Taking the Dogs Out

I woke up at 8:30am this morning, a bit tearful after a very vivid and very real-feeling dream about my Gramps. I was sitting on his lap, his arm around me, looking together at something- likely his newspaper ;-) I could feel the stubble on his chin, see the familiar outline of his sun-beaten hands.... It felt so real, so warm, so comforting. I got choked telling mum about it. I just miss him so much, but what a gift he gave us all. Never, ever forgotten. 

I got ready, and after a cloudy start, the sun peeped out. I chopped down my Clematis (leaving the root to grow again next year) and quite a few weeds in the neighbourhood. I go a bit mad with the secateurs once I start- that reminds me of Gramps because he was happiest in the garden! 

I went to mums and we played 'let's see how many sofas we can shift up and down the stairs and the too-small doorways'...... suffice to say it wasn't a lot of fun and the sofas are now listed on Facebook for collection by anyone who can be bothered. I cleared out most of the junk in my old room too. I can't wait to move and make a home, not just a house.

In the afternoon there was a text asking did we want Lucy this afternoon- yes! I asked if she'd like to come to the woods and walk the dog and Shelle replied yes so I was quite excited as I've never really been anywhere with her before.

Before long she appeared in her coat with her winter hat and rainbow boots- all ready to go. She went into the living room and said "oh, it's different, Gramma and Grandad's living room is different! We not seen the sofa like this before!" When she clapped eyes on the two old ones sat together she immediately made it a car, and we all had to get in and pretend to drive! When Ro got home after our walk, she exclaimed, "Ro, look, we've got a car!".

We had a lovely, albeit slow walk around the usual lap of the woods. I held her little hand most of the way round, and we only had one 'stumble trip' as she calls it. We took a poop bag to collect leaves, conkers and pine cones for her to use to collage with, and we just had lots of chat and it was time well spent. She only tired when we were nearing the end of the woods, and she hinted "my daddy puts me on his shoulders" - so my dad put her on his and carried her almost to the last bit. He kept asking her if she wanted to walk yet, but her reply was always "uh, not yet!". 

We toddled home, very slowly, where she had her milk and snack, and then fired up to play Octonauts....! So much for telly and quiet time!

It was lovely to spend time with her, and a new experience for us. As we walked out of the woods, we passed a black lab that Little B sniffed. She said to me " do you like small dogs or big dogs? I don't like the black dog- he's got a funny face".