Note to readers: For the avoidance of any doubt, every character in this blog is Baggy! No Baggy was harmed in its writing, although some of them get pretty confused!Depression: No sign.Anxiety: Manageable.Tears: Warranted.Laughs: Some.
Baggy is very content with her lot; she is a fortunate woman, and grateful for it. Yes, of course Hormonal Hannah has a few issues, and truthfully, Baggy is falling apart at the seams a little bit, but she gets to live a lovely life! She is particularly happy at this time of year, when this part of the world is happily refreshing itself - everything in nature is fresh and blooming; the greens are vibrant and varied and the wild flowers are vying for pride of place. Gloria Gardener particularly loves seeing the leaves popping out on the trees and Creative Clara loves seeing their shapes against the blue skies of spring time. It is good for the soul. Gloria is fairly selective in her weeding, partly because she doesn't recognise a weed from a 'proper' plant, but also because Clever Bird thinks that every plant deserves a chance, until it lets her down. The list of let-downs currently includes brambles, ivy and nettles, but these 'weeds' are beautiful, and the bees love them!
Being out in the garden helps Hormonal Hannah's mental health no end, as does being back at the beach. Pepper Pooch has been given the all clear from his leg issues this afternoon, so that's a major relief and means that he can swim and hurtle about once again, to his heart's content. The vet is of the same opinion as Psychic Ploppo, which is that the leg gnawing initially started as a result of him picking up on Baggy's stress, and the obvious pain from her arthritic knee. 'He is very connected to your emotions, and a very sensitive little dog,' was the vet's summation of the situation. That he is, Bless him.
Although it's still annoying grumpy-bird rather, that dogs are not allowed on the beach at Southwold from April to October, as you can see how packed it was at lunchtime today Baggees!
Furry Mama would have loved to carry on along this bit of beach to the pier today, but she could not. So this was as far as they went, before heading to the café for a drink each. Being a good Furry Mama, she put the pooch on his lead as they headed to the promenade, and Freda Fretter started saying a silent prayer to the gods that the pooch would not need a poo, because she suddenly realised that having swapped jackets, she had no poo-bags on her. As she got a few yards from the café with Pepper doing a perfect heel for once, a chap on the promenade called over to her, 'Your dog is doing his business!'
Oh heck! Baggy swung round to see a neat pile of yuck on the sand.
'And another one.'
Oh flipping heck! Baggy turned again, and sure enough......
'Thank you.'
'He doesn't want to make it easy for you does he?'
No, he blooming doesn't. Freda Fretter made a big drama of searching her handbag for the non-existent poo bags, as by now the entire café clientele were staring at her. Clever Bird was pretty sure that she had seen some poo-bags for sale there previously, so Furry Mama dropped the pooch's lead and his ball next to the first pile of yuck, and told him to wait there, while she headed to the café. Leaving the pooch to mark the spot, as it were. With relief Furry Mama picked up a box of poo-bags.
'Sorry, I'll pay for these when I order my coffee,' said an embarrassed Furry Mama, as she pulled a bag out of the box, and headed back to the patiently-waiting dog.
It's a bit like shopping bags Baggees, Baggy must have fifty or more 'bags-for-life', yet does she have them with her when she needs them? Doggy poo-bags on the other hand, are in every one of Baggy's handbags and pockets, to the point where The Domestic Goddess frequently washes them in the washing machine, but not today!
When they got home, Creative Clara remembered to take some photos of her super hero's (aka number one furry's) efforts so far on his parking area.
There's a little way to go as yet, but Baggy is proud of his efforts!
Meanwhile, Gloria's planting efforts are looking a little lost, but at least they're all still alive! And the grass (and weeds) are re-establishing themselves nicely.
With a bit more time, and a lot more effort, Gloria hopes to get it looking more like her neighbouring bit of garden, that is already well established.
Plants may need to be purchased on Sunday at the Wootten's Plant Fair at Wenhaston, which Creative Clara will be attending with some vintage stock and her beach-bits creations........
Note to readers: For the avoidance of any doubt, every character in this blog is Baggy! No Baggy was harmed in its writing, although some of them get pretty confused!
Depression: No sign.
Anxiety: Slightly less ridiculous than it was.
Tears: Warranted.
Laughs: Yep.
