winter's tales

same old, same old

I've been busy busy busy

and now, suddenly I see it's December! and still I have a basket full of un-made-up hares

tut tut

I have been away 

but i did manage to bring some snow back with me

got some beautiful xmas cards for my family, and treated myself to another beautiful drinking vessel

(that gorgeous glass jar from Italy is now having a rest!) and the winter horses are bringing me tea every few hours

and like those horses above, I am out doing what I love in all weathers - training

and - I was Happy!

I love my training so very much!

free weights ~ running

and I am so happy following my heart, doing what I love every day

every day my life is filled with Joy and Love

(such a beautiful poster! it's in Starbucks at Edinburgh airport)

I always do things that make me happy

and I have an exciting film to go see soon, with a real honey in it! Chris Hemsworth *sigh*

The Huntsman Winter's War 

looks like a good tale ?

the other week I went to a night-show light-show with my papa and his bestie, at the Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh

to see more of my favourite flowers

um, the fir trees were doing well

it was so freezing cold! there was snow in the air, but unlike tonight it didn't fall

thank goodness! though, me being me and a typical Scot, I had forgotten my gloves and hat and was dressed for a late summer's day

in between shivering I took some snaps

some displays were small and beautiful

this was a water fountain with fire flames at the same time

papa and I were wondering about the mechanics of it all, and the fuels involved, no oily residues were visible on the tiny loch so it must've been a fast evaporating flammable liquid...

(I would've liked a bigger fire to warm me up!)

and some of the light displays were very grand

a little while later I saw another light show

I visited the kelpies at night - em, well it was about 4pm, and you can just see the snow covered mountains in the background as the dusk set in

it's the first time I've seen these horses lit up, and they were very impressive

here they are dancing

oh okay, it was freezing cold - so it may have been my hands shaking instead!

and like all things illuminated, they changed colour as their mood dictated

erm, what's with the eery green eye? looks like it's rising from the sea

a little while before all that light show stuff, I was touching down down South

yeah - this is the plane's wheel on the landing strip

pretty neat pic eh

I am sure I had my phone set on the right settings to be able to take that pic safely (for the pilot and touch-down), but it's still a conundrum to me and every day I learn more about this mysterious little piece of communication equipment

it was at least 10degrees warmer than in Scotland! 14degree days - T shirt weather!

I've been getting some nice pics with my wee smart phone

and took this sunrise one last week as I was driving my papa to the airport

(he was off to colder fields! (Norway to be precise))

so it was good to see the Scottish morning giving some visual warmth at least

anyway, back to those beautiful eyes!

...if they have this attached to them - then definitely, for sure, absolutely, without a smidgen of a doubt - 

...and if one of these wee babies comes my way,

then - oh my god!!

it will be xmas every single day!!

on December 24th it will be exactly 2years since my little soulmate Wesley left for the stars

- last night I dreamt about him -

and every day with a heart filled with love I think about him, and yes - he fills me with Joy and Love and Happiness

anyway, back to reality! I have hares ready to journey across the big pond, and more heading to snow laden pastures!

plus a basket full of leverets that need stuffing and homes to go

(maybe, just maybe, they will make it in time for xmas? but I'm not holding my breath!)

happy xmas!

and a late Happy Thanksgiving to all my wonderful American friends! 

Thank You so very much! 

I appreciate you with all my heart 

lots of love xxxxx

here! have a little HAPPY :)

today in the gym I had the best ever laugh! it was totally so much fun and I laughed out loud so, so much! ha ha ha! totally loved it!

felt good! was nice to have so much fun, the gym boys are totally the best ever! (thanks boys :)

and last night I was smiling big time when I came across some Army Happy - 

check out these groovin' boys and girls from 4 SCOTS (4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland) having a wee break from their hard work in Afghanistan (that first dancer, wow! he's a mover!)

they sure know how to work it good, would love to share the dance floor with these smooth movers that's for sure! I would be smiling big time :)

and omg! I'm so loving the doggie dancing - that has to be the best ever!!

well I have some Happy news - I'm all sold out of my Army drive safe baby hares made from my Aussie cams that are supporting Nowzad! 
yay!

and that means that Nowzad has received a total of £112 in donations from me, ~and my wonderful customers!

and the funds are helping them look after the strays that they find and the strays that the soldiers adopt and take into their hearts and homes - now isn't that a beautiful piece of happy?

this basket of motherless strays were only 1 week old when Nowzad found them

but now, 3 weeks later they are fat and loved and will have homes very soon.

and omg! my heart melted when I saw that little fat ball at the front, looking up at me.... and you know what - he came into the world about 2 weeks after Wesley left....

