A new day...

Well. Our hearts are still in smithereens, but we are functioning. After the hubby and I have spent nearly a week intermittently in tears we are feeling a bit better now. My first instinct was to rush out and get a puppy, to heal my heart and take my mind off the pain of losing Navarre, but common sense has prevailed - a baby and a puppy at the same time...er...not yet. Our Lab who came out of this episode unscathed - is handling it all ok. She has stopped rushing round to the back of the car to see if Navarre is in it. I think she understands. We will get her a friend again, and probably in the next 2-3 months, but we're not going to rush into it. Hubby wants another labby, and I want another Malamute. Above all else, I WANT A NEW HOUSE! I cannot continue to live here, completely paranoid. I am in the beginnning stages of convincing the hubby we should sell...

Go Well my Boy

Today, my angel, walks with his friend Digby on that great beach in the sky. Navarre, I can still feel you with me. Your bravery in killing that snake is unmatched. Navarre, I know you'll be at the front of the welcoming line one day, when I go, I know you will all be waiting for me with All the animals I've loved and lost, my whole life... Shelah: The Skipper who was my first dog, when I was two. I remember your cute brown spot on your side! Buddy & Perky: My beautiful ginger cats who lived with me for 17 years - you heard all my teenage angst poured into your sympathetic ears. Mickey: My third ginger kitty. We loved you so much - so did Buddy & Perky. Bess: We inherited you with the house we bought when I was ten. You were such a great introduction to rottweiler/bloodhounds - you were incredibly sweet, I see your eyes in Roxy my labrador now. Bozo: Although you didn't stay with us long, we enjoyed looking after you while your mom was away. It was wonderful how you would dance for treats! Sylvester: My first pet with the hubby. You were SUCH a gorgeous kitten, but we knew you were sick from the start - we always hoped we could nurse you better. Now I know you're playing with Perky - she is such a good mom. Snowy: To think I used to chase you away -because I thought you belonged to the neighbors, until I discovered you were abandoned. It took awhile to coax you inside but you came. Digby: We got you via the grapevine! You'd been taken away from a tramp - and given to us for safekeeping. You found a space in 'daddy's' heart - which is still empty. I'm sorry that I didn't have a chance to say goodbye. I know you came to fetch your friend Navarre: You were a dream come true for me. I always wanted an Alaskan Malamute. Your gorgeous face and chewbacca voice are burned into my memory forever! You were the gentlest giant that I hoped would teach our son to walk -by pulling himself up on your ears. I hope you were happy to see Digby with his wings and that you wanted to go with him. You have the heaviest place in all our hearts boy. To simply say we love you is hopelessly insuficient. Please be the one to fetch me one day.

