Bardo, Bella and Anna guarding my (Radio Suffolk) Mark Murphy Ugly Mug....


I've been thinking for ages now that I ought to update my blog but knowing that the Mail on Sunday used it for some of the article about me as a Suffolk Swede has prompted me to put digit to keyboard...

Firstly, and to show that I have my priorities right, and before the RSPCA descend on me for my cruelty to my "overweight dogs", can I point out that NONE of my dogs are overweight.  The photo of Anna in April this year has been reproduced in the paper - but that was when she weighed in at 58.4kg - she is now a very healthy, active 42.9kg and "Slimmer of the Year" at Eastgate Vets....  She is on the right of the photo above and as you can see she is now a shadow of her former self - she actually has a waist!  She has lost a quarter of her bodyweight over a 6 month period - I only wish I could do the same!

Bella continued to lose weight and she was being sick at odd times so I took her to the vets because I was quite concerned - two said that she looked just right and two said that they would prefer her with a bit more weight - and that was my view too.... We then started taking blood tests every week or so - she showed a normal liver function but the liver blood tests were not right so we tried various things - antibiotics, different diet ('sensitive' dog food) and some other additives but still she was losing weight and the blood tests were still showing an abnormality.  After about 4 weeks we gave her a scan but still nothing, and then two weeks later another one - this one was not much better but the vet thought that the liver might be slightly enlarged on the first one and the wall of the stomach was a bit thicker.  I couldn't really see the difference - they both looked like long range weather forecasts to me... Anyway Alex recommended a referral to the Animal Health Trust.  I took her in on Thursday 22nd Oct and Sheila, the vet there, did more blood tests and another scan.  The blood tests showed up as abnormal and the scan didn't show much either.  I brought her home on Friday and she had a fantastic weekend playing with Bardo and Anna.  On Tuesday 27th I took her back to the AHT for an operation to do a biopsy on the liver and the stomach.  Unfortunately when they opened her up they could see that the pancreas had cancer - it was about half gone - not something that would have been seen on a scan - it had spread to her liver, small intestine and stomach and it was quite agressive - and so I agreed with them not to bring her round from the op.  It sounds so bland to write it like that - I can assure you that it was nothing like as calm as that - I howled and wanted her home but she would have been in pain and after all she has been through in her short 3 and a bit years I couldn't do that to her.  It's a very human thing to want to say goodbye - but the best thing was to remember her as she had been - lively, friendly, full of life and a beautiful, beautiful dog.  

This is her at the beginning of October...

  
Bella 14.07.2006 to 28.10.2009

Rest in peace Bella - there are others waiting for you over the Rainbow Bridge - Jemma and Jessie who knew you and Chris and Ben who didn't but whose family you are part of.  Over there you have four legs and will be able to run and play like you never really got the chance to on this side.  Bless you for all the love that you brought into my life andthe lives of many others.  Many thanks to the wonderful vets that have looked after you - James, Alex and Sheila who gave her her last cuddle....


Bardo is not overweight - he misses Bella but he and Anna have settled down nicely and we can now go for very long walks.... I tend to go early in the morning so as not to alarm too many people - but at least now I'm only walking two Rottweillers, not three!

I had taken them for a long walk this morning and got back, thought that I'd see if I was quoted in the Mail on Sunday (they rang me on Friday evening) so kept all my walking gear on and just popped down to the garage... Much amusement that I was in the paper and dressed almost exactly the same this morning as in the photo!  No make-up on today though - guess that's why I'm a Suffolk Swede rather than a Cameron Cutie.  A cutie would never go out without looking her absolute best I'm sure - but then you could ask which is the most realistic?!?!?!

So what happened?

At the end of June I wrote to David Cameron to say that I was really disappointed with some of the MP's - they just didn't have any sense of what was really happening in the real world.  I got a letter back to say that I could apply to be a Conservative MP... I sat on it for a bit but then decided that I would apply - got through the first stage and then was invited to attend a Parliamentary Assessment Board.  I did that in October and passed, so I was able to apply for the Central Suffolk and North Ipswich vacancy....  Sadly I was not selected for the shortlist - and neither was anyone else that would be seen to be local.  I know some of the people who were on the selection team and I can't believe that they would have been swayed by pressure from Central Office so they must have chosen the 6 candidates for a shortlist that they thought were the best for the area.  Obviously I'm very disappointed but life is too short to worry about it.  I have offered to help out at the primary - it will be interesting to see the process in action and they may need 'outside' help on the night.  As I said before, these are friends of mine and just because you don't agree with them you don't desert your friends... well I don't.

