Many people do these days. Coronavirus keeps us from group gatherings and meetings so we are often using the computer to conduct business. We even see family for holidays and visits by Zoom or FaceTime. We are fortunate to have technology to use in this way. It makes our separation more bearable. Not pain free, but still more tolerable.
This picture sums up how I appear at some point during most of my conference calls. Zekie hears me talking and not paying attention to him. So he ensures that I do pay attention to him. When he comes leaping into my lap, and into camera view, he is always good for a laugh from the audience. They can see him saying “Momma, I’m here.”
I consider myself lucky to have such a social, friendly, and interactive dog. And as you see, he can also be quite a clown.
Claire has been with us for a year now. She came to us as a foster dog last January. She was turned in with four other dogs from the same owner. The elderly owner knew that she was reaching the point where she could no longer give the dogs the care they deserved. So she made the heartbreaking decision to turn the dogs over to our sheltie rescue group. I really felt for this lady because these dogs were members of her family.
Claire became a permanent member of our family over the summer. She was with us longer than expected because of the pandemic. When there was finally a serious inquiry into adopting her, I couldn’t bear it. I couldn’t let her leave. Luckily for me, that adoption fell through, so I didn’t have to let her go. I remember when things were up in the air. I spent an afternoon sobbing while weeding the vegetable garden and thinking about her departure. The neighbors must have thought that I had received bad news and had some dread disease the way I was crying. So, once it was determined that she wasn’t leaving, we adopted her.
She has undergone a transformation in her time with us. Not only has her coat become shiny and plush, but she has developed an outgoing personality. Upon her arrival, she was quiet and shy. This lasted the first few months. She kept to herself and didn’t interact much with the other dogs and did not seek attention from us either. Boy, have times changed. Now Claire comes up to us and pokes us with her nose for attention. She is very persistent. And she will put her front feet in your lap and sit beside you demanding that you pet her. If you don’t, you get “nosed” repeatedly.
Claire relaxing with daddy
We are still working on obedience commands. She has mastered the sit. And when I tell her to come, she approaches me and stops at the half way point. Any thing else is currently beyond her. We continue to work on commands and know that one day, she will get there.
Claire and Baxter playing in the snow
Claire has recently developed enough skills that she is a pack member, playing with our five other dogs. At first she didn’t understand respectful boundaries in regards to the other dogs’ food and toys. Fortunately, our other dogs our quite tolerant of new dogs. They have survived enough foster dogs that they cut a new dog some slack until they learn the ropes.
I just put the dogs outside for a minute. Claire and our sheltie mix Zekie (Zeke the Wonder Dog) were chasing each other in circles and playing. And when the other dogs play frisbee, Claire tries to join in. She has yet to grasp the idea of picking up the frisbee, but she has a grand time running and barking with the rest of the pack.
I’m sure the changes in her will continue and we will enjoy watching the development. We are blessed to have her.
A tired dog is a good dog. This is Zekie, my problem child. Can You Tell Which Dog Is Reactive? You can read more about him at the link. This is Zekie resting after today’s walk.
All dogs’ behavior will be at least a bit better if they expend some energy. Here are some ways to do that which allow you to maintain social distance from other people.
Walk your dog. You can take a mask along incase you encounter others. There are many trails that should provide good opportunities.
Play frisbee or ball. You can play in your yard or in a field at a school. Enclosed tennis courts may be an option if your dog needs to be confined.
Kick the toy. Rather like the child’s game kick the can. We play this indoors, down the center hallway of our house when the weather is inclement. Extra points if we can get the toy past the dogs and down the basement stairs!
Obedience or trick training. This expends more mental energy than physical, but this is also tiring.
Hide and seek. Played indoors. Have your dog sit and stay. Or someone can hold your dog. When you’re ready, say ok, find me.
Hide and seek variation. Confine your dog in some manner while you hide treats for them to find. Make the first ones easy until your dog gets the hang of it.
Provide chews such as nylabones, rope bones, antlers, etc. Monitor so your dog does not swallow small pieces. Chewing does not use as much energy as running around but it does help.
Walk your dog.
Dogs are social, active creatures and need to be provided an outlet to burn off energy. Finding a way to do this make both of your lives happier.