Furry Mama is happy to announce that despite still having no clue why the pooch started to chew his own leg, it is now almost recovered from the biopsies. Freda Fretter is mightily relieved, but also concerned that there is still something wrong that hasn't been discovered yet. The good news is that Furry Mama was told this morning, that Pepper can have the cone-of-shame off and go back to a normal existence, i.e. hurtling about off the lead (something he hasn't done for a month!), going in the sea, and generally getting on with life - as long as he doesn't start to gnaw his leg again. Phew! So, the moment that they left the vets' surgery this morning, they headed to Southwold. Clever Bird decided to park near the pier, as she figured that there was another few days before they were banned from the beach for the summer season. The pooch had a ball - literally!
Hormonal Hannah was as happy to be back at the beach, as Pepper was; it has been nearly a month since they were there after all. They walked (well Baggy hobbled with her arthritic knee and hip, and the pooch hurtled after his ball), to the café. Baggy ordered a cappuccino while the pooch, who was totally exhausted and begging Furry Mama to be back on his lead, had a drink of water. As she sat admiring the view, Clever Bird noticed a sign - big fat red arrow pointing in the direction that Furry Mama and Pepper had just walked from: 'NO DOGS ON THE BEACH.' Oooops! What? Well that explained the dirty looks then. But it's not May yet and dogs are allowed on that bit of beach from October to May. Weird. Baggy decided that she had better read the sign before she set off again. Freda was embarrassed and annoyed to see that this year dogs have been banned for an extra month - they are now not allowed on the beach in April. It's a shame, as Baggy loves Southwold, but Furry Mama got a bit cross when she read the sign which is headed, 'Help keep Southwold a dog friendly town.' She got even more cross when some locals told her that the council are thinking of banning dogs from the promenade all year round! Let's hope they don't for the dogs' sakes, and for the town's sake. Seriously, when did dogs become so frowned upon?
Anyway, less of the grumpy-old-Baggy syndrome. Hannah and the pooch had a lovely time. It's so nice for him to be able to run free again (even if it wasn't "allowed"). It's also much easier for Baggy. Calum, the pooch and Furry Mama had a lovely walk around Dunwich Heath at the weekend, but lead walks are never easy with a young dog!
But Calum deserved a break, having spent most of the weekend getting on with his parking space. Only Baggy's husband would think that lifting sleepers on his own, on the hottest day of the year so far was a good plan! But Baggy is amazingly proud of his efforts!
He then took Gloria Gardener to buy a bunch of new plants for the area. Creative Clara will attempt to remember to take proper photos next time, but she did remember to take one of how lovely the house is looking!
This evening, Freda Fretter has put the cone-of-shame back on the pooch after a phone call from the vet saying that she wants to be certain that Pepper doesn't make his leg bad again! As he has been licking it each time Furry Mama's back is turned, she's decided to leave it on him whilst they're in the house - that will be more leg bruises for Baggy then. But Bless the gorgeous little pooch; Furry Mama got the cone back out, and what did the pooch do? Run away with his tail between his legs? Nope. Shake his head so that Furry Mama couldn't get the cone on. Nope. He wagged his tail and shoved his head into it! Furry Mama adores that little dog who is currently fast asleep on the little sofa, with the cone resting on the arm......
Note to readers: For the avoidance of any doubt, every character in this blog is Baggy! No Baggy was harmed in its writing, although some of them get pretty confused!
Depression: Fine.
Anxiety: Seriously awful.
Tears: Naturally, including some happy ones.
Laughs: Yay!
Furry Mama has been following the rules. She took Pepper Pooch back to the vet on Monday for a check on his leg. She had not removed the cone-of-shame since it was put on on Saturday, so he had done no further damage. However, the bandage was starting to rub the wounds, so it was taken off. Freda Fretter tries hard not to look too closely at the wounds, as they make Baggy go a little weird, but actually, they are minor and healing well. He may have to wear the cone for a further two weeks though, which is going to send him and Hormonal Hannah doolally unless Clever Bird can come up with a plan.
The good news is that so far all of the tests including the biopsies, have come back as normal. So that would be £1,000 to have no clue why the pooch started to gnaw his own leg. Well, aside from Psychic Ploppo's theory that is Baggees. She has realised that the gnawing started at pretty much the same time as Baggy's knee swelled up, and she could not get up from the sofa without groaning in pain. Swelling, and pain, she now knows to have been caused by arthritis. Baggy and the pooch do seem to be weirdly in tune, so crazy as it obviously sounds, Ploppo does wonder about the coincidence. It is after all a fact, that Grotty Groom and Wesley have always managed to reflect each other's illnesses and pains!
