Just back from a fantastic trip to Naples. Herculaneum; a tour of underground tunnels that opened up into Cathedral-like domes; and a trip to see the ever fabulous Sondra Radvanovsky in a production of Medea that has left me wondering ‘why?’ on so many levels 🤦🏼‍♀️

*three. Happy anniversary, Gareth 😍

Happy birthday to another friend, Melissa, celebrating a big birthday - I was one of the youngest in the year so I can relax for a while 🤭 She now lives in California, but we met at school in Devon & this is a mixture of memories & moments that have led to where we find ourselves in life today.

‘Tis the season to once again pop the needle on Jamie Cullum’s Xmas album and dance your way through December 🎅🏻💃🏼 A new partner for me, after a solo year last year, but Riley has learnt the steps and we are CHRISTMAS READY 🤗 🦃

HAPPY 25th BIRTHDAY TO OUR MARTHA!!! 🎉🎉 (shouting 😆) Martha has recently been adding Circus Skills Trainer to her CV, with one willing pupil 😍

The Cone Diaries. Extended till Monday 😵‍💫🫣

Another fab production from MidWales Opera; Trouble in Tahiti. Sharp, witty, with expert musicianship, all mixed with pure joy. I met friends beforehand & somehow failed to hear about a weather warning that saw me driving home in thick snow. So. A pretty eventful evening 😳😍

Role reversal.

We did hope the onesie would be more Fig a, but even if I HAD been able to customise it to try to cheer him up, his reaction was definitely more Fig b….

Extraordinary performance of Playing Burton, @welshnationaltheatre’s inaugural production. Matthew Rhys was spellbinding. Towards the end of the hour & a half some strange alchemy occurred where he seemed to move from Playing Burton to BEING Burton - as if Richard Burton’s face flickered across his.

It seems an unfortunate coincidence that Riley should have had his operation just as a weather system called the Pembrokeshire Dangler moved in 😬 Still, it means he’s been able to play a new game: collecting hailstones in his cone.

Temporary profile pic. No need to panic. Just a little procedure to help dampen his ardour 😕 and keep the local ladies out of trouble.

Food Chart. I’m posting this so you can share my agony any time I use/cook/eat any of these.

TV for dogs.

‘Traitors gown. Click to Buy’. Bought with his nose.

Balldog.

The face of a dog who has been described as both ‘magnificent’ (not for his recall skills 🤣) and ‘hench’ by different strangers this last week. He has a reputation to maintain now 😂😍 ‘Alexa; play Right Said Fred’ 🤭

Half term selfie 😍

Diary entry for Riley from last week. Successful café training; an awkward moment with a T Rex that turned out to be FAKE - who knew?!!; something spooky; a blat on the beach & ending up sharing a bone in the pub with Best Friend Eric. Their toes on the floor tiles sounded like tap dancing 😆🤗

Although, through the medium of mime, I think Riley was telling me it was actually more like this 😳

A touch scary last night with thunder and lightning (very very frightening 😱). Worth waking me up about 4 times in the night 🙄

A BIG happy birthday to one of my oldest friends - ‘tis the season 🤭 - and only recently featured poor thing; it’s relentless. Still, she may* get 10 years off now 🤣 43 years (😳) of expert friendship & advice. And when we haven’t had the answers, laughing has solved the issue 😁 (*may 🫣)

You may recall from a recent post that Riley had taken up baking? Well, he has been working hard on various techniques since so that today, on Tahra’s birthday, he is able to effortlessly produce an afternoon tea of freshly-prepared pastries and delicacies. Go, Riley! 🤗

Take your dog to a door showroom for a fun day out. You’re out, then you’re in. Then you think you’re in, but actually you’re out 😵‍💫 Hours of fun.

