Coles' Adventure and the case of the Rogue House Sitter

Cole in the Garden

It had been a while since I travelled, like most people Covid had us locked down and to be frank the staying at home appealed to the hermit tendencies within me. 

Getting a House Sitter

I had decided to get a house sitter, (someone who looks after your pet and home while you are away), deciding that I wanted Cole to stay at home and not leave the house empty. Travelling and arriving at my sisters seemed very surreal by the time I got there, as it was my birthday and two days later would be mums funeral. 

I had spent the previous week getting my place ready for a house sitter, and  he arrived 2 days before I was due to leave so I showed him round Barbados and helped him settle in and get comfortable with Cole, who got on with him from the word go, only to have him walk out on the day of my departure saying that Cole had barred his teeth at him, and he couldn't continue. 

He had also listed a range of other things that previous hosts had provided that I wasn't, such as use of a car, air-conditioned room, and sleeping in the master bedroom!  I couldn't believe he was walking out as he knew before he came what was to be included and Cole had been treating him like a member of the family from the time he arrived and was very comfortable with him.

Cole loves his belly rubbed

Cole's favorite toy

I was an emotional mess, to be told that he was leaving on the day of my departure, a few hours before my flight took off, leaving me to scramble around to find a kennel.  I went into automatic mode knowing I had to keep it together.  I managed to change my flight for the following day and found the last boarding space at the RSPCA.  I used Seans Pet Transportation and was very impressed at his calmness and he was able to get Cole in a transport cage backwards!  Cole was confused, suddenly he was being put on a lorry by a stranger wondering where the stranger he had just let in his home a shared his toys with went.

In the waiting room

It was traumatic at the RSPCA as well, after I got him checked in to lead him back with all the barking dogs scrambling at their cages on either side of the walkway, it felt like a prison.

Cole's home at the kennels

He walked into his cage in a daze, the cold hard metal floors, the noise, no comforts from home and the only food for 30 days would be a daily dose of hard kibble.  I was so upset leaving him and eventually made my way home.  This wasn't supposed to happen, Cole should have been frolicking in the garden eating the food I spent 4 days preparing in advance, having his treats and daily banana, and sleeping in his padded warm bed with the sounds of the singing frogs and the crickets melodiously in the background.

Cole and art appreciation

It is funny, I didn't realize how much I liked dogs until my son brought him home as a month-old puppy. He has been a constant companion hanging out in my studio or when I am in the garden, and he also is great at reminding me when I have spent too much time in front of the computer screen.

Skin and bones 

While he was at the kennels it seemed like he didn't eat, you could see his ribs and his spine, he came back half the size he left. He smelt awful and had some sores on parts of his feet and elbows and it was like he had been in a war, and since he has come home, I have just been spending time trying to get him back to health.

Cole On the mend

I am not sure I would be able to trust another stranger to housesit for me again, it was one of the worst experiences that I had been through.  Despite being an older traveler and having references a list reviews, they were just words, and he wasn't in the right frame of mind to look after Cole or have the experience claimed.

For now, Cole is on the mend, he is enjoying being back home and settling into his routines, yet I wonder sometimes when he looks at me if he remembers his experience. 

Have you had an experience from a house sitter or put your pet into boarding while you were away?

What are you doing with your life? - Are you ready for a challenge?

Welcome to the blog, it has been a while and I have been taking time out to come to grips with losing my mother.  I shared in my previous post, and I spent time with my sister, and we went down memory lane.  There is now only the two of just who are now the older generation...

I send love and tender hugs to all those who have lost loved ones, there is nothing that can quite prepare you for loosing someone.  We have to make sure we treasure all the memories and the time we spend with each other.

When mum first went into the first residential care home, I had put a book of her life together and filled it with photographs and some of her likes and dislikes, I spent time this week looking through it and it brought much comfort.  I am glad I shared my experience as she navigated dementia, some of the laugh out loud moments that had been tinged with fear - her walking in with two policemen laughing and joking after going missing for over 4 hours we were worried sick, she came back with tales of her adventure, and I am sure several hairs on my head went white that day.  

Mum loved adventure

In my A-Z of caring I spoke of some of the feelings that I experience, including a feeling of loss, and things not being fair, on the flip side it brought out mums' sense of humor and a love of dancing, art and so much more.

