Weekly Flylady Thread 4th December 2023

[Deleted User]

Morning everyone,  very little actual Flying yesterday.  Some Christmas gifts wrapped and then I sat and watched TV.

Feeling a bit better this morning.  Got up sharper than usual and did a little bit of yoga - I am not capable of much but I need to start somewhere.  I had a fall in the snow at the weekend and I don't want to be a little old lady who falls in the snow so I am looking to improve my balance and body awareness.  Since I was up early I had some extra time so I did a bit of tidying.

Jazee

Me again.  Bedding changed, flat surfaces in bedroom dusted, breakfast dishes washed, first of two wash loads in machine and Poppet walked.

So pleased you have heating again YL.  I was thinking how lucky I am this morning.  We live in comparative luxury to previous generations, have heating, water, can buy nice food, have days out.......and even flying is easier.

Asparklierblonde

Absolutely thrilled you have heating YL. I am going to light the fire now, it is wet and chilly here. Cockerels successfully caught after much sliding around in the mud ready to go to their new home.

I still haven't spent any money this month but need a few essentials which I will pick up at lunchtime x

Honey_Bear

Flying today will be a bit more dusting, a bit more vacuuming, a bit of Christmas card writing and then let's see what the day brings.  It may involve gift-wrapping.  It may also include a bit more work on the two letting rooms that are due to be occupied from Sunday.

\ extreme rant alert.  Contains distressing information.

Aaah @Soappie I wish that were the case with this dog.  She's an ex-breeding !!!!!! we adopted in March this year.  With hindsight I can see why the rescue described her in the way they did, but unfortunately they misread her complete frantic desparation as friendliness.  She's not highly strung, it's just that anything that disturbs her routine is very, very scary for her, so 600 Santas and a different route on Sunday were enough to give her pause for thought the following day.  Yesterday was just hard for her but I did get her out on her walk later, and much later I got her into the garden with the help of some chicken - which she didn't get until she'd pee'd. 

When she doesn't want to go out she hides in her crate or on her sofa and in the past I've had to carry her to the front door and push her out but by and large we don't need to do that any more.  (I never, ever disturb her when she's in the crate but sometimes we do shut the door so she can't get in there.)  The lead can be very scary for her because the short ones look like a stick being long and straight, and sticks are the most frightening thing of all.  I could cry for this dog because of what her behaviour tells me about her previous life.  There's a lot, but we're gradually getting her into a better place mentally.  She can, for instance, now walk past wheelie bins without freaking out.  What do puppy farms do with dead puppies?  Wren's behaviour made that very clear, her droppy boobies and the quantity of milk she had in them told me about what had happened to her which is why she was at Many Tears in the first place.  One litter of dead puppies and they're useless to a breeder, basically.

Considering what she's clearly been through she's an amazing little dog that we both adore.  She loves loves loves other dogs and that has been a tremendous help.  We have a wonderful dog walker/sitter who has worked very patiently with her over the last few months and gives Wren the one thing she loves more than me - walks in exciting woods with other dogs.  I take her to exciting places too, but just me, so she now loves going in the car, which totally freaked her out in the early days.

I'm a big fan of Dizzy's because what she's doing is entirely different and it's clear from her recent photo of the puppies that they're in her house, and she's been really helpful to me behind the scenes as well.  I know how much she loves her dogs and how careful she is, but there are a lot of really, really nasty people out there making money from dogs and that's their only interest in them.  Anyone who buys a puppy without knowing the background of the breeder is perpetuating something unbelievably cruel and fortunately there are rescues that pick up the pieces, but it's heartbreaking.  It's just hard getting inside each dog's head to work out why they're freaking out over something that I take as normal.

On our last trip to Many Tears we happened to meet Sylvia, who started the rescue.  She was very low key, she didn't introduce herself, I recognised her and we just had a conversation while we were waiting our turn to complete the adoption process.  She told us the place was bursting at the seams and she knew of six dogs that needed to come in, but that they just simply hadn't got the space to take them.  Her genuine distress and concern was that the dogs would be destroyed before there was space.  How anyone can be that emotionally involved after all the years she's been doing that work blew me away. 

I'm posting this because it's coming up to Christmas and there will be people out there who think getting a puppy for Christmas is a wonderful idea.  I'm begging people NOT to do so, unless they get them from someone like Dizzy, who keeps the puppies in the house and lets people see the pups with their mum in the domestic setting.  I absolutely know Wren's past didn't include living in a house or human company that was kind.

\rant over.

soappie

@Honey_Bear poor scared Wren but how lucky she is to have you as her understanding Mum! Well done you for working so hard with her to make her feel safe and secure xxxx My dog doesn't have such a tragic background and is quite chilled about most things.

Well, one of the hacks the forum suggested has worked and I have a nicely flickering wood burner again instead of a roaring one - hurrah! It means I don't have to take the door off and wait for 24 hours for the glue for the new fire rope to dry. The stuff I bought can sit in storage until it's really needed! I should, hopefully, get through logs at a slower rate now.