Being unable to go to the beach, or even for long walks, is proving to be a big challenge for Pepper, and equally for Hormonal Hannah. Grotty is also disappointed - having made the decision to try to start riding again, she hasn't even seen her horses for two weeks, because she cannot leave the pooch in the campervan with his cone on, in case he breaks his neck! So life has been on hold a bit for some of the gang. But at least The Domestic Goddess has been on a roll! It's a bit sad she knows, but she's very excited about her new vacuum cleaner - purchased a) because Baggy had to crawl around on her knees to get the old one to even vaguely do its job and b) because Freda Fretter wonders whether dust mites were part of the pooch's problems. But its made life much easier, and because the carpets for once are looking clean, she carried on and did lots of reorganising as well!
On Thursday Baggy sees her doctor, and the pooch sees his, so things may become a little clearer then. In the meantime, Baggy's collection of bruises is growing, as she is whacked on the legs every few minutes by Pepper's cone.......
Note to readers: For the avoidance of any doubt, every character in this blog is Baggy! No Baggy was harmed in its writing, although some of them get pretty confused!
Depression: Okay
Anxiety: Really bad
Tears: Loads
Laughs: Need more!
Furry Mama has been under strict instructions to only walk Pepper pooch on the lead so that he can't get in water. She has obeyed. But the pooch is only two-and-a-half, so he has a serious amount of energy to burn off. Clever Bird decided that they needed a change of scenery from just walking around the village, and managed to persuade Hormonal Hannah to actually go out somewhere away from the 'safety' of home. Dunwich Heath seemed like the perfect choice, especially as dogs have to be on the lead anyway at this time of year (dicky-birds to protect), and it's soft ground. It's a beautiful circular walk of about forty-five minutes and there's a lovely National Trust café at the end for cappuccino and scones!
Baggy always parks Billy Bob Jalopy campervan near the cliff edge, with a gorgeous view of the sea. The pooch waits while Baggy faffs about putting on jumpers, and sorting out her bag, then hops out when Furry Mama tells him he can, and immediately sits to wait for his ball. As soon as Baggy is ready, the pooch runs off to the footpath down to the sea.
Not this time! Oh no! This time, Baggy undid Pepper's car harness and opened her door to get out. Before she could, the pooch who'd not been off the lead for over a week, virtually scrambled over Baggy's lap and leapt out! Okay, no problem, he wouldn't go anywhere. WRONG! Like a greyhound out of a trap, he shot off, straight towards the cliff edge - the thirty or forty-foot, vertical cliff edge, down to a shingle beach!
'Pepper NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!' screamed Furry Mama, as Hannah and Freda Fretter had a panic attack. He carried on in an over-excited gallop, 'WAIT!!!'
He stopped, with maybe a foot to spare. He looked over the edge and Furry Mama thought he was still going to risk it, but he looked back at her rather sheepishly, then ran back to her and sat and waited.
Once Baggy's heart-rate had reduced to something vaguely approaching normal, they headed off on their walk - on the flexi-lead.
Baggy did struggle, and had to sit on a bench for a while to rest her knee, but the pooch sniffed and trotted, and attempted to jump in the muddy dykes.
That afternoon, Furry Mama related the tale at the vet's, while his leg was checked. The vet laughed, and related a similar tale of her own puppy. The nurse cleaned his wounds and put a new bandage on his leg. Furry Mama made an appointment for Monday to get the bandage changed again - fine, as the one in the above photo had lasted four days. Or so Clever Bird thought.
Today, Clever Bird decided that Pepper could have the full run of Gloria Gardener's garden, rather than being restricted to the bottom patio. MISTAKE! Not that she realised that until ten minutes later, when Furry Mama went to see where he had vanished to. His new bandage was hanging off, and his biopsy wound looked raw. Emergency trip to the vet, and Hormonal Hannah was beating herself up for being an idiot and not watching Pepper while he was in the garden. Freda Fretter was in tears driving home, she felt so bad for risking her beloved pooch's health, just because she felt sorry for him. He has pulled all the stitches out and opened up the wounds, so now has a full bandage, including over his foot. He's on antibiotics, that Baggy can't go near because they contain penicillin which she's allergic to. He is not allowed to jump, run, or even be walked on the lead. Furry Mama has to take him out to the patio to do his ablutions, while on the lead. He has to wear the cone-of-shame all the time, unless he is being watched, in which case he can wear his blue buster collar. He must not chase Bracket kat. Baggy has her work well and truly cut out for her for the next few weeks.......
Clever Bird and Creative Clara have had a bit of a falling out - Psychic Ploppo did try to stop the two of them from merrily writing in the last blog that Hormonal Hannah's depression was over the horizon; dumb idea, literally the following day it came back with a vengeance. So Baggy has been in a bit of a fug for the last week or so. Some of this has been down to being in pain - or the pain has been exacerbated by the depression - who knows for sure? But it certainly hasn't helped!
