Yesterday was a crappy day. I had high expectations. First day back at school and Mum had Adelaide for the day so I was planning on putting five hours to good use in the studio. As I was making school lunches I noticed our aging female corgi, Menna, couldn't use her backlegs. Corgis are not ergonomically designed so back and leg issues are common for the breed.

Then, when I got Adelaide up I noticed that Menna had left me a surprise on our very expensive zebra print rug. After dropping children off and scrubbing poo off flooring I took Menna to the vet. She had slipped a disc and was in pain. We could spend several thousand and give her back surgery, try pain killers and see if she improved with a fair chance it could get a lot worse, or put her to sleep.
This was not a decision I could make without Will who was in South Africa where it was 3am. After a few tears at the vet I left Menna there to try the pain medication and bed rest option. Later it was back to the vet after school and after speaking to Will. We both felt surgery wasn't an option at her age and if she was in pain it wasn't fair to keep her alive so Will could say goodbye to her on Friday.
So I arrived back at the vet already in tears, to find that Menna had made an improvement. Well that, at least, was happy news.
I traipsed home with my invalid dog, four children and food for dinner. Dinner, put Adelaide to bed, help Tom with an assignment, and then the water tank man turns up an hour late to measure our side alcove for a tank - the last thing I needed, particularly given he was chatty.
Fell in a heap and then went to bed, only to be woken 5 times during the night. Henri has gastro and threw up over his bed and carpet (the carpetcleaners are getting a call from me today). Then to top it off I dropped Adelaide's glass bottle in the garage and smashed it, only to drop a glass cookie jar 30 minutes later in the kitchen, smashing it too. What is it with me?
And before all this erupted I was standing at my ironing board packing orders and finally admitting to myself that I feel a little stretched at the moment. Is the universe trying to tell me something? If I didn't get it then, I get it now.
The bright spot on the horizon is that Will and I are taking a break together in 3 weeks. Nine nights in Europe - Paris, Copenhagen and somewhere else as yet undecided - should get me back to rights.
(Image from here. Not a corgi, just a cute softie that looks how I feel - a bit patchy.)