The 12 Guide Dogs of Christmas

Tags

2021, Animals, Blessings, Blind, Children and animals, Christmas, Disability, Dog, Equality, Guide Dog, Happiness, Kindness, Labradoodle, Service, Sight Loss, Visual Impairement

And number 8 of the Guide Dogs of Christmas is…. Minster Munch. I mean he was going for number 1 but he was happy for number 8 after I explained to him that number 8 symbolises infinite so that was good enough for the Lord and Master.

Guide Dogs are using these images as a fundraising tool that can be used in schools and such places where a treasure hunt of the 12 Guide Dogs of Christmas can be found dotted around a place  by children. They may also be used in some social media.  They asked if they could use an image of Minster Munch to show all the different types of Guide Dogs that they use. The typical labradors and the more unusual Munch types.

If Munch was asked to come up with his own version of the 12 Days of Christmas , it may go a little like this….

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me

12 Balls Bouncing

11 Reindeers Raced

10 Snowmen Scattered

9 Dinners Dropping

8 Presents Pinched

7 Tasty Treats

6 Bells Boken

5 Gourmet Meals

4 Nose Kisses

3 Brand new Toys

2 Festive outfits

And a world that just loves me…

Each year that he is with me, I feel he deserves more and more good things in return. Santa and I have an arrangement to turn a blind eye (or in my case just my eye🙂) when he slips over to the naughty list and praise him when he returns to the good list.

It is so lovely to have Munch’s handsome face as one of the 12 Guide Dogs of Christmas as a resource raising funds for such a fab charity. This little showman makes everyday feel like Christmas.

Wishing You A Different Christmas

Tags

2020, Acceptance, Alternative, Blessings, Christmas, Family

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Nothing feels the same anymore for anyone. Wishes for a normal Christmas may not be granted in memorable 2020, but many new wishes may well come true.

For us, I am expecting less footsteps to walk through the door as mixing with loved ones is discouraged by those in power. The chaos of the usual Christmas cheer that comes with a large family, may be quieter than any other year. Recycling bags full of wrapping paper may be overfilled on another living room floor from our gifts that get opened elsewhere. The shelves in the fridge may groan with less food as family members eat in their own homes over the festive  period. Christmas Eve may lose its magical powers when no cookies or milk are left out here for Santa, but I am sure he will not starve. These changes may not be ideal, but they also need not be devastating.

We will soon mix again with the army of family that we are  blessed to be born into and seek out a rare spare chair in a room full of people. Four different conversations between loved ones will at some point fill each of the four corners of the room as people catch up with each other. The desire for giving presents may be replaced by the gratitude of the pure presence of loved ones alone. Food will once again taste better when sneakily shared from a friend’s plate when social distancing is a thing of the past. Santa’s best fan’s will at some point leave him goodies in front of equally excited friends and family  just before the little footsteps make their way to bed. The new normal button will be pressed again after this seemingly long pause.

With a new baby Grandson bringing hope and joy back into the family, Christmas is far from spoilt this year. It may be different, but different can be a refreshing place to be in as change is sometimes as good as a rest. As with most, 2020 has made me stop and re-evaluate life from a different  perspective. We can either choose to battle the unfairness, pain, and hurt of this year or we can choose to celebrate what we have been left with. Either way, we are going to create more of what we feel and think about. Admitting to ourselves that our version of life is just one way of seeing things and acknowledging that  there are more positive ways of seeing things can sometimes be the most bitter pill to swallow in life. We are not always right; we are sometimes wrong.

For the first year ever, my four children will not all be here on Christmas Morning. My eldest may be with her partner and  my two beautiful Grandchildren whilst my other daughter will be doing her midwifery duties of  helping to deliver babies on Christmas Day. The house will still be full of my two son’s mischief and beauty as they play with Munch and Angus the cat, so half of Christmas will remain the same. It may be a different Christmas, but it does not mean it will be a less special one for everyone in different ways.

However, your new version of Christmas goes, I hope you find peace and beauty in places that you may have forgotten existed after living in this year of change. New traditions need to start somewhere.

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Ever Increasing Family Love

Tags

Animal, Animals and Children, Blessings, Children's Milestones, Childrens Acceptance, Christmas, Family, Gratitude, Guide Dog, Labradoodle, Unconditional Love

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So, our much-awaited Christmas present for 2020 is going to be a new baby in the family. What a perfect way to end a less than perfect year.