Baggy has been doing her best to get on with her physiotherapy exercises for the arthritis in her neck and shoulder, but simple as they are, they're also painful. She found out at her session this morning, that some progress has been made though, which is good. Just as well, as on Saturday evening, after a day (entirely wasted) at a craft fair in the village, Baggy was in so much pain, that she asked number one furry, if he would do a gentle massage on her neck. As Calum touched her shoulder, Baggy swore! It was agony!
'I said gently,' growled an ungrateful Baggy.
'That is gently.' He carried on. Baggy pulled away, almost in tears the pain was so intense.
'Ouch! Seriously, that hurts.'
'I'm barely touching you.'
Scarily, when he demonstrated on Baggy's hand how hard he was pressing, Freda Fretter was shocked; Baggy could hardly feel his fingers. They concluded that maybe it was a trapped nerve. By Sunday morning, Baggy's neck was worse, and she had a blinding headache to go with it. Pretty much unable to function, Baggy was struggling, so Calum ran her a nice deep, hot bubble bath. Now Baggy's not big on baths, she prefers a shower, but once she'd got over cooking herself in the boiling water, she settled down, and virtually fell asleep. A long while later, Cal reappeared with some relaxing music (and to check Baggy hadn't drowned). Eventually, looking like a wrinkled prune, Baggy felt a little better and decided to get out of the bath. She couldn't! Clever Bird decided to drain the water, so that the bath wasn't so slippy. Baggy tried again. Nope! Her left knee has been painful for a month or more. It is now very swollen. It wouldn't bend enough for Baggy to get up, and was too painful for her to kneel on, even if she could have got into that position. As she has zero stomach strength, since having all her abdominal muscles cut through for her Lawrence-the-durmoid-cyst surgery, and very little arm strength, since having both arms cut through for her cubital tunnel surgery (Yep Baggees, the woman is falling apart at the seams!), and she is once more seriously over weight, she was going nowhere!
So a naked, wet, and rapidly-getting-cold-Baggy started to yell for Calum who was downstairs. Nothing. No response. Not even from the pooch, who had apparently also gone downstairs. She started banging on the floor. Nope. She grabbed a glasses case and started banging that on the floor. Nope. Then she banged it on the wooden bathroom door. Finally, Baggy heard Pepper bark and Calum heading to the back door to see who was there. She yelled again. Pepper got the message and got Calum to come upstairs.
'You okay?'
'No! I can't get out.' Hysterical laughter form Calum. 'It's not funny.'
'It kind of is.'
A highly humiliated Baggy was hauled unceremoniously from the bath - not easily, it must be said. A few hours later, having been out with Furry Mama to walk the pooch, and do some food shopping (for which Baggy waited in the car in agony), Baggy had a migraine. Home once more, she slept for two hours while Calum went out on his motorbike. Finally she felt a little better.
Today she found out that she also has arthritis in her knee. So, a new set of exercises to go with the neck ones. Instructions to swim and go out on her bicycle, and to lose weight. Again. Clever Bird knows that this last is necessary, especially if Grotty Groom is ever going to ride Wesley again, but the moment that the physiotherapist mentioned a knee replacement, she decided that she needed to face facts. Today Baggy purchased a set of bathroom scales and hesitantly got on them - that will be three-stone that she needs to lose then. Sigh! The stone-and-a-bit she had lost, has all gone back on. Not good. Particularly, not good, as Baggy learnt today that there is a theory that high cholesterol, or increased fat, can cause arthritis to flare up, then to increase. So, as Baggy has had enough surgery already, and really does not want a new knee, she is going to try really hard to get fitter.
Meanwhile, one of the reasons that Hormonal Hannah's depression returned is probably because Furry Mama became so stressed about the pooch. On Monday he had to have sedation, so that the vet could do skin scrapes, hair follicle tests and biopsies on the skin, that he is chewing away on his leg. He was fine. Now, a few hundred pounds later, Furry Mama is waiting for the test results, and having to walk the pooch on a lead so that he doesn't burst his stitches. Easier said than done, when Baggy is limping and the pooch thinks that walking slowly is for wimps........
Note to readers: For the avoidance of any doubt, every character in this blog is Baggy! No Baggy was harmed in its writing, although some of them get pretty confused!
Depression: Bad.
Anxiety: Ghastly.
Tears: Lots.
Smiles: Some, but more are required.