Last night's WU put away, a bit of admin done, a bit of dusting and worktop cleaning done in the kitchen. The ever-growing recycling pile decluttered to the bin... Time to think about lunch and putting some sort of stew in the slow-cooker for dinner tonight.

Honey_Bear

Thanks Soappie.  She was seriously frightened this morning again but we tempted her out of the kitchen with chicken and once she was through the front door she was fine.  She's now quietly chewing on the wooden part of the futon in my office behind me.  This is her go to chew when I'm in here and she's stressed.  We're getting there with her but it's a very long slow process.

Have tested my longevity with a physio's suggested trials and I have some work to do to get a bit more fit.  I've also found a 37 mile walk that's local and can be section hiked using public transport so that'll the next one I do over the winter. 

Christmas cards jointly signed with Belovéd for the neighbours and friends we're going to be seeing on the 11th and 12th, so they're sorted well ahead of the deadlines.  Now to do the USA and Irish ones.

Office, bedroom and landing vacuumed.

pigpen

HB.. My Mothers recent situation with pups was caused by a puppy farm situation. Apparently in order to have huge litters they put 3-4 males in several times a day over the course of a week or so which is how she ended up almost dying giving birth and had she not been safe with my mother she would have been dead along with all 11 puppies. Normally she would have had 4-6 in a litter, she had 11, 1 was not compatible with life and one died within 24 hours but 9 pups were raised in the house in a healthy and safe environment and mum spayed during the emergency c-section to save her life and 3 puppies, plus the dead one. It was incredibly traumatic for all concerned yet the disgusting people who do this to them time and time again think nothing of it. She is about 2 and had already had 2 litters at least. She was very protective of the pups and she had clearly never had them longer than 6-7 weeks. It is utterly disgusting practice and there should be heavier punishments for it. She is now in a safe and healthy environment, also very scared and wee's herself with terror if she even thinks you're going to pick her up but she has learned how to play and has recently started getting zoomies occasionally, she offers her tummy for scritches and loves ALL the food, she has eaten my mothers sofa and has raised 9 beautiful chunky healthy pups.. her last litter. She has a future of being loved and respected the same as Wren and they will both in time learn they are safe and loved.

Santa doesn't bring animals, they might wriggle and fall off the sleigh.. we did get 2 kittens one christmas (Cracker and Noel) but it was made very clear I had got them, not Santa and we loved them until it was their time at 18 and 17 respectively.

Email sent to growl about the 'attendance incentive' at school.. highlighting a few points about medical needs and sickness making 100% impossible for most SEND children and is therefore not teaching anythign other than reinforcing the SEND children are not important and encouraging sick children to go to school making more children sick.. not helpful!

changed nail appointment to tomorrow at 9:45 because I double booked myself for thursday. My mothers was Tuesday but I have 2 at dentist then.. I need to make Pixie a drs appointment.. and sort Twinkles prescription.. I will go to loo and do that next.

mumtoomany

A big round of applause to @Honey_Bear and mum of @pigpen, for the great job  they are doing with their dogs. We have a nine year old working collie, although her idea of working sheep is not the same as ours! We got her at nine months old, and believe she may have had a troubled past. Didn't like women and was terrified of sticks! Much better now.

Shopping done. New oodie thing tried on, from Vinted. Needed here to stay warm. Having only one previously meant washing days were freezing. DW once, needs doing again. Buttons needed on jumper for DGS2.

Hugs to all, mumtoomany.xxx

Honey_Bear

Big shout out to Pigpen's Mother and Mum too Many for taking on rescue dogs that need help adjusting to the real world.  Talking with several people about the conditions in which breeding dogs live on puppy arms, most puppies are weaned at 2 - 3 weeks, basically as soon as they can eat solid food, so the mum can be put back in pup.  It's only about £££ in those places, they have absolutely nothing to do with animal welfare. 

Vacuuming of bottom layer, basically the two letting rooms and the landing between them, plus some serious dusting in my office, while I re-organised two 7' long shelves .  I've had a couple of plastic crates in my office full of precious-to-me gibble for months, and they both now emptied, contents shelved, and the boxes on their way up to the attic.  My cluttered office is beginning to show signs of being decluttered.  The third box is Belovéd's Christmas and birthday presents so that'll be gone by 6th January.  Hoorah!

Putting a 2 gang extension cord away involved filling up 16 bird seed buckets and emptying the dehumidifier too so those jobs are done for a few days.  It's endless, isn't it.

Valli

Been to hospital for bloods; they hadn't got the request through from the other hospital but looked back at my previous one and reprinted that.  I have to have the blood test to see if I am continuing with the treatment then they'll send the drugs over...so I'm pleased they took me at my word.  Today's good deed was helping some other patients find the exit ...I know my way round now and am even adding ward locations to my knowledge.  It helps when i'm not being shoved into them in a bed lol.  Called at M&S en route home and got discounted biscuits (20% off) and my free mini panetone.  My favourite lasagne for tea.    Been a day though _ just taken my 3rd loperamide.

Have emptied WM into TD or onto maiden to dry.  Taken some ironing up.  Took aged Ps to pub and back.  Took birthday card to friend's mum.

Mystery with laptop...mouse pad has started working again.