Teddy - My Life In His Paws

02/12/2023

Woke up to migraine early this morning. Lost my eyesight. I went to get out of bed and Carmen put my slippers firmly in my hands then woke Peter to help me. Usually she brings slippers but sits in front of me while I take them. She must have sensed I couldn’t see. How do they know? I don’t know but I was glad she was there. I would have tried not to wake Peter but Carmen had other ideas. My sweet sweet girl.
If you know me you know my hands get blistered if I knock them. Not being able to see is a nightmare and I get hurt. Carmen sensed things were not right and she took over.
I’m so grateful to Canine Partners for my helper in paws.

02/12/2023

Did you know:
If you have a pacemaker, in the USA ONLY you can put it in your Will to have your pacemaker donated to a dog in need after you pass. Pacemakers cannot be donated to another human, but they can be donated to dogs with cardiac issues who would depend on it to stay alive.
You can have the pacemaker brought to a vet of your choice. So many of those get thrown away and dogs die because people don't know they can do this. It even saves the dog's owner the cost of the actual pacemaker which sometimes means the difference in being able to afford lifesaving treatment or not. 🐕 ❤️

21/11/2023

Carmen and I had a lovely walk this morning. We met really friendly people and dogs.

20/11/2023

Lovely day with Carmen today. She’s such a fabulous girl. We shopped this morning and she wiped her paws on the shop mats. She’s getting really good at it. Nice canal walk and then playing hide and seek at home.
A man on the boat going by called out to tell me what a wonderful dog she is. 😊💜🐾🐾

19/11/2023

Once upon a time, a lot of tail wags ago, Teddy was born. Sun moon and stars alighted to bring him into my life. He was an answer to prayer. This little ball of golden fluff was to become my life saver and best friend.
He would be 17 today. It went much too fast. He was so full of life. He did everything in the fast lane. He was never idle, if I didn’t keep him busy then he invented things to do. He was destined to be an assistance dog. He never left my side. If I went out of a room, counted to 3, he was beside me. He was my shadow.
In all his time with me I can honestly say I would not have changed one second. Only his death. It’s the only thing he did that I asked him not to.
Play with all your friends Teddy. Heaven is a better place with you there. X###

13/11/2023

We have 70 mph winds forecast today. I will he staying in with Carmen. One day won’t hurt her. We play games. She loves Hide and Seek. I keep part of her morning kibble allowance so I can hide it. I put one piece hidden in the room then send her to find it. This way the food lasts ages and she gets exercise. She has to open and close the doors before she looks for it. All good brain work.

I can’t remember the last time I didn’t walk her but we are surrounded by trees. Best to be safe.
We will play Go Round the chairs. Even Go Round the box and anything else I can find.

Hope everyone is ok. Hope you are all safe Linda Thomson. Hugs to the donkeys.

09/11/2023

How fabulous is this ? Blood delivery for Pets to Vets

The world's first ever professional motorcycle blood delivery service for pets.

08/11/2023

Carmen was so good in the doctors today. She knows to wipe her paws on her way inside the building.
We met Nurse Kirsty who is really lovely.
Then we took Carmen to the beach to blow the cobwebs away. She tried to dig to OZ. Nearly there Angela Davies!!

08/11/2023

Sweet Carmen. Always gentle. She is such a lovely calm girl.

06/11/2023

Please can people sign and share this. The RSPCA will forward it to your local MP.

https://www.rspca.org.uk/getinvolved/campaign/fireworks?fbclid=IwAR0VmD4UkZyk6H-5yDE5P-xmL3hXryHazxX4fcpAJWpdFY29OBPmtAqNaiI_aem_AWMx5oUY8E6VWBqFwNg_ezNJ9wWOGdLx0M6NSltX9D_H8-5RxQ1GjeiLprn31yn1esQ

Join our campaign to change firework regulations. We receive hundreds of calls about fireworks and animals every year.

06/11/2023

Now is the time to contact your MP and try and help reduce the stress of fireworks on innocent animals. Please sign and share. There is a link on here where they will add your name to the campaign and send it directly to your MP. Thank you

Join our campaign to change firework regulations. We receive hundreds of calls about fireworks and animals every year.

04/11/2023

Worth a try. Classic fm tonight and tomorrow night 5-9pm

27/10/2023

Mixed day today. Doctors with Carmen. Infected blistered throat. EB is a challenge. Carmen wiped her paws as we went in the door. It cheered a lot of people up.
Carmen tried to help Peter measure the fireplace. She thought he should use the duck toy. She’s adorable.
Cuddles now on the settee. Soon be bedtime.
Peter is running the Park Run tomorrow. Carmen and I hope to watch.
To everyone struggling tonight Carmen and I send virtual hugs

27/10/2023

EB awareness week. I have Dystrpohic EB.
Hard to say hell to live with.
Dystrophic epidermolysis Bullosa
It’s pulling out all the stops this week with a very painful blistered throat and painful ears. EB just keeps on giving. Future generations need a cure.

