140 Years of the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home

It's not every day your favourite rehoming centre turns 140! Be warned, the post ahead is full of cake, ribbons and much gushing of doggos.

Still here? Well, buckle in.

I have a lot to thank EDCH for. Firstly, my childhood dog was born there and Cindy gave me 14 years of unconditional love. And then Missy came along in 2014, the rottie that shrunk in the wash, sad and unable to cope with the stresses of kennel life.

I have explained before how she chose us, and I have honestly thought back to that day a hundred times and counted myself lucky that Missy came home with us.

But nonetheless, Sunday was the EDCH open day and 140th birthday. There was all the usual things for an open day: competitions, stalls, an education zone, a kids area and plenty of food. What was nice was that the competitions were grouped into blocks, so there was time in between to look about.

After Waggiest Tail everyone was asked for a moment and thanks were said, to the trust, the volunteers and the community there supporting and helping to fundraise. The biggest dog friendly cake I have ever seen was then carried out and a happy birthday was sung by all.

A small fleet of dogs followed said cake for a slice, including Missy who put every gram of her 20kg of muscle into dragging me along behind it.

Missy did indeed get a slice. But only after many comments were made on her neatly tucked sit and very hard stare - I confirmed that such a tactic was a regular occurrence, and Missy truly was the master of it.

The slice barely lasted 10 seconds!

Missy's competitions were in the middle slot (golden oldie and best rescue) before her strongest category at the end (fancy dress). Missy sidled up to the judge and snuggled in for a wee cuddle, giving her saddest eyes and a tiny tail wag. 

Which was how we placed 2nd in best rescue. No sob story, no promoting her charity work, just a brief and well meaning cuddle. Which, hard stare aside, is really what she does best.

It was at this moment I realised that the ribbons were dated for 140 years - certainly one to go alongside the collection of special ribbons she's won.

We did another lap about the place and, truthfully, I was getting cold, and was considering skipping on fancy dress. I could hear her fan club in Manchester on the wind - but it's the last go as a Viking, with her little authentic shield and most inauthentic hat. I fetched a hot chocolate, found a spot out the wind to people watch and Missy had a nap to get herself ready for the final competition of the year.

And she nailed it. Granted, there wasn't a lot of competition (fancy dress is like that, it's either ridiculously popular or not very many are sporting), but I heard a distant cry behind me of;

"A viking?! That's so cool!" From a lovely lady who turned out to be the representative from Mercat tours, so someone who knows a thing or two about what's cool.

The judges gave Missy a pat and praise prior to officially judging "all the years we've done this, I've never seen a viking!" And myself and Mercat exchanged pleasantries.

Realising that dog number 1 was going for the sob story, (that's cheating!) Mercat laughed and then explained how her greyhound had been on deaths door 6 months ago. (Got to play them at thier game!).

Then came Missy. Why a viking?

So why not tell the truth. My sister does viking reenactment and Missy is the unofficial mascot of her group. They even gifted her the shield, which although tiny, is historically accurate.

Which is how we took home a first place ribbon.

I'm actually rather sad to be retiring the viking costume this year (from the competition circuit, she'll wear it again at an event or two) it has definitely been the most "wow" provoking one I've made.

What shall we do next year? A dragon? A Jacobite?

Regards really, I'm just thankful that we were able to have fun and celebrate 140 years of the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home - I hope they stay strong for many more years yet!

A Month of May-hem

Will the puns distract from the lack of updates?

... 

May-be? 

So, it's been a hot minute since I last posted and a lots been going on! Firstly, hubby got a new job. But in between leaving one and starting the next, it's been may-hem. Hubby actually finished on the last day of the visit from my Manchester sister. He made bees with my neice and nephw, had his last day and, as we waved them off, was technically a jobless bum.

But not for long! He had a two week window betweenjobs and, after flitting up to Aberdeen for Missy to go on her holidays, it was time fo ours. 