She would called herself the 'Dancing Queen' and teach whoever was interested how to do the Shimmy.  She had two favorite songs - Dancing Queen by Abba, and  One Love by Bob Marley - we had them both playing for her at the funeral - we gave her a good send off.

I now think of next steps for my life - we forget fast time flies.  What things have I been holding myself back from doing that I need to get on with? What dreams have I been sitting on?  What has yet to be fulfilled?

So, what is stopping you?  What have you promised yourself but keep on putting it off, saying to yourself tomorrow?  Tomorrow might not come and there are people out there waiting to be inspired and motivated by you!

What are you hiding from? Whose opinions do you care about so badly that you are holding back?  I have resolved for myself that over the next few months I will go all out, reaching for those dreams and creating a ton of new ones - we are not promised tomorrow, and we don't know what it may bring - see James 4:13-15.

That said, why not challenge yourself, start today, decided what you want to do and follow through - I am participating in the 'Ultimate Blog Challenge' and I will be posting every day in the month of October and sharing some of the work that I do.  Start living your best life, where your dreams however small can come true - live the life you can be proud of - I know that you can do it!

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Saying Goodbye to Mum

A life's Celebration

Mavis Trought

I have over the years shared my journey with my mother who was living with Dementia for the past 20 years.  It has been a journey and a half, insightful, sad at times, full of joy and laughter, and now loss, - You can see some of my posts in 'A Carer's Journey'

A Journey's End

My mothers physical journey on this earth ended on the 30th July at approximately 1am in the morning. She was 99 years old an amazing feat by far and gracefully slipped from our grasp as she now mixes and mingles with those who have gone before us. 

Mavis in her younger days

During the month of August I stepped back from my usual routine to focus on what needed to be done - funeral arrangements, then dealing with the day, and what her no longer being physically with us meant for me and my sister.

Mum loved to draw

We have been reminiscing on the impact that she had on our lives growing up and how we move forward without all the routines and habits around her care that had been formed, and interacting with her on so many other ways from the expressions on her face, touch - holding hands to the words that she would share with us.  The song 'Dancing Queen' by Abba along with 'One Love' - Bob Marley were two of her favorite songs and she loved to dance.

Always the opportunity to dance

We celebrated her life, and loves, with family and friends who had at one time or another interacted with her on so many different ways.

Sometimes you need to be still to take things in to be able to reflect and step back to take a step forward, and we laugh at her sense of humor and playful character remembering these times with fondness, and will continue to tell her story and share the memories for generations to come.

Many around the world have lost loved ones and continue to do so and I encourage you to think about the memories that you are able to form, continue to talk about your experiences and see where you can spend time with your elders and family members, who have so much wisdom and knowledge to pass on.

Mums memory and spirit lives in us and we will continue to celebrate the impact that she has had on our lives and that of her grandchildren and great grand children to come.

No Sew Art Journal - Art Journal Flip through and Make Your Own!

Welcome to my One Sheet Art Journal where I will be sharing with you a flip through of a selection of Art Journals and then showing you how to create one yourself. Check out the video above.  I love these mini journals as they are so easy to create and you can create so many different themed journals to use.

These are the journals that I am going to show you how to create

I start out by using a scrap piece of A4 paper from your recycling pile - this will be covered eventually so it doesn't matter what it has on it.

I use a range of supplies - and I suggest you go into your paper stacks and see how you can use them up on the pages.

After they are created I add paint - I find water color paints to be really easy to use - you just have to be mindful of how much water is on the brush.  You will then add any stickers, ephemera or words that you may have to add.

Here are a list of the supplies

• Sheet of paper, - can be recycled paper from your stash
• Background paper, I used ones that I had stamped images on - sign up to one of My Free courses and get a selection of art background papers to print out - https://bit.ly/coursesart

• Water Colors/paints of choice (amazon have a wide variety to choose from - https://amzn.to/3zkO8PK

• Stickers - https://amzn.to/3ODt3G0

• Ephemera - https://amzn.to/3BtnDdI

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I hope you enjoy!!

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Check out additional digital papers on my Etsy Store