Dogs

Never again. I am not going to do it. They weave their way into your home and your heart. You trip over them, they steal the cake off the table and dribble in terror on your knees when it thunders. They take irrational dislikes to shiny floors and they cost an absolute fortune at the vets.

So I am going to lead a dog free life. I shall get into my car and drive off to exotic places like Norfolk and Sussex without having to make elaborate arrangements for the care of the ancient hound. I don't need to walk in the rain and snow and howling gales and blazing hot sun twice a day.

I don't need to hear the patter of claws on the tiled floor of the kitchen. I don't need to have the damp nose of a long furry muzzle thrust under my hand that's holding a cup of coffee, just because the owner of the nose wants to be stroked. I don't need to have the warmth of a dog leaning on me and making room on the couch just so that I can sit next to it and become a pillow for it's head.

I certainly don't need to have those big eyes watching as I eat the last few crumbs of a piece of toast, or indeed just watching me in case I look as though a walk might be in the offing. And I don't need to be always looking out for the paws that are just in the right place to trip me up.

Most of all I really don't think I need the silent companionship that is just there when I am sad and need comforting.

So I will stop looking at elderly greyhounds that need a home and trying to decide which of them might be my next beloved companion to join the ghosts of all my previous beloved companions.

Who do I think I am kidding? This is all lies. I expect I will last a month at the outside and then another one will be lying on the floor at my feet ready for me to fall over it...

Elderly Astral Folk Goddesses

Yup. That's me apparently. Top left. According to these extraordinary trading cards given away with Galactic Zoo Dossier last year.

So there I was on Wednesday, having a whale of a time trying to find a parking place outside the rheumatoid arthritis day clinic so that I could be infused with the bi-monthly dose of the fearsome drug that enables me to function like a (fairly) human being.

Another half an armful of blood taken to be tested to make sure I haven't fallen to bits in the last month and then sit in a chair and do all the crosswords in the paper while the infusion goes into my other hand, while trying not to spill the cup of coffee that the lovely nurses supply me with...

2 hours later and I am home again with a hole in my bruised wrist, but with joints that don't ache as much. So that's me set for another couple of months...

Now. Why have I written all this? Because as I understand it, it is being recommended that people with RA are only allowed to have one try at these fearsome anti-tnf drugs. And if they don't work then that's it. Goodbye.

It has taken 4 years of trying drug after drug to try to suppress this rotten disease that I have and three different anti-tnf drugs until I found one that actually let me be human again. So I think it is blimmin' unfair.

Right what else has this elderly cult goddess been up to this week? Cleaning out the shed. That's what. Full of stuff that needed to go to the tip. With the aid of someone else though. Half the stuff I couldn't lift or move. Feeble thing..There's lots of room in the shed now and I found a lot of things that I'd forgotten were there.

That'll do for now. I'm going to Womad with theNeff tomorrow and I shall hopefully be able to meet up with my lovely publisher Rob and have a natter..

Toodle-pip....

Articles and Interviews

I have put some articles and interviews up on my myspace site. In the photos bit...

www.myspace.com/judydyble

They are scans so I hope they will be readable..

They are from Rock'n'Reel, Shindig! and fRoots. and there is a new interview at www.madeloud.com

I expect I have said the same thing over and over again, but there you go :-)

I haven't done much this week bit of gardening, bit of dusting, bit of visiting Fairport's new offices (very cool indeed) and a bit of falling asleep a lot...

Ho hum. It was summer for a few minutes every now and again, but I can see that my socks will be coming out of hibernation if it doesn't cheer up a bit more..

I just heard that you can't order whitebait any more as a meal. You have to call it Blanchbait apparently...
That's really daft that is...

Good grief...Time flies...

I can't believe it's so long since I wrote. Mind you, I've been computerless for a few days, a victim of the Windows XP update/Zone Alarm firewall collision. All sorted now, but the computermending man has put something else as a firewall/anti virus and I'm not sure that I like it...

Not only that but I have been struggling to learn how to record myself at home. Got all the bits, got the program, but I have hit a snag and I'm getting bored with it all now. I think I need to be recording with someone else listening and saying, 'do this, try that...'. We'll see. Perhaps I'll get the hang of it all.

I went to Cornbury and saw Paul Simon sing. I forgot to take my wellies and my feet were frozen. It was also a vast distance from the car park to the arena (and back) and uphill in places. I have problems breathing and talking on flat ground, and hills are a real problem so I was distinctly lacking in oxygen by the time I got there. And it was soggy and freezing cold. What fun eh? However I met up with friends and watched (well, just heard, really) Mr Simon and then trotted home again.... I'm not very good at this festival lark, I'm afraid...

A nicer visit yesterday to Adderbury's Party in the Park.. lots of local bands playing including 'Harlequinn' and they all sounded great. And the scones with cream and jam were gorgeous...

A drum track has been added by Pat Mastelotto to a couple of the tracks on my new album and has made them sound amazing...

What else? Got to post stuff to Dan the boat boy who is currently on a canal up north. Manchester I believe.... more later..