Alerts Problems

I had a comment posted under my last entry about the problems we are having with alerts.  For those who missed the comment (it was one of the last ones) I thought I would post it here.  Forgive me if you have already been told.

Hi folks -- I don't have all the technical details, but for some UK users, the Alerts content is going to the wrong template (so it's not a spam, ad or scam).

In AOL Alerts, there are three delivery methods -- Online, E-Mail, and Wireless Device (a really short alert that goes to cell phones, pages, PDAs, etc).

For some reason, some AOL UK Journals Entry alerts are going to the wrong template -- they're going to the wireless template, which is only about 100 characters, which is why it looks so odd. It's also why it has that "Register wireless device" link.

It's an ongoing problem -- apparently it happens sometimes when the Alert content exceeds a certain length.

I will ask Susan to blog about it when we get more details -- also, please keep in mind, if you have any problems to report, please let me and Susan know, either by commenting in our blogs or sending e-mail -- you can vent and perform a useful service that helps your fellow Journalers at the same time.

Thanks -- Joe
http://journals.aol.com/journalseditor/magicsmoke/
Comment from journalseditor - 30/01/06 19:13  

I will be back writing and commenting on your journals soon.

 

 

Brief entry

So nice to see the sun today. We had a little snow on Friday night but not enough to cover the ground and it was gone in no time on Saturday morning.  It remains very cold though.

I do not know what is going on with alerts, I am getting some but not many but I am continually being bombarded with aol alerts that give the first line and then something about a "wireless device".  I wish they could get the problems sorted. The more they try to "improve" the system, the worse it seems to get. 

I had a day off journals yesterday.  I do need a break from time to time and when I have a day off I do not read journals either but I will be back catching up soon.

In the meantime, for those of you who are following the story,  I have added another chapter and photographs to

THROUGH A DOG'S EYES

The Monk's Return

Well, I have not done a ghost story in a long time and I know some of you really enjoy them. So, on this dark, cold and gloomy January day it seems appropriate to post one.

The church of St. Bartholomew the Great is the oldest parish church in London. It possesses a dark and mysterious interior, the ancient walls of which drip with atmosphere and a strange aura. It has been used for location filming and some noteable movies that have included the church are Robin Hood Prince of Thieves and Four Weddings and a Funeral.

The church is most definitely haunted. Even its beginnings are tinged with the supernatural. Rahere, a man who, according to legend, was once a jester at the court of King Henry 1st, founded it in 1123.

In November 1120, the King’s only son and heir had been drowned when the White Ship was lost in a winter storm off Calais. The court was plunged into despondency, and Rahere fell out of love with being a jester and opted to become a monk - which seemed a rather strange choice - and set off on a Pilgrimage to Rome. Whilst there, he fell dangerously ill with malaria and on his death bed vowed, that if he were cured and allowed to return to his own country, he would ‘erect a hospital for the restoration of poor men.’ Miraculously, Rahere’s prayer was answered, and he duly set off for England. But on the way he had a terrible dream in which he was seized by fearful winged creature and taken up onto a high ledge where he was set down, teetering on the brink of a yawning chasm. Just as he was about to fall, the radiant figure of St Bartholomew appeared at his side, and told Rahere that he had come to save him. In return, said the saint, “in my name thou shalt found a church…in London, at Smedfeld (Smithfield).” Thus the church was founded as was the hospital next door to it - St. Bartholomews affectionately known as “Barts”. Rahere oversaw their construction and did preach in the church. It is also possible that when he fell sick with his final illness, he was nursed in the hospital he had created. When he died in 1145, Rahere was buried inside his beloved church.

His tomb now stands to the left of the altar, its reverse side clearly showing the results of a hasty repair carried out in the nineteenth century when the parish officials decided to report upon the state of the founder’s body. To their amazement his body was well preserved, and even the clothes and sandals are said to have been intact. A few days after the tomb had been  re-sealed, one of the church officers fell ill and confessed that, when the tomb had been open, he had stolen one of Rahere's sandals. He gave it back and recovered, but it was never returned to the foot of its rightful owner, and since that day Rahere has haunted the church as a shadowy, hooded figure that appears from the gloom, brushes past astonished witnesses, and fades slowly into thin air.

His spirit is very active and has been seen by many people, both in the body of the church and also standing in the pulpit where he appears to be giving a sermon.

In May 1999, the then verger of the church, John Caster, who lived in the house next door, was woken early one morning by a telephone call from the security company, informing him that the alarms were going off inside the church. Entering the building he turned on the lights and conducted a brief search. The church was empty. Switching the lights off, he was about to leave, when he clearly heard the measured tread of slapping footsteps, walking down the central aisle. He called out, “who’s there?” whereupon the footsteps stopped for a moment. But then they resumed and continued along the aisle. Convinced there was an intruder, he locked the doors and called the police. They arrived within minutes, but could find no sign of anyone inside the building. Furthermore, no windows or doors were open. The next morning the alarm company sent an engineer to check and reset the motion triggered alarms. Both he and John were astonished to discover that only the central beam, the one that passes Rahere’s tomb, had been broken. The beams by the doors, and the side and top aisles had not been breached, meaning that whatever, or whoever, was responsible, had somehow managed to simply “appear” at the centre of the church. It was then that John remembered that the footsteps had sounded like sandals, slapping over the stone floor of the old church.  It would seem Rahere was doing a nightly inspection.