Please pray for him, to whomever you pray to

Our beautiful Angel, the Fluffus Maximus, today was bitten by a Cobra, and lies fighting for his life on a ventilator in an emergency clinic. 3 hours ago... I looked outside to see with horror how this snake with a flattend hood was sitting up trying to strike at my laborador, both dogs circling this seemingly innocent toy in their garden. I screamed for them to come inside and leave the MOFO of a snake alone. His hood was as wide as my hand with fingers spread from thumb to pinkie. What dogs will listen when there is such fun to be had? I start to run around the house shutting all the windows (first making sure the cats are all inside) incase the snake tries to come into the house - they can climb walls these bastards. Anyway, suddenly my Malamute is at the door begging to come in... Unbeknownst to me, he had killed the snake and obviously caught it too low and it swung around to strike him on the nose. During this time I had frantically tried to call our local 'snake man' to come and get rid of it, and also my husband to ask what to do - he had let me know his dad was coming to help me get rid of the snake. We get the harnesses on the dogs and both into the car, once the bubby is also in the car and race off to the vet to check for bites on the dogs - they both seem fine, goofy with excitement to have their harnesses on - thinking they're being rewarded with a walk! We get to the vet and the first sign that he's been bitten is that he can't get out of the car, as the venom has started to work on his muscles. I race inside, not caring how I look (a crazed, sweating, wild and terrified Valkyrie, shaking and screaming) yelling that we have an emergency snake bite, and the dog needs help getting inside. There were no vets in the practice at this stage, but as they got my puppy onto the table in their op room, his heart stopped and the veterinary nurse managed to 'bring' him back (she had the main vet on the phone talking her through the procedure on his cell phone - he himself rushing the distance between his house and the vets place - thank god he lived close! - I can't help thinking that Navarre saw our other angel Digby who died almost a year ago from biliary. Digby must have told him it's not his time yet, because we had to transport him to another bigger clinic closer to the city the only one with a proper ventilator, in the back of my husbands bakkie (Pick up) with a canopy on. My hubby was driving, me in the passenger seat and one vet, and a vet's nurse in the back, pumping air into his lungs with one of those bags that you see on ER. It was so dramatic if George CLooney had been there, I would have thought I was watching ER! For nearly and hour while we drove through just before rush hour traffic - the lights just seemed to go green for us, they kept him 'breathing' EVERY FIVE SECONDS and thanks to their efforts - luckily his strong heart never faltered. At one point, the bag developed a tear and the vet and nurse had to take turns giving him MOUTH TO MOUTH! The vet (she) jokingly said that at least she didn't have to ask him about his sexual history! We actually managed to laugh. While she's busy saving his life (by the way he is such a big dog, he took six vials of anti-venom), she is telling us about all the other dogs that have survived the same type of bites and at least he was a big dog. They managed to bring him round from his anaesthesia (he was kept under by the vet out all the time while we were driving) having put him onto the ventilator as soon as we arrived at the big clinic - so we got to hug him and tell him what a brave boy he was and give him kisses on his head around all those awful tubes coming out of him. His eyes were open while I stroked him calling him my fluffy prince, my fluffus maximus, my fuffalufalus, my fuffups, my furry angel, my boyboy. They wanted to put him under again, because dogs get very stressed if they are conscious on a ventilator. Our local vet told us that he was now in the best hands in the country for snake bites. Ironically there was a small dog there as well who had also suffered a snake bite yesterday. We just got home just now at 18h30 - my in laws were wonderful, having looked after the bubby the whole time we were away. The bubby has just fallen asleep - so i am drinking the BIGGEST whiskey you have EVER seen! The super vet in whose care he now was, just rang to say that he is very stable and his blood oxygen level is perfect - better than if he was breathing by himself. Pray, pray, pray, pray, pray, pray, pray. I used to be a religious person (now disillusioned and a little more new age) but I swear I'm praying tonight, to God, Jaweh, Allah (may I say his name?), Buddha, Hari Krishna, Haile Selassie, Idi Amin Dada, Zeus, Apollo, Isis, Horus, Hathor, the Ancestors, and any other God who will listen that they must save my BOY, he protected me, the bubby, the lab, all our cats AND our neighbor who was watching with horror over the fence. Incidently, our neighbor flew in with her chariot (pick up) and offered to drive our boy to the clinic - but the hubby was minutes away, having run EVERY red light from his office to the vet. All we can do now, is wait...and pray, oh God pray

Um, can one say anything other than enjoy this spectre of wonder? 

Crop In Style have released some new ranges of their "Store in Style" modular scrap-friendly furniture. I pinched this picture of their website. You might remember I bought a tote from them awhile back - which they happily shipped to me for a low cost. Anyway, they have also released a new range of totes (See far right in picture) in a dusty pink. Proceeds from the profits go to the breast cancer awareness foundation so it would be well worth looking into if you're planning on splurging on a tote in the future. This last weekend, when I was on my scrapping break, mine was so valuable to me and handy, that everyone else was asking where I got it from. Don't you love that cubby on the left for your paper? Imagine putting two of those one atop the other - I might be close to storing all my paper! I also like the standing thing on the desk - handy to put tools within arms reach without using all your countertop space, i.e. trimmers, punches, adhesive. I'd move it back though and have it against a wall so stuff doesn't fall off the edge. I'm sure it's just like this for display purposes though. I am dreaming of a scrapping room like this, but with the addition of a six seater table for workshops and things this would be perfect! 

My two new movies arrived from Amazon yesterday - how exciting! I am a sucker for online shopping! My two new movies were "Hammers Over the Anvil" starrring Mr Crowe and several horses - and, "The Silver Brumby" starring Caroline Goodall, Mr Crowe and several horses as well. Needless to say, these are my two most favourite things in movies of course... For die hard RC fans - the opening scene in Hammers is NOT TO BE MISSED. You can just search those titles in Amazon and they'll pop up right away. I'm pretty impressed by the amount of stunts that Mr C (hah - look Michele I have my own Mr C!) did in these movies - granted probably not all of them, but a good enough amount to ensure us of genuinely great horsemanship skills. I went trawling for sites about the place where it was filmed - because there were enough sweeping vistas of unmistakable mountainous beauty, to assure me that a holiday there, with a horse trek thrown in would suit me just fine. The hubby and I were hoping that our next trip overseas was to Australia anyway, but now I just need to convince him that a side trip to The High Country of Victoria, Australia, would be a GREAT idea. He can ride just as well (ok not quite) as me so hopefully not too much convincing...oh and grandma would just love to have the bubby anyway...although I'm not sure if I could actually leave him and FLY overseas...hmm. 