(yeah, I'm sorta lookin' for my Wesley, ~ well, my heart is looking)

my very last batch of hares were made from the smallest scraps I had left

I even had to sew 2 pieces of material together to make a side!

em, do you like my 'quilting techniques'? 

I wasn't sure how to join 2 pieces of tiny fabric together so I just laid one on the other and ran some thread thru them

..em, I rather like the look, don't you?

I'm the kinda girl who's into frayed and unconventional and unorthodox and breaking the rules and all that

so, I apply that to my sewing! (and my life :)

a tailless ridgeback hare?

why ofcourse sir!

still, like the strays and the soldiers - my hares are not perfect - just like real life :)

~ shall have some new hares very, very soon made in UK DPCUs (disruptive pattern combat uniform) - I like my material to be the real deal, so it'll be cams that have done service time

and, by any chance (now what are the chances eh?) if you are a soldier reading this, and have an old set of cams, and send them to me - then I'll make you a free gps sat nav system. Uh, okay, I meant a little drive safe army hare :) and Nowzad will get 2 free ones. Good deal huh?

infact one of my purdy lil hares will be rolling in an Audi R8 very soon! 

just like this one above

yeah, no joke, the wee beastie will be on it's way to Texas soon to grace a beautiful car and be a companion to an even more beautiful lady

and it will totally not agree with anything Magellan says :) cos that's how backseat drivers roll!

the R8 is neat, 

but the car that does it for me is the Trans Am!

yeah, gotta be a '78 Pontiac Firebird! 

black and gold *sigh*

and when I move to Norway, sometime in the future (no rush though, I'm enjoying my now), then I will easily pick one up for my driveway

as Norway apparently has a huge Trans Am appreciation society! yeah, life is good

this is the '76, also real purdy too!

really love the back and gold, look at the gold detailing, gorgeous!

hmmm, can hardly wait, really, really excited 

and it's a 6.6 litre V8 

*swoon*! 

could a car be any musclier?

I'll have my toons blaring, pedal to the metal

...this girl, she rolls to Metallica..

and ofcourse for the days that my Trans Am is in the garage getting it's service and mot, then I will hit the highway with my matte black Maserati Grand Turisimo

such a beautiful car!!!

look at that grill, look at those mags and rims and sleek lines *drool*

last month when I was up in the city visiting my mum (yeah, she lives opposite Edinburgh Castle! really!)

anyway, we were going to my car in George Street, and omg!! omg!! there just over from my car was a matte black Maserati!

well, the truth was I did touch it, and I did drool, but my drool never landed on the car, god forbid! and my heart started to beat fast, my mouth felt dry....

whew! my mum had to drag me away! I so love my sleek sexy cars :)

I'm really loving this one above too, look at that air thingy on it, that's so Hot! it's like a shark gill!! (just a single one :) (one is enough!)

so now that I'm full of Happy and worked myself into a little frenzy of appreciation

I will share a book I wanna read. Because of You by Jessica Scott

Can't remember the path I travelled, must have been the low road, but I found myself on Maryse's Book Blog and on the Military Romance page! ha ha ha

and I'm the type of girl who reads espionage and WWII war stuffs and boys war comic books, not girly romance stuff! sure, I love romance, but my reading time is for action and uber tough handsome psychologically damaged alpha males!

But after reading the synopsis and the free chapters on Amazon, well, I reckon I need to read this book, like pronto!!

It's only available as an eBook for kindle. I don't have a kindle, I like my paper pages, but I see that I can get some free app that will let me read it on my mac, so that's good. 

