Gwen @ Drews new potential forum

An experiment..............

I decided to resurrect this blog and give it new life as a forum for Gwen @ Drews as well as being a vehicle for information to share.

Moving away from 2008/9 and updates on pets and rescued animals, it can now be put to use to discuss therapies, research and other related topics.

One thing I have been impressed with recently is The Emotion Code and The Body Code.  A friend recently qualified in both disciplines and I was fortunate enough to be one of her case studies. So, congratulations Hazel Markou of www.breamore.com - well done on your newly-qualified status!

For information on what treatments are available at Gwen @ Drews, take a tour round www.massagebucks.co.uk for more information.

For forthcoming events and monthly specials, take a look at: Special Offers (loads in smilebox and may take a few moments).

Gwen @ Drews

In July 2010, Gwen @ Drews came into being.
What is it?
Well, it is an oasis of calm; a respite from the hustle, bustle and stresses of daily life; a place where even if for only an hour, one has the chance to relax and recharge one's batteries, ready to pitch into the fray once more!
It is like stepping into a time warp - another world where frantic activity doesn't exist.
Where is it?
Just outside Aylesbury, Bucks in the village of Whitchurch, located above the hairdresser's in the village, on the High Street (Drews).
Check out www.massagebucks.co.uk for more information plus map and directions.

Soul Transitions

The New Year 2011 is starting, for us at least, with news in the space of just a few weeks of 4 friends passing over. One could argue that news of this sort is to be expected more and more as we approach retirement age and particularly during the winter months but it still comes as a shock and also a reminder of our own mortality.

Perhaps, as the magical '2012', heralded for many years now as the Day of Reckoning, looms ever closer, these souls chose to go ahead and prepare the way or act as a welcoming committee! Who knows?

Whatever the reason, they will be missed and they leave a person-shaped hole in the lives of those they have left behind.

Heidi

Elsa

After the untimely and sudden demise of our beloved GSD Heidi in January, after almost ten years for her with MrT and almost six years with me, the void left behind was more than dog-shaped. Why is it that only when someone, or a much-loved pet, departs that we become aware of how many invisible tendrils of love they have created? The out-pouring of touching messages brought much comfort in knowing that others also held her in high esteem and affection.

Such was the silence and sombre mood in ensuing weeks that I chose to 'facilitate' the decision over when and if to consider getting another dog by trawling GSD Rescue, GSD Lifeline and other rescue sites for a GSD bitch. And we found one in the innocent guise of 'Gemma' at the Dogs Trust in Evesham. Her write-up forewarned of apparent aggressive behaviour that masked a loving and kind nature.

We duly trundled off to Evesham to meet her. We asked if we could go alone to begin with and the location of her run was pointed out to us. As we rounded the corner to her run, we were confronted by a large-ish young GSD launching on its hind legs towards the mesh of the cage with much growling, barking and an impressive display of very white, effective-looking teeth. We both instinctively dropped to our haunches and within moments she calmed down, lay down and was rolling around in friendly, submissive mode.

Two more visits followed after which we found ourselves the new owners of 'Elsa' (new start, new name..)

Thanks to MrT's experience and patience, she is gradually morphing under his leadership from ladette to good girl - 'Lady' would be a step too far at this stage!

Her earlier introductions to Sam have not been that great - he is a little too small and rabbit-like, thus exuding great appeal to her hunting instincts. We have decided, especially as he has had recent ill-health and surgery, to delay any further introductions until he is stronger and she is better disciplined.

Once I have mastered the art of uploading pictures I will let you see both Elsa and Sam.

Sandy Stevenson Workshop

In anticipation of attending the Sandy Stevenson workshop in Milton Keynes on Saturday 8th May, Paulette travelled down from Oldham on Thursday and I switched my Friday clinic to Thursday so we could have at least one day together other than the workshop itself. The events for Paulette leading up to that time must be disclosed only by her but assume it was a pivotal time for her! Synchronicity and serendipity in terms of timing of the workshop though!!

We were not disappointed - are we ever?! - with the workshop, Sandy's self-discipline and dedication to her mission and the integrity with which she works. If you also look at Karen Bishop's web site it is clear to see that Mother Earth is wrapping things up!

Another 26,000 years here? Nooooooo, I don't think so. Motivation if ever any was needed to get one's act together now.

On a lighter note, I have been pondering putting together a sampler on the blog of 'The Snoop Sister's School of Skullduggery' about the exploits of a pseudo private detective. Maybe one day Steven Spielberg will see the wisdom in converting it to film. Yes, I AM joking!

Should the sampler manifest, some feedback would be welcomed.......

Passwords 'r Us!

Aren't they a blessing, these password thingies? Blocked out of my own blog because I failed to record my own details..... ah, the joys of ageing!

From 30th September 2009, The Boy was officially adopted so there was a seamless transition as he was already residing with us under foster care. The relief was immense, given the roller-coaster ride we - and the others - had experienced during the 20 months it took to conclude. His identity can now be revealed: The Boy's name is Sam.

