Easy bargains and heavy decisions

I like to shop, what girl doesn't? But I love to shop at flea markets and second-hand, partly because I hate to see perfectly usable stuff go to waste, and partly because I really like the retro- and vintage style, and it’s also fun to use a little DIY in the sense of remodel or to give things a new and totally different purpose.

Once in awhile you really need something but can't afford to buy it new, and when you then find it at a flea market for almost nothing it’s like winning the lottery, like me, this week.
I’ve needed a new sofa because my old one was, besides just old and slumped, damaged by the fire incident that happened 6 months ago.
I went to the local flea market and found a really nice and very comfortable one that seemed almost new, and I got it very cheap too. Yey!

So there I was, looking forward to just strolling around on different flea markets without any particular purpose the rest of my holiday, making insanely cheap bargains of course, but something really bad suddenly got in the way….

If you have had or have pets, you know what a great joy it can be, and if you have a chronic illness a pet can not only be a faithful companion but a therapeutic asset and a motivation to exercise. There are also trained assistance-dogs, but whatever the cause is to why you get a pet, that day will always come when you have to make that hard decision, the one about life or death, and sometimes a bit earlier than expected. It could be an illness or accident but either way it's something one should always keep in mind as a potential pet owner.

A couple of days ago my doggy got very sick all of a sudden, literally from one day to the next. He is ten years old, and besides a couple of stomach probs (due to eating things he wasn't supposed to) he has been a very healthy and happy pooch his whole life.

The vet explained that his left hind leg has, apparently, always been longer than the right, and because of it a very severe arthritis has been developed over the years. It has been slow progressive and hard to notice, to suddenly turn out in its full capacity.

The poor thing couldn’t move his hind legs or get to a standing position. He was in great pain the first couple of days, and besides the stress and worry it caused us humans, there was also the huge problem taking care of the poop- and peeing-business. The pain was so extreme that he wouldn't let anybody near him, or least not lift him up, so I just had to let him do it lying on the floor. But that was just the first day, thank goodness.

Now he's on medication, both pain relief and anti-inflammatory, if his condition doesn't improve over the nearest couple of weeks, we must make the sad decision to help him over the rainbow-bridge because I can't let him live in pain and agony. That would be utterly selfish.

All we can do now is keep our thumbs and paws and just wait and see.

So please, send a little prayer for "Borje"

xoxo