Pills, postings and puggles

Hmmm 15th January already eh? Well I guess that is one New Year’s resolution gone to pot. Yes, well, I had intended to update my blog in a more timely fashion than of late, but … quite simply, I haven’t. But then again, isn’t that what these ‘ere resolutions were invented for? To ignore?

We have been busy preparing the next issue of Exotic Pets magazine and are pleased to say that Issue 3 should be ready for distribution by the beginning of next week. Then it will be time to resume proofing the first in our list of books due for publication in the coming year. The first book of 2008 is Michael Woodley’s “In the Wake of Bernard Heuvelmans – a re-examination of the scientific evidence for Sea Serpents”. You will also have read perhaps, on Jon’s blog, that we have three new books out since my last proper blog entry: CFZ Yearbook 2008, Dark Dorset Calendar Customs and my book, Ethna’s Journal.

Jon was feeling a bit under the weather at the end of last week, with a cold and other unexplainable symptoms. However, the latter were explained on Saturday – he had been taking the wrong medicine! Yes, Jon, dependable stalwart of the CFZ, had mistakenly put his evening medicine in the morning section of his pill-box and vice versa with his morning medicine. In short, he was working during the day after taking drugs that were supposed to help him sleep and couldn’t quite work out why he couldn’t sleep in the evening. What a man eh! Hee hee.

Last Thursday was overshadowed by the sadness that it was the morning of my father’s funeral. It was a wet and windy day – the sort of wind that howls around the turrets (if we had any) and forces the rain to smash against the windows like a hail of tiny stones. However, the service went off as well as these things can and the family are now trying to coming to terms with it all, and to remember the good times we had together.

It was also the day of my eldest’s end-of-4th-year examination results. Shosh had convinced herself that she had definitely failed this time, and had resigned herself to retakes in March. The results were due to be posted at 12 noon that day and as the minute hand on the kitchen clock ticked further towards 12.30 I was beginning to think that the poor girl’s fears had been met. Then came a ‘phone call with just one word – merit! Not only had she passed, but also she had passed with flying colours! Good on you, girl – all that hard work, and all those nights surviving on three hours’ sleep, paid off. I am proud of you.

It is now the turn of poor Olivia to face exams – at the end of the month - and I shall now bear the maternal agony of feeling for her as she revises, sits them and awaits the results. It is GREAT being a mother, but at times likes these, when you suffer your children’s stresses with them, boy oh boy, it is agony! Olivia, I wish you all the very best and, as with Shosh, I shall be with you all the way!

The sweetest thing I saw last week was a picture of a baby echidna born at Perth Zoo. I had no idea that a baby echidna was called a puggle – what an adorable name. Needless to say we all want one, even though we know we cannot! Mind you, if we receive a suspicious parcel from Mike and Ruby ‘down under’, we may well know what it might be, and would certainly not ‘return to sender’!