Council work

You may think that with everything else that's been going on I haven't had much time for council stuff - don't you believe it!  August is a quiet time - it's difficult to get meetings organised with so many people off on their holidays but once September arrives it's all systems go again.  We have had a couple of Cabinet meetings and also a full Council meeting.  With the economic recession and the projected downturn in public sector spending our budgets are going to be very very tight over the next 4 to 8 years.  Each main party has said that they will have to cut public spending and that means that our grants from central government will probably be less - by as much as one third.  If you think that last year about £680m of our £1bn 'income' came from the government and £280m came from council tax you can see how a reduction of a third could be a bit of a challenge!  (understatement of the year!)  It's like a set of scales - services we provide on one side and income on the other - if you take away some of the income you either have to make it up from somewhere else or reduce services - to make it balance again.  We will shortly be putting into the public domain the (Resource, Finance and Performance) scrutiny committee papers for the meeting to discuss the budget proposals on 15th December.  After that we will take into account comments made and look at suggestions (as we have done in previous years) and then present the final paperwork to Cabinet and the full Council on 18th February 2010.  The hard work will start then - this year we have the remnants of the previous budgetary planning - next year will be a whole new ball game and we have some serious redesigning of services to do if we are to keep providing the same or similar services for minimal increases in Council Tax.

There are many parts to being a councillor - there are the 'behind the scenes' meetings to keep the council running as we would like it, there are the parish council meetings so that we can keep on top of local issues and there are political meetings.  I am also a governor at three local schools and so the budget pressures which have put a temporary hold on the School Reorganisation in this area have put a certain amount of pressure on me personally.  I would confirm that I am 100% committed to making sure that the two-tier system is brought in across the county - it's about looking after the pupils in our schools and making sure that we do the best for them.  We have some excellent middle schools but we can do better - there is no doubt that the change in school brings in a dip in pupil attainment and that is what we are trying to improve.


Musings....

I enjoy my job as a councillor - maybe I'm better doing that than trying to be an MP?  A friend of mine who was on the official Conservative candidates list told me that he had come off it because he thought he could do more for his local area as a local councillor than as an MP - it certainly made me think.  I suspect that some people want to be an MP because they see that as career progression and it doesn't matter where they stand.  My application to Central Suffolk was based on being a local person - born and brought up in Suffolk.  That doessn't mean that I have spent all my life here or haven't experienced what life has to offer - my husband was in the Army, a bomb disposal officer, and we moved around a lot, including some time in Germany - I have also had 'life' experiences - setting up a successful company, for one, being widowed at 43 for another!  Funnily enough my Dad, Alan Bauly, was born on a farm in Earl Soham - so right at the heart of the Central Suffolk constituency!   I'll keep applying in the Easten region I think - but certainly not further afield.  It normally helps on an application if you have stood unsuccessfully somewhere last time around - it seems that most of the 6 shortlisted for Central Suffolk fit that criteria.  It isn't always an advantage to be local - you may have preconcieved ideas and that isn't helpful... Everyone must make up their own minds. 

That's enough for me - rabbiting on and still not had my breakfast. 

And by the way - until the end of December I am still only 51!!!! 

I don't know - where does the time go to?  I have been told that the older you get the faster the years seem to go by - those guys who have just died aged 111 and 113 must have been quite dizzy!

Update on Help for Heroes / Ladies Driving Challenge - as a team we raised £1393 - so we are all well chuffed with that. 

Since my last blog the Council has been catching up with committee meetings and then at the end of July it all goes quiet for the month of August.  It's not that we take all that time off - like the MP's - but every other person seems to be away on holiday so there is great difficulty in arranging meetings.  I will still be going in but not as frequently.  Anyway it will be good to spend time at home catching up on repair jobs and stuff....

Update on dogs....

Anna - the obese one - is no longer obese!!!!  Okay, she's probably still overweight but she has gone down from 58.7kg at the end of March to 48kg as of Sunday.... Hurrah!  It's a combination of being quite strict with treats - ie NONE), her food, (Royal Canin obesity management!) and taking her swimming twice every week.  I take her to Meadow Farm Hydrotherapy in Hepworth and we have been building up from 2 minutes to 18.  She is now on full air jets too... it really is quite a work-out and I feel guilty that I don't do the same.

Bella - you may remember that last year she tore her cruciate ligament on her left hind leg.  In order to strengthen that she has been going swimming too.  She is losing weight as well but not intentionally so I will have to up her food intake.  The leg is now strong and she is building up her confidence too - she has dropped to a maintenance schedule of once a week - just to maintain the muscle tone on the left leg.  She is a very strong dog - her front legs do most of the work.  According to James at the Grove the weight distribution is 60% at the front and 40% at the rear... she has gone from a four-legged 50kg dog to a three-legged 40kg dog  but it is important to keep the weight off so as to keep the left hind stable.

Bardo - who the heck is Bardo you are asking yourselves... Bardo is a 5 year old dog that I have just "rescued" - yes, he's another Rottweiler - so now I have three again!  Bardo has been fostered for the last 2 months, since he was rescued from being tied up in a flat in north London, with a teacher.  She had three children, three cats and another dog of her own.  He has been used to lots of coming and going and is really very "chilled".  The others have accepted him really well although Bella has had a few goes at him - establishing that she is top dog.  I asked a friend of mine to come round and assess my "pack" - Jackie, who does dog training at Wattisfield on a Monday night - and sometimes it's easier for another person to look at what's going on.   She was very quick and helped me enormously.

