Little bird, little fish...

I adore this picture. I think it's amazing. I regularly look at the picture gallery on MSN and there is always something there that catches my eye, and this is one of them pics that does.

I am not sure whether I am allowed to put it on my blog...but here goes!
I really wanted to share it with you.
Have a good week-end...

My brother's true best friend...Holly.

Tonight I feel very sad...for myself, yes, but moreso for my brother Steven.
This morning he called me to say his 7 year old Labrador, Holly was going into the operating theatre so the vet could have a look inside.
She had lost her sight over the last week or two because of raised blood pressure, causing glaucoma and they thought she may be carrying pups.(hence the raise in bp)

If only that were the case. The outcome of the investigative surgery was the discovery of a large inoperable tumour in her tummy.

The vet was amazed that she was still wagging her tail in greeting with the pain it must have been causing...a fact that Steven can't come to terms with. I've told him that she stayed so resilient because she was so loved.

Steven phoned me with the news and I almost ran to the vet's(the vet's surgery where my dog Fizz is registered).I needed to be with him when he said goodbye. He wanted me there.

The vet decided she wouldn't recover Holly from the anaesthetic,but would just let her pass away...sigh.

When I got there, I just stood in the doorway of the recovery room where she lay, leaning to one side, afraid to go in.
I was afraid of the ''pain'' I could feel, consuming Steven, and the stillness of Holly.

I walked over to the table she was on, wrapped in a brown blanket with a little puppy logo embroidered on it. I remember thinking ''the blanket was really comforting''.It's funny what you remember.

Her head was a little over the edge, so I held her and moved her properly onto the table.I closed her eyelids and tucked her in and gave her at least 30 kisses.
I told her she had been a brave girl and the best friend Steven had ever had and he said his own things.

I was anxious that we left her whilst she was still warm and tucked up. Neither of us could speak as we walked out, but I did go back in to thank the vet and surgical team and check any paper work with the nurse.

They took her to be cremated with any other animals who had also died today.

Holly has been a big part of Steven's life. ''She was a beautiful, brave girl'', his words not mine, and I worry about the void there will now be in his life.

I took my own dog, Fizz for a walk along the beach later on and I got to thinking, that she is also 7 years old, the same age as Holly. She has more grey hairs than last time I looked but I tried not to go down that road.

Holly was a blessing for my brother and enhanced his life. She will be very missed.

The Shack...

Hi all
It's a while since I have posted something here but I have recently visited all of your blogs to see how you are all getting on.
I love reading about your lives.

Just lately I have been doing a lot of novel reading. It occured to me the other day that I have read something, almost every night of my life. I have always liked to read a whole collection of books, ie; everything by a particular author and not just a random selection.

I have many favourite authors, Anita Burgh who writes historical, romantic fiction.I can lose myself in a bygone age with her writing.A favourite novel by her is ''Distinctions of Class''.

Jodi Picoult, who always seems to incorporate a court room exchange within her books. I have read everything by this brilliant author...and if I had to choose a favourite to date, it would be ''Plain Truth''.

Jeffrey Archer, who is superb and is the author of one of my favourite books ''Kane and Abel''.

I wish I had made an inventory of all the thousands of books I must have read, both fictional and non-fictional, over the years.

The latest book, which I only finished last night is called ''The Shack''. If I were to write a review, which I'm not going to, because I can't, I would have to say it is like no other book I have ever read.

I am still trying to absorb its content.

It's the kind of story that remains with you...and I doubt I will ever forget it.
I will probably read it again at some point...and hopefully absorb that bit more.

The one book that is constant and remains by my bedside is my bible.

I have heard that there is a novel in everyone. I have never really had a story in my head that needs to come out...not yet anyway. But there is always time.

If I ever do start writing a novel, I am sure it will be a long drawn out affair...ha ha.

In the meantime, I will continue reading and discovering new authors...