The ravages of his earlier life continued to loom large in 2010. During a routine visit to the Medicine Man in January for booster injections it was evident that he needed some dental treatment. This was scheduled for 15th February and proved to be far more serious than anticipated. Six teeth were removed, his gums had to be cut and stitched and stomatitis diagnosed (a condition from which most of the other 13 suffered). His recovery was hampered by nasal bleeding so his stay was extended. He was home briefly (like two days!) before being due back for a check-up and just as we were leaving the house to keep his appointment, he opened the nasal blood-gates once more and had to be immediately handed over to a nurse on arrival.

Thankfully, he was allowed home again after the check up as the bleeding quickly subsided.

All was well for a couple of months until the beginning of this month, May, when his ears began causing problems. He is currently on treatment for that and is due back in a couple of weeks for another check-up!

Will update the situation after that.....

ThetaHealing

In mid-June, I took my ThetaHealing course; it exceeded any expectations I may have had in what we covered. Already I have been putting it into practice before I "go public", as it were.

It will be interesting to see what results it brings ....

There are still a few more volunteers in the pipeline, for which I am very grateful. Although it is a very simple principle, the techniques take some getting used to.

Watch this space for feedback on those sessions.

Scalpels at dawn!

Over the last couple of months The Boy has been tried on two different medications, neither of which suits him. His side-effects have been very unpleasant for him. His best hope now is to resort to surgery and he is booked in for Thursday 25th June.

Timing is questionable as the Court Hearing should conclude today, June 24th!

Trust that all is in Divine Order ......

It's in the neck, you know .....

Well, Little Man's bathing must have helped after all; he has moved on to a new adoptive family!

The New House Guest has had to leave ahead of time thanks to The Boy feeling usurped by his presence! Such a pity; we had hoped for the makings of a new friendship there but it was not to be.

Yesterday the Medicine Man speaketh and declared that The Boy does indeed have hyperthyroidism. The first stage is to check how the condition responds to medication; pills have been made available for collection today. Coincidentally, for the first time ever in the 6 weeks he has been with us, during the night he was sick. Other than that, he continues to look well and is settling down again now that The New House Guest has departed.

We had an unexpcted visit from my sister J last Monday. She was en route to her hotel 'down South' in readiness for a client appointment the next day and was able to do a detour for a couple of hours. She was able to meet The Boy for the first time, fresh from his visit to the Medicine Man and quickly recovering from his hyperventilation from the ordeal!

AND, today is the last day for Donna at The Boy's former care home. We will miss her greatly as she has such a calm and friendly presence. We wish her good luck in her new adventure!

New house guest

Well, by Easter Sunday The Boy will have been with us for 4 weeks. Earlier this week his ears were given the all-clear by a different Medicine Man but his views are that the blood tests for thyroid function should still go ahead. He has been booked in for Monday 20th April.

We have a house guest whom we hoped would become a new friend for The Boy but it is not quite working out that way. It hasn't come to fisticuffs exactly but they are best kept involved in separate activities. Shame, really.

During one of my volunteering spells yesterday, I offered to give Little Man a bath. He is a delightful fellow but has a habit of 'wearing' his ear ointment all over himself. The end result gives him an endearingly scruffy look but I accept that it might not be viewed in that light by others and could potentially compromise his future. He was so good; I have never known such a well-behaved chap in those circumstances. Let's hope his spruced-up appearance helps ......

Medicine Man and The Boy

Day 15 of The Boy being with us!!

It was time for him to meet up this morning with the Medicine Man who was delighted with The Boy's progress. A slight problem with his ears was noticed so we have some product to correct that and he needs to go back in another week for a check-up. Otherwise, so far so good even to the point that the scheduled blood tests in 3 weeks' time may be put in abeyance. A decision will be made nearer the time depending on how he is then. Super!!

Obsessed with Poo

Ever since the arrival of The Boy 13 days ago, I have developed an obsession with Poo. No, not the Pooh Bear variety, I mean Poo as in No2.

It has been the topic of great daily discussion at home and more so when I visit The Boy's previous home, where it gets discussed in minute detail. Someone has even written a book on the subject, believe it or not! I think it's called 'Always look after number two!'

My daughter L could tell you a funny story. In her teens, she worked at an equestrian centre and lived on site in a caravan, complete with chemical toilet. As you would imagine, it needed to be emptied on a regular basis and, thankfully, there was somewhere to deposit the contents just a short drive from where her caravan was situated. This procedure filled her with dread and embarrassment so she would only allow it to take place as the light was fading. Hmmm. You're ahead of me now, I think. Off we drove with the chemy loo in the boot of the car; sun roof, rear hatch, all windows - and anything else that would allow ventilation - wide open. We covered our mouths and noses as best we could and avoided speaking to one another. The road (dirt track - no pun intended) was very bumpy and uneven so we had to go slowly thanks to the precariously balanced cargo in the boot. The last thing we wanted was for that to topple over..... So, on arrival at the dumping destination we struggled to unload the chemy loo without spillage then looked for a suitable place to empty it. The light was fading fast, hampering our progress. The task was left to me to perform and I became very mindful of where my feet were in relation to the flow! By now it was dark and I had no intention of using Braille, hands or anything attached to my person to determine whether or not I had got it right!