This is Bardo - he's a big boy, very handsome and obviously been well looked after and well trained.  A nice addition to my family pack!





Weekend 17th - 19th JUly
What an exciting weekend THAT was.... On Friday evening I went off to Westhorpe Lodge to see the "Searchers" - it was a concert put on by Westhorpe Events and it raised about £2500 for Children in Need.  David Barker had asked me to look after the silent auction - my friend Rob Dunger from Radio Suffolk told me that I had been mis-cast - anyone less suited to a silent auction he couldn't imagine!  It was a great night.

On the Saturday morning I went off to Norwich to help the campaign for the Conservative candidate, Chloe Smith.  I delivered some leaflets in the Mousehold area for nearly three hours - as they say - every little helps!

On Saturday evening I joined family and friends for Stone Fest - Mike and Belinda put on bands and other music and it's a kind of mini Glastonbury.  Loads of people stay the night, camping in various forms, very cosy some of them are too...

On Sunday I went to Wattisfield fete with Bella - they were having the dog show in the fete.  We entered the best 6 legs originally but my friend Miles suggested that I should also go in for the class for the dog that hadn't yet got a first... He seemed oblivious to the fact that I wanted a first for the best 6 legs - oh the innocence of youth!  Well - you may have spotted the problem with entering that particular class - like between us we only have 5 legs... So I took along a leg of lamb to make up for the one that Bella had missing.  We got second - the judge saw the humour in our presentation but gave first to a dog and owner wearing the same leggings!   Of course we still then qualified for the class of dogs that had not won a first - there was rather a large group of dogs - all shapes and sizes but Bella won that class.  I felt really bad for Miles - he and Monty didn't win anything but he did get a fourth in one of the other classes.   I had to smile because I have known Miles's Dad Roger for many years and every dog that he has owned has been called Monty!   It was a lovely occassion - very British - lots of people I knew, all with their lovely dogs, and I sat with Sarah, Miles's mum, and we put the world to rights, had a giggle at some of the people going by and generally had a very pleasant relaxing afternoon.  We both greatly admired the belly-dancers and made Miles roll his eyes in despair by suggesting that we might have a go at that...  I have to admit that I thought I would be better at it than Sara - I have the belly for it whereas she has a very trim figure - I'm sure that MUST be a disadvantage?!?!?


Council work update...

This is the whole reason that I was persuaded to have a blog - so that I could give an idea of what a councillor does... so here goes....

6th - went into Endeavour House for the Leaders weekly briefing and then met with members of the Rights of Way committee.  Had my hair cut. Went to Conservative office in Woolpit to sort out the form for my election expenses return which had to be in to MSDC by Thursday.  Then went to Norton parish council and then Badwell Ash parish council.
7th Had a run-through of a presention I am giving in London on Thursday and then my regular Storyboard session with the Resource Management team.  In the evening I went to Westhorpe and then Wyverstone parish council meetings.
8th Had a meeting with an officer from Adult and Community Services (ACS) about a job application that someone had asked me to look into for them.  Then another meeting - this time about County Farms - then a meeting about Waste.  In the evening I went to Tostock parish council meeting.
9th - went to London to do a speech at a national conference on Comprehensive Area Assessment and Use of Resources - yes, you can yawn if you want to - but there were about 150 people there who found it riveting!
10th - the official opening of West Suffolk House in Bury St Edmunds - hurrah - it's finally open!  No, seriously though - it was open to staff to move into just before Easter - this was the official, flag-waving, celebrity-spotting, MP-attending, opening ceremony.   It was a good bash - lots of people there, including some old faces - people who had been involved in the project at the start.
11th - Saturday - went to Wyverstone Village fete and then RAF Wattisham Armed Forces Day.
13th - Leadership team meeting in Ipswich - where members of the Cabinet and the Corporate Management Board (Directors) get together and talk through what has happened, is happening and is likely to happen - this time we tended to be talking about what we are likely to face in terms of reductions in income over the next few years and how we as an organisation might cope with that - cutting our costs without losing the services that are offered to the Suffolk tax payer....
14th Cabinet day - starts with a pre-meet of all Cabinet and their assistants and then the Cabinet meeting proper is in the afternoon.  This meeting we had lots of people from CAWS (campaign against waste sites) in attendance.  I had to leave the meeting for that item as my family run a gravel pit that takes in waste....
15th Meeting with other Cabinet members, talking about media coverage and so on.
16th Resources, Finance and Procurement Scrutiny Committee - I always attend if I  can.  In the afternoon I went across to Forest Heath offices in Mildenhall for a pre-brief on tomorrows SLGA meeting.
17th SLGA meeting at St Edmundsbury offices, West Suffolk House.  SLGA stands for the Suffolk Local Government Association and it's all the leaders, chief execs, deputies and other members of all the district, county and borough councils in Suffolk. 
20th Had dental appointment, otherwise I would have gone to the Audit Committee meeting!  In the evening I went to Elmswell parish council meeting and then Woolpit parish council meeting.
21st Storyboard meeting (lasts and hour and a half) plus other odds and ends in Ipswich.  In the evening I went to the Community Board meeting in Woolpit Institute
22nd Campaigning in North Norwich (Sprowston) in the morning and then back to Ipswich to meet a gentleman from the Audit Commission.
23rd Nothing council
24th - meeting of the Joint Committee has been cancelled - not enough on the agenda to make it worth-while to meet.