*Footnote.  I used to visit this church regularly as a child of around seven or eight when my father was very seriously ill for several weeks in Barts hospital.  My mother and I would call in at the church to pray for my father.  Even at that young age I found the place very spooky.  Later on when I was working in London, not too far away, I sometimes visited again as I did many London churches because I love the history of them.  I admit that on one occasion whilst in there with just two other people, I did see a shadowy but sort of transparent figure moving down the church.  I did not stop to investigate.  I could not wait to make it out back into the outside world.

THROUGH A DOG'S EYES has a new chapter.

Latest Pictures

We looked after baby Daniel this morning whilst Becky took Nathan swimming.  He just smiled and smiled the whole time.  He is five months old today.  He can roll himself onto his stomach now and tries so hard to sit up.  We had a nice lunch together and then played with Nathan. I managed to get a head butt from Nathan that landed on my nose and made me see stars!!  We took some pictures.  Actually we took a lot of pictures, we always do. We are not happy at how dark one of Daniel came out - we tried several ways to improve it to no avail but it was just too good not to use.  We so enjoy our time with them and watching them develop.

The room always looks like a bomb has hit after they leave because Nathan takes out all the toys we keep for him here but, never mind, we certainly don't.

Nathan was a clone of Dean when he was first born, the doctors and nurses commented they had never seen a baby so like its father.  However, as he has got older, he has a lot of my family in him -  my mother's line -  and Daniel is so very like Mike.  Hard to believe that Nathan will join nursery school this year.  Time certainly does fly.  Now, so must I and get on with things I have neglected today because I was enjoying myself.

Eye Test Results!

I was wondering if it was a full moon last night. Perhaps it was because one of those escaped from its cage. You know the ones, they occasionally pop up on your journal to leave what they consider to be a very funny and witty comment.  I am suprised that it knows how to use a keyboard.  Then I thought, hey, they have mistaken the Guess The Eyes Contest and thought they were entering for Moron Of The Month.  Well, she/he has certainly won that!  I am not going to name and shame, why waste my time and energy and at the end of the day she/he has succeeded only in adding another hit to my journal so I am not complaining.

Now, I want to thank you all for taking part in the Eye Contest and for those who are still sending in answers to the questions I set a couple of days ago.  Posting quizzes is not my usual sort of thing, but I enjoyed doing it and it seems that you have enjoyed taking part so I might do some  more from time to time.

Without further ado, here are the answers

1.  Madonna 2. Tony Blair 3. Liz Hurley 4. Sean Connery 5. Gene Wilder 6. Julia Roberts 7. Johnny Depp 8. Dolly Parton and 9. George Bush - most of you got this one correct.

There is an outright winner so congratulations to Becky (Ryanagi) who got all of them correct and to Tina (onemoretina) who got eight out of the nine.

Very quiet on the home front.  It has been another grey, cold and miserable day with predictions for possible snow at the end of the week. I will believe that when I see it as they have been wrong in two previous predictions.  I watched Foyle's War last night on t.v.  I think that programme is so well made and well acted.  I taped the Virgin Queen for watching later tonight as I would never want to miss anything like that.  I love the Elizabethan period and Elizabeth the 1st has always fascinated me.

Hope you are all having a good start to the week.  Until the next time, dear readers.

THROUGH A DOG'S EYES

 

Update On Eyes

Just a short entry.  It is great to see so many of you having a guess at the eyes (previous entry).  I have to say that nobody has guessed them all yet but there is a leader.

I will not post the answers  until late tomorrow (Monday)  so that gives more people a chance to join in and also any of you can have a second go if you wish you.

Hope you have all been enjoying your day.

 

 

 

Whose Eyes Are These?

Very hazy sunshine today, in fact you can hardly see it at all but at least it is calm with no wind.  I was very sad that the Whale who came to visit London did not survive.  The outlook was very bleak from the start.  Usually marine mammals who leave their pod and get into difficult situations are sick, injured or old.  I think everyone hoped for a good outcome but it was not to be.  I do admire all those volunteers who gave them time to try and give this creature a second chance.  It would have been nice for them had their efforts paid off.

I have another little quiz for you today.  Firstly, I hope that the pictures come out big enough for you to see.  I had lots of trouble doing them, sizing and resizing etc. but if I make them any bigger they get blurry.  It is simply guessing the person by their eyes. They are all well known so it should not be too difficult.

A little bit of fun for a Sunday.  Please leave your answers under comments or on your journals.

So, here we go  ~

1.

 

2. 

 

3. 

 

4. 

 

5. 

 

6. 

 

7. 

 

8. 

 

9. 

 

Have a good Sunday everbody.

Short Entry

I heard strange noises last night and looking out what did I see?  Barney!

After he left Sandra of  Sandra`s Scribbles he made a detour and stopped off at my house.  He really is getting inquisitive.  He had a rummage around my freezer and did not like the fish fingers he found but he did enjoy some kippers and cod fillets.

