Happy New Year - and a look back at Christmas

I've had a lovely lovely Christmas and New Year break with the family and done lots of eating, playing, walking and just lolling lazily about.

My first blog post of 2012 has to be a quick look back at Christmas morning in our house to share with you my excitement about the three great presents that Santa brought me.

The first one was the most exciting and special (I thought). Forgive the blurred photos below but they capture the speed with which I moved to protect the great gift.

The Lady Of the House read out the tag and told me Santa had sent it from her cousin, Laetitia, husband Melvin and their lovely daughters Katie and Rebecca. I KNEW it was something great so I tried to help her open it QUICKER.

It was a Christmas reindeer in a Santa hat! The LOTH wanted to get the cardboard and the plastic off it - but I thought this might be a trick so SHE could keep it and play with it herself.

We had a little tussle.

I knew I had to move FAST.

So I grabbed my dear deer and headed out of the room to safety.

Only when I was sure that I had made my point did I come back - and then I kept my paw on my new toy for a long, long time.

My other great presents were - a toy frog....

....and a squeaky, cuddly, turkey.

When you are not playing with him he makes a great pillow.

I hope Santa brought you all you wanted and that 2012 is a great year for you all. I'll head off now to visit some of your blogs and catch up with your Christmas and New Year fun and games.

Winnie's sixth and final carol

Well, me and the LOTH have enjoyed (mostly) working on our alternative Christmas songs....thank you for putting up with them so graciously.

We thought we'd finish off with one that's got a few more serious sentiments - but we wanted to wish you and all your families a very very merry Christmas - and to say that we haven't forgotten our absent friends.

I'm going to enjoy the festivities for a few days but I'll see you again soon.

(To the tune of Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas)

Have yourself a very merry Christmas

As 2011 ends.

This year I have made some very special friends.

Have yourself a warm and cosy Christmas

With loved ones near and far

Love brings us close however far apart we are.

Lots of pets went to Rainbow Bridge

We still miss them all, and how.

But they know that we loved them, so

We must let them go for now.

One day we will all be back together

I believe that's true

Until then, I'm sending all my love to you

And have yourself a lovely peaceful Christmas Day.

Winnie's fifth Christmas Carol

The LOTH is very happy because her freelance work is all finished now for Christmas, so today's alternative song is a team effort.

Requested by Houndstooth - and based on an original idea from the Boy Of The House - I bring you our version of Do You Hear What I Hear?

Said the greyhound to the waiting LOTH

Do you smell what I smell?

Down here on the ground, dearest LOTH

Do you smell what I smell?

A scent, a scent

I’ll call it ‘eau de dog’

I can’t walk past, run or jog

I can’t walk past, run or jog

Said the LOTH to the greyhound standing there

Do you fear what I fear?

(Do you fear what I fear?)

We won’t get home today, Winnie dear

Do you fear what I fear?

(Do you fear what I fear?)

Let’s move

Let's move

At least get to the shops

This isn't a 'walk', it’s a series of stops.

This isn’t a 'walk', it’s a series of stops 

Winnie's fourth Christmas carol

Today's festive song reflects on one of my most embarrassing moments of 2011.

It wasn't wise and it certainly wasn't clever and I hope the Lady Of The House never has a similarly silly idea again.

I didn't have to cross the desert - but I did have to cross the parade ring at the Sutton Greyhound Show.

Off we go, to the tune of We Three Kings (of Orient are...)

Me, one dog, from Burton-on-Trent.

I've got the hump. I wish that she'd spent

a bit more money

It isn't funny

My feelings I have to vent.

I am not a camel!

Not a goat!

Not a donkey in a coat.

Fancy dress!

It's just a mess!

Don't sit there and laugh and gloat.

I could've worn pink. I wish that I had

Looking at HER it made me so sad.

Tutu and hat

I could've worn that

This camel idea's so bad.

I am NOT a camel!

NOT a beast!

When will this dishonour cease?

I am a Queen

I think it's mean

Will somebody call the police!

Winnie's third Christmas carol

Yesterday's Christmas song by the LOTH may have given you the wrong impression of me, dear new readers.

Like most of my breed I love a good sleep - for LONG periods of the day - with a few naps inbetween.

So here, by popular request, is my version of Silent Night.

I like to sleep. Lovely nice sleep

Sleep so calm. Sleep so deep.

My beds are comfy all over the house.

I curl up and I'm quiet as a mouse.

Sleep from 10 until three-ee

Slee-eep from 10 until three.

I like to sleep. Lovely nice sleep.

You won't hear me make a peep.

I fluff my blankets and doggy duvet

I make a nest and then I snooze away.

