one of the `big boys` as he calls them. Kerry was telling me that he had a French lesson the other day, can you believe that?  he`s so funny, the other day he told me that mummy said that if he eats to many sweets he will get fat....."Just like Mummy!"  he said .... hehehe!

Having lunch at Lulworth Cove, the weather was chilly but dry so we spent the morning walking around and climbing the hills. We had a tasty and well earned lunch in this little restaurant.

Lulworth Cove

The Stair Hole

A rare bucket and spade tree...lol!

A very tired little man on the way back to the cottage.

I hope you like some of my photos of Dorset, meanwhile I`m off to make myself something to eat, all that gardening has made me hungry...lol!  Bye for now. :o)

 

            

 

             

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