Pippin.

I have two little planters outside my front door in the shape of boots with ladybirds on them. I have planted busy lizzies in one and nasturiums in the other. One will be in my garden, the other will sit on the grave of our beloved Emily, twin sister of Poppy because Pops loves ladybirds so I think Emily, as an identical twin, would love them too. Poppy noticed them as soon as she arrived with her Mummy this morning and she had to stand and look at them for a few minutes, despite the rain. I am glad she likes them, she was looking at them out of the window later but knew she couldn`t go outside to see them as the rain was really pouring down. When the plants are established we shall take one to the crematorium and then Poppy can help me to look after the other one by helping me to water it.

Poppy has a cold, again. One of the problems of being premature and having no immune system when born. I suspect it will take quite a long time to build it up. I know 7 years after cancer my immune system is still not what it should be and I catch everything that is going. It is a shame because she seems to have had a cold on average every 2 or 3 weeks since being born. She has even been in hospital a couple of times, so a cold for Poppy is quite a worry at times.

When she was eating her lunch today she was watching CBBC and a programme was on about a dog called Pippin. The lady said the dog had to sleep outside in the kennel as it kept making a mess on the floor. I did not realise that Poppy understood the programme quite so well until she burst into tears when Pippin was banished to the kennel and said "poor Pippin" whilst sobbing. Luckily the lady relented and let the dog sleep in the house in her basket. Poppy was upset for quite some time and kept asking about Pippin, I had to reassure her several times that the doggy was in a nice warm bed and was fine. She certainly loves animals. A vet in the making?!