So there you have it - my catch up for the last three weeks... lets hope that we get some good weather again now and I can get out and about with my dogs....  

Well, having said that I would try to keep up with the blog it's been about two weeks now and I haven't posted... Those people who have time to "twitter" must either have blackberries permanently attached or not enough in their lives!

Okay - so time to catch up....

The week before last was an exciting week - it began with a trip to London on the Tuesday.  I'm a member of a group representing Local Government employers and their meeting was in Smith Square.  Much of these meetings are receiving reports from the officers on various issues around at the time.  This time we were also asked to give our views on the level of pay rise... the "employers" had offered 0.5% as long as it was accepted by 1st June - the deadline had come and gone and no word - so what were we to do?  That very same morning the EADT had carried the headline about how dreadful it was that so many at Suffolk County Council were paid £50,000 and above... the Suffolk Local Government Association had also discussed pay rises... and so I said that it should be 0.  Of course that is the easy way out - we have to remember how many employees are NOT on £50k per year - they are on much less - and that is about 97.5% of the total (excluding schools).  These are people like secretaries, admin staff, social workers, firemen, caretakers, cleaners and so on,  so next time someone says about all the staff at SCC earning so much just remember those figures and who those people are.  At a regional meeting I asked that our region put forward a proposal for a 0% except for lower grades.  It was not taken up.  The idea of a 0% pay increase still allows for an employee who does well to go up a pay grade and get more that way.  We will see what happens.

After that meeting I met up with an old friend for lunch - he used to live in Woolpit and now works for Stagecoach, the rail company, in the Westminster area.  His mum and dad used to run the Plough in Woolpit and he is known to most people round here as "Tank" (not sure why?).  His mum had passed him my campaign leaflet and he had e-mailed me to say that if I was in London to look him up - so I did.  He hasn't change a bit - what a lovely man!  We had met last year at a funeral but not had a chance to talk much - this time wasn't ideal either but we caught up on what each of us was doing and the time just flew by.  Funnily enough ever since then it seems like every person I've talked to has a connection with Clive - but more of that later.  I'm in London again this week but sadly we won't have time to meet up - another time....

On Thursday 25th June SCC had it's AGM. It's a bit of pomp and ceremony - electing the Chairman for the new year and saying goodbye to the last one, ditto for the Vice-Chairman.  Joanna Spicer is taking over from Charles Michell as Chairman.  Surprisingly enough Joanna seemed quite nervous but I don't think that will last long!  Charles was super - very laid back but right on the button in terms of rules.  I'm not sure what Joanna's style will be - in the previous term some of the Labour group referred to her as "nanny" - in a nice way of course.  She is very sharp - one of the most intelligent people I know - but she can take over - so we will just have to wait and see what she is like.

At the AGM Jeremy Pembroke was elected Leader again - he's a lovely chap - so committed to doing his very, very best for Suffolk and the people of Suffolk.  I don't think many people realise how lucky we are.  He announced his Cabinet - which included me as his Deputy and Portfolio Holder for Resource Management and Transformation.  Actually - he forgot to say that was my portfolio - just that I was Deputy Leader - but everyone assumed that I would be because that was the only one he didn't list!  Obviously there was a formal list that went as part of the minutes and I was certainly on that!

On Saturday I had a visit from David Ruffley - he was on his way to Gislingham to open a fete and dropped in for a coffee and a catchup chat.  He looked quite pale and thinking about it afterwards - the lot of an incumbent MP is not a happy one.  I know that they have brought it on themselves to a certain extent but just imagine living in that sort of a goldfish bowl - everything you do is criticised and questioned and for very little thanks.  David has to be one of the hardest working MP's, many people speak highly of how he has helped them and yet the media take it on themselves to seemingly try to bring him down.  I got my application form this week to put myself forward as a Conservative party candidate - I am thinking about it but do I really want to have so little time to myself and my family?  And my dogs of course!

Later on Saturday I went off to the Ladies Driving Challenge at Rendlesham.  I was part of the Suffolk Land Rover Owners team that were providing 4 x 4's for the ladies to drive.  I got there just as the team were going for lunch - what timing! - and who should be there but my friend Matt.... Matt has been away for almost two years in the Antartic - amazing experiences and stories that he has to tell.  It was lovely to see him again - we had been out together once or twice and it was good to see him.  Apparently he used to read my blog!  He knew all about Jess and Jemma going and all about Bella....  Bless!  