All Scrapped Out

I didn't even have a chance to swim in the ocean or pool! It was just scrappin' all day long! 14h00: Friday - Arrived Told conference room was only available from 15h30...although the other guests had already departed... 14h15: 16 Creative Memories consultants politely demand the room to be made available. 14h16: Scrapping begins! 19h00: Go through to dinner 20h00: go back to scrapping room because dinner isn't ready yet 20h05: Eat positively GOURMET dinner. Feel bad for having complained about the wait. 20h20 - 0h30 scrap up a storm - then fall into bed o5h47: Saturday morning begin scrapping (some people had only gone to bed at 03h00... 07h00: yummy breakfast 07h05: scrapping 12h00: skip lunch to keep scrapping... 19h00: have dinner 19h20: finish whole bottle of wine by myself 19h21 - 01h45: scrapping then sleep. 06h47: Sunday, Stagger down to breakfast... 07h30 - 13h00 Scrap scrap scrap 13h30 - Lunch...depart Attempt to stay awake on the 2hr journey home.... 1.25 Albums completed!

Packing packing packing....what to take...hmm I'll definitely need this...and this...leave this....this is a duplicate...don't forget wipes for sweaty hands...snacks...must get gas before setting out...don't forget toothbrush....oh yes...and swimming costume....yikes, nearly forgot that...better hurry up and tidy the house....must get to mom's by nine-thirty am...geez must pack for the bubby...bottles, formula, the microsterilizer, clothes, nappies, bum cream...toys...back to me...make-up...moisterizer...sun screen...extra pool towel...don't forget the photographs!!!! See you Sunday evening! 

Apologies for having been away for awhile - I'm over at my mom's and not on her computer as much as I am on mine at home! She lives near some really nice shopping centres so I should be able to walk the shops with the Bubby while we're here. I'm also bringing the Bubby here again on Friday, so that he can spend the night with my mom while I drive up the coast for my scrapping weekend. The hubby will fetch him saturday after his golf (the hubby's not the bubby's) and take him home again. I'm SO excited about this weekend away, in a swish coastal resort, with walking distance to the beach and stunning swimming pool - I'm not entirely sure tha I'll get any scrapping done at all!! I will definitely miss the HELL out of the bubby, and the hubby of course. But I SOOOO need this break!

Memory Lane

I ran into an old friend yesterday(her in the picture), from my riding life, I haven't seen her since 2002! My horse retired to a farm and I stopped riding all together around that time. That is the same time my work in travel got so busy and I've not so much as talked to this friend (even though she lives only 2km away) or anyone else in the riding community since then either. I found it was easier to deal with not riding, by not being 'in the scene' as it were. Anyway, I was taking a drive down memory lane (literally) by driving around the horsey area of my suburb and lo and behold there she was! She is quite a bit older than me, and married to someone with oodles of money, so they have one of the larney horsey properties - with about 7 of their own horses. I envy her the horsey property, but not her life, as her husband 'appears' to be an unfaithful sh*t. Anyway, we saw one another and she was like "come over! Come to the house! Come for a coffee!" So I followed her back to her place where we got to chatting. It was hard to believe how her child was growing! From someone who had just started riding (her daughter) in fact I taught her her first lesson in 2001, she is now a Children's Junior Dressage & Showing Champion! Anyway, I offered her some of my equipment that I still have around the house and can't use since if I ever have another horse one day - who knows if the stuff will fit. Anyway, and she offered me a horse to ride in return, that she wants help with. Now it's a very tempting offer, but somehow I find myself at a bit of a loss. I would LOVE to get on a horse again. But when you are riding someone elses, it is not the same as having your own at all. I know that I will LONG for my own horse again, and I'm not sure that I could handle the longing. (Let alone afford it!) Now that I have the bubby, I can't bring myself to do get into that world again (shows every weekend - with copious drinking), because then he will miss out on me too much and that's not fair to him. Anyway if I do have a horse again it will be when my kids (hope to have another one) are at school, then at least I won't feel guilty of not spending time with them because horsey stuff can be done in the mornings before they're home from school. What do I do??!

Stuff arrived!

Hey there, my scrapbooking order arrived today, and was quickly assimilated into my other supplies ready for ne- ext weekend - also so as to not appear obvious in the house. It is SO FUGGING HOT today, I feel like I want to smash things in anger at this hot weather. It must be close to 37 centigrade and not one single breath of wind. FUG IT! I have my photography course tonight - about a 25 km drive to get there at 6 and it's on till 8. I am SO not in the mood for the long drive because I feel so tired - from the heat. DAMN HEAT!! Mind you I'd better go, because each time we take such great photos to build up our portfolios, so I shouldn't really miss it. I dont have a scanner, so I can't show you. Anyway, I'm off to go and mix bottles and prepare for my FIL to come around and look after the bubby. We have this set thing that he comes around so as to watch the bubby until the hubby comes home from work. Because my course is so far away I have to leave too early for the hubby to get here in time. Anyway, I'm boring MYSELF now with this post and the DOD GAM HEAT!!!! AAAAAACCCCKKKKKKK!!!!(Throws glass vase against wall)!!!!!!!!!!!