In other news........

It was the birthday of my firstborn last week.

She is 26.

26!!!

Hardly seems possible but there you go. Tempus fugit and all that.

So she came to visit over the weekend. Much to the delight of small dog, who had her eye on the birthday presents.

Small dog is extremely accomplished when it comes to opening anything wrapped in brightly coloured, rustling paper. If there are bows and ribbons so much the better.
Her enthusiasm is such that she often has to be physically restrained. However we've hit on a darn fine plan to distract her.

• Restrain her until the first present has been opened, thereby liberating a quantity of wrapping paper.
• Quickly and unobtrusively wrap some 'interesting' items in this discarded paper, which small dog will be unable to resist. In this case we used the cork from a celebratory bottle of sparkling, plus two gravy bones. No......these are not bones dripping with gravy.......that would be exceptionally yucky. These doggy confections are eat little bone shaped biscuits, coated in a crispy 'gravy' coating. Small dog loves them and they are the only 'treat' which she devours immediately and doesn't bury in various venues around the house.
  
• Produce this 'present' with a flourish, exclaiming, "Oh, what have you got? Lucky girl!!!"
• Release small dog to go at the package with determined growling and watch the mayhem ensue.

Voila! If you look very carefully you will see the remains of her cork.