HAPPY NEW YEAR

Well we've all had a lovely Christmas and survived without any major incidents which is a major bonus as over the last 8/9 years we've usually had something major to contend with!

Mr T asked me this morning what my New Years resolutions were, well I don't think I have any but my greatest hope is for our pack to stay as it is! and yes Mr T loved his hound album, I catch him reading it and re reading it, I think it's safe to say nothing while ever top that LOL.

I usually finish my yearly scrapbook album with a review of the year and I think this year's will be something like this.

January
 Elmo arrives as a foster dog for Greyhound Gap and we begin a steep learning curve in how to stop a young lurcher eating the house.

February
 Our darling Lucky passes away.

March
 I have yet another operation on my right hand.

April

Daughters hen party

May
 Orin arrives again as a foster dog for GG 

and Daughter gets married and we all have a fantastic time.

June
  Orin becomes a Taylor hound LOL

   

July

My brother Bob his wife Kelly and their daughter Katelyn arrive from America for Bob's sons wedding, so good spending time with them.

August

We do the photo shoot to lunch the publicity for this years walk.

September

Marc and co begin The southern Upland way walk to raise money for Greyhound Gap's kennel fund.

October  
 the walk finishes having raised a fantastic £3,850

November

Another op for me left hand this time

December

We survive Christmas without any disasters LOL
  
Had an appt with my surgeon, he's pleased with the progress but wants me to carry on as is (in the bloomin splint) until March when I will go back. All being well we will then arrange the next op for left hand *groan*

So this year has mostly been good, difficult at times losing our dear old Lucky ducks, and  nursing Belle all Summer and breaking our own self imposed limit of 6 hounds was bad BUT we don't regret it but look forward to them growing up a bit and calming down PLEASEEEEEEEE she says LOL.

I have one little wish albeit a very selfish one, I hope this year brings no hidden surprises and we can start saving so Eric can build his huge shed to house the 8 motorbikes which would mean space is freed up in the garage and I get a craft room, FAT CHANCES comes to mind but I can dream.
Wishing you all a very Happy New Year with lots of love from Sue and the Taylor pack xxx

HAPPY CHRISTMAS

ME AND THE GANG WOULD LIKE TO WISH ALL OUR BLOGGING FRIENDS A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS.

Managed to get the opening page of the hound album done! it's all wrapped up now, so the time line of when each dog arrived will be done later LOL

My lovely Mum made these beautiful hearts with the names of all our bridge babies on, they were to go on the Christmas tree this year BUT with the little ones we decided on no tree this year so Mr T came up with the cunning idea of hanging them from the light fitting. Next year  I hope they go on the tree. They are a beautiful reminder of much loved and missed hounds.

Belle is growing her chest is definitely becoming deeper!

and her and Twizzle are becoming a awesome double act! a rare photo of them being still.
Beautiful photo that will have to be scrapped.

and one of me being kissed to death by my little Belle or Hellsbells as her Dad calls her. She likes to French kiss YUCK!

Hoping everyone has a good Christmas

with love from Sue and the Taylor pack xxx

It's finished!

Well all the pages are here in the right order (I hope), still have the opening page to do, want to put a poem on it but struggling to find what I want, something about rescuing hounds, any suggestions? also have the time line to do, was thinking maybe like a family tree but as my wrist is protesting from over use (I have sat at my PC all week trying to finish pages) I shall do it after Christmas.

We're off to my daughters at teatime little Ben is 7 today, cannot quite believe he's 7 already, times has flown!

Orin has stooped limping and Ali hounds are well but mighty fed up with the wet weather and don't talk to me about MUD! .....

Christmas is pretty much sorted, she says hopefully, decorations are up, very minimal this year as I didn't want anything to get broken and the 3 young ones would have had a ball with the tree, hey ho next year!

At the beginning of this year Mum made little hearts with the name of each of our bridge babies embroidered on, so as they can't go on the tree we've hang them from the light fitting must take a photo to share with you.

Sue x

Such sad news

I am so sorry that our dear friend Winnie the greyhound passed away on the 18th December. My heart goes out to her Mum Elaine and their family. Losing a pet is always heartbreaking sad but so close to Christmas I know from experience seems if it's possible too be even worse as you watch the world gear up to celebrate whilst your heart is breaking.

Through Elaine Winnie had her own blog here is a link, Winnie was loved the world over and will be very much missed, she has been a wonderful ambassador for greyhounds and we will all miss reading about her adventures.

Sleep tight dear Winnie knowing how much you were loved

Sue x

Apologies

I've been a bad blogger again, nothing terrible has happened just been under the weather and of course like everyone busy busy busy!

Seems everyone has either filthy colds or the winter vomiting bug so doing my best to avoid them LOL.

Hounds are all well and happy and Orin's limp has gone. I was very proud of them all on Friday when Dawn came to scrap. Her dog Harry had been off colour for a few days and was admitted to the vets, sadly he had cancer and the kindest thing to do for him was to let him go, of course Dawn and her family are heartbroken as is Eric he adored Harry and Harry was his work mate on Wednesday and they would sit and share his lunch Eric's not Harry's and put the world to rights. The hounds sensed how fragile Dawn was and were so good and laid there heads in her lap and were generally very quiet and well behaved.

