Busy Day!

 I've been a busy boy today. I've been researching and approaching magazines that might take my work. I've also had three commissions for articles for 'Dogs Today' magazine and researching material for these.

Does anyone read my ramblings?

A bit of writing.

 I've been studying an 'Article Writing and Freelance Journalism' course provided by https://www.writers-online.co.uk/. This weekend, I've completed and submitted Assignment six of nine. I'm really enjoying the course. It's challenging but interesting.

I've also completed and submitted my article 'Search and Rescue Dogs' for 'Dogs Today' magazine.

This afternoon I'm planning to do some research into magazines I might be able to contribute to.

Easter update.

 I've updated my website www.richardhill.co.uk today. I've removed some of the superfluous bit's and pieces from the homepage and added an article on 'Pine Ridge Dog Sanctuary' to the 'Latest' page.

Website Upgrade!

 This week, I'm hoping to update my website. I have to edit the homepage and update and add my 'Pine Ridge Dog Sanctuary' article. Then I'll leave it alone for the time being.

Getting back to writing.

 I'm slowly getting used to living with a disability. My laptop also had a disability, it kept crashing. So I've invested in a replacement, an ASUS and so far, so good! Watch this space!

Hospitalised

 I'm in hospital. I've had a small stroke. I'm okay. Watch this space.

24/03/25 I've been in hospital again, this time for 28 days. I've been unable to stand or walk, and I've been told by one doctor that's how I'll be from now on. 

I'm home again but still confined to bed, although I can use a wheelchair. I hope to start writing again soon.

Again, watch this space!

New Years Day 2025

I'm starting 2025 the same way that I left 2024 - in bed.

I'm having difficulty walking and keeping my balance. I'm having problems with my legs, the right one in particular. They hurt where they implanted the titanium rods and screws.

I haven't felt like writing; instead, I watch television and listen to music on my laptop.

Below: Millie asleep with Simon earlier today...

Sunday

I'm still unwell and in bed. I spoke to the doctor on Friday who has requested that I have blood tests on New Years eve.

I've also got to have a 'Rubidium Rest/Stress PET-CT Scan' on Wednesday, January 15th, 2025, at 77 Wimpole Street, London. (Guy's and St. Thomas' Hospitals Wimpole Street Consulting Rooms and Diagnostic Centre). (The Description is here.)

"A PET-CT rubidium scan provides us with detailed information about how your organs look and how they're functioning. PET and CT are two different scans which involve:

PET: a PET (positron emission tomography) scan uses a mild, radioactive dye called rubidium to highlight the areas of your body where cells are more active than normal. It can show us abnormal activity. 

CT: a CT scan uses a number of x-rays from around the body to create a three dimensional picture of tissue and organs.  

Together, a PET-CT scan can show us how your body is functioning and, more specifically, whether there's a blood supply shortage or blockages. 

Technically, this appointment will involve two scans. They are:

Resting rubidium PET-CT scan - lasting 10-15 minutes, this scan provides us with a baseline measurement of the blood supply to your heart
Stress rubidium PET-CT scan - again, 10-15 minutes long, this scan gives us a measurement of the blood supply to your heart during exercise (stress)."

All PET-CT scans are carried out at 77 Wimpole Street, London.

Monday musings

 I've spent the last few days in bed feeling really unwell. I'm getting chest pains and am having trouble standing and walking.

I've been scheduled to have a PET CT scan at Wimpole Street Hospital in mid January.

A rubidium rest/stress PET-CT scan is a procedure that uses a radioactive tracer to evaluate blood flow in the heart: 

• Rest scan

  An image of the heart is taken after an injection of the radioactive tracer, rubidium-82 (Rb-82) 
• Stress scan

  A drug is administered to increase blood flow to the heart, and another image is taken to show how blood flow changes under stress 
• 
  

Friendly Friday

I'm not very well at the moment but slowly getting better.

Millie is really doing well and has completely settled in. She has a healthy appetite and if we're not careful she nicks the food off the fork. The only drawback with the relationship is that she doesn't understand nor respond to commands in English. She doesn't even understand her own name.

We'll get there slowly!

Say hello to 'Millie'.