This is him and his vehicle on one of the last stages of the off road course that the Ladies were driving - if you want to see more photo's then try the Suffolk Land Rover Owners Club website - http://slroc.com





I spent all afternoon doing that - my lowlight was the lady who said "which one is the clutch" - my highlights were just too numerous to pick one out. 

On Saturday evening I came back, fed the dogs, showered, changed my clothes and then went off to Elmswell Fire Station where David Reid was celebrating having been a firefighter for 25 years.  All his mates had got together and were giving him a surprise party.. Apparently when they had driven past earlier in the evening and he had commented on so many cars being parked outside they told him that I was having a party!!!!  I caught up with lots of people - many of the firefighters and their wives and also other people from the village.  I was chatting to one parish councillor and realised that I had known her partner in my teens!  I had quite fancied him then and unfortunately blurted that out to them both!!!  We all had a laugh about it and then started to talk about other people that we knew and of course Clives name came up again - see first paragraph!  What a small  world - but it's a really nice world and one that I feel comfortable to be part of.  After Davids party I went off to Woolpit Cricket Club to meet Kathy and then went on to the Casino/Games night at the Village Hall in aid of the school.  Kathy won a hanging basket in the raffle and gave it to me to "look after" - I'm watering it every day - honest!!!!!

On Sunday my friend Sam came round for a coffee and a chat so that I could catch up on all her news.  Then I went off to Rendlesham again but this time to compete.  I have got sponsorship for about £350 for Help for Heroes - our team charity.  I was in team SCC - here we are....

  

I look like I'm curtseying but someone had told me to bend down so that we could get all the sign in!

We had me, head of communications, a couple from the audit team, a couple of PA's, all sorts - but a great team! We drove lorries, diggers, fast cars, golf buggies, 4 x 4's, go karts and tractors, and we also had rides in a stretch limo and a fire engine.  We had a fantastic time and my thanks to all those people who help to make those days such a success - I think they have raised over half a million pounds since they started 12 years ago.  Every year Elfin Safety, that horrible little gnome, puts more and more in the way of their good work. Please guys, keep up the good work.....

This week has been busy too - meeting on Monday with the new Cabinet and getting used to each other.  Then on Tuesday it was my payroll day but in the evening I had a PCC meeting at Hunston.  Wednesday I swam my dogs and then finished off the payroll - it was month end so I didn't finish until gone 11o/c.  On Friday there was another councillor induction training session - Friday afternoon?!?!?!  not the best time, and certainly NOT when Andy Murray was playing the semi-final - but hey, it was a really good session and lots of councillors and officers were involved and I hope the new and returning councillors all learnt something - I know I always pick up some new snippet every time I go to one of these courses.

Just a note about the dogs - Bella is getting stronger on the left leg with the swimming - it's absolutely wonderful - she exercises without putting any weight on it and is building up the muscle.  She now goes for much longer walks.  I'm sure that people watching wonder why I stop when I'm walking my dogs - you're not supposed to - but when one of them only has three legs and she just needs to have a bit of a rest it's hard to keep going!  Anna is a shadow of her former self - since the end of March a combination of the obesity management diet and the swimming has worked wonders - she has gone from 58kg to just under 50kg.  I've had to take her collar in by two notches and she has a waist!!!!  We still have another 5kg to lose but we will get there.... I say "we" but I wish I could lose the same amount - perhaps I should be as strict with myself as I am with her!  Anyway - it's all good, positive news.
 
So that's about it - I'll try not to leave it so long next time!  I've probably missed out heaps - if it's important I'll make sure I include it on my next update.

Well here I am - two weeks after the count and I'm back as the county councillor for Thedwastre North. 

Campaigning was not without it's thrills and spills....

First there was the photo that had to be found for my campaign leaflet.  A head and shoulders was the minimum requirement plus, ideally, an "action" shot... action? Me?  The trouble is that nearly everyone else has a partner that they can drag along somewhere and get them to take a photo - not me.  But not to be outdone I went out one Sunday morning in my dogwalking gear with my trusty camera and tripod - oh, and dog of course!  We walked down to the church on a beautiful sunny morning and I took some photo's.  I met my dog-walking friend who I call Mrs Harry - Harry is the dogs name - with her grand-daughter and I took some photo's of them too.  Obviously I can't put them on here because of the little girl but here is one of mine....




Funnily enough - when it came to the leaflet itself they cut off poor Anna - can't think why!  At that stage she was very over-weight but she has been on a diet since then and has lost 8kg....

Once I had collected the leaflets I started delivering to all my villages.  I began in Tostock on a beautiful Saturday morning, finishing later that afternoon.  From there I did all the villages ending up in Great Ashfield the week of the election.

