Mike's musings

Suzy's home, and it's almost as if she were never ill. She was so pleased to see us at the hospital: sneezing, grinning (Newfs have this way of showing their teeth when they're happy to see you) and generally jumping around. She's on three different kinds of drugs, and won't ever be better, but every day that we get with her well, and happy, is a blessing. She could go downhill quickly and get better again with treatment, she could go downhill and not get better, or she could just die quickly. It could be while she's asleep, or while she's on a walk, but the plan is to let her live as normal a life as she can, and as she wants to. If she's happy to go for a walk, then we'll take her: if she doesn't, then we won't. We love her so much, and given that she's a rescue dog, we're grateful to be able to give her anything we can.

Carolyn was with us today on her first full day with Catherine not here all the time, and it all went well. I worked at home in case there was a problem, but there wasn't, and Carolyn coped very well indeed. I hadn't really realised how hard it is not to get up to pain for your child when they cry, but I had to let her deal with Jo when there was a problem. Jo seems to like her a lot, and we're all very happy with how it's going.

Music today

• A Question Of Lust - Depeche Mode (Black Celebration)
• Not Your Average Kind Of Girl - Alex Parks (Introduction)
• How Peculiar - Robbie Williams (Escapology)
• September Song - Nat King Cole (The one and only)
• Bitch - Meredith Brooks (Blurring The Edges)
• No 20 in C minor - Chopin (The Complete Preludes)
• Can you forgive her? (Rollo remix) - Pet Shop Boys (PopArt - The Hits CD3 Mix)
• The Ballad of Lea & Paul - K's Choice (The Great Subconscious Club)
• Blazhen muzh (Blessed is the man - Sergei Rachmanino (Vesper)
• Be Tender With Me Baby - Tina Turner (Simply The Best)
• You'll never walk alone - Gerry and the Pacemakers (The Best of Gerry and the Pacemakers)
• Always On My Mind - Pet Shop Boys (Discography)
• What's The Frequency, Kenneth? - R.E.M. (Monster)
• Songs Without Words Op53 6 A Molto Allegro vivace - Barenboim, Daniel (Mendelssohn: Songs without Words CD1)
• I Pulled The Cover Off You Two Lovers - Dr. John (The Essential Recordings)
• Shady Grove - Ricky Skaggs (History Of The Future)
• Summer Dances / Moderato - Wallace Collection (The Golden Section)
• Little Man You've Had A busy Day - Coope Boyes & Simpson (Falling Slowley)
• Little Bird (Utah Saints Version) - Annie Lennox (Little Bird / Love Song For A Vampire [maxi])
• Lilac Wine - Katie Melua (Call Off The Search)
• Jordan 191 - Chris Rea (Julia (CD Single))
• I don't know why - Lauren Bacall & Bing Crosby (TheDIVA Collection)
• San Jacinto - Peter Gabriel (Shaking The Tree - Sixteen Golden Greats)
• Fill Her Up - Sting (Brand New Day)
• Kula Shaker - Shower Your Love - Various Artists (Fresh Hits 99 CD2)
• E Aue - various (25 Solid Gold Maori Songs)
• John Hardy - Leadbelly (The Best Of Leadbelly)
• Sweet & Low - Blondie (The Complete Picture)
• In paradisum -- Chorus angelorum (Funeral Antiphon) - Choir of King's College Cambridge (Ikos)
• La forza del Destino - Enrico Caruso (Prima Voce)
• Say Anything - Good Charlotte (The Young And The Hopeless)
• One Last Love Song - The Beautiful South (Perfect 10)
• A Sad Old Day - The Grimethorpe Colliery Band (Brassed Off)
• Peccantem me quotidie a5 - The Cardinall's Musick (The Byrd Edition 4: Cantiones Sacrae 1575)
• Sinfony - Handel - King's College Choir (Messiah - Vol 1)
• I Can't Give You Anything But Love / Connee Boswell with the Ramblers Dance Orchestra - Various (3-Dimensional Sound: The Jazz & Vocal Collection)
• Single-Bilingual - Pet Shop Boys (PopArt - The Hits CD2 Art)
• Laboravi in gemitu meo - Gesualdo (Gesualdo - Complete Sacred Music for five voices)