Y'all, this holiday has been 18 months in the making. From the first email declaring "Congratulations, 75 weeks until you're cruise" until we stepped on it, I have been absolutely psyched about our 10 year wedding anniversary although, who is gonna pay peak prices, so we've technically celebrated it 5 months early with a Norwegian cruise.

We played it safe and just did 7 days as we had no idea if we'd like it and I was anxious about a return of my seasickness (trust me, best cure is to get so seasick you go through the other side after first turning literally green: Indonesia, I have many wonderful memories, but your Maritime safety was not one of them!). 

So we went to Southampton, and from there sailed to Stavange, the first of 4 stops. I shan't go into ridiculous detail except to say that we had an absolute blast. There was more than we knew what to do with on the boat for entertainment, the scenery was like walking in a literal postcard, there was endless cake at all hours to accommodate grazing hobbits and we ticked a big bucket list item off and we did manage to see the Northern Lights.

We got home Sunday, hubby started work the next day and I hosted the in-laws who came visiting to return our much missed pup. The house is so eerily quiet without her, which is odd really as she doesn't make a sound normally, except when chasing rabbits in her sleep. I waved the in laws away, got my scrapbook organised for the holiday, was back at work the Wednesday, a sewing lesson Friday and by Saturday was absolutely entrenched in the post holiday blues. I managed to get out in the nice weather and take Missy on some nice walks but absolutely failed to achieve anything else. I think the combination of basically being on my own all week (hubby had Wednesday off but spent it asleep whilst I was working) and yet cramming in loads of short visits just led to the inevitable. I was placed in a bath and fed chocolate and Sunday was a slow day of putting the world right, starting with a trip out for ou monthly free tea at Dobbies and then a trip to the cinema.

And the world is back together again.

My Inverness friend came through Monday as we both had a team meeting Tuesday. I will say, it's nice having a best friend there to car share with and the odd arrangement is working very well for us to actually see one another and hang out in person more. 

She workedfrom mine this morning then headed off at lunchtime and once more the house feels empty again, but tolerably so this time. Missy has been very cuddly since her return and I've definitely appreciated that from her. 

So, what to do to shake off these springtime blues but join a monthly challenge. Not walking 5km a day, but crafting every day to raise funds for the absolute best pet charity of them all:

The Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home.

I am rather pleased with day ones efforts. The plan is to make either some doggy quilts, or a proper human sized quilt, and raffle it off to raise funds. Keep an eye on my insta for daily updates each evening and check the link in my bio for details on how you can help raise money for dogs like Missy, and my childhood bestie Cindy, to help them find a loving home. Or just come along and say hi to cheer me on at @missdaisysewing. 

There will be Missy cameos along the way! 

Until next update, wish me well and take a well earned moment to yourselves, the blues aren't just for winter. 

Bard at the Beach

It was a very busy Saturday this week - the garden was cleared and made ready for the start of the new growing season (yes, it's January, but my new book (and basically garden bible) "Ministry Of Food: Thrifty Wartime Ways To Feed Your Family Today", encourages potato planting and seed sowing (in the greenhouse) in February. Whilst I'm joking about it being my new garden bible, it has provided a month by month resource of what to plant and when in the British garden, something I've struggled to get a solid answer on in my garden experiments.

After that, it was setting up new fire alarms for my mum (to be explained below), measuring the kitchen, and gathering up all of the random treats and accessories we wanted to donate to the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home. If you recall back to our Holyrood #leadtheway walk, we were gathering donations for the EDCH, and Burns Pet, who sponsor the walks, gave us a big goodie bag to pass on. 

It was overdue getting to them! 

Scotland has new fire alarm legislation coming in at the end of the month, so I'd volunteered to sort my mums out. They have to be interconnected (which we set up at home just in case there was a problem with them, no worries, all good), so I'd organised a mini Burns night with her to give more meaning to the visit. 

Scope creep.

