Lucy and the stairs and Blue Peter Appeal

Lucy, my constant and loving companion pup has learned to dash upstairs! And this is AFTER vaulting faultlessly over the 17.25'' ( 44 cm) high stairgate we have erected to prevent this event. Here she is. ''LOOK mum I did it!'' ''Ooooh did you mean for me NOT to do this?'' '' You don't really mind do you?''

Then she does a funny little dance when it's time to come down, because she cannot manage it yet. A bit of panting, barking and going back and forth....

''Are you going to carry me down? But I don't want to go yet!''

Please, pretty please can I stay a bit?

No! I'm NOT coming. See now you can't see me....

WOOF WOOF WOOF Oh the excitement, I can't come by myself. Where are you going?

At this point I sneek downstairs a bit out of sight to see what she'll do.... Ohhhhh, Oh dear, oh dear NO! It's very steep and high isn't it? SSSSo ssscary....
( she inches forward and peers over the top step)

Can't see me now, can you? I'm not coming it's too steep.

I'll just lie here and look straight ahead... I'm not looking down, oh no!

Hello, are you going to carry me now? Please?

This little play is enacted 3-5 times a day at the moment and if I shut her in a downstairs room she tries to break the door down even though Pippa is downstairs quietly napping on one of the sofas...

Soon I shall have a higher stairgate and/or Lucy will grow out of this? It's ever so slightly annoying but at the same time so very cute and adorable.

This weekend I will be busy sewing and cutting to make ''gowns'' for OPERATION SMILE which is this year's BLUE PETER APPEAL.

Miss Y brought home a letter from school and I think it's a terrific idea so we're busy rooting in our attic for t-shirts and fabrics ( I thought I might sew some too).

We're making gowns for children who have a cleft lip or cleft palate and who need a gown to have the operation to rectify this in. The aim is 20,000 gowns to save £60,000 in surgical costs.

More details from the BLUE PETER APPEAL ( I will be trying to link this properly) which launches on 21 October apparently.

If anyone reading this want to join in, here's the diagram showing you how to do it/ what is needed.

You cut up the back and either sew- or cut a small hole and tie- a ribbon on both sides of the opening . Add at least 3 or 4 pairs of ties and you're done!

There'll be an address on the Blue Peter website , the gowns will be used in Guwahati, India.

They do not have to be sterile and will be re-used for future medical projects also.

The link may not work very well yet as the Appeal launches at 4.35 on Wednesday 21 October!!!

Talking of links, my link to Joseph Murphy because of his books does not work, sorry my apologies for that. I'll take a photo of the cover and include that in the next post.

Also next will be CHRISTMAS PUDDING RECIPE!!!!

It's a hot favourite with my family for many years now, nut free and packed full of fruit. Very easy to make, I make it 3-6 months before Christmas to let the flavours mature so it's on the ''to do'' list for this weekend/week!!!

Come back soon?