My second grandchild is due on 23^rd December which is something the whole family is excited for. How do I think Munch will react? Well if his relationship with Arna-Rae (my first born granddaughter) is anything to go by, I think they will be best friends.

Munch came into our lives when Arna-Rae was just nine months old and they hit it off straight away. He went to sniff her when they first met and the fact that she had some crumbs on her tights meant that this was going to be a match made in heaven. A new playmate and a food dropper all rolled into one was Munch’s idea of heaven. She was as gentle with him as he was with her as they played alongside one another stealing each other’s toys.

Arna-Rae started taking her sweet first steps as Munch walked alongside her and when out and about, she would hold onto his Guide Dog harness whilst out on their adventures. He was there for some of her firsts and is still there alongside her as she grows into the beautiful little girl that she has become. As she tries to dodge his sloppy morning kisses, she cradles his head so sweetly in her loving arms that have held him a multitude of times.

She says Mam (shortened version of Mamgu which is Welsh for grandmother) and Munch and not just Mam as she knows we come as a pair. She has only really known me with Munch as my Guide Dog and never on my own so to her, we are one. His happy helicopter tail rotates with delight as she comes crashing through the door as he knows his food dropping playmate has arrived for some fun. They know and love each other deeply.

When Arna-Rae’s brother or sister arrives and grows with the family, the only problems that I can see occurring are as follows-

• Who will be the first to snuggle up to him?
• Who will have the most fun toys to play with?
• Who will be most generous with food?
• Who can throw the ball the furthest?
• Who will be most likely to go on mischievous adventures with him?
• Who will be most likely to find his stinky anal exhales funny and not run away from him?
• Who will be most likely to run the fastest with him whilst out on free runs?
• Who will take up less room on the couch with him as he stretches out?
• Who will give the best belly rubs and nose kisses?
• Who will love him even when he is being a monster?

The truth is they will both be there each of these times as he will be there for them. The beauty of animals is that they are only capable of unconditional love. One may give him the most food or throw the ball the furthest, but he will love them both equally as will I.

The last four years as a grandmother has been the best. Getting to witness Arna-Rae grow form a tiny 4lb 12oz newborn into a beautiful, loving, kind four year old who has a wonderful sense of self  has been magical and I am so excited to see what her enchanting sibling will also bring into life. This Christmas will certainly be a perfect ending to a less than perfect year.  

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Christmas Wishes

Tags

Alternative, Celebration, Christmas, Gratitude, Kindness, Love, Thanks, Wishes

When bubbles of festive cheer are bursting all around you and you feel like you are in a lead balloon, know that life won’t always be like this.

When the whole world sparkles in festive glitter and you feel cocooned in darkness, know that people can still see the inner glow in you that you are forgetting to see.

When hordes are celebrating the birth of the season and you are mourning loss, know that magic of time can help the passage of change of mind.

When shoppers will throw a lot of what they buy, and you struggle to buy what you need, know that many will offer to share if they are aware of your needs.

When the cheer of happy families seems to be all around and you feel all alone, know that there will always be room for you at someone’s table.

When unwanted gifts get tossed aside by ungrateful hearts and you would love the sentiment of a gift, appreciate the gratitude that you possess.

What if Christmas was less about things and more about people, maybe we could celebrate equally.

What if Christmas was all about us and less about me, maybe we could be surrounded by nothing but support.

What if Christmas was about giving what we need and not what we want, maybe we could all be as happy as each other.

What if Christmas made us stop instead of rush, maybe we would be fully present.

What if Christmas was about change and not about tradition, maybe we would grow in new ways.

What if Christmas was about lack so others could gain, maybe we would each have a similar Christmas.

If you fancy making a difference, surprise a stranger with a gift.

If you fancy making a difference, buy less and spend more time with a loved one.

If you fancy making a difference, buy less food for yourself and more for those in need.

If you fancy making a difference, sponsor a child in need that you may never even meet.

If you fancy making a difference, recharge your battery enough to be available to yourself and others in the year to come.

If you fancy making a difference, lead by example and be the change that you want to see in the world.

Whatever the when, what’s and ifs of Christmas bring you, I wish that your presence will be far more magical than any present can hold. Wishing you a different Christmas full of happiness and life changing gains.