Hanging out with Claire while waiting for better times.
I have spent a lot of time recently focusing on how to survive in a pandemic world. In retrospect, most of these ideas are good to apply to our lives in general. But most of us are searching for extra help and guidance right now. When we are spending so much more time and energy just to slog through our daily lives, there is little left over for getting beyond that. See my post giving you some ideas on how to cope. My Top 10 Ways to Deal With Isolation During the Covid Pandemic!
Rather than offer more ideas on how to cope, I would like to offer some words of comfort here. Life is cyclical. There will be good times and there will be bad times. Neither will last forever. The trick is in remembering that. The ecstasy that we feel when we are just married or newly in love, is a beautiful thing. We need to cherish moments like these as they occur. They are a positive experience that we can put into our emotional bank account. Something to draw on and relive when times are tougher. Because they will get tougher.
I think of life experiences as a mathematical sine curve. Positive and negative events go up and down balancing each other out. If time are rough, I think of the curve and know that they will swing up again. Life is not static. Times will get better.
I think it is safe to say that times and events are in a low part of the curve right now. Life is harder for almost everyone. I can’t imagine anyone that Covid 19 has not touched in some way. Those who have become ill or lost a loved are the most affected. But others’ lives have altered too. Businesses have lost income, people have lost jobs. Something so common as going out in public to get food has become a changed thing. There are now masks, sanitizers, and social distance to consider. Nothing is as easy as it used to be. Even when my husband and I take our pack of dogs out for a hike, we worry when a fellow hiker passes. How close did they get? Were they breathing heavily and expelling lots of breathe? Is the air movement good? We carry masks with us and use them as we deem they are necessary.
Hiking with Dogs
I feel confident that we are at a low point on the curve now so that means that things are going to get better. The roll out of a vaccine is a stepping stone to moving on to better times. Hold on a little longer, better times are coming. I will offer one coping mechanism here that can be used to get you through. Rather than wallowing in the negativity of our current low, spend time thinking about the blessings to come. Make plans for them. I made a previous post about that here. Coping Mechanisms
Our lives will be changing again, mostly for the better. We will be able to safely go out in public again. Not all at once, but each step along the way will be a return to normalcy. We will congregate with friends and family members again. We will share hugs, and I know mine will be long ones! I can see these times in my mind’s eye, even now. Hang on, I know you can do it.
Today is the beginning of the New Year. I have never been one to make New Year’s resolutions. After all, it is just a day, the same as any other. Why wait until a new year begins to decide on changes you want to make to your life? It just puts off what you could be starting earlier.
If you need or want to make changes to your life, do it when you realize the opportunity. Say you decide in November that you want to lose weight, the most common New Year’s resolution. If you wait until January 1, you have already lost two months of change. Add these up over a lifetime. You have lost years of improvement.
New Year’s Day is an arbitrary date on the calendar. It shouldn’t hold sway over the way we live our lives. We are free to change the path of our lives at any time. Readjust our sails at will. It takes time to realize the benefit of change and the sooner you start, the sooner you will notice a difference.
On the other hand, if you find change hard and need an impetus like the new year to get you moving, charting a better path at any time is better than not at all. If you fancy a symbol like a new year to motivate you, the time is NOW. Make your lists and goals and get started! If you find this overwhelming, remember that a tiny change to the sail on a boat results in a huge change in direction after a bit of time. You are in charge of your life. Take control. Make it something you are proud of.
And if you miss the new year to start on your goals, or your plans go awry, do not despair. The date was arbitrary. You can begin at any time or start again as needed. Tiny changes add up. Spend some time in contemplation and make your goals good ones. The thoughts you put in your mind will guide and change your life.
Here is the post from last New Year’s. Welcome 2020, Happy New Year! Wow, life seemed much simpler then, before we had even an inkling of the pandemic to come. Never forget to enjoy where you are. And never fear, this pandemic will pass and life will be normal again. Although we will probably only see it as normal in retrospect!
Blessings, peace, and good health to you, my readers!