Mission accomplished, we headed back to the caravan with all ventilation modes still fully employed, but at least we could speak now. Strange, though, how some aromas stay with you lodged for hours or even days in the nostrils.

How much simpler things were in my yacht-racing days when all we had was a bucket labelled on one side 'Le Pissoir' and on the other, 'Le shittoir'. The down side was in being the only female crew member with four guys on board. After using said recepticle, when one was coming back up on deck with the bucket, out of necessity, being held out of the hatch first four guys would gaze at its contents and declare, "All that and from such a small girl!!"

DDD, you want to know what embarrassment is? It can be more than just a chemy loo!

His Master's Voice

'The Boy' is learning to master his craft of being top in his arena.

Late-ish last night, after our delightful evening in Chesham (for me, at any rate, as I had not one but TWO massages, unlike MrT who missed out on a second chance..) we were sitting in the kitchen finishing a light supper when we heard a crying noise. Now this is not the first time since his arrival that we have encountered this wailing. After further investigation, The Boy was found in the sitting room looking forlorn and abandoned. Going back to the kitchen I urged MrT to bring his coffee into the sitting room, which he did, then we both settled ourselves on the sofa. Almost immediately, The Boy launched himself into our laps. He had clearly decided that he had waited quite long enough for us to come home and get comfortably ensconced for the evening, hence the decision to take action himself! Effective action too, I might add. He endeared himself yet further to MrT by shaking his head a lot and emitting wet bits that flew into T's face, which remained fairly crumpled for the rest of the evening in anticipation of more to come each time The Boy moved. Thankfully, T is a very forgiving sort of chap ....

Big Bird's retribution

You know how it is - you wash the car, then it rains or you end up in mud somewhere (therein lies another tale of mud and cemeteries...) Anyway, en route to work this morning in my clean car, I ended up behind White Van Man (or woman) unable to easily see beyond it and wondering where, if at all, I would be able to pass it during one of the limited number of opportunities available on that stretch of road.

BANG!!!! Out of nowhere, so it seemed, something big and feathered crashed into my windscreen when I was doing 50mph. It took up so much space on my windscreen it had to be an Ostrich or something of similar proportions. When I looked in my rear-view mirror, there was no sign of the carnage I anticipated after such a forceful collision. At the very least I expected the car behind me to be forced to swerve to avoid Big Bird. Nope. Nothing. If there had not been a smudgy mess all over my windscreen I would have begun to think I had imagined it. At least there will be one person, my grandson J, who will be keen to add this incident to his Nana's growing toll of roadkill.

It reminded me of a time when I was living in Suffolk and working in Lavenham. One night, as I was journeying home, the car ahead of me hit a pheasant but it was still alive. Unable to pass by leaving an injured critter like that, I bundled the poor thing into the back of my Land Rover. By the time I arrived home, the bird was evidently deceased. Not knowing what to do with it, I put it back into the rear of my Land Rover where it stayed for the next month.

I later gave it to a girl who was leaving the company as a farewell gift .......

Mothering Sunday

Mothering Sunday, Mother's Day - whatever label we wish to attach to it, surely the essence is that we connect via whatever means with our Mums!

I say 'via whatever means' because not everyone still has their Mum around, whether separated by death or by distance - emotional or otherwise! In my view, it is probably easier to connect with a departed Mum through loving thoughts than it is to reach out to a Mum with whom you no longer have contact. It is hard for me to imagine what that situation must be like; I still have my Mum around and we have a great relationship and friendship, as do my daughter and I.
By the way, DDD (Dearest Darling Daughter), thank you s-0-0-0-0 much for the fabulously exotic bouquet of flowers!!

Some of my schoolfriends used to say, "I wish my Mum were like yours". Only later in life did I perhaps truly appreciate the real sentiment behind those words.

Although no longer geographically as close as I would like, the hugs and kisses exchanged when we do meet are totally genuine and heartfelt. The loving care extended to Mum by my younger sisters allows me peace of mind in the knowledge that she is not alone. Our dear departed Dad and brother spend a lot of time watching out for her, too. How do we know this? Apart from what we sense ourselves, a lovely lady by the name of Frances who practices as a healer, medium and tarot reader has confirmed it and provided us with much comfort with the information passed on to us by our loved ones.

So, let's cherish our Mums while we can and not have to rely on speaking to them through mediums, although certain people may see that as a method of choice! Pity ........

The Boy

'The Boy' cannot be identified for legal reasons but my friends and family know who he is. Today will be his 9th day with us and he is doing remarkably well - even to the point of learning how to play! His health is stable once more, too.

Bit by bit, he is gaining confidence in his new surroundings and expanding his horizons a little at a time. I wish I could post a photograph of him but that would not be permitted. His medications are being gradually withdrawn after which he will have a 3-week period without any so that another blood test can be carried out without their influencing the outcome. Maybe this time he will have all medication withdrawn and be allowed to flourish under his own steam!

I will keep you updated on his progress.