Thise two words are defining my 2022. Oh, if we're going to Edinburgh, let's pop in and ask about the kitchen (a baffling experience that somehow ate almost 2 hours of my day without actually speaking to a designer, that's next weekend!). We really need to get those donations away, how about a trip to the beach and we'll pop in and do that too? 

Then comes the rest of the family adding to scope, sister and family invited, only eldest neice comes along (she's embracing being 17 and an adult who can get the train and go where she wants; oh the reckoning she has ahead of her). That's fine, it'll be after the walk and - Oh, she's bringing Wee Ben. Thankfully we have the spare harness packed! 

It all went very well, we got everything on the list done, and it was exactly the pick me up my mum needed. I even pandered to her wanting a wee photoshoot on the beach, making sure we caught the golden hour and the best spots for backdrops. Missy is just like my mother, and she happily posed with her - whilst my neice stood for some photos, it was obvious she wasn't in the mood, so it was good my mum had one grandchild eager to join in the photos! 

We joined in the spirit of the Bard with linguistic games, although I'm not sure dear Rabbie Burns would have approved of Poetry for Neanderthals...! 

Talking of spirits, it's finally done: my Grim Grinning Ghosts SAL:

More detailed shots at my Instagram: @missdaisysewing 

Very. Very. Pleased! 

And today we booked our next grand adventure, but you'll have to wait and see what and when it is. All I will say is that I'm definitely embracing the quintessentially British vibe this year. 

Santa and Cthullu Cults

Dont let the title fool you, Santa is not a Lovecraftian creation! The contrast between my sisters life and my own is sometimes too amusing - read on to find out why!

It's that time of year where all the Christmas markets spring up and all the rehoming charities start fundraising again. The Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home did their annual Santa Paws visit and I was pleased that the madness of life allowed me enough time to take Missy along and my mother came too. 

For a dog that hates Christmas, she really does enjoy the fuss and attention of these events. She got loads of cuddles and fussing and stared out several stall keepers in order to obtain biscuits (and even had those without biscuits apologising to me). Her Paddington stare, as we call it, has only intensified over the years! 

Missy did me well as always and was perfectly behaved for Father Christmas. He had a great big tin of gravy bones that he was being very liberal with so she happily sat up beside him and worked her charm on him. After being deemed the "best behaved dog of the day" we were all sent off with a sweet treat each. 

My mother was proud of such praise and I could only laugh that Missy had clearly pulled the wool over his eyes. But hey, I won't mention the squirrels if you don't!

We walked along the promenade afterwards and watched the sea attack the storm walls. It was a pleasant day, and we certainly caught the best of it, but I think the weather is going to turn again. 

On a completely different end if the spectrum, and a break from Christmas sewibg: Cultist Robes.

(Hat knitted by my sister for her crazy Cthullu Cultist weekend, which is outlined here). 

Long story short, my sister and brother in law batted their eyelashes at me for some cultist robes that would a) look cool but not like something horrendous from the KKK, b) not give them rashes like the polyester ones they could find online and c) not bake them alive, hence the felt and not fleece choice in material. 

I was more than happy to take the challenge and used this Fleece Fun pattern which I liked best. I was keen on a multiway design as I wanted more used from them than one weekend, and my sister and her family are always game for laugh and dressing up. I've been sent photos of my BIL playing a out in his with a lightsaber, so it's clearly the right choice! I also liked this pattern as my sister was going for a goat demon (hence the hat) with a thousand young and we had bandied about the idea of putting eyes inside the cloak. I wanted something she could easily swish open to show off said eyes - I didn't get 1000, but there are 30 sets of eyes on there! 

So that brings me full circle to what I found so humorous. She's off taking her children to a Cthullu themed party complete with bonfire and I'm taking my furbaby to see Santa Paws. I dont know why I think that's so funny, but it is!

Although I totally think Missy could have pulled off some kind of hellish Lovecraftian monster very well! I've listened to a few of the stories and they do give me the absolute heebie jeebies, so I may have to outsource to my sister on suggestions as to what horror might suit Missy best! 