I think all of us have reached the point where we are thoroughly tired of Covid 19 and its effect on our lives. I know many have it worse than me, those who have suffered losses of loved ones, personal illnesses, and financial woes. But that doesn’t mean the rest of us don’t have valid feelings of sadness and emotional distress as we struggle to make it to the post-pandemic world. So I am sharing with you, some of my coping mechanisms.
Keep a Journal
Mine is a journal of things that I want to do, but can’t right now for some reason as a result of the coronavirus. Here is a link to what is in my journal. Ways To Deal With a Pandemic That way I won’t miss out on things I wanted to do but couldn’t at the time. You could also keep a journal of your thoughts and feelings during isolation. Whatever suits you.
2. Get Outside and Enjoy Nature
The View Along One of our Walking Routes
Nature has a way of healing us that defies explanation, but it is proven to make you feel better. Surrounding yourself with plants, trees, and wildlife can bring a sense of peace. I find something magical about knowing that the greater world around me goes on, no matter what is happening in my life.
3. Exercise
Exercise can help relieve stress at any time so it’s no surprise that it will work during a pandemic too. I combine my exercise with #2 above and hike or walk in nature. We attempt to take our dogs for a hike at least five days a week. If we are running late, the dogs let us know that it is time. They look forward to the outings too. People may be missing their gym workouts these days, but you can always walk. Just find a secluded area and keep your mask handy.
4. Train Your Dog (or cat if you’re ambitious!)
These may be trying times for us but our four legged friends are enjoying that extra time we spend around the house. Give them some extra attention and brush up on their obedience skills or teach them a trick. It will strengthen your relationship and the two of you will come out of this closer than before.
5. Read
If you know me, you knew this was going to be on my list! Reading can take you away to other places and teach you something in the process. You can read non-fiction and learn about new things or places in our world. Or you can read fiction and get sucked into a good story. Either way, reading occupies your mind so that you escape for a bit from your current reality which can be a real treat in these trying times.
6. Take a Nap (Get extra Sleep)
The act of sleep rests your body and mind so that you are better able to deal with whatever comes your way. Also, if you are stuck on the “worry train” and distressing what ifs, or actual bad times, keep playing through your thoughts, sleep can break that cycle and reset your brain.
7. Work on a Hobby
Candy Cane Shaped Breadsticks for Christmas Dinner
Hobbies, especially artistic ones, occupy us so that it is hard to think about anything besides what you are currently doing. One of my hobbies is cooking. I especially like to bake and kneading bread dough is soothing to me. Working and shaping the dough is fun. I was working on breadsticks for Christmas. They got too long to fit on the baking sheet and as I was turning the end to make it fit, I thought that reminds me of a candy cane. So I made all the breadsticks in the shape of candy canes just to be festive.
8. Watch a Movie (especially comedy)
How often does anyone encourage you to spend more time watching television? In this case I think it is warranted. Letting yourself become absorbed into someone else’s life, especially in a positive scenario, may provide you with some mental benefits as you escape this Covid riddled world for a while.
9. Make a Phone Call to a Friendor Family Member
We can all feel a little lonely in these times of social isolation. Even me, and I don’t generally mind being by myself and am not a phone call kind of girl. I usually avoid the telephone and am often happy to spend time by myself. (For me, by myself means with dogs.) I have been making an attempt to keep in touch by phone with family members. And I make more effort to text and message friends. You may be helping other people when you reach out, because we are all in this together.
10. Don’t Give Yourself a Hard Time
We are all doing the best we can. You may find yourself being a little short tempered or down in the dumps, and not doing as well as you normally do. Cut yourself some slack. These are not normal times.
And in closing, be aware that there is light at the end of the tunnel! We still need to socially distance and wear our masks for a while longer. But the end is in sight. People are being vaccinated right this very minute. You have been strong enough to make it this far so you are up to the task of surviving what we need to do for the rest of this ride.
This is what Christmas looks like in our family. And from our family to yours, Merry Christmas.
We wish for you, that everyone in your family survives this pandemic and is with you for your holiday celebrations next year. And if it is already too late for that, I hope the coming year brings you peace.
This year was unusual for us, as it was for so many. For the first time in my life, I was not able to see my brother for the holiday season. I also was not able to see my daughter. We are staying separate so everyone stays healthy. Doing our part to stop the corona spread. We did see my mother in law as she is like us and stays home nearly all the time.