Sleep from five until ten-en.

Slee-eep from five until ten.

Winnie's second Christmas carol

What? Who? Me?

Actually, that headline is ALL WRONG! Today's carol with new words is ALL the work of the Lady Of The House. Feel free to tell her it's rubbish.

(Sing to the tune of While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night)

Oh, Winnie get some socks tonight

You've dug another crater

The house is full of grass and mud

I'll have to clean up later.

Long greyhound toes trap so much dirt

You've brought in half the garden

You never seem to look ashamed

Or say "I beg your pardon".

If Santa brought some Greyhound boots

The floors would stay much cleaner

And when I saw you digging

I would be a little keener.

 

I wonder if you want to get

To sunny warm Australia?

I don't think you can dig that far

I think you're doomed to failure.

I'd miss you if you went to Oz

I hope that you're not going

The good thing is that thanks to you

The lawn does not need mowing.

("That's because we have no lawn any more, really" - the LOTH)

Yes, yes. We get it. Fine.

Changing the subject, we have had a few requests for "Silent Night" so we are going to work on that next. 

Actually, I WILL. Because the LOTH is clearly not in the proper Christmas spirit.

Winnie's first Christmas carol

As we have walked through our local village and looked at all the Christmas lights and decorations in recent days, it's inspired me and the Lady Of The House to write some new words to traditional Christmas carols which we thought we'd share with you between now and the big day on Sunday.

They are all carols we sing a lot in the UK. Hopefully you'll know them abroad as well.

Here's our first effort (sung to the tune of Good King Wenceslas)

Winnie Greyhound last walked out on a Monday morning

When the frost lay round about, and she'd not stopped yawning.

A winter sun was shining down

It was bright but freezing.

The LOTH took this nice pic of me when she had stopped snee-ee-zing.

Maybe I won't give up the day job JUST yet.

The last pic of Christmas

I suppose the Christmas decorations will be coming down this week.

I'll kind of miss the singing moose and the deer standing in the living room....but it will give me a bit more room to spread out, which will be nice.

As it's the final festive Bank Holiday today over here I thought I'd take the chance to share a last Christmassy picture with you of  "Gorgeous George" who belongs to one of the Lady Of The House's friends.

Doesn't he look lovely? He only joined their family a few months ago and apparently he's really enjoyed his first Christmas with them and all the snow and stuff.

Tomorrow life really starts to get back to 'normal' and I hear that for a lot of people that means going back to 'work' in 'offices' and other places. Poor things! The Boy Of The House has to go to school tomorrow too.

I am lucky that the LOTH works from home on her websites and this week the Man Of The House has a weeks' holiday today. Hooray!!

To new lang syne

I thought I should reflect on 2010 today as I may have an enforced break from the blog for the next couple of days.

Tomorrow is not just New Year's Eve but it's the Lady Of The House's birthday. It was also the day that the LOTH and the MOTH got married. She says it was her idea so he wouldn't forget it...he says it's all a bit much when you only just had Christmas five minutes ago. Anyway, we might be a bit too busy celebrating to get on the blog...in which case I'll see you in 2011.

It's obviously been a special year for me coming here to my new home. The Boy Of The House has always been scared of dogs, but he and I now get along famously as you can see here. I'm glad I could help.

I still like to help my family do stuff to help me old racing pals find new homes through the Retired Greyhound Trust and it was such a shame that the bad weather in December meant that lots of Christmas fund-raisers and fayres had to be cancelled.

It costs so much money to keep us in kennels while we wait for the right homes to come along - but I hope that this Spring there's lots more we can do to help.

Well, I'm off now to try and wrap a little present (my paws aren't too good with sellotope but I think the BOTH is going to help me).

I hope that you all have a wonderful New Year's Eve and that 2011 brings you everything you could hope for.

Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog and I hope to keep hearing from you - and reading your adventures too - in the New Year.

Chew choo

Today I am mostly carrying around the house my latest favourite Christmas present.

I didn't show you this one yesterday as the Lady Of The House saved it for Boxing Day so I didn't overload my sensitive greyhound tummy....what with helping them eat the turkey and that.

It's a lovely chew that looks a bit like a Christmas cracker and the LOTH's cousin and her family bought it for me.

I love it and I am currently carrying it with me everywhere I go. I lick it occasionally but haven't tried chewing it yet. I am savouring the moment.

Present joy

Hello again

I've had a lovely relaxing couple of days, and I hope you have as well.

Did Santa bring you everything you wanted?

Although it's hard to get moving again after two such chilled-out days I thought I'd drag myself over to the keyboard to share some of my Christmas morning photos with you.