Trains and Rosettes

The 1940s and 50s day at Bo'ness had been on my radar for a while. I originally spotted this advertised when taking my friend to the railway earlier this year and have subsequently stalked Bo'ness and Kinneil railway through all their social media channels since. Ironically as I hated it as school, I've developed a real love and passion for history of all kinds in my old age and try and get along to all the reenactments that I can. This was obviously not a reenactment but a celebration of the time period with live music, dance displays, both steam and diesel engines and, of course, encouraging everyone to dress up. I love dressing up. Which is funny as I'm always in dog walking trousers, walking boots, a baggy jumper, tatty baseball cap and an obnoxiously bright hi-vis coat. My own mother today told me how lovely it was to be seen in a dress and my response was that they just aren't practical when walking the dog. But still, any excuse to embrace something bright and fun and I am there!

So, I've already said I wore a dress so the post today is a little back to front:

I actually made this nearly two years ago. It had not seen the light of day until now - not because I wasn't happy with it, I adore that I made something with a vintage pattern and the trials and tribulations I had as a novice at sewing at the time, but it's just so...fancy dress. It's bright and colour blocked and really in your face, which is exactly what I wanted until I realised that I had no opportunity to wear it! It was a vote two to one against a 40s vintage pattern outfit I've made (I'm keeping that for later!) and so off I went whilst wondering what I'd let myself in for.

My mother and I arrived in time for the first train of the day so we caught that and had brunch whilst the rest of the place was set up. We were both pleased to see three other women dressed up in our carriage having had a moments hesitation in the morning (whilst I don't care what other people think, the weather was changeable and I was concerned everyone else would be sensibly attired in macs). Missy had on her party collar and all three of us received compliments and we equally gushed over the other outfits.

Once off the train we jived a little and watched the dance demonstrations. We had already decided to skip the second train and decided to go warm up a little with some tea in the cafe. The staff all had on poodle skirts which I thought a wonderful touch. As we had our tea my eldest sister and her two (niece 14, nephew 10) arrived. I swear my birthday doesn't seem to be ending this year as I was handed pressies.

I noticed very quickly my niece didn't seem right. It clicked as we watched a group of flapper girls laughing in front of the pack of photographers - I had been actively trying to encourage all my family to dress up. My mother and myself were the only two to do so (credit to my nephew he wore a waistcoat and a flat cap to look a bit vintage) and had spent most of the morning explaining what we were wearing and that they should join in. My niece is at *that* age. She is very fashion conscious and doesn't like to break free from the herd and be different. She clearly expected my mother and I to be the only muffins dressed up and had instantly regretted that she had missed such an incredible Instagram opportunity. Those dressed up, I could see her little mind thinking, were clearly getting the most attention and having the most fun.

My sister had wanted to get me afternoon tea for my birthday but had lost out to two things, firstly that the buffet car is the only place you can have it and it's also the only place Missy is unwelcome, and secondly, you have to book months in advance. Even on days were there are no events it sells out right away. She had therefore decided to bring a picnic and we all enjoyed that on the next train. The ride was fun, my sister blagged me a shot on the foot plate at Manual saying it was my birthday and I got to hang out and play pokemon with my nephew.  A good day all in all!

After the excitement of the 40s/50s day, it was a day for Missy as we went to the Paws at the Prom event held by the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home. We did this last year and had a great time and, with the promise that this year was to be bigger and better than last, hopes were high.

In the car and off we went, picking up the entourage on route - my mum was coming as was Maisie; she was getting a wee day out without parental supervision owing to my brother working. We arrived in good time - I parked in Portobello and we walked over to the home, and both dogs were keen to say hi and meet new people and other dogs. They have recently built new paddocks on site and were using these as zones (Education in one, shopping another and so on) in addition to the arenas and stalls in the main field. It meant that even though this year was definitely busier than last (the good weather was most certainly the reason for that), it felt less crowded.