Cure EB is a research-focused charity dedicated to finding effective treatments and a cure for all types of Epidermolysis Bullosa.

26/10/2023

Carmen cuddles after a lovely day. Lots of flowers in the garden. Visited the market this morning. People smiled when they saw Carmen wiping her paws as she went indoors. Nice free run in the park this afternoon. Peter went running this evening while Carmen and I relaxed at home.

21/10/2023

It can be done. A quiet firework display

21/10/2023

When your dog thinks it’s time you got up. Early morning wake up with Carmen finding my slippers. Peter is running the Morecambe Morecambe Prom parkrun today. Carmen and I will watch !

18/10/2023

It’s been a perfect day. After Carmens’s adventures this morning, I came home to these beautiful photographs in the post from Graham Elliott.

18/10/2023

Everybody remarks how beautiful Carmen is. She proved today how clever she is too. I’d put a see-through wallet with some money in it to go to the café. We thought first of all we would run her on the field. We had a lovely time with her racing about and playing. She met a little toy poodle called Coco. We had a good chat with the owner. We got back to the café and I’d lost the wallet with the money in it. The field is huge so I didn’t hold out much hope of ever finding it. Peter set off one way round the field and I went the other. Carmens started to quarter the field trying to find whatever it was I was looking for. I don’t think she had any idea that I’ve got the wallet with me.

We went through a gap in the hedge, and she raced off ahead of me, she picked up something and came running back to me. I couldn’t believe it. She had found a wallet. In the middle of a field.

It was the first time I used the wallet, so I don’t think it had much of a scent on it.
I gave her such a hug. I still can’t believe she even knew what I was looking for. She’s really clever.
Beauty and brains. She’s true Gold through and through. Here she is as we set off for her free run.

03/10/2023

We’ve had a lovely day. A super surprise visit from cousin Angela Davies and John. Carmen was beside herself excited to see them.
Carmen came to the Doctors with me. She was so good and sat the other end of the room. The Doctor is allergic to dogs and Carmen never moved a paw. I was so proud of her.
Peter ran this evening and now Carmen is snuggled up between us on the settee.
What a lovely day.

01/10/2023

Goodnight everyone. Peter has completed his 100k plus more. Thank you everyone for your donations and support. It means a lot to us all

29/09/2023

15 years ago today Teddy qualified for his Canine Partner jacket. We will never forget him or his happy ways. Very special memories.

26/09/2023

Hi someone has pointed out they cannot see my thanking people who have donated to Peter’s challenge. I’m so sorry. I tried to put a thank you to everyone on the just giving page.
Thank you. Peter is overwhelmed with the support everyone has shown him.
He has completed the 100km and is still running. Tonight he is joining a local running group where he hopes to run another 5km. Your donations have spurred him on to keep going. 😊🏃🏼‍♂️🏃🏼‍♂️🏃🏼‍♂️🏃🏼‍♂️🏃🏼‍♂️🏃🏼‍♂️🏃🏼‍♂️

22/09/2023

Lovely walk yesterday. The sun came out at last. Carmen enjoyed lots of sniffs. We didn’t see any ducks. Usually there are lots.

19/09/2023

Peter caught in camera last Saturday running 5k. He’s doing well. Carmen and I watch him !

05/09/2023

Peter is running 100k in September. Quite a challenge for him but he’s determined to try. He’s raising funds for a hospice. Both my father and sister were looked after by an amazing hospice and this is our way of thanking them.
Any donations however small will spur him on to keep running, walking or cycling.
Feel free to share link. I will keep people posted how he is doing. Thank you.

Help Wendy Hilling raise money to support St John's Hospice North Lancashire and South Lakes

26/08/2023

My International Dog Day. Teddy. He is out there somewhere. He said he would never leave me. I csn feel his paw prints on my heart as it beats. As long as I say his name, he is always beside me. He’s up there with the Dog Star, in the highest heavens where anything is possible and nothing stops love beaming down.
You were the best, the most amazing, the bravest, the loveliest and the most faithful.
Yes you are up there. Heaven gained an angelic soul. Simply the best.

25/08/2023

My dearest Carmen has passed her test to become a PAT dog. Pets As Therapy. She will be my 6th PAT dog. She’s so adorable and so cuddly that I knew she will love being cuddled. When the examiner dropped a heavy file behind her she just looked at it and ignored it. She ignored all the dogs and children that rushed by outside the cafe. She only said hello to them when I told her it was ok. I was so proud of her and thankful for all the training that’s gone into her at Canine Partners. She is the perfect dog for me and others. Thank you Graham Elliott, Amanda Jayne Dyne and everyone who has trained and looked after her.
We cannot visit inside places yet but have arranged an outside venue that suits us all.

