Saturday 30th January 2026

A year ago, Scully was diagnosed with diabetes.

To say that we had patchy advice and treatment from our vets would be an understatement.

We trusted the vet, and all the while the diabetes raged, and Scully lost more and more weight.

Thankfully, a friend pointed us in the direction of an online message board, but that was in August, Scully had lost nearly half her weight and was literally skin and bones.

It has been a long journey. Testing sometimes hourly, and injecting insulin twice a day. We have made mistakes and doubted ourselves, but we were reassured, it would get better.

And it has.

This is the test equipment, for which a month's testing cots something like £60, with insulin on top of that. But what price you pet's health?

She is putting on weight, nearly one and a half kilos, and is less desperate for food, and likes so snuggle up with us on the sofa.

On Friday, she played with a twig in the garden for half an hour, like a kitten. She's sixteen in July!

I thought we were going to lose her in the summer, instead she is almost back to her old self.

And so to Saturday.

Awake at six, and after coffee we were off to Whitfield to the sports centre: me to the gym and Jools to the pool.

I decided to try to do more, so did 50 minutes, 20% increase on usual, and was enjoyable, other than a numb bum from the hard seat.

I had to wait ten minutes for Jools, so watched families arrive for the fun swim session, their children so excited.

We drive home, and once back have a brew, top up the feeders, then the day was ours to waste.

Music for the morning: Radcliffe and Maconie on 6 Music, then Huey over on Virgin Radio, six music of great music and chat.

It was a bright day, but cold, too cold for gardening said Jools. I was happy with that, and anyway I had cooking to do. A lemon drizzle cake, though without the drizzle.

And then football.

Though the footy didn't engage, so we watched the final episode of Smiley's People, all spycraft and English upper class understatement.

Brilliant stuff.

Then to the sofa to listen to 5 Live and watch Final Score as Norwich went for four wins in a row.

Sadly, it was one game too far, though we gave Middlesborough a good game and only lost 1-0.

After supper there was Chelsea v West Ham, which was entertaining enough, and Chelsea won 3-2, coming back from two down.