Gotta love a photobooth!

Neither Maisie nor Missy placed in Bonniest Girl and we decided to commiserate with lunch at the burrito van. My mum particularly loves the golden oldies category and, waiting for it to start, I got chatting with the "paw"rent of one of the competitors. I think they appreciated me checking if the dog was human or dog nervous owing to its harness being bright yellow with "nervous" stamped across it, and was told that it was a "generally everything" type nervous. We cheered them on, although we were pleased that a very elderly 17 year old dog won.

Following on from Missy completing her level 2 training, I had decided to place her into best trick as well. She decided that instead of spin and turn she would much rather lie down or give an unenthusiastic paw. Humiliated (but in good humour, Missy wasn't the only one to get performance shy), I returned to my mum and had to laugh that our new friends had stayed to cheer Missy on.

Maisie watching the competitions very seriously

We then went to the QandA session they were running at the Education Area and got some good advice to pass onto my brother about Maisies reactive barking. Then it was back to the main paddock for the last competition I had entered Missy in for: Best Rescue. The day had turned warm and the sun was out and Missy had decided that she didn't want to stand or sit pretty, she just wanted to lie down, sunbathe a little and have her belly scratched. Which is absolutely fine, but in a paddock full of dogs within a field full of dogs, certainly gains a lot of attention!

With the judges going through the names, I complied to Missy and gave her belly a scratch and she stretched comfortably and made herself very at home. I could hear people laughing at scene, even the DJ, when he clocked sight of us as he called out Missys name, laughed and said that she was clearly relaxed and enjoying herself. The judges deliberated for a while before announcing third place to the dog on my left, then second to the dog on my right. They clearly weren't going to pick all three dogs from the one corner so I was shocked when they called out Missy who "was clearly embracing her life as a rescue and showed perfectly just how wonderful a rescue dog could be".

Absolutely overwhelmed. Missy got to pose with her rosette and clearly didn't understand what the fuss was about. An over-proud doggy-grandma, my mum insisted we return to hers and celebrate (with tea, I was driving!).

Missy was glad to get home and fell fast asleep on the sofa (after I had put away the spoils of the day, you know, just in case I dropped some of the free sample dog biscuits). Her rosette and certificate are by her bed - a perfect end for the weekend.

Santa Paws

Its that time of the year, the mornings are frosty, lights twinkle in the dark evenings and decorations start to appear in windows-

Wait, its only November.

So, Christmas is beginning its creep into our lives and, whilst I disapprove of Christmas stuff going on sale before Halloween, the whole nonsense that is Black Friday and the fact that yes, some of my neighbours have already started decorating, I do think it is the right time to get the Christmas Markets up and running. For the second year running, I've managed to get along to the Edinburgh Dog and Cat homes Santa Paws Christmas Market. This is where Missy came from, and its a charity that I feel is completely overlooked, so I try my hardest to get along to the fundraising events and join in.

A festive Missy

And of course, the fleet of dogs in Christmas jumpers, reindeer antlers and tinsel. One cant forget the real reason we go to these events! Cousin Maisie, who is now a regular feature here, is having a real push on her socialisation and desensitisation - so a market full of dogs we know in advance will be good with other dogs, in a place where we know no one is gonna be offish or afraid of dogs, is a perfect place to ramp things up a little. As expected, the little fluff ball was utterly adored, and Missy wasn't left out as her chilled back demeanour was praised alongside her little eyebrows.

The weather was  really against everyone. Rather than the forecast light rain in the morning and a sunny afternoon, it was pretty heavy squalls with a high wind. As we arrived, they had aborted the outdoor element to the market and were moving the stall holders all inside. We were assured that the pups would definitely get their photos with santa paws, and I'm pleased to say that they did. Missy, who is most definitely on the good girl list showed off her impressive sit and stay skills whilst Maisie was made to sit on Santa's knee. We suspect he will overlook her naughty ways on account of the fact that she's such a young puppy. Or perhaps she'll just pout until she wins him over!