I enjoy it - it's great fun meeting people and chatting about their gardens, children, cars or just generally catching up with their news.  One poor chap whose letterbox is in the glazed door to his utility room had me delivering a leaflet just as he was taking his tracksuit bottoms off to put in the washing machine.... He had a lovely body...  He opened the door and we stood chatting for a few minutes... but it just goes to show - when you are thinking about your house do you consider where the letterbox is?  Can you see it easily?  The number of times I was searching around for a letterbox only to be told that it was hidden behind a bush or something - that's if there even IS a letterbox.  You would be amazed how many people don't have a letterbox - I just had to leave the leaflet inside the front, or back, door....

(I've found out since that the lovely man with the lovely body is single - have to find a reason to go back there methinks!)

Another thing that struck me was how few houses had the name easily displayed.  I went delivering for my friend Sam who stood as a candidate in Thedwastre South - I was delivering letters to people who had said that they would support the Conservative but trying to work out if I had the right house was trial and error - although hopefully not too much error!  My admiration for the posties grew and grew after this exercise.  How do the ambulance service, or other emergency services, manage?  I suppose that in those circumstances there is normally someone outside waving them down - but it made me very conscious of the importance of a proper sign.  The names are something else again - the one that stuck in my mind was called "Wotnonumber" - there were others that I just wondered where on earth the inspiration for such a name came from.... My house is called Plum Cottage - renamed from Mebyon Kernow - yes, I know... it is the name for the Cornish Independance Party - goodness knows how that came to be the name of a house in Norton but it just goes to show.  I renamed it when I moved in because everytime I told someone what the name was they would say "what?" and then "how do you spell that?"... Plum Cottage is good feng shui and I have plum trees! 

I walked round most of the villages on my own but on a couple of occasions I had help - twice from my Dad and once from my brother-in-law, Steve.  They drove the car while invariably I walked down a road that only had houses on one side.  My Dad enjoys finding out all the little nooks and crannies that I have to represent and often he meets someone he knows - my brother-in-law was really useful cos he was able to give me a police perspective on a problem road.  Poor Steve, he's a townie and was quite concerned that there were no street lights where we were going - not that it was dark but that was one of his measures of civilisation!

At the start of my campaign I had a OS map that I laminated and then when I had been somewhere I would draw a blue line along the road so that eventually the whole area was covered in blue and I knew that I had been everywhere.  There were only three places that know that I didn't go to and two were friends and the other had had a family bereavement so I gave them a miss.  It was a matter of pride to me that I went everywhere.

Of course - just as I started campaigning the Daily Telegraph decided to run the story about MP's expenses - there was quite some comment on the doorstep - usually I said that I had to clean my own moat out....  Our own MP, David Ruffley, was featured at one point but his expenses were not on the scale of some of the MP's.  Indeed, at least he had paid for things and then claimed back - not like some of them who were obviously fraudulent in their claims.  I did get very annoyed that some MP's just don't seem to be in the real world - they get to Westminster and they lose sight of the real people that they are supposed to represent... oops I can feel a soap box moment coming on here!  I even wrote to David Cameron and said that I wanted to be an MP because the others were ignorant and arrogant.  Obviously he hasn't replied yet - probably doesn't think that I am a real person?!?!?  David Ruffley came with me and my sisters family to the 70's and 80's night in the Abbey Gardens and well done him for doing that .  Yes, we queued to get in, queued for the bar and for burgers, along with everyone else - so he was getting a taste for life with real people.... Unfortunately when I wanted him to come to another event he declined on the grounds that he would be a liability to my campaign - or maybe once out with me and my family was enough?!?!   Of course we now have the added spice of all sorts of good and noble people throwing their hats into the ring - could be an interesting general election...  I don't think I'll pursue any ambition to be an MP - who'd want all that hassle?  

The other interesting moment during my election campaigning was when I dropped my mobile phone in the toilet.... Yes, I know that water is not good for them... I had got my phone in the back pocket of my jeans - forgot about it and went to pull the jeans down to sit on the toilet seat and the phone popped out and straight into the pan!  It was a bit of a heart stopping moment but I quickly whisked it out and dried it... The SIM card is okay and the phone itself seemed okay to start with but then the keys locked up.  Luckily I had a spare (courtesy of my mobile phone provider!) and was able to swap the SIM over.  However I had lost all sorts of phone numbers that I had collected over the years and also my special ringtones - Mission Impossible used to play whenever anyone from the council rang, Dambusters theme when anyone rang who was a flyer, the Addams family for family members and so on....  

So now its back to work for me - next week is the Council AGM where we elect a Leader and he selects his Cabinet team.  With 55 members out of 75 the Conservatives are in the majority and I would be very surprised if Jeremy Pembroke is NOT the Leader of the Council come Thursday afternoon... If he is then I am his Deputy but apart from that I cannot say - it's still being worked on.  