As it was a very cold night last night, he slept in the garden. He does not like travelling at night.  This morning I told him that Joan whom he normally lives with over at Stranny Dayze would be missing him and that as exciting things were happening at her home, he had better hurry back.  He has a long journey ahead of him.  So, Joan, expect him this evening.

Thanks to all who have joined in my quiz questions of yesterday. I have enjoyed reading your answers.  For those of you who have not yet seen them, there is still time to join in if you wish to.  I know that some of you intended doing your answers over the weekend and that is fine.

Have a good weekend my friends.

 

Some Questions For You

The sun has finally appeared after several days of leaden skies and it certainly is nice to see. They say we are in for a colder spell but not, thank goodness, the temperatures of minus 30 degrees that they are having in Russia.

The net curtains have now been picked up for return to that firm and I hope it is the last I hear about them although I am not counting my chickens.

I thought I would give you a bit of fun today so I have set some questions for you to answer.  You can give straight answers or comical ones, it is up to you and you can either post your replies under comments or reply on your own journal but do not forget to let me know that you have done so because I would like to come and read your replies.

Are you ready?  Here goes

 

1.   If a film was being made of your life, what actor or actress would you like to see in the lead?

2.   If you could choose to live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

3.   If you could meet someone famous (alive or dead) who would you choose and why?

4.   What is your all time favourite film or book?

5.  If you could change one thing about your appearance what would it be?

6.   If you could appear on a T.V. programme, which one would you choose?

7.   If you were going out to dinner, what type of restaurant would you pick?

8.   If you could invent a totally new gadget that would make your life easier, what would you like it to be?

9.   If you could own a racehorse, what would you call it?

10. What is the most memorable event in your life so far?

11. If you could live your life over again is there anything that you would change?

12.  What one thing annoys you the most?

13.  If you could change your first name, what would you like to be called?

14.  If you were a keeper in a zoo, which animals would you most like to be in charge of?

15.  Is there any actor/actress that you really dislike?

Well, that should keep you occupied for a while.  Have fun.

THROUGH A DOG'S EYES

Friendship

This was the sunset taken from our front door last night.  Nature never ceases to amaze me.  It was truly spectacular turning the whole of the front of our home pink and then crimson.  Even on the darkest day (and yesterday really was gloomy and dark) joy can still be found in little things, things that we should never take for granted, things that can lift our spirits and touch our souls.

Monday was not a good day for us, it was the day Pip returned home. Tears were shed again but Mike and I were both so touched with the dignity that had been accorded him and included was even a condolence card.  Had he been human he could not have been treated better.  So, that puts a kind of closure on things now although we miss him and always will.  He was the best dog we ever owned and we have had a few.  He was very special and will always remain so.

I have been reading again "The Prophet" by Kahlil Gibran and wanted to share with you today his writing on friendship.  I have often found great consolation in this book and you have all been such a great comfort to us that I think it fitting to share this with you today.

ON FRIENDSHIP

And a youth said, "Speak to us of Friendship."

Your friend is your needs answered.

He is your field which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving.

And he is your board and your fireside.

For you come to him with your hunger, and you seek him for peace.

When your friend speaks his mind you fear not the "nay" in your own mind, nor do you withhold the "ay."

And when he is silent your heart ceases not to listen to his heart;

For without words, in friendship, all thoughts, all desires, all expectations are born and shared, with joy that is unacclaimed.

When you part from your friend, you grieve not;

For that which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence, as the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain.

And let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit.

For love that seeks aught but the disclosure of its own mystery is not love but a net cast forth: and only the unprofitable is caught.

And let your best be for your friend.

If he must know the ebb of your tide, let him know its flood also.

For what is your friend that you should seek him with hours to kill?

Seek him always with hours to live.

For it is his to fill your need, but not your emptiness.

And in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures.

For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.

~ Kahlil Gibran

THROUGH A DOG'S EYES

Shivery Sunday

The sun made valiant efforts to shine today but the clouds defeated it.  Now, it is so dark it could be evening and I have had to put the lights on and the temperature has really taken a fall.  I do not know whether I suffer from SAD but these gloomy days really get me down, make me feel like crawling back to bed and staying there. Sunshine always lifts my spirits.

I do not really have a lot to write about today.  I watched the finale of Soapstar Superstar and as predicted, Richard won.  He was tipped to win right from the start and I am pleased for him.  He is so very talented for a boy of sixteen and yet I could not help but feel sorry for Andy.  He is such a nice guy and a really genuine person.  He smiled the whole way through every night of the contest and never minded what song they gave him to sing.  It is a pity that it came down to a final between the two of them.  It must have been hard for the cast of Coronation Street because their loyalties must really have been divided. They would have wanted them both to win. 

That was followed by Dancing On Ice which is really Strictly Come Dancing but on ice.  I did watch the beginning.  How nice to see Torvill and Dean skating together after ten years. They have lost none of their talent.  However, after watching the first two contestants, I lost interest.  I think it was because Strictly Come Dancing so recently finished and the programme was on directly after Soapstar Superstar.  How much reality t.v. can you take!  I think it should have been on at a different time.  So, I retired to the bedroom and watched a programme I had recorded earlier in the week.