A little gift for two old friends celebrating (sssshhh… big) birthdays within weeks of each other and together since school 😍

Our Martha’s made it to Santiago! 800kms in 35 days along the Camino Del Norte, starting in San Sebastián, laughing in the face of mountains and blisters, and meeting lovely, kind and interesting people along the way. And her friend Molly joined her for the last few days 😍 Quite a 👣 🤗

2 days in and it’s going ok 😇

Martha and Molly 🤗 Great to have a friend turn up to for the final yomp towards the finish line! And nice to have the extra challenge of being tied together 🤭 Go, girls!! 😍 *blisters not included*

As it’s Riley’s Special Day, we decided to up our game from the usual preferred Labrador takeaway option, Deliverpoo - sheep 💩 delivered to your door by obliging local farmers 😁 - and go to the Surf ‘n’ Turf specialists Disgousto. He deserves the best 😍 Look away now if you’re faint-hearted 😬

Happy FIRST birthday to our funny, shiny, silky smooth, lovely boy, Riley, with a heart of gold and the absolute serious intention of doing the right thing right up to the point where he totally forgets. We love you, Riley! 🖤😍🖤

…plus 2!

Thinking of Xmas? I mean, it IS October, so you really should be 🤭 I have illustrated these cards, available in a pack of 6, for the Labrador UK Action Group, the lovely charity who re-homed Riley with us 😍🖤 Please look them up on Facebook and follow the link if you’d like to buy any ☺️😍

Today has been brought to you by the words: Boring, dull and stagnant. Luckily Riley is a highly intelligent dog who has stepped in in the medical and bakery fields and saved the day. The Dogtor will see you now.

Just to prove my crude animation skills are still intact 😆

Riley’s First Autumn 🧡💛🤎

Anyway, it’s Gareth’s birthday today! We’ve got building work happening at the moment so our bath’s outside, giving us a hot tub in the garden. Or a tub, anyway. Everything else will be a damp squib while I moan all day about feeling rough 😰

Home alone & ill all weekend, so spent my time wisely, watching Ferris Bueller’s Day Off & then, following Charlie Sheen’s ‘smouldering cameo’ stumbled across the new documentary about him, which was funny & sad 😕 Riley showed maturity beyond his months because he must have been bored to death 😇

A fine day out in Cardiff. There was wine; food; bouncing (not me 😵‍💫); and the best face-off between two excellent bands who were just loving life and giving us the best time: McFly and Busted. 😍

A fine day out in Cardiff. There was wine; food; bouncing (not me 😵‍💫); and the best face-off between two excellent bands who were just loving life and giving us the best time: McFly and Busted. 😍

Lucky Lady 🤢

Repeat after me: I am in control, I am in control. And don’t let him see the fear in our eyes, then it will all be fine 🤣 I’m not sure what phase this is we’ve entered, not having had a puppy before - well, not a clever one, anyway - sorry Ringo 🤭 - but I think we’re in it?!

Always in the centre of the action. Always useful 😬

Martha gave me a trip to a local vineyard - Velfrey Vineyard - for a birthday present way back in June. Somehow we managed to put it off until summer finished overnight and the rain arrived 🙄 It was REALLY interesting and the good news is certain hazards were avoided 🤣 Gareth sniffed; I swigged 🤭

Martha is meeting some lovely people along the Camino way, including this couple from Mexico. They’ve been so kind, as have many others. People may not realise that one of the hazards of engaging with her is that they could end up as an illustration 🤣

Here comes Martha, our daughter, making her way along the Camino de Santiago, collecting friends and tales as she goes! Keep at it, Marf! You’re doing a great job!

We had an EXTREMELY cosy time in an RV for a couple of nights 😵‍💫 4 squeezed into one, while our other 2 friends pitched next door 😃 I drew this before we went but it turned out to be prophetic as we left early because of the rain, and a creeping fear that we’d get stuck in the mud!

I took my Mum’s 1962 wedding dress on a day out to the Goodwood Revival. Here are my illustrated highlights, plus an actual photo for a change 😊

Riley. Turns out he’s actually half-Labrador, half clown. I love how he misjudges landings, rushes out every evening to find his toad friend, grins in a silly way when you tickle him in a certain spot; &, given he’s Welsh, after the summer we’ve had, is surprised at the sound of rain 😂

And ON our night out I made a lovely new friend who, like me, as a redhead, struggles when she is described as blonde. It’s a funny thing to have been teased, insulted & offered amateur medical opinions (!) all your life and then have people argue that you’re NOT a redhead, now the colour has faded.

Recently whenever been going out for longer than we would wish to leave Riley alone, we’ve asked our friend Sam if he’d mind coming to keep him company. Just so happens Adam is a talented pianist & composer so now not only does my mum’s piano get an excellent workout, but Riley has a new skill!