Enjoyed crop on Saturday and have almost finished a paper LO but boy has it made my hand hurt, one never learns, progress is good and hand clinic are very pleased. Shall see the surgeon on the 28th and have x rays to see have the wrist fussing is going, praying like mad they say I can start driving. I have to miss little Ben's school Nativity tomorrow as Vikki is sick and I can't drive myself there!

A few more hound pages for Eric Christmas prezzie,  think maybe 4 more to go but it will probably have to be wrapped as a work in progress LOL.

Keeping Winnie the greyhound in my thoughts and prayers and hoping she soon is back home with her lovely family.

Sue x

I had

the most wonderful birthday yesterday EVER!

I was totally spoilt with so many beautiful cards and presents that it was quite overwhelming, thank you everyone! especially to Sandra for the gorgeous canvass and tag she made me, I shall treasure them and Carol for the lovely paper flowers AND Reece peanut butter sweeties, how sneaky to remember they're my favourite, normally I have to wait for someone to bring me or send me some from America but Carol spotted them in Asda. I intend to frame my card from Carol it is stunning and the tag, all wrapped so beautifully wish I taken a photo of it now! Dawn got me a fab overnight bag and matching wash bag which I've longed for as when we go away all her stuff is beautiful and matches and I look like 2nd hand Rose as usual. Eric got me a new flat screen TV for the bedroom, I'd given up watching the old one as it was so awful and Mum got be the perfect scarf and Vik had made me a calender of wedding photo's which I love. And loads more stuff LOL
I tried taking a photo but it's blurred because it's difficult to hold a camera still and if you think this one is bad you should see the ones I tried taking of Ben and Harvey bums!

In the afternoon Vikki, Mathew and Be came over, quickly followed by Rachael and Harvey, Marc my son is still in America having gone to Washington and Philadelphia with a friend to watch the American football game between the army and navy.

A rare picture of MR & MRS T!

I figured it would be rude not to eat two pieces of my birthday cake so abandoned the diet in favour of good manners LOL

 My beautiful canvass from cousin Sandra!

At crop on Saturday the girls all sung happy birthday to me and Mum came in with a cake and candles I suspect I went a bit red!

With the exception of Orin who is limping and scary the pants off us ( but there is no lump so paws crossed he's just sprained it) all hounds are well and still being good ISH!

Off to hand clinic tomorrow.

A few more hound pages for Eric's Christmas prezzie which I'm thinking with 8 dogs still to do may not be finished but I will wrap it anyway.

Jim Buba , then HRH Mac man and Lucky Ducks.

Sue x

1 year today

since our wonderful hug monster Jim had to leave us. We miss him so much and could really do with his gentle ways to help us with these pesky babies!

 Jim's story is here

Orin has had his stitches out and is fully recovered, Elmo has had his yearly check and boosters, we were a bit shocked that he weighed in at 25kgs, he's only 23 inches to the shoulder and the vet said boy is this a muscular dog LOL. Elmo isn't a big eater but does of course spend hours roaring about. The 3 young ones have continued to be good so we're either making progress or they're hatching something big LOL

Hand clinic yesterday and Charlotte was very impressed with my finger and gave us a big at on the back, then more exercises to add to those I already do.

Been feeling a bit under the weather and had to have blood tests re done as all the markers were high and sure enough the 2nd lot came back the same, so have to go back to the Dr's grrrrrr getting mighty fed up with medical appts.

Work on the hound album progresses at an alarmingly slow rate as does the JYC class BUT I have finished wrapping Christmas presents and cards and parcels have been posted.

We are trying to decide whether to put the Christmas tree up or not, we've never not had a tree but with the 3 young ones I suspect it could be carnage, decisions to be made LOl.

Sue x

Hear no evil, see, no evil speak no evil!

The title just about sums it up LOL, these three are TROUBLE but past 2 days have been better.

Orin had his stitches checked this morning and they're fine and should be okay to come out Wednesday.

Last year my friend Jane won a free pass to Shimelle's Journal your Christmas, although I found it hard to do a page each day I did end up with a beautiful mini album that I was thrilled with. Having done 1 JYC you can do subsequent years free of charge so I shall do it again this year BUT I will pick out the prompts that appeal to me and I have decided to buy some page dividers have them at the back of my 2012 album, such big decisions LOL. I was going to go for 4 6x6 pockets to each page but have changed my mind and ordered some that have different sizes.

AND today we got the first prompt and I've done my page LOL. It's quite likely that I'll go back and tweak pages before printing as I get a better feel for it as it develops.

also working on hound pages, trying to do them in order now as that seems to work better and make the journalling flow easier.

AND I have decided to wrap 2 or 3 parcels each day, I hate wrapping and it's difficult and painful at the moment, so I shall eek it out rather than sit there for 3 days wrapping wrapping wrapping and getting more fed up with each present LOL.

Hand hurts but no where near as much as it did, off to hand clinic Wednesday for a review!

Sue x