Today is very quiet, no visitors and we have just been browsing the Sunday papers and chatting.  Mike is taking Jesse out soon and not looking forward to it now it has become so cold. My blood sugars are coming down but very very slowly.  Strange how quickly they can shoot up but it takes ages to get them back down.

Oh, you will remember the saga of the net curtains.  You will recall I ordered some in November and kept being told they would be delayed due to "production problems".  In the end I told the firm where to stick them.  I cancelled the order over the phone, I cancelled the order on my online account to make doubly sure and to make triply sure I also wrote to them confirming I had cancelled.  Guess what arrived on Friday - yes, the damned curtains.  You can imagine the air was blue.  Now I have had to make two phone calls to them, write to them and have to wait for them to send me a returns form.  Then I get another email saying that cannot accept net curtains as a return because they have been cut to size and therefore cannot be resold!!!!!!!  I got on the phone and gave them hell believe me.  I can get angry, believe me you do not want to see me when I am angry.

I have demanded that their delivery person comes and picks the curtains up, I have said that if they dare add the cost of the said curtains to my account then I will take this matter as far as I can.  No way am I paying for a cancelled order that is absolutely no good to me because I now have new curtains at my windows.

This year, not a lot seems to have gone right for us so far   and I am getting pretty sick of it I can tell you.

Well now, and there was me thinking I did not have much to write about.

Warning

I wanted to warn you about a scam that is going around in case you did not already know.  This applies to readers in the UK. and concerns the National Lottery.

Many of you probably play the lottery and some of you might even do so online as I do myself from time to time.  So, be warned if you get a "winners notification" sent via e-mail.  It is a total and utter scam.

I received one myself yesterday and for a moment it did make me wonder, after all, as I have said above, I do play online from time to time.  The e-mail at first glance looks pretty genuine.  I was told for instance that I had won £650 and that I could call at the offices to collect my winnings or claim by post and the prize would be delivered by courier.

However, a couple of things immediately alerted me.  One was the fact that the heading said "you have won on are lottery"  Note the "are" and not "our. " The second thing was even more obvious.  It said I had won on Thunderball.  I never play Thunderball!  If I do not play it, then I could not possibly have won on it.

I have sent a copy of the email I received off to the National Lottery so that they have the e-mail address of the person who contacted me.  They are aware of the situation and under "contact us" they have put a piece about these scams. If you do win playing online, the National Lottery  will e-mail you but they never put the amount that you have won  and never ask you for personal details.

However, I am very worried that other people might fall for it and come unstuck.  From what I understand these people pose as "agents" for the National Lottery, ask you for a handling fee and then disappear without trace. Naturally you never get to see any money!

There are probably many such people out there running the same sort of scam but I can only warn you about the one that contacted me.  So if you hear from someone calling themselves Gabriel Harrington and giving an email address as ureach.com - delete it and ignore.  It is not genuine.

 

THROUGH A DOG'S EYES

 

 

Gloomy Thursday

What a gloomy day it has been today. Skies the colour of battleships but at least it remained dry and the wind had dropped.

The saga of the car keys has finally finished.  You will remember how Mike lost the house and car keys on Boxing Day (they never turned up).  Changing the locks on the house was no problem but the car key was a different matter.  We could not get the spare key to work at all. Mike took it back to the garage, they could not get it to work. Endless phone calls were made.  We were getting nowhere.  It turned out that the numbers for our car were incorrect ones.  When Mike bought the car, they allocated him the wrong one of the batch and apologised at the time and even gave us a slightly upgraded car as compensation. The problem was that the key numbers that were in our handbook were the original car numbers and not for our car at all.  So after three trips to the original car dealers, two trips to another outlet of the car dealers and several calls to the manufacturers, they eventually solved the problem today so all car keys are now working.  They charged even more than the original quote and then, of course, there is the damned vat!  Mike was not best pleased and said with all the trouble he had been put to, he should have got a reduction.  They said that was not possible but they did give the car a free "health" check so we had to settle for that.

We looked after baby Daniel on Tuesday morning whilst Becky took Nathan swimming.  Daniel is smiling all the time now and very very vocal, much more so than Nathan was at the same age.  He is taking a great interest in everything and starting to try and sit up.  It will not be long.

We have been told we will be getting Pip's ashes back on Monday, something I am not looking forward to because I know it will upset me again, but at least it puts a kind of closure on it.  The house still seems very strange without him.

Apart from that it has been very quiet.  We got hooked on Soapstar Superstar despite our best efforts not to. This is not the sort of t.v. we usually watch but were curious on day one just what soapstars would be on it and that was it, they had us, so we will be tuning in again tonight.

I have been feeling under the weather all day hence my late postings.  Hope I am not going down with something.

Have a good evening everyone.

P.S. I have posted a new chapter under THROUGH A DOG'S EYES

For Dog Lovers

Hello my friends.  For all those people who have been following Pip's Tale, I wanted to let you know that as from now, further episodes will appear elsewhere.

I am grateful to Helen for suggesting this idea because it is a fitting memorial to Pip to have his own place even if AOL will not let it stay there forever once I do cease to update.

I know there is lots of trouble with alerts at the moment, alerts have certainly not been going out on my journal and, from what I gather, I am not the only one.