We were asked if we would like to take on 'Millie', a 9-year-old 'Sherry Terrier'. She had previously been rehomed by a couple, but it didn't work out as she didn't get on with their cats. On Sunday, we met them at Pine Ridge Dog Sanctuary in Ascot. She originally came from Spain where she had been abandoned/mistreated. It was love at first sight.

It's a few days later. She settling in nicely and follows us everywhere. I'll post more soon.

Another dog? Yes!

We've been approached by Pine Ridge Dog Sanctuary about a dog that urgently needs rehoming without having to spend any time in their kennels. After careful discussion, Simon and I have agreed that we'd like to take her on. We're going to Pine Ridge tomorrow afternoon to meet and her and bring her home.

Watch this space...

Another dog? Only time will tell.

It's two days since Kaira passed away. The flat seems so empty without her; or any other dog for that matter. I keep expecting her to come up to me for a fuss, or follow Simon around for something to eat.

Will we get another dog? Yes, I think so. It depends on how Simon feels about it. After all, he has to deal with feeding, exercising, etc. Only time will tell.

Here's a revised copy of an article that I wrote a few weeks ago...

Losing a Dog

I lost my loving lively Spanish Jack Russell Terrier, Kaira, not long ago. I was devastated, and to some extent, I still am. However, I wondered how others deal with the loss of such a companion. I decided to research the emotional and practical sides of losing a dog. Here, I write about my findings, in the hope that they will help you deal with your sorrow.

Everyone deals with grief differently. There is no right nor wrong way. It’s important to realise that feeling sad, shocked, sorrowful, and lonely is normal and natural. These reactions show that you’re grieving for a much-loved friend who meant a lot to you. Also, seeking support from those around you is crucial in helping you come to terms with your loss.

Grief isn’t something that you just ‘get over’ as some may suggest while others may suggest that ‘it’s only a dog’ and even if they don’t say it may be thinking that you’ll ‘get over it’. If only it was that simple.

Talking to others who have lost their dog(s) may prove useful. How did they deal with the feelings of grief? You may experience ‘waves’ of emotions, some even good when you recall the good times together. The death of a dog brings about sentiments and sensations that may be difficult to process. These feelings can take weeks, even months and you must be kind to yourself during these times. Expressing these ‘moods’ through tears, rites, rituals, and other personal acts is part of the grieving process. Allowing yourself to ‘work through’ these processes may be difficult but essential. Don’t suppress or ignore them.

Reminiscences and recollections of your dog will help keep them alive in your heart. Remembering the small but significant events is important and there are small steps you can take to ease your pain. And there are some practicalities that you may wish to consider. You may like to look through old photographs, write a tribute or testimonial, or write a letter describing your time together. Remember, your feelings are valid. Give yourself space to express your grief.

As you grieve, you may question your beliefs about your dog and the hereafter. This can be difficult. Those around you may have different views about the afterlife, but you need to find the answers that resonate with you alone. But your bond with your dog was unique and meaningful, and your feelings are valid.

Practical Possibilities.

On a down-to-earth note, there are many heartfelt ways to honour the memory of your dog. A framed paw print is a thoughtful way to remember your dog. Wooden or ceramic plaques can be placed at your dog’s final resting place, or a memorial stone serves as a lasting tribute. You could make a memory box or photograph album and store cherished photographs which is a comforting way to reflect your dog’s life. Planting a ‘memorial garden’ to honour them is a peaceful place to remember your dog. Commissioning artwork or jewellery is a creative way to keep your dog’s memory close. Some choose to honour their dog by having a tattoo, creating a permanent, personal tribute. Marking your dog’s birthday or the anniversary of their passing with a small celebration can help keep their memory alive. Donating to animal shelters or charities in your dog’s name is a wonderful way to honour them. Finally, holding a funeral with readings, music, flowers, and a memorial marker can be a touching farewell.

Cremation

• Individual Cremation: Your dog is cremated alone, and their ashes are returned to you in an urn or casket. The ashes can also be sealed behind a framed photograph or illustration.

• Communal Cremation: This is the choice I made for my little Lottie. Your dog is cremated with other animals, and the ashes are scattered in a communal ‘Garden of Remembrance’.