Yeah, desperate measures call for desperate actions... downloading an app... sheesh!

Though a little foray into the world of alpha males, sweat, muscles, hot love and some heart. Hmmm, I'm thinking that would do me good infact. 

It was written by a soldier too so the feelings will spot on. There is an unwritten code for soldiers, the banter, the humour, the attitude, the confidence, so it will be nice to 'be there again'.

Looking forward to this.

and the cover dude looks welcoming...

though when I was on pinterest the other day (my god! that place is the place of dreams!) I came across this photo above 

and, er,

I was transfixed!

yeah, had to wipe the drool off my keyboard! really.

I tried to locate the source, but it was elusive. So this handsome man shall remain in my dreams as I read that book.

I reckon that photo looks like a shot for a Military Romance book cover infact? what do you think?? 

anyone know who he is?

not that it matters ofcourse, as looking and appreciating is always a nice productive way to spend some time

...I'm happy to drool... *sigh*

...but if you happen to know who he is... and if he's into Metallica and Maseratis and Trans Ams and firey strong wild tomboys then...

and since I was admiring beautiful Military men, I thought I would put this in here too

I reckon this will soon become an iconic photo (if it already is not).

Just look at the mood, the downcast eyes, thick black lashes, aquiline nose, downturned corners of his mouth, brooding persona and the deep draw on the ..er, Marlboro red. 

Gotta be a red eh? all soldiers smoke reds, I used to! way back in the days...

and I shall just leave you with a totally awesome, amazing, superb, breath-taking fantastic clip for the Army, since it's been soldiers thru and thru here

- they are recruiting, full-time, part-time - fancy signing up?

stay safe!
and remember to be Happy :)

please BeFriend me ~would you stop?~

a few months ago I was happily looking thru the Guardian online's Week in Wildlife, and saving the adorable animal pics to my pinterest - when I suddenly saw this image -

and my heart winced and missed a beat and a few tears fell from my eyes as I felt the hunger and sadness

and I thought to myself - I could never walk past a stray, I would help

- a stray doggie in Mexico, obviously very hungry and friend-less, 

looking longingly at that bag of food 

and wearing that invisible-fur-coat that strays usually wear (though personally I have never ever come across any dog wearing such a coat)

and then a little while later I came across this more heartening, but still poignant image, 

though my heart winced again with this bond of mutual friendship and my eyes started to glisten

and then a couple weeks after that I saw a Who to Follow pic on twitter - of a soldier  in Afghanistan carrying a stray puppy in his pouch! 

- and oh my god! I was so moved to tears that they just rolled down my cheeks!

- a tiny teeny puppy being saved by a soldier on a tour of duty in Afghanistan!

and I clicked thru to their website - Nowzad Dogs - and saw this photo of another soldier on patrol over there carrying a puppy in his arms, helping, loving, befriending, and I was so touched

I had tears running down my cheeks for quite some time! (heh heh *shy blush*)

and immediately sent off some £s for them (made me feel much better!)

then after I got over that initial heartfelt wrench, of a tough soldier caring enough to rescue a stray in a war zone, and out on a patrol as well (and most probably against all military regulations), I spent some time reading all about Nowzad.

It was set up by this chap above, Royal Marine Commando Pen Farthing after he broke up a dog fight outside his compound whilst deployed there.

and one of those dogs befriended him, above, - and Pen named the dog Nowzad

(as you can see, Nowzad, like many Afghan strays, is nearly earless what with all the dog fights)

and then a few more dogs sought friendship and shelter with the soldiers, including mama doggie Tali who carried in her 6 little puppies to safety.

Pen and a couple of the other Royal Marines managed, by an incredible feat, to get most of the dogs to safety back to the UK and before he knew it, word had spread about this caring, compassionate man and what he had achieved and before long Nowzad Dogs charity was set up to repatriate the stray dogs (and cats) of Afghanistan with their soldiers.