Nevertheless, you might want to earmark this new site so that you do not miss the continuing story. I can only hope you get an alert on this posting.  I am so glad that you are enjoying the story.

THROUGH A DOG'S EYES

Pip's Tale (Posthumous) - Part 3

It was strange when I went out on a lead for the first time. I admit I did not like it much. I just wanted to run around but I kept being pulled back hard over and over again. Now I was outside on the roads. I had become used to our car but now there were hundreds of these strange machines, tearing by me . I did not like the smell and I did not like the noise but Boss would sit quietly on a bench with Bonnie and myself next to him, just simply sitting watching, and I soon came to know that they would not harm me as long as I never ran into the road.

As I grew bigger and bigger I did develop a bad habit. I did not mean to. It was just my natural exuberance and my eagerness to get to the fields or woods. I would pull very hard on my lead. After a while Mrs. Boss said that she could not cope with that anymore and even Boss said he felt that his shoulder was being wrenched out. So, one bright morning into the car I went and I was taken to a new place. There were quite a few other animals there accompanied by their humans We stood in a line waiting and then a very nice lady came along and spoke to each of us and patted us and a few minutes later we were were taken into a small field. This lady would tell the humans what to do and they all tried to obey or rather try to get their dogs to obey.  I already knew how to sit and lie down when I was told but now I had to learn new things. I was put on a spot and told to “stay” whilst Boss walked away. I could only run to him when he told me to. I did my very best. Lots of the other dogs were naughty and ran all over the place and I watched whilst embarrassed owners chased them and tried to make them do it over and over again. I was taught to walk “to heel” and be obedient even when off the lead. All of us animals were given little treats when we did things the humans liked and my favourites were pieces of dried liver and cheese. Every so often we would return to this place and it got more and more exciting. I made friends with lots of the other dogs and eventually we were given something else to do, something that I loved. We could run through tunnels, jump over bars, run up and down ramps and through hoops. This was my very favourite thing. Boss even made me something on a smaller scale in our garden at home and I wouldspend hours with either Boss or Mrs. Boss doing the things I had learned at that other place. I did not pull on my lead anymore, I no longer felt the need to. I remembered all my lessons well, sat at the kerbside, never ran off and behaved like the gentleman I knew my mother had wanted me to be.

It lasted quite a time but as the warm weather faded and the days became shorter and much colder, I made my last visit there. I had, apparently, learned all I ever needed to know. That last morning, all the humans were dressed up in fancy hats decorated with some shiny stuff I heard them call “tinsel”. We went through all we had learned. All of us dogs had to do it individually and then in a little competition with all the animals involved. At the end, the lady came over to me and stroked and hugged me. She handed a piece of paper to Boss and pinned something on my collar. Boss seemed very pleased.

When we returned home, Boss told Mrs. Boss and she hugged me and gave me a special treat to eat. I did not know why they were so happy. After all, I had just done something I enjoyed very much and could not see why they were making such a fuss. However, I heard Mrs. Boss telling everyone that I had come “first in my class“, whatever that meant and she put the red thing that had been pinned to my collar on the wall. I was just pleased that they were happy. We never returned to that place and now and again I wondered about the friends I had met there and hoped they were happy.

Directly after all this had happened, there was great excitement in the house for the second time in my life. I had seen it once before but I was only little and did not take a lot of notice. Boss went and got lots and lots of boxes and Mrs. Boss dived into each one bringing out strange glittery things, bright and shiny, which she then proceeded to place all around the room, indeed, all around the house. A big tall thing was put in place. It looked the same shape as a tree but it did not smell like a tree. I could not make it out. Things were hung all over this tree looking thing and at night it glowed! I liked it, it made me feel very cosy and secure. We would have visitors to the house including the young couple I had met on my first journey home. I had come to know them as Becky and Dean and they were very close indeed to Boss and Mrs. Boss. I got to know the sound of their car and Mrs. Boss would say “Becky’s here” andIwould run excitedly to the door in greeting. They were always so pleased to see me and I loved them almost as much as I loved Boss and Mrs. Boss. Then, one evening, lots of strange packages were placed  around the tree that was not a tree and I was told “not to touch”. Bonnie had seen it all many times before and whispered to me that I was in for a lovely treat early the next day.

The next morning arrived and our home was filled with an air of excitement. Boss and Mrs. Boss would hand some of those packages to each other and they both seemed happy and hugged.  Then Boss delved into the pile of remaining packages and brought out a few of  them. I was given one, Bonnie another and the cats had their own. I was excited and sniffed at mine and pawed at it. They helped me open it. Inside were two new toys and lots and lots of good things to eat. I would run up and down the hallway with a toy in my mouth making it squeak until I was tired out. Bonnie and I always wore tinsel around our collars on that day. I detected wonderful smells coming from the kitchen. Then Mrs. Boss would take something out of a square thing and I could feel the heat coming from  it and hear a sizzling noise. We animals had to wait patiently until this sizzling thing, called “a chicken” cooled down and then Boss would pull it to pieces and we each got a big bowl of this delicious meat. We were all so full and so happy and us dogs wanted to be part of everything but the cats all went to sleep for hours.