It's good to be back and thank you to everyone that voted for me - I will keep doing my best for everyone.  I'm also going to try and keep this more up-to-date!

A Parting Prayer

Dear Lord, please open your gates
and call St. Francis
to come escort this beloved companion
across the Rainbow Bridge.

Assign her to a place of honor,
for she has been a faithful servant
and has always done her best to please me.

Bless the hands that send her to you,
for they are doing so in love and compassion,
freeing her from pain and suffering.

Grant me the strength not to dwell on my loss.
Help me remember the details of her life
with the love she has shown me.

And grant me the courage to honor her
by sharing those memories with others.

Let her remember me as well
and let her know that I will always love her.

And when it's my time to pass over into your paradise,
please allow her to accompany those
who will bring me home.

Thank you, Lord,
for the gift of her companionship
and for the time we've had together.

And thank you, Lord,
for granting me the strength
to give her to you now.

Amen.

- © Brandy Duckworth, 1998

Jessie was such a special dog - she was a really good friend and today is the worst day I have had for a long time because today I had to make the decision to have her put to rest. 

Chris bought Jessie in August 1993 - she was supposed to be a Jack Russell but she always looked more like a Springer Spaniel puppy.  She had the hunting instincts of a Jack Russell but the lovely soft mouth of a Springer.  I could send her into the water and she would retrieve perfectly a duckling...

About a year ago she began losing weight and when I took her for a check up the vets diagnosed renal (kidney) failure - early stages.  So she went on to a special diet and special pills - she wasn't too keen on that!  I suppose they kept her alive for longer. 



She was always "nursey" to the other dogs - licking their ears and eyes to make sure they were clean - and she was the biggest hearted and fiercest Rottweiler in a small body.  She never thought for one moment that she was a small dog.

I sit here with tears streaming down my face - it's hard coming home and not seeing her curled up asleep in the corner of the kitchen.   My friends, Tracy and Slim Hunting, have a website devoted to their dogs www.chapmeek.com - the last tab is for Rainbow Bridge and I have copied the parting prayer from there.  The first poem on their page is very apt for Jessie too.  She was such a character and I already miss her so very much.  She has passed over the Rainbow Bridge to join her friends Ben and Jemma - she is playing there now, no sign of the arthritus nor the symptoms of the kidney failure - but most importantly, standing there waiting with the two dogs that were her good friends, was Chris - her owner and my very best friend.  God bless them all. 

I hesitate to ask the question really but it has been a glorious morning and so mild and sunny that I think Spring must really be here....

Last Sunday was lovely too ....

In Norton we are blessed with lots of good footpaths - just look at an Ordance Survey map and you will see what I mean.  From where I live I can do a 20 minute walk, a 30 minute, 40 minute and even longer - depending on the time of day, the day of the week and how much time I have.  I walk Anna every day - usually for at least 25 minutes in the morning and then sometimes in the afternoon or evening too.  Bella is finding her feet - three of them! - and is enjoying a walk too.  She is getting on really well.  She had her stitches out on Monday - she had only managed to remove one set on her own!  It didn't open up the wound so I didn't bother about it too much, just kept the wound very clean.  She was as good as gold when she had her stitches out.  Last Thursday she fell over trying to lick my plate as I put it in the dishwasher and I think that gave her a bit of a shock - she was quite quiet for the next couple of days.  I took her to be checked over at the Vets in Bury on Saturday morning and there was nothing physically wrong - but I was advised to get her out a bit more to build up her confidence.... big mistake!   Last Sunday morning it was beautiful so I took Anna out first and then walked Bella.  She was on an extendable lead but I thought she might feel more comfortable without it.... she was walking along behind me nicely until a hare decided to jump up and run over the field.... Bella took off after it - initially I thought she wouldn't go far - then she seemed to get into her stride... I was torn between two emotions - feeling really proud that she was running and looked so comfortable doing it, and wondering when she was going to stop and could I catch her?!?!  She stopped at the edge of the field and looked so pleased with herself....

For those of you who are regular readers of my blog you will know that in December I was trying to build up Bella's muscles on her hind leg - the one that had been in the External Skeletal Fixater... From the photo you can see what it looked like...



In January I went back to the vets in Fakenham and although she seemed okay-ish she was still not doing as well as I had hoped on the bad leg.  The xray confirmed that although the top part of the joint was fused there was "instability", ie movement, in the lower part of the joint and this would be giving her pain.  James suggested that she had another plate, a smaller one this time, across the lower part of the joint so she was duly booked in and had the plate fitted.  While he was operating on the joint he also cut her tendon - so that she would stop the scrunching of the toes as she walked.

This is her a couple of days after the operation...



I'm not sure if you can see but the vetwrap covering has blue paw prints on it - so sweet!

