Marathon Day

Blogging has had to take a back seat for a while as there is so much going on here. But last weekend I was in London and saw the marathon runners for the first time. I was there with some of the family to cheer on my nephew who was running his first full marathon. He was running to support UNICEF and we pitched up at their cheering posts just in time to see him flash by at Mile 13 on the opposite side of the road to us at Mile 22.

My daughter took some great photos.
This one features his wife and children with my granddaughter.

This is where we set up camp and had our picnic lunch during the long wait for him
 to run the next nine miles.

And here he is at last, stopping off long enough to give us all a big hug.

He made it in five and a quarter hours, earning £2.5 thousand in sponsorship for UNICEF. 

Here we all are at the UNICEF meeting point afterwards. 

It was quite a day. When we got back to my daughter's house after battling through the crowds to a train at Waterloo, we were pretty exhausted ourselves, even though we hadn't run 26 miles. It took the Torquay contingent until after 11 to get home by car, so I guess we really were the lucky ones. And we had a fantastic welcome from the dogs, who had been home alone except for going out for a walk with some very helpful friends in the afternoon.

Jade Likes the Beach

Jade and I are alone again. After the last of my visitors left yesterday, Jade was really upset. I didn't realise until it was her dinner time and she wasn't interested in her food. Hunger got the better of her though. She picked at it during the evening and it was all gone by 9.30. She's back to normal this morning and breakfast disappeared in a flash.

Her limp is getting better, though still in evidence, so I haven't been walking her far. But yesterday morning we went for a final walk on Sandbanks Beach with Eryn, her mum and a friend, and of course, Rafi. Jade was overjoyed and ran and played a bit, though not as enthusiastically as Rafi.

It was a day for meeting other cavvies. These dogs always recognise their own breed and run towards each other with tails wagging away. We met at least half a dozen of them in ones and twos, which was quite unusual.

Eryn forgot to bring her jacket, although she had been reminded before we got in the car. She insisted that she wasn't cold, even though the air was distinctly chilly in the wind. She probably just wanted to show off her new T-shirt.

Anyway. it's back to solitary walks for me and Jade now.

Bittersweet Memories

Today would have been my lovely mother's 97th birthday, but we lost her 10 years ago.
I took this pic the last time I saw her three weeks before she passed.

On the Ninth Day

I'm posting again. The house is mainly a tip, but I have one beautifully redecorated bedroom, plus a pristine and pretty kitchen/diner and alcove. All thanks to my daughter and some of her friends.

Children have been catered for with watershutes, indoor bowling, crazy golf, dog walks, park visits and football on the beach, as well as an x-box in the bedroom. Daughter and I have been catering for everyone morning midday and evening. We are all feeling pretty tired.

Both dogs have been unwell and have been taken to the vet. Rafi has an ear infection and has special drops for that. Jade hasn't caught that but is limping badly despite the prescribed pain killers. She refused to walk when we all went out after supper yesterday and today, just dug in her paws and wouldn't come with us. It was obviously hurting her too much. She has now been started on a course of injections.