I can imagine my previous PAT dogs looking down and smiling. Topper, Heidi, Ben, Bess, Teddy, all Goldens

18/08/2023

https://view.email.rspca.org.uk/?qs=55e8c4e21ce5273a7043324d30973aabc10e2b07a9a8b475b42cf93c24c5b46cf3550cfc1329e8aaa4bee1f5bd94cfb1fa05d2a194003dda7937d9339a21aff572e8288881921fb745b8c1ba24ea270b
Can you help the RSPCA ban the use of shock collars in the Uk ? Please sign and share.
My friend saw children shocking a collie to make it ‘dance’.
Brutal and unnecessary tools. they cause pain and suffering mentally and physically.
Please help and share.

14/08/2023

There’s no stopping us now. Carmen and I had our first time ever in a changing room. Next has a disabled one and it’s really roomy. I was dreading trying on clothes because normally the cubicles are so tiny.
You would think Carmen went in there every day. She was brilliant. Taking trousers off was so easy for her.
She’s such a good girl. Nothing worries her. She just calmly gets on with her helping.
Now I know we can cope alone clothes shopping. What a star she is.

This might look like a toilet because I’m sitting down but it’s the seat in the changing room.

10/08/2023

Yesterdays adventures with Carmen. We met some lovely dogs and owners. Carmen caught up with her friend Jake the black lab. They’ve been friends years. Then we met two collies and a spaniel names Ted.
The evening walk we went to the seafront when it got cooler.
Today Carmen is going to play ball in the swimming pool in Blackpool. It’s a hydro therapy pool, but we take her because she loves swimming so much, and it’s so good for her. She’s goes once a week and doesn’t want to get out of the water. 😊

04/08/2023

Thank you Connor at matalan for helping with Carmen’s toy

04/08/2023

Lovely game of ball in the pool. Carmen loves swimming

04/08/2023

Todays adventures according to Miss Fluffy Butt Carmen. We shopped at Dunelm and Matalan, a lovely young man Connor was really helpful. Carmen thought he was marvellous as he gave her her toy back when we’d paid for it. We bought hedgehog food at Pets At Home then ran her in a field with lots of dogs of various sizes
This evening we are walking her by the Shore.
Oh amd on Wednesday Carmen had a game of ball in a pool.

31/07/2023

Very windy 5k Park run for Peter on Saturday. He did 40.08. Not bad for 71 and into a head wind on the way home.

His PB is 34.57. That was 3 years ago. Not so windy that day. He’s returned to training twice a week with a 5K Saturdays.

So proud of him. He’s so determined. Carmen and I met him at the finish. She greeted him like he’d been away a week! She loves her dad.

27/07/2023

People stare when we wear masks but I’m beyond caring. Coughing blisters my throat. Coughing constantly with covid is a nightmare I don’t need.

I coughed with something going down the wrong way two days ago. The blisters in my throat are painful and swollen. I can’t eat or talk. I’m sipping liquid food from the hospital. Last time it happened it took three months to heal.

My EB is mild. Imagine young children and adults with severe EB. They live lives with constant pain.

I don’t want sympathy. We just need a cure. It’s too late for me but no one should have to cope with a skin not made for this world.

if you can help in any way to raise funds, please do.

Carmen holding my straw container. Thank you Sam Blunt. I still use it. I can’t bend at all if I drop things. Carmen never minds how many times she has to help pick up. She’s a dream.

26/07/2023

National dog photography day. Here’s Carmen at The New England Tearoom and Shop relaxing during lunch

25/07/2023

When you realise you’ve left some socks in the washing machine.

Carmen is such a good girl. I love the relaxing way she goes and gets the socks.

21/07/2023

Carmen and I went in the beach while Peter ran last evening. She’s a dizzy blonde. It’s amazing how she can go crazy yet not pull on her lead. She senses my hands are painful.

15/07/2023

https://www.bookmarkreading.org/
Hi if anyone has two 1/2 hours a week to spare, Bookmark a London based charity, need volunteers to help children learn to read. You do not need any previous teaching experience, just a willingness to help. I joined Bookmark two years ago and love it. Full training is given and DBS checks. You can volunteer online or face to face in some areas. I’ve been reading online with children from all over the country. It’s the most rewarding thing I’ve done. You have set books to read from and we also play games and do puzzles. You have a child for six weeks.
There is plenty of support and a lovely online group to share ideas and ask for help if you need it. Feel free to ask me anything about it. There’s plenty of time to train over the summer holidays 😊
Shared on Facebook and Nextdoor.
Hope I worded it correctly !

We want every child to read. We’re helping children develop the reading skills they need to succeed in school and beyond, by creating flexible volunteering at the heart of our communities.