We finished the day (after Missy sampled all the freebies, a pooch after my own heart) with a very bracing walk down the promenade and on the beach. After being on her absolute best behaviour, Missy was off like a rocket on the sand and bounced and bounded all about us. My poor brother was towed along by an exuberant Maisie who was desperate to keep up and then he and I ended up spinning in circles as we tried not to get tied up in Maisies lead and Missy ran laps around us.an absolutely brilliant end to an enjoyable day!

I can't claim that this was Maisies first time on a beach, but it was certainly her first shot on sand and she took to it like a pro. I adore it when Missy deigns to play with her, she can play very nicely with puppies, although it's very much on her terms still!

In non doggy news, my latest (and most ambitious sewing project) is very nearly done, I just need to add the button holes. In the meantime, here's a sneak peak at my first ever double welted pocket with flap. Oh yes, this amateur seamstress is giving tailoring a go!

Edinburgh Kiltwalk 2018

So, we did it again! Yesterday we walked 24 miles around Edinburgh with the Kiltwalk raising money for the Edinburgh Cat and Dog Home - giving dogs (and cats!) like Missy a second chance to find their forever homes.

But first, the 24 miles!

They had shaken things up this year and the route was reverse to last year, and two miles shorter, starting at Holyrood and finishing at Murrayfield. 

The only complaint I had for the entire day was related to that: not the two miles, goodness no, the different start and stop points. We parked at Murrayfield and, whilst coaches were being provided to take people to Holyrood, no dogs were allowed on the coaches. I had realised that in advance, and so had to organise a taxi to pick us up and drop us off (big shout to Central Taxis for being dog friendly!). Whilst we could have got a tram, that would have meant adding a significant amount of walking to an already busy day. But as far as complaints go, it wasn't a big deal - the cab cost the same as the shuttle bus would have and we got there nice and easy, it just seemed an odd thing to do for a dog friendly event.

It was overall a better event than last year. Despite not training (again! I swear, next year if we decide to give this another go we will do some training) we kept up with the main bulk of the crowd, which really added to the atmosphere of the day. We bumped into lots of other dogs and discussed the different charities people were walking for. Some were well known large charities and some were smaller charities that we hadn't heard of - everyone agreed though that it was nice to have an event you could choose a charity for as it allowed a lot of the smaller ones to be seen. 

9 miles in and playing in Musselburgh

The weather wasn't as kind as last year with a chill breeze and some showers, but we marched through it and, when the wind dropped and the sun came out, we were treated to a pleasant few miles to dry up and enjoy the view. As always, Missy was keen to make friends both on the walk and off it. We allowed her off the lead when it was safe to do so and she was off saying hello to other walkers and finding dogs to play with. I'd made her a little vest out of an EDCH t-shirt and it certainly made her stand out and be seen, although it turned out a little long, so I will need to trim it before the next event we do!

Meals were very similar to last year (soup for lunch, mac and cheese and a burger for dinner) but there was a lot more choice for snacks during the 24 miles. Some of the pit stops had dog biscuits too, which Missy appreciated, and there were plenty of dog bowls about offering water. With the help of Missys spectacular "cape", we were spotted by some of the EDCH volunteering team and got our photos taken for the website and Missy was much admired before we all set off again.We realised we had found pace setters fairly quickly in the walk - a group of bees always seemed to be a few people in front of us and a few dogs were generally always just behind us, and that really helped keep up going along. 

As we reached the Blackhall pit stop, we realised we had a good chance of finishing the walk in 8 hours, taking more than an hour off of last years time. So, despite the hills (what an audacity of the local goegraphy, saving all the hills to the end!) we powered on through and made the last mile in 12 minutes. So, 24 miles in 7 hours, 57 minutes - got to admit, very pleased with that!

