Trying to Get Back to Normal

I can't believe I haven't posted for another 10 days. Of course I don't have as much time now since I have to do everything myself. I do realise how much I relied on George now that he's not her any more. And I find I'm being more particular because I want to prove I can cope. Late this afternoon I swept up the leaves and cobwebs in the side passage, and then wiped the door and window ledges and frames. It has never looked so clean. As well as this, taking Jade on a couple of walks and running some errands, I also wrote an article for a law firm today,  and am trying to get back in the habit of writing every day. I really want to get back to posting here three times a week as well.

On Sunday I made a huge effort to get to a fun dog show with Jade. Fortunately it was in a Dorset village on a route I was familiar with, so I had no problem finding it in my 15 year old car, which now has a new clutch, and which I hope will continue to serve me for another year or so.

The dog show was fun, even though it was strange being there on my own with Jade. There were a number of familiar faces, and people and dogs to chat to. I entered Jade in just one class - best rescue dog. And was flabbergasted when we came out with first prize. Afterwards we paraded round our  neighbourhood with her red rosette pinned to her collar, and she is now known to the local dog loving fraternity as Princess Jade.

She also had her first professional photo shoot at the show, with a photographer who is a supporter of Pound Puppy Animal Rescue which had organised it. I thought it only fair to buy a print for £10. It's the close up I've added above. Although I can see on the A4 version that the detail of her fur and whiskers is well picked out, I'm not sure that the composition makes for a better photo than some I've taken myself. But heigh ho. It was all in a good cause.

Flowers for George

Some people still like to send flowers for a funeral, and a casket without a floral topping never seems right. I gave the flower option as well as one for charity donations to the British Heart Foundation. Sadly you can no longer pass on flowers to hospitals or hospices, so we collected George's on Wednesday, and they are now decorating my back garden.

I chose a woodland theme for the coffin spray, that sits nicely on the bench by the back fence.

 Jade managed to get a look in on this pretty posy.

Florists are so clever with their beautiful arrangements.

One gorgeous bunch filled two vases for my kitchen diner after I released it 

from the waterproof paper surrounding it inside a tall box.

The Final Goodbye

Today lots of our family and friends got together to celebrate George's life and times and give him a lovely send off at Poole Crematorium. He's no longer around to object to his photo on my blog so here he is on holiday in Herefordshire with me a few years ago. There aren't many recent photos of him as he was really quite camera shy, and I often had to catch him unawares, Here he has just turned to respond to me calling him, and this is the pic I carefully cropped to use on the Order of Service.

I was very proud of his daughter who read out a lovely poem, and of my son, who read a tribute that gave everyone a picture of him over the years - not an easy task for either of them. It was wonderful also that so many people travelled many miles to join me in the last goodbye. He went out to the sound track of The Great Escape, which used to be one of his favourite films.