A very noble cause - helping strays and helping serving soldiers, (many soldiers suffer from ptsd from their tours)

and because the coalition soldiers come from both sides of the pond, the dogs can find their forever homes in America, or Britain or Canada

but meanwhile, the strays are still being given a meal and safe haven back at the Nowzad shelter in Afghanistan

- like this loving mama and her little ones - safe for now

and this is the shelter where all the miracles happen

and this beautiful lady Louise makes these miracles possible as she oversees the shelter 

and all the deserving precious animals that is saves,

just look at Darla and Jangly, don't they just melt your heart!

though not everyone is a puppy when they first arrive - some turn up in a very sorry way

with shocking injuries and only half of their body weight (and earless)

but with love and medical help and nourishing meals and a warm bed

miracles occur - and little hearts share in the warmth and joy

and dogs like Joe make incredible recoveries, even without proper noses or ears (bless this sweetheart, he has a heart of gold)

Joe's story is here

though sometimes precious babies do not make it thru the night, their conditions are too severe

beautiful little Pashtun is in doggy heaven now, but he was given a slice of heaven on earth before he left, as he received a flood of love at Nowzad for the very first time in his very short life

so no matter how ill the tiny chaps like Hasher (above) are, 

love + heat + medical help + food + safe haven = all equals

a story to make your eyes wet again! 

- this is Hasher now! saying hello again to Louise as his forever family take him in for a check-up

after being that tiny hypothermic bundle lying in front of the heat lamp

Nowzad's lease on their existing shelter is coming to an end and the land will be used for re-development so they are fundraising for a new permanent clinic.

Any donation is appreciated, no matter the size, - it all goes to saving lives

and making living with your best friend such a pleasure, no matter where in the world you come from, or are going to

the stories of the soldiers with their rescues are heartwarming!  above is puppy Cadence comforting and being comforted

and you can see that puppy Otis is totally in love with his very loving, and beautiful, soldier, in Afghanistan and back in their forever home in the States!

and it's not just doggies that Nowzad help, there are stray cats too 

these two sweeties are C-for and Trevor are safe with their soldier

so it is with a huge thank you to Pen Farthing, and his loving family above - Hannah, Nowzad and Tali (yes, the mama who carried her 6 puppies in to safety beside Pen and his Marines), and his love for animals, that some of Afghanistan's strays caught up in the war zone now have a safe place they can be cared for until they are reunited with their soldiers

and with everyones help, 

there will be happy endings for many more earless dogs like Nowzad, and brave mothers like Tali, and Pen and his beautiful girlfriend Hannah (above) will continue this extraordinary work, saving lives and sharing love

and so my desire to never walk past a stray came true (but just not on a pavement in Mexico)

and heart melting looks from dogs, like Larry, above, 

only make me smile back, knowing that I can, and do, make a difference,

- a small one, but still - like a puppy, everything starts small then becomes bigger

and like this pile of happy, content puppies at the Nowzad shelter

my Drive Safe with Baby Army Hares are now raising funds for Nowzad!

yay!!!

and everyone can now have an opinionated little back-seat driver hare, nattering away in your ear, as you burn rubber in your wheels

(oh! okay, only joking, ..as you cruise the streets...)

(em, okay, only joking again, ... as you head out on the highway... :)

and pointing out that hares are filled with heart and much, much more loving beasties than those pointy eared cats or earless dogs or 

..... anyway....

and even though sometimes, they might be out of sight, in their Army cams,

(now you see me, now you don't)

like those photos of hungry stray doggies - they are never out of mind -

....and perhaps one day, my once stray and ear torn rescue rabbit Wesley may get an earless, long-tailed Afghan brother....

- Thank you SO much to Melissa and Pen at Nowzad for being interested in my Army hares! 

So, so pleased to be able to help!! yay!! 

did I say thank you? and yay? and so pleased to help!?

Nowzad FB   

Nowzad Dogs website  

Donate to Nowzad  

Fundraise for Nowzad

Buy your Drive Safe Army Hare  

- and if you are a serving soldier and have an old set of cams you don't want (UK/US any cam pattern is fine) - and send me your cams I will make you a drive safe hare for FREE

just drop me an email - old cams in the header   dhoy@lumison.co.uk

thank you, and love to all the strays xx♥