I remembered a lino cutting I had done earlier in the year, that I decided to play with this weekend (on index cards and watercolour paper), but I got as far as putting it onto a couple of index cards and inking them up before all plans were derailed thanks to my dogs disappearing.

Last seen mid morning on Saturday, when I went to get them from the back yard to go for a walk just before lunch they were gone, so yelling and walking the streets began.  Though I was thinking at that stage that they would be back any minute since they are both home dogs generally.

I felt ill that night, as the weather was freezing, imagining them huddled alone and freezing, I barely slept as I listened out for the cat door barging open.  I was ever hopeful that they would show up during the night, but unfortunately not.

Sunday was taken up with making posters and bombarding the neighbourhood, placing internet lost pet ads, phoning animal control and searching everywhere we could think of to no avail.  It was freezing again on Sunday night as I walked around calling out to them, hoping they would come.  My icad for yesterday was very average, but they were all I could think about and I didn’t feel up to much more.  I couldn’t concentrate or even think about art or paints.

Then this morning I got a phone-call and someone up the street has taken them in the first night, and yesterday animal control had them, so we now have them safe and sound at home, though grounded for life.  I have never felt so relieved as my mind went to the depths of nightmares the longer they were away.

On other news our houseguest also went this morning, though he will be back in two weeks, but only for a few days.  :)  Just in time for school holiday excitement.

Also a couple of weeks ago while I was watching Once Upon a Time (Finale in Season One this week!), I worked out one of the characters was Pinocchio, and my children said “Who???”, and when I replied the wooden puppet I got  “Oh, you mean on Shrek!”.  Um, no.

I was quite taken aback, because we read a lot.  The children have bookcases of books.  I have bookcases of books, but to not know the basics (AKA fairytales) unsettled me greatly, so a trip to the library was had that day where books on fairytales were gathered and we have been working through the classics.  I have a few fairytale activities planned for the school holidays as well, just to drum it in.  Shrek indeed!  Not on my watch.  Funny, while we read all the time, and I am positive some classics have already been read, I did not realise the HUGE gap in their knowledge.  But at the moment we are all about fairytales.

On Friday and Saturday I felt beyond terrible and quite dizzy and unbalanced during parts of both days, but thankfully most germs appear to be leaving for greener pastures.

Now I am off to bake cookies with Victoria, to fill the tins and to take some to our elderly neighbour, whose wife who is very ill has just been sent to a retirement home against their wishes, but for the best care possible.  Not that I think cookies will change anything, but at least he will know we are thinking of him and his wife.  And I am knitting a scarf for a friend, so I want to do a couple more rows on that as well.

And paint.  I want to get my hands dirty, now that I have gratefully walked around the neighbourhood removing all the posters I plastered everywhere yesterday.  :)