As expected, the hubby and I are a bit stiff and sore today, but all things considered we're doing very well. My arthritis was very manageable and today, barring one small blister, my feet are pretty ok. Missy spent her morning walk chasing squirrels, so obviously the paw balm and paw massage last night were all she needed! 

We're talking about maybe doing the Aberdeen walk next year, for something different, so watch this space!

Paws by the Prom

So last weekend I finally succeeded in getting to a dog show that wasn't officially cancelled due to heat, or canned owing to rain - and it was at a re homing centre close to our hearts: The Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home!

Fate has previously got in the way of me attending the Paws by the Prom event but I finally got Missy along. The weather was perfect, a light breeze to keep the dogs cool and the bugs away, but sunny and warm enough that we could stand and watch the displays without being uncomfortable. Sadly all my family were busy, including the hubby who was working, so it was just myself and my mum who managed to get along, and I was super disappointed that they all missed it.

We arrived just as it opened up and, after registering a photo of my mums cat (Elvis) into the cat photo contests (a lovely touch in my opinion) we made our way to the paddock and registered Missy for prettiest girl and best rescue. After a quick bite to eat, we watched the dogs compete and fail at the temptation alley, much to the embarrassment of all the owners and to the delight of the dogs. Then we watched the handsome boys before it was time for prettiest girl. My "no one knows or can agree" as Missys breed got a good laugh and despite her best efforts at flirting, she didn't rank. With all proceeds going to the EDCH, I really didn't care and we then mooched about the stalls (Missy somehow managed to gain a biscuit at every table!), had a chat with the guys from the fire brigade (and I got a snow cone the size of my face) before watching the agility demonstrations.

Missy is too clever to do agility. Whilst she is reward driven with treats, she will expend the least amount of energy possible, and go the simplest route rather than waste good squirrel chasing energy to preform pointless tasks. She is very capable of hurdles and the slalom, if muggins here is running as fast as possible with a treat held put before me!

My favourite show round was one I didn't participate in - most like owner. I never bother with it. Missy is small and stocky with black hair. I'm a skinny brunette and my husband a six foot ginger, so it's just pointless. Most of the time it just feels stupid and awkward to watch, but this time, a lady fully embracing her natural curly white hair strode out carrying her westie dog who was equally bedecked in curly white hair and they both had sunglasses on. It was absolutely perfect and the audience as a whole laughed at the performance. She placed first, rightfully so!

After that it was best rescue (again we didn't place, but by this point the dj doing the competition was so overwhelmed and in love with every dog before him he couldn't judge and was basically getting the audience to choose!) and then we checked to see if Elvis had placed in handsomest boy (again no luck!) before going for a stroll along the promenade and beach. A very successful show, and one I'll attend next year with any luck!

To bring things up to date and round off this week, things have been very busy and crafty in the household. The hubby has recruited my sewing and painting skills to hand build some magic tricks, and I'm now starting an absolutely fabulous wizards hat to go with his amazing wizards coat.

Although, first of all I finished the set for my sister and her family - a waistcoat for my brother in law. He's an odd size in garments, so I had to drape a pattern on him. It's my first shot trying to "tissue fit" an item, so fingers crossed it's a good fit!

And I couldn't spend all my time indoors crafting, so today I took Missy, my mum and my eldest neice and nephew to Crichton Castle. I've done it before with Missy, and we timed it well between rain showers. The kids enjoyed it too once we eventually got going, I despair at the new generation being so unable to cope without phones. There was no signal. And? We're all here. No one is going anywhere. Just enjoy the view without looking at it through a digital display!

Although my mother was cruel and insisted on a brisk stroll through the meadow, I think she takes delight in that at almost sixty, she can easily outpace and hold better stamina than a thirteen and nine year old! Missy enjoyed it, though no one can keep up with her pace as she chased the ghosts of scents.

Got special plans next weekend, tune in Monday to read about it!