I didn’t mean to take this picture. I had no intention whatsoever of a shot of Rosie as my PAD for today but I was just about to walk from the garage, where I’d been photographing David painting a door (that’s how exciting my day has been) and Rosie was sat at the top of the steps, three toys in close proximity.

She watches and waits. She knows that sooner or later I will emerge from the gloom of the garage and I will have to walk past where she is, conveniently ready with a ball and two raggies. It doesn’t matter how long she has to stay there. Sooner or later I will come to her and then she will pounce. Her little eager face will grab the ball in her snout and she will toss it and look expectantly while I pick it up and throw it for her to retrieve.

I like this analogy with my own life today. I am waiting for step 457 of the grand plan to slot into place on Friday because it releases me and DM from drudge and toil…..at least for a bit of a break anyway. It will happen. It is written in the stars – apparently Jupiter does something amazing on Friday and that makes my life better and easier. (I am strangely superstitious for such a cynical corporate whore.)

Thank something for that – I am about at my wit’s end with the slog. Today’s has been particularly unpleasant and nasty.

I’ve been ‘waiting’ for the grand plan to materialise – it’s not always possible to have what you want exactly when you want it but if you wait and work and never give up it’ll happen. That’s what I believe. We’ve waited and we’ve worked, however grim some of this has been, it’s happening now.

DM is sulking that he got bounced in favour of a little dog but even he’s admitted she’s a cutie!!!

I've been posting my pics a bit out of kilter because of being away at the weekend - I'm up-to-date now!

I had a great wrench when I looked at last year's photo - BOY have we come a long way since that shot was taken! It's given me great hope.....