Puppies, Theatre and Birthdays

Dear me I've been a bit neglectful of my blog this month, so thought I'd make another April entry so I have at least two this month!

Seamus is thriving, he's grown so much! He and Pepsi are great friend now and enjoy tiring each other out racing about the living room and play fighting. Ellie is still a bit wary and I have to watch she doesn't stand on the little fellow as she is such a klutz lol.

Seamus has attended puppy class and was very confident and at ease from the start. He is intelligent, walks well on the lead and is getting better with house-training.

I had forgotten how much work a puppy is though, they are a real commitment and you need patience and more patience. But it is all worthwhile, Seamus is a joy and I love him to bits.

Inbetween looking after my puppy I have started a new job within the firm I work for and it is ok. I now have a two week rolling rota so know exactly what I'll be working unlike the previous job. So I think it has been a good move.

I went to see Dancing at Lughnasa by Brian Friel at The Theatre by the Lake in Keswick the other week. It's a play I've wanted to see for a long time. It is set in a kitchen of the home of five very different unmarried sisters, their disgraced priest brother recently returned from Africa and Michael the illegitimate son of Chris, one of the sisters. Michael as a man looking back to 1936 is the narrator. Not a lot happens on the surface and as they go about their repetitive lives, there is much repression and restraint. But beneath this there is passion that occasionally shows itself as it does when the women, even the self righteous matriarch Kate, movingly dance wildly to music coming from Marconi, as they called their radio. Little happens, yet, everything is changing.  It is a touching, deep play that has many themes that intertwine that I feel I would like to see it again to fully appreciate it.

My friend Debbi is 50 this year and like me last year she is having an official and a real birthday. For the official one she has said she wants to go wine tasting in France, what an excellent choice. Really looking forward to celebrating her day in that way, France, good food and wine and great company, perfect!

My New Family Member

As some of you know I lost my 12 year old dachshund Max tragically last October. Recently I felt ready to get another dachshund to keep my wire daxie Pepsi and daxie cross Ellie company. Twice I was very close to adopting a rescue dachshund, but both times, through no fault of my own, they fell through. The last time that happened was on March 16th, then on the 17th I saw dachshund puppies for sale on Facebook and soon my name was down for a gorgeous wire boy!

On March 25th my friend Justyna and I drove through to County Durham to pick up my pup, who was just then ready to go to his new home.  The trip was pleasant, across to Hexham and then onto the A68  through Northumberland and into County Durham, up and down rolling hills with some beautiful big country vistas.

The puppy was gorgeous in real life as he was in the photos and on video I'd seen, I met his lovely mum and dad as well as his human mum!  I had shortlisted three names, (all Irish as I'd bought him on St Patrick's Day), Paddy, Dillon and Seamus and when I saw him I just knew he had to be a Seamus, it was perfect for him. His full title is Seamus O'Sausage, just couldn't resist lol!

I had a first photo taken of Seamus and me before we set off home, unfortunately he is slightly blurred, when he's awake he's never still for long. Seamus was snuggled in a fleecy blanket for the journey home and slept all the way.

Once home I introduced him to Pepsi and Ellie, they were interested in him but I was careful as he was so tiny. He was lively, bright and had a hearty appetite. He also settled remarkably well, with only a little whining in the first 24 hours, pretty amazing since he'd left his siblings and the only home he'd known.

Since then he has been a joy, already in just over a week he has grown and put on weight and is very settled indeed. My other two dogs are getting to know him, though it will take a while for them to get fully used to this crazy little pup tearing around lol! He'll be going to puppy classes soon, there's no doubt he will be the smallest there - however, as with most daxies, he is big on attitude and personality! So, welcome to the family Seamus, you'll get lots of love here and I know you will bring much joy.