The first thing the Lady Of The House showed me was an edible Christmas card from my friends in Nottingham

It smelled very nice

What's this?

Oh!! It's a racoon!

It has a squeaker in the head

And another squeaker in the tail



Next there was a present from the Girl and Boy Of The House



It was a reindeer with long legs

Love this edible Christmas card

I love all my presents. Wasn't I lucky?

It was lovely to be with my new forever family. That was the best present of all

It's nearly here!!

Can you believe it's Christmas Eve already?!

Happy Christmas Eve everyone!

We had a Harry Potter party at our house last night. It was something the Girl Of The House and her boyfriend organised for four of their friends - but the Lady and Boy of the House got into the spirit as well dressed as Dolores Umbrage and Severus Snape respectively.

The GOTH was really busy all afternoon making butter beer, and sweet potato pie (because she couldn't find pumpkins) and chocolate frogs filled with peanut butter.

There wasn't really anything greyhound-friendly on the party food table - so I'm hoping for something special in my doggy Christmas dinner tomorrow to make up for it.

I watched a bit of the first Harry Potter film with them - but when they started calling me "Fang" I decided to retire to my bed in the kitchen and leave them to it.

Butter beer and the rest of the party food (note spillages on tablecloth - clumsy humans)

Chocolate frogs - not for dogs

So, all that remains to be said is have a lovely day tomorrow and I hope the big man brings you some great presents tonight.

Lots of love from Winnie xxx

Ho Ho Ho!!!

Cold and colder

It's really really frosty here. Very pretty but very cold and even though I wore my BIG red coat this morning with the thick fleecy lining I still had a little shiver when we had to stop for traffic on our morning walk.

But it was worth it when we had crossed the road and got to the nature reserve. I had a really good sniff and met a couple of friends.

Well, I say friends. There was a little dog with a long tail who thought he owned the place and barked a lot at me.

But there was Jasper the cocker spaniel too. He's a lot of fun and very bouncy and the person he looks after, called Sue, is getting well-trained by him.

The Boy Of The House is going to watch "The Nightmare Before Christmas" in a bit and I'm going to curl up and watch it with him (well, I'll sneak a peak now and then while I doze by the fireplace). Hope it's not too scarey!

It's Santa and the MOTH!

With all the bad weather I've been a bit worried that my letter to Santa might not get through....so this morning the Man Of The House nipped out very early because he had heard that the great man himself was calling in to Burton Albion's football ground.

The Boy Of The House thought he was a bit big to sit on Santa's knee, but the MOTH came to the rescue and he sat on Santa's knee and told him I'd been a good girl all year.

And the good news is that Santa's promised to do what he can for me and ALL my dog friends.

Hurray for Santa and the MOTH!!!

Keep warm this weekend friends - and be careful if you are going out.

Santa's little helper

Watching "Elf" last night certainly got me in the Christmas spirit.

If Santa needs an extra reindeer on Christmas Eve I might be available.

Lazy Sunday

Me and my Sunday paper

So this morning the Man Of The House was cooking a lovely roast chicken dinner (don't worry I did get some later); the Girl Of The House (home from University for the weekend) was helping the Lady Of The House set up her new netbook and the Boy Of The House was playing some games on the computer.

But as you can see, I decided to curl up with the Sunday papers. Actually, it's MY version of the papers, a squeaky plastic newspaper.

The family were thinking of throwing it out because I haven't played with it since I arrived here in August (it was one of my toys that I brought with me). But I soon put them right on that one. It's mine and I want it, I said. So it's not going anywhere now.

Hope you've had a lovely sleepy, snoozy Sunday. I'm off to watch "Elf" on the television with my family now and get even more in the Christmas mood.

Deck the halls

Yesterday we put up the Christmas decorations at our house.

Well, I say "We".

To begin with I wasn't very happy because they moved my 'day bed' out of the living room while they moved some furniture around to fit the tree in. So I followed my duvet out to the hall and lay down there (so they had to keep stepping over me).

Is this what they mean by deck the halls?



It got more interesting though when the boxes came down from the attic and I got to have a good nose at everything.

I think this one should go on the mantlepiece

Then I met a couple of new friends.

This little fella sings when you press his mittens!

Then there was this little thing that looked like a mouse - but didn't smell like a mouse

Oh good grief!! This one sings too!

Finally, when it was almost all over I spotted this like fat-cheeked santa on the bookcase. He looked so cuddly I really wanted to play with him....so I gave a little howl. But they said I had to leave him alone or the real Santa might not bring me any toys on Christmas Eve.

He doesn't sing but he looks fun