• If you prefer, you can keep your dog’s ashes or scatter them in a meaningful place.

• Some crematoriums offer the option to attend the cremation, providing a sense of closure.

• For individual cremations, you’ll receive a document that details your dog’s cremation, providing a sense of closure.

Burial

• You can bury your dog as they are or use a coffin. Biodegradable materials like cardboard, willow, or wood are good options. Wooden coffins offer more protection.

• You can mark the grave with a painted stone, cross, or tree to create a lasting memorial.

• You can place sentimental items, like their collar, favourite toy(s), or a letter with them.

• Green Burials in a Dog Cemetery. Your dog is wrapped in a natural covering and buried in a memorial shrub bed, marked with a growing shrub to symbolise the eco-friendly nature of the burial.

The above options allow you to remember your dog in a way that feels most meaningful for you, your family, and your friends. In the end, there’s no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ choice between cremation or burial. Both have their advantages, and the decision depends on what feels most meaningful to you. 

Bad News Day

Unfortunately, Kaira passed away this afternoon. She never got over her cough. Thankfully, she passed away peacefully in her sleep. Simon and I were privileged to have her, albeit for a short while.

Monday

It's the last day of the term for Sloughwriters group. But it's also the last session to be hosted by 'Burnham Working Mens' Club.' We need a new home.

The main topic of this social meeting tonight was to gather ideas for new premises. A few were suggested and it was decided that the first few sessions of 2025 would be held at 'The Greyhound' public house in Eton Wick while members would recce possible future venues.

Watch this space...

Sunday

It's 5am and I'm wide awake! I'm having problems with my RLS (Restless Leg Syndrome) this morning. 'Restless legs syndrome, also known as Willis-Ekbom disease, is a common condition of the nervous system that causes an overwhelming irresistible urge to move the legs.'

I took my Ropinirole early this morning. (Ropinirole is a medicine used for conditions that affect how you move. It is used to treat the symptoms of Parkinson's disease and restless legs syndrome).

RLS affects me by making my legs (also sometimes my torso) twitch, and move uncontrollably, creating feelings such as receiving electric shocks.

'The main symptom of restless legs syndrome is an overwhelming urge to move your legs.

'It can also cause an unpleasant crawling or creeping sensation in the feet, calves and thighs.

'The sensation is often worse in the evening or at night. Occasionally, the arms are affected, too.'

During the night, it started playing up and I had to sit up, make coffee, and do something to relieve the symptoms.

National Readership Survey

 What is the National Readership Survey?

The NRS social grades are a system of demographic classification used in the United Kingdom. They were originally developed by the National Readership Survey (NRS) to classify readers, but have since been used by many other organisations for wider applications and have become a standard for market research.

A Higher managerial roles, administrative or professional.

B Intermediate managerial roles, administrative or professional.

C1 Supervisory or clerical and junior managerial roles, administrative or professional.

C2 Skilled manual workers.

D Semi-skilled and unskilled manual workers.

E State pensioners, casual and lowest grade workers, unemployed with state benefits only.

PAMCo – Audience Measurement for Publishers is the JIC (Joint Industry Currency) for published media, using approved world-leading methodology. 

Breakfast Blues

 At 06:00 this morning, I ordered a McDonalds breakfast. I asked for, and they confirmed, delivery by 06:25, which then kept changing. At the time of writing (06:32), expected delivery is 07:00 - 07:20. Nightmare! Latest estimate 07:05 - 07:25. Now 07:10 - 07:30.

 

Desiderata

This is the original text from the book where Desiderata was first published.

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

by Max Ehrmann ©1927

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Ye Frydayf

 It's not really happened before, but I'm of the mind of an ancient penfmith! I love the language of old.

 Here'f a quotation that I love...

"The quality of mercy is not strained;

It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven

Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest;

It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:

'T is mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes

The throned monarch better than his crown:

His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,

The attribute to awe and majesty,

Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;

But mercy is above this sceptred sway;

It is enthronèd in the hearts of kings,

It is an attribute to God himself;

And earthly power doth then show likest God's

When mercy seasons justice."

The Merchant of Venice, Act IV, Scene I [The quality of mercy is not strained]

William Shakespeare 1564 – 1616