Two of my cat friends - Tinker (black/white) & Jasper (tabby)

Then Boss and Mrs. Boss would sit down with Becky and Dean to eat their own food. There was lots of laughter and the humans put silly things on their heads and giggled. The only bit of this day (which I came to know as Christmas) that I did not like was when they took some things out of a box, passed them around and then “pulled” them. They made a loud crack and I hated it. I would put my tail down and run away. They would pat me and tell me not to be afraid but I just did not like them. They reminded me of days when it appeared  as dark as evening and it rained hard and the sky would make flashes and loud bangs. I hated that. The worst time of the year came well  before this happy glittery time. Loud bangs filled the air, bright lights everywhere,  but it was not like when  it was raining. This went on for hours, sometimes every evening for days. Endless bangs and flashes. It made me shake and shiver. I could never understand why humans liked  to make things bang and I never got used to it.

To be continued............

Pip's Tale (Posthumous) - Part 2

I awoke in the middle of the night and I was scared. I did not recognize where I was. Where was my mother? Where were my brothers and sisters? I was alone. I started to cry. Suddenly a bright light went on and Mrs. Boss appeared. She hugged me, put something warm into my box for me to cuddle up to and went away. This happened two or three times, my crying and her coming but she did not get angry or upset. Eventually I settled down to sleep.

The next day dawned and outside onto the green stuff I went again. I loved it. I was feeling braver and went off exploring, sticking my nose into everything. Strange coloured objects that Mrs. Boss grew and tended. There was water out there with strange creatures swimming in it but they did not come out to and do anything. They could not run around and I wondered why. There were all sorts of nooks and crannies to be explored and then Boss and Mrs. Boss came out and played with me.

A few minutes later, Boss disappeared inside and came out with another dog. I had seen this dog briefly the previous day but not for long. I think the humans felt I had experienced enough in one go. They left us alone together and she, for it was a bitch, ran up to me and examined me all over. She wagged her tail in joyous greeting. She told me that her name was Bonnie and that she had lived here happily for many years. She had been very sad because, not long before, she had lost her life-long companion and had been very lonely ever since. She was a cross-bred Border Collie, mainly white but with lots of black on her face and patches and spots of back on her body. She told me her friend had been Brandy, a brown Lhasa Apso. She was getting on in years and definitely feeling her age, but within minutes I had her running around chasing me and we heard Boss and Mrs. Boss laughing. We were great friends from that first moment. She adopted me and taught me everything a dog should know. I made her feel young again and she soon regained lots of her energy and lust for life. She was like a second mother to me and we cuddled up together when we got tired of playing.

My friend Bonnie with her friend Brandy

Then it was out in the car again. I did not knowwhether I was coming or going. We went into this strange building. I did not like the smell very much and we had to sit waiting with other people and their animals, but the humans all smiled at me. Then into another room and a man with a white coat on. I was put on a kind of table and this man looked into my eyes and my ears and down my throat and listened to my chest, felt all my joints and then ruffled my fur and said I was an excellent dog. I did not like it much when he stuck something sharp into me and presented Mr. Boss with a little card to prove that he had done it, but then back we went outside and into the car and home where Bonnie was waiting.

Bonnie was not alone. She had a couple of strange creatures with her. Much smaller than either she or I. They made strange mewing sounds. When I bounded in they were very surprised and very wary. They surveyed me with suspicious eyes and kept their distance at first. But, one by one, they eventually came up to me and began to rub their heads against mine in acceptance and friendship. There were five of them in all, Peanut, Flicky, Muffin, Jasper and Tinker. They were all ages, all sizes and all different colours. They did not join in our games. They were much too haughty for that. They had their own games which were not much fun for us dogs who liked to tear round and around the garden,as it was called, until we were exhausted. So there were the seven of us, we all ate at the same time and all had our separate feeding bowls. I used to hear Mrs. Boss laugh and say it was like a zoo whatever a zoo was. I came to know these other creatures as cats and they became mine. I decided I was going to be their guardian and see they came to no harm. I recognized each one and herded them up at mealtimes. However, if any other cat came onto our piece of ground, our personal turf, I knew it for a stranger and soon chased it off although I would never harm them.

This was all so different. Every experience was new, exciting and interesting. I thought of my mother and my siblings. I longed to tell them of the adventures I was having but then I remembered how I had been told that we would have to be parted one day, that we had our own lives to lead and that I must be brave and strong and make her proud of me and because I was having so much fun, I did not dwell on those memories for long.

I soon learned that there were times of the day for exercise, times of the day for playing, times to eat and times to be quiet. The being quiet times were mostly in the evenings when Mrs. Boss (Mr. Boss was out at work) sat in front of a box and watched moving pictures. There was talking and music and regular things seemed to appear on it, I learned to recognise the tunes. One day another box came into the house. That also had pictures appear on it but it was different because Mrs. Boss sat much closer to it and her fingers would tap away at something. I heard the word "keyboard" mentioned but it did not mean much to me.