After two weeks she had started to get sores on her legs from where the bandages where so it was agreed that we would leave them off - she was limping a bit but I put that down to the sores on the pads of her feet.  Sadly when I took her back to see James on Tuesday 24th Feb he wasn't quite so sure.  He took an xray from the front and it looked perfect with a proper fusion of all the bone.  From the side it was a different picture - it seemed okay but when he flexed the foot as if she was walking and then took an xray it showed up what looked like a hairline fracture above the new plate, in the fused bone.  This would not get better - he couldn't put in another plate and she was in pain every time she put the foot to the ground.  When I had taken her home from the trip in January he had warned me that if that didn't work the only alternative was to amputate.  Sadly it had now come to that.  He asked me if I wanted time to think about it but knowing that Bella was in pain was enough for me so I booked her in for the Thursday...

I dropped her off on Thursday morning - she loves going there - goodness know why because all that ever happens is that something nasty happens to her - but she loves James to bits - she sits on his feet and looks up at him as if he is the only person in the world....   I went off to meetings in Ipswich and then my very kind neighbours took me out to the Norton Dog for supper to take my mind off things...  (I'm not sure it worked but it was very kind of them)

On Friday morning I went to Linton in Cambridgeshire for the launch of the Youth Parliament and then in the afternoon went to collect Bella.  James had checked the hock and it was quite compromised - not a healthy bone at all so there was no way we could have used another plate on that leg - amputation really was the only proper course of action.

Friday evening she was still quite dozy from the anaesthetic...



and you can see that the wound is still covered by a primapore wound dressing.

On Saturday and through to Sunday the area around the wound began to swell up with fluid and also get very red - the redness is the bruising coming out.  On Sunday morning I was concerned about the fluid and so now she has diuretics as well as anti-biotics and pain-killers!  I was warned that she may wee more often but so far that doesn't seem to be happening...

This is her on Sunday evening....



and for those of you that like to know where things are - this is the utility room which is off the main kitchen area.  I think she liked the relative coolness of the floor in here.  You can't really see the redness - it was a bit gory....

She is getting about really well.  She gets up easily and then makes her way to the door to go outside.  I have to be quick at putting the lead on otherwise I am sure she would hop through the dog flap!  James says that as soon as she has her stitches out (next Monday, March 9th, hopefully) she will have no restriction - wow!  That will be so lovely - she has never really had a time when she has been free of pain in that leg - and now to be walking and running around, albeit on three legs, will just be so good to see.  I shall enjoy taking her for walks and just having a good time.  

I have to say that all the vets, the receptionists and the vet nurses have been really lovely.  I know that we have tried everything that we could to keep the leg but in the end this was for the best.  Bella so loves going to the vets - both of them - and it is a measure of the care, attention and love that they have lavished on her that she still thinks they are a lovely place to go.  The "lady vets" at Eastgate have all been so helpful but I have to single out James at the Grove in Fakenham as being such a special vet - he really has tried everything he could - he was as devastated as I was that we had to amputate.  I had it confirmed that he was fond of Bella when on Friday morning the nurse rang to say that Bella had had a good night and that James was out walking her... Bless!   Thank you to you all - and when I take Bella and Anna up to Holkham for a walk on the beach we will be sure to stop off in Fakenham to say hello to all at the Grove. 

On Friday 27th February I went to Linton near Cambridge to the Launch of the Speaking Up Youth Parliament.  The Youth Parliament is for young people aged 14-25 years old with a learning disability.  It is based on The Cambridgeshire parliament which is Parliament for adults with learning disabilities, it has been running for 8 years and has been very successful. We are adapting the model to meet the needs of young people.
 

The Parliament is a forum where people with learning disabilities are elected by their peers to speak up for them. The learning disabled ‘MPs’ meet with decision makers to talk about issues which they feel are important. The forum exists to influence positive change in services and enable young people MPs to gain such skills as speaking up for themselves and others, presentation skills, develop confidence and self esteem building. It is a forum where the young people can challenge professionals about issues for young people and therefore help to improve and develop these services.

There were young people from Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough who were all speaking up for their peers.  There was quite a group of us from Suffolk and three "MP's" - one couldn't make it.  They were all from Bury schools - Riverwalk and the Priory - and were really quite an inspiration. 

After introductions and a few speeches we split into groups - the group I was in was encouraged to draw out from the young people some discussion on the topic of safety - when they feel safe, where they feel safe and areas where we, as adults, can make them feel safer.  Topics discussed by the other groups included transition (ie moving from a school to a work environment), accessibility and housing.  These are all topics that perhaps we take for granted... How many of us think twice about the very tortuous process of leaving the safe and cosy environment that is our school and going on to the work place?  No, we take it for granted that that is going to happen.  For some of these youngsters that will be a frightening experience, and for some of them it will never really happen - not as WE know it.

I came away with a greater understanding.  I had not fully appreciated just how dedicated the people who look after these youngsters are - the carers, the teachers and the parents.  I am in awe of them all.

At the end of the session we all had to make a pledge - I pledged to write up the day and also to visit the schools soon.  First part of my pledge is now fulfilled - just have to book my visit now.