2024 December – Poorly Bear, Roofers, All Rugged Up, Raffles, Paul, Wimpole and Belton, Bill’s and Fellowes House, Random Tree Decs, End of Year Swim, Congratulations!
Poorly Bear
This is a picture of me going from the local vet to Queens Veterinary School Hospital in Cambridge. I have a canula in and the local vet has been extracting blood from me and doing x-rays.
This is because I am terrifically ill.
I am so ill that the local vet can’t deal with me which is why I am going to meet Arran who is my new vet at Cambridge.
This is a proper emergency because my blood platelet count should be 245 or higher. It is zero according to the local vet and 17 once re-tested at Cambridge with their fancy-pants piece of kit. But that is still way, way too low. Anything below 50 is pretty much lethal. I was well below 50. They are also going to do a shed load more tests and scans to see if there is an underlying issue. Whatever one of those is.
Arran was extremely polite to me and I knew he could be relied on, so when I was admitted I just trotted to his heel on a nice slack lead, without any fuss and without a backward glance at Mum.
I expect she was crying or something embarrassing.
You know what she can be like.
Anyway, long story short, I am now stuffed full of steroids and chemo to supress my immune system which has been eating my blood platelets for absolutely no reason whatsoever. The rest of me is apparently super healthy and there is no underlying issue at all. I stayed in for the weekend and now I am home.
Mum says thank goodness I am insured as my weekend away with Arran was more than most holidays for humans cost. I am slightly shocked there was even a remote possibility that I might not be insured. I am way too important not to have insurance for goodness sake.
PS: The steroids are making me super hungry.
I mean really, really super hungry.
Also, I have been shaved so they could do the scans. I have a chilly belly too.
Mum thought I was a goner so she was pretty worried.
I haven’t seen her like that before.
I’m tougher than she realises.
I expect I will milk this for all it’s worth over the next few weeks though.
Roofers
The roofers are here and have fixed the hole in the roof where the rain came through. Mum just has to re-decorate the room now.
I helped her last time but since I am terrifically ill, I might give it a miss.
All rugged up
Kobe
Penny
I wouldn’t normally countenance wearing a coat myself but these are looking rather inviting now. Especially since I have a shaved belly.
Shall I get one?
Mum doesn’t seem very keen. She is under the impression that there won’t be one big enough for me.
Cheek.
Doesn’t she know I am terrifically ill?
Raffles
Mum and offspring have abandoned me and gone out for afternoon tea for a pre-Christmas treat.
Very civilised and very lovely apparently.
Next door looked after me, so I was OK.
Just in case you were worried.
Because I have been terrifically ill, in case you hadn’t realised.
Paul
Paul has also made his seasonal appearance.
Classy huh?
No further comment.
Wimpole and Belton
Mum and la famille went to both Wimpole Hall and Belton Estate Christmas lights. Hot chocolate with marshmallow and whipped cream, mulled cider or wine treats too. And music to accompany the light show.
Very festive!
Wimpole Hall was the winner this year Mum reckons.
Bill’s, Fellowes House, Queens Head, Notcutts
And brunch at Bill’s, cocktails at Fellowes House, dins at The Queens Head, afternoon tea at Notcutts.
Hey, it’s really not a bad life eh? Did I get invited? Not on your nelly.
So selfish.
Especially since I am terrifically ill.
Random Tree Decs
I mean, really.
They are nothing to do with me.
S’all I’m saying.
End of year swim
Just look at that sky and don’t think about the temperature.
Congratulations!
Massive congratulations to Tindy for passing his PPL skills test in pretty much the only fog and mist free 3 hours of daylight this December!! Woo woo – you’re a star!
Just brilliant.
What a way to end the year.
Happy Christmas everyone and see you on the other side.
Love Saffron xxx
Saffron’s recommendations this month:
Music:
Here’s a selection of the top Xmas songs ever – see if you agree….
- Santa Tell Me – Ariana Grande
- Christmas (baby please come home) – Darlene Love
- Felice Navidad – Jose Feliciano
- Last Christmas – Wham
- Under the Tree – Kelly Clarkson
- Stay Another Day – East 17
- Frosty the Snowman – Cocteau Twins
- Peace on Earth / The Little Drummer Boy – David Bowie and Bing Crosby
- It’s Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas – Michael Bublé
- Merry Christmas Everybody – Slade
- Lonely This Christmas – Mud
Reading:
Orbital by Samantha Harvey and published by Jonathan Cape.
A team of astronauts in the International Space Station collect meteorological data, conduct scientific experiments and test the limits of the human body. But mostly they observe. Together they watch their silent blue planet, circling it sixteen times, spinning past continents and cycling through seasons, taking in glaciers and deserts, the peaks of mountains and the swells of oceans. Endless shows of spectacular beauty witnessed in a single day.
Yet although separated from the world they cannot escape its constant pull.
‘And now maybe humankind is in the late smash-it-all-up teenage stage of self-harm and nihilism, because we didn’t ask to be alive, we didn’t ask to inherit an earth to look after, and we didn’t ask to be so completely unjustly darkly alone’.
Film: (and TV again)
Black Doves is a British spy thriller television series and developed for Netflix. The series stars Keira Knightly, Ben Wishaw and Sarah Lancashire. Ahead of its premiere on 5 December 2024, it was renewed for a second series. Mum binge watched this and loved it. This is included because a lot of the scenes are winter / Christmassy.
If you actually want a film then try Conclave. This is a 2024 mystery thriller film starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Sergio Castellitto and Isabella Rossellini. Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Fiennes) organizes a papal conclave to elect the next Pope and finds himself investigating secrets and scandals about each candidate.
Mum thinks this should be a documentary really. See what you reckon.
Also, if you’d like something more sentimental and Christmassy, try Last Christmas which has a bit of a twist (see if you spot it) and just the best soundtrack mostly by George Michael. ‘Last Christmas I gave you my heart…….’
Mum loves a bit of George Michael. Such great lyrics to so many of his songs.