My enjoyment came from other things. I soon learned that the world was a big big place. There were fields to run and chase in, woods that had so many trees it made my mind reel. I was taken to run on something called “the beach” and the stuff under my feet was completely different, firm but wet - and there was water. I enjoyed walking in it but I did not like the sound of it much and I refused to go into it properly. There were other homes we visited as well and I was always made welcome. I learned the different weather. Sometimes I would go out and get soaking wet, others time something blew against me with such a force that it raised all my fur and sent my ears flapping. Sometimes it was misty and hard to see. The most amazing thing of all was one morning when I flew out into the garden to suddenly find I was standing in white stuff that came halfway up my legs! It was cold white stuff as well and more of it was falling out of the sky. It was a mystery to me. Mrs. Boss came out with me, gathered some of this white stuff into her hands and formed a ball shape which she threw at me to catch. I did, of course, and it melted in my mouth and became water. What a strange but magical  place this world was.

To be continued...........

Pip's Tale (Posthumous)

I came into the world one hot July day but I remembered little about it. I only knew that I was surrounded by warmth and licks from my mother whose name was Heather and my siblings.  Sometimes I got occasional glimpses of my father whose name was Jack but not often.  I saw the light of day for the first time in something they call a kennel. It was a place where animals like me stayed whilst their humans were away. The people who owned this kennel also bred dogs - Border Collies and Bichon Frise.

We had “maids” to look after us and keep our living quarters clean. It was a noisy place with constant barking. The Bichons were opposite my family and they yapped all the time but my mother told us to ignore them and always behave like ladies and gentlemen which we did. Now and again, different people would walk in and stand looking at puppies. Quite often they would disappear with a puppy and we would never see it again. We did not know where they went or why.

Everyday was pretty much the same but, regular as clockwork, a day would come around which was a bit different because the kennel closed much earlier on that day. I did not like this day much because we were left to our own devices for many hours. Well, it just happened to be that particular day and I knew it was time for the maids to shut up and leave us because we had just had our lunch. I and my siblings were on solid food by then. So, I was very surprised when a lady and gentleman walked in. I was curious. They did not even spot us, they went straight to the Bichons. Strange things these dogs were, bundles of white curly hair and they seemed to be on springs, leaping up and down all the time. Well, this couple stood there looking at them and the man shook his head. He was obviously not impressed. The lady continued to talk with the kennel owner but the man wandered over and suddenly saw us. He called the lady across. She came and looked at us and shook her head. I heard her say something about “big feet” and “big dogs”. I gathered later that the man had told the lady that she could only have a small dog and she pointed out to him what he had told her. A conversation ensued but in the end they walked away and all was quiet.

I was even more surprised when less than ten minutes later they came back again. The kennel owner was not best pleased. He was anxious to close. Well, they walked back to my family. I had seen all this type of thing before, so instead of pushing to the front as my brothers and sisters did, I decided to be very laid-back and casual. I sat at the back of the stall with my head cocked on one side taking an interest in what would happen next. I was very surprised when the man pointed at me! In came the kennel maid and picked me up and took me outside our pen so that they could get a better look at me. She put me into the arms of the man and I knew immediately that I liked him. He had big strong arms, kindly eyes and was very gentle. He stroked me and smiled at me and I could not resist reaching up and licking his face. His face broke into a big beam. Then he handed me to the lady and I liked her as well. She had a soft voice and hands even more gentle than the man and she gave me lots of hugs. My siblings were all whining because they wanted to be cuddled as well but I was the lucky one.

The next thing I knew I was being carried outside, away from my family. I never even had the chance to say goodbye to them. We went into another room and the man and lady whom I came to know as Boss and Mrs. Boss sat at a desk and signed some papers. Then they walked around picking out things, dog food, something called a collar and a lead and some fluffy things called toys. All the time I was waiting to be put back in the stall, this was making me a little nervous. I did not know what was going on.

Suddenly I was outside in bright light and the air was filled with different smells, aromas I had never experienced before. I was carried in the lady’s arms to something I came to know as “the car”. It was strange in there, smaller than my stall and I was very scared when the man turned a key and a loud noise and vibrations shook me and we started to move Yes, move and without any legs! The world started flying past and I could make no sense of it. Yet, somehow it was strangely exciting and the lady stroked me all the time and told me I was beautiful.

She was very kind even when I did something naughty. All the excitement of what was going on, the movement of the car and the fact that I had had my lunch upset my stomach and I could not stop myself. I was sick all over her. She did not get cross. They stopped the car by the side of something called “the road” and she cleaned us both up. After that we continued in the car. I was tired and feel asleep. When I woke, two more people had appeared. I did not know who they were, but they were a young couple and very close to the lady and the man. Apparently, we had called at their home so I could be shown to them. They came out to the car and petted and fussed me for a while and then we drove on again.

Eventually the car came to a stop. I was carried up to a door and inside . No concrete floors here but soft stuff under my paws. Now there were all sorts of other new smells. After a few minutes of looking around they took me through another door and for the first time I really saw the outside. Green stuff under my feet, the warmth of the sun on my back, air smelling fresh and sweet, a sky so wide and blue. This was nice, I liked this. I did a little wee and they told me that I was a “good boy”. Then I was taken back inside, given some more food and some milk. They made me a nice comfy bed and I fell asleep. It had been such a strange and exciting day. I wondered whether it had all been a dream and when I awoke I would be back in the kennel with my mother and seven brothers and sisters. Little did I know that the next day would be even more exciting and I was to meet some new companions.

