goodbye 2008

sometimes I log onto this and feel empty of anything to say. Which is odd given that normally I'm full of excitement to talk! so next year I'll start havering on about anything and everything on the odd occasion that Murphy or Gizzy haven't done anything of note.

So... thank you to anyone who's been desperate enough to have read any of this and we'll see what happens next year. Slainge!

(ps Murphy continues to lie around, leaping into our laps at the remotest sign of movement in the hope it'll result in a walk.. Gizzy is off in the huff because I wouldn't give her her dinner at 3.30 this afternoon)

Boxing Day, we've

well we all survived Christmas 2008 - Murphy even got 2 walks! He was very busy in the morning chasing Magpies, then ripping wrapping paper. Luckily he got a break from his responsibilities while we were playing computer games in the evening.

Gizzy refused to countenance her new "radiator bed" but we caught her curled up on it this morning. Murphy isn't sure about his luxurious new bed though, but hopefully he'll get used to it soon.

He and Gizzy are totally stuffed on turkey - they've had more than me! Although I skipped main course and went straight for trifle and chocolates for lunch today so that's not hard.

New challenge - make all the chocolate and sweets last a bit longer than normal. Merry Christmas!

christmas

well murphy survived his trip to Glasgow on Saturday and was very well behaved (apart from sneaking up on the sofa for a kip while Ian was snoozing on his sofa). He wasn't too happy today when the dogwalker went off on holiday; he never gets the same walks when it's us responsible for them!

anyway he's in for a treat tomorrow - they sent us a huge turkey so there'll be plenty of extra for the hooverdog! In the meantime Gizzy is inhabiting the bed so I can't make it yet - she's been there all day!

Well, Merry Christmas!!!!

caught in the act

Gizzy was found balanced on the arm of the sofa, her claws well into my little Norwegian girl tree decoration as she pulled it towards her...

luckily she was caught, before she got onto the tree itself and created absolute havoc! She's never bothered with the tree before, I don't know why she's suddenly taken an interest. Murphy meanwhile has been goodness itself (as far as the tree's concerned anyway)

christmas

is coming and I'm pretty organised this year - all I've got to do now is wrap the presents for Richard's side of things (ie him and the kids). Got everything else got, wrapped and posted where necessary (that last did involve a 45 minute sojourn in the local store with the Post Office - 5 minutes to work out what packaging to buy for my parcels, 5 minutes to wait in the shop queue to pay for it, 10 minutes to wrap, address and seal it all, then another 25 minutes to wait in the PO queue to post it! (including a quick dash out into the rain half way through to put the windows down for Murphy in the car). And whit a driech day it all was - it poured for 48 hours (you in the west will pooh pooh this as standard but believe me people are looking at boat prices here!) For the first time ever Murphy got one of his weekend walks cut short (and didn't let me forget it either)

oh well, I've got the christmas music on (again), the tree's up and Richard's off on the obligatory trip to B & Q for new tree lights and electric tape. My second attempt at mince pies is in the offing, plus I intend to ice the christmas cake tonight. If I can fit it in between dinner and Wallander on the TV.

PS I've taken pity on Murphy and thrown his hated reindeer antlers out - they were broken. But there's always room for something else instead, Murphy! A Santa hat?

gizzy keeps an eye on things

..quite literally - check out the picture! Imagine walking past the gate and happening to glance in - to see the steely gaze of our new police-cat following you....

It's got to the stage where she goes in the huff if we close the curtains and she can't look out. Maybe she just likes to see the snow outside, and know she's nice and cosy. Unlike the dog, our snow-hero, who leaves no snowflake unturned in his search for....well, whatever he's searching for....