To be continued....

We Thank You

Mike and I would like to thank you for your lovely messages and support on the loss of our beautiful Pip.  It has meant a lot to both of us.

It is hit us both much harder than we could ever have imagined especially at a time when I am battling to get my blood sugars back to acceptable levels and the shock and upset have not helped in this one bit.

At the moment, I do not feel like writing in my journal as you can understand.  I know as the days pass it will get better and I hope to be back with fairly regular entries soon and commenting on all your journals.

However, Mike and I both needed to thank you and we do, from the bottom of our hearts.

GOODBYE PIP

In loving memory of our "Pip".  30th July 1995 - 5th January 2006.

I named him Pip because I had great expectations of him. He lived up to all of them and surpassed them. A gentle giant that had not one ounce of badness in him. A loyal and loving companion, gentle and trustworthy. A friend to all other humans and animals. Beautiful both outside and inside. His life only lasted for ten and a half years but Mike and I would rather have had those ten and a half years with him than without him.

He took his last walk this morning with Mike and it was apparent that the time had come. Mike had to take him for that last short ride and we knew he would never be returning to our home. Mike held him as he fell asleep forever and says that Pip looked into his eyes until the last as if to say "thank you."

No, Pip, we thank you. We thank you for the love and the laughter. We thank you for your intelligence and your loyalty. We thank you for being part of our lives. Rest in peace our beloved friend and companion, our big fluffy bunny, our prince. You truly were a prince among dogs, the finest there could ever have been. It was a privilege and an honour to know you.

Our hearts are broken , our eyes are swollen from crying, Jesse is looking for you and the house seems so empty without your magnificent presence. Time will pass, tears will dry, but we will never ever forget you. Sleep in peace dearest Pip, sleep in peace.

Laundry Thoughts

I was putting the washing in the machine earlier and it suddenly struck me, not for the first time, how easy we have it today.  In goes the washing and off we go to do other things, maybe housework, use our computers or whatever else we decide.

So different to washing day when I was young. Washing day really was a whole day and always on a Monday. It always started before 8 a.m. All the beds would be stripped, all the dirty clothes collected then my Mother would put the heavy metal washing copper on the gas stove to heat it up.  Those were the days when you could boil clothes and it was expected that you would. When the water was warm enough in her opinion, in would go the blue bag that was supposed to add extra whiteness.  The sheets would go in first and  be pushed under the water with heavy wooden tongs and occasionally moved around.  When it was considered they were clean and germ-free enough they had to be lifted out amid great clouds of steam into another metal container she had standing by on the floor.  They were left to cool down somewhat whilst the shirts and blouses and underwear went into the copper.

When the sheets had cooled off enough, into the sink they went to be rinsed in masses and masses of cold water. Through the mangle to get all the water out of them. I remember turning the handle of that mangle on hundreds of occasions, it was a job I hated.  Then, of course, they had to be starched - another laborious process.  It would be early afternoon often before they were hanging outside to dry.  In the winter all the washing would be draped around the kitchen and scullery and even the bathroom. Much of it would be placed on a large wooden clothes horse that stood in front of the kitchen range and I would be fascinated by the steam rising from the damp clothes.  You could never see out of the windows in winter and it must have made the whole house damp.

Quite often Mother decided that the collars and cuffs would need extra attention before the shirts went into the copper, so out came the washboard.  The collars and cuffs would be liberally coated with Sunlight soap and then rubbed vigorously up anddown the washboard.  The same applied to my white socks.  Oh, how I recall the many times I had sore knuckles from doing that.

In the winter the house would be full of steam and the fresh laundry smell that you just cannot describe.  It is a smell I remember so well and a smell that I miss.  You just do not get it with modern washing machines. It is a smell that still reminds me of childhood.

No fabric conditioners in those days.  My mother always got a great sense of satisfaction from seeing a line full of bright white washing on the line.  She would often spend the evening of the same day ironing it all with a flat iron that had to be constantly reheated on the kitchen range.

We took it for granted of course, but how exhausting it must have been although it certainly kept people fit and they had no need for work-outs in those days.

There was nothing like the feeling of sliding between cool starched sheets that my mother always put away after laundering into drawers that had lavendar bags in them.  I still remember those cool, crisp sheets and the smell of lavendar.

It is so easy for us today.  I use a fitted bottom sheet that never needs ironing and sleep under a duvet.  So laundering is kept to a minimum as I do not have much bedding to wash and I certainly never starch anything.

That also got me thinking of other things like washing up.  No fancy liquids in those days, just washing soda crystals.  Yes, they got the china and pots and pans clean but oh, the sore red hands they caused.  No shampoo either, my hair was washed in the same soap that we used for everything else although my mother always rinsed it in a mixture of clear water and lemon juice. I have always had strong thick hair so it cannot have done me any harm.

Well, I could sit here and write memories all daybut my washing is just about to finish so I had better go and get it out, no tongs thank goodness . However, I often wonder whether I would be much fitter if life had not changed and we still used the old-fashioned methods.