I anticipate that next Christmas we will all be together again for the holidays. And what a joyous celebration it will be.
Hanging out with Zekie, which I often do while reading.
1. Game of Dog Bones-Laurien Berenson
Melanie Travis solves a murder with her canine friends. This time at the Westminster Dog Show while Aunt Peg judges at Madison Square Garden. This was a fun one.
2. Snowball’s Christmas-Kristen McKanagah
Tiny kitten Snowball plays her part in trying to bring Lukas and Emily together for a future at Weber Haus, a Victorian family bed and breakfast.
3. The Twelve Dogs of Christmas-Lizzie Shane
Ally Gilmore moves home to Pine Hollow to help her grandparents run the dog shelter. As she struggles to find homes for the dogs, things go awry.
4. The Finders-Jeffrey B. Burton
Mason Reid has 4 cadaver dogs that specialize in finding human remains. The youngest, Vira, turns out to have extra special abilities.
5. A Dog’s Perfect Christmas-W. Bruce Cameron
The Goss Family works their way through an emergency and trying times, accompanied by their puppy and senior wolfhound. A happy ending.
6. 500 Miles From You-Jenny Colgan
Lissa is a nurse in London and Cormac is a nurse in the Scottish countryside. Lissa needs quiet to recover from witnessing a crime and Cormac wants a training opportunity. They switch places and come to rely on each other for advice.
7. Pumpkin Spice Peril-Jenn McKinlay
From the cupcake shop murder mystery series. Melanie helps solve a crime to discover who killed her artist friend.
8. The Secret Ingredient-KD Fisher
I got a bit of a surprise with this book. It is a book about two chefs and their restaurants and lives. The surprise came when it was apparent that the main characters are homosexual. Not necessarily a bad thing but I did not pick that up from reading the back cover. I read the book because it was a good story and I wanted some insight into friends and others who live this lifestyle.
My favorite of these was The Finders. It was an excellent book. Beyond that, you really can’t go wrong with any of these books. I enjoyed them all. The Twelve Dogs of Christmas is an enjoyable holiday read.
The Christmas spirit has arrived at our house. It began to snow late this morning. It was a calm, light fluffy snow. The kind that invokes thoughts of good cheer and peace.
So I got out our little tree and decorated it. All of our animals love the tree, but especially the cats. They take up residence underneath and you can find one or the other of them there for the season. After a few squirts of Bitter Apple chew deterrent, they stop chewing it for the rest of the season.
Thumbprint cookies
After lunch, I made a couple batches of cookies we traditionally have around the holidays. First, I baked the thumbprint cookies and filled them.
Molasses crinkles
Then I made molasses crinkles from a recipe handed down from my mother’s Aunt Clara. Mine are never as good as Aunt Clara’s but they are delicious nonetheless. I suspect Aunt Clara used lard in her’s.
Now I am ready to relax for the evening with a couple of cookies and a good book.
I have been retired for a year now. Thus began a different existence for Zekie with his momma home most of the time. I have spent even more time at home than I anticipated because of the Covid pandemic. I wondered how these changes would affect Zekie, a dog with severe separation anxiety. You can read about those thoughts in last year’s post here. Zekie’s New Adventures
Zekie is not a miraculously changed boy as I had hoped. I did not really expect it. He is, however, a happier dog. He only spends about two hours alone once or twice a week. And when I come home, he is a nervous wreck. Leaving him with a special treat does help slightly now. I have two kongs that I save for when hubby and I both go away and Zekie must be crated. In one kong, I put peanut butter and add a couple small biscuits that become stuck in the peanut butter so it’s a job to get them out. The other kong is bone shaped with holes on each end and these I stuff tightly with baby carrots so it is a job to chew them out. I give Zekie the kongs only when he goes in his crate and we go away from home. He is still upset when we return but the level of hysteria is less than it was a year ago. It is improvement, just not what I had hoped.
Often, I feel so bad knowing how upset Zekie will be if I leave him that I end up taking him along and adjusting my errands. For instance, I needed to take a trip to the paint store. Rather than leaving Zekie at home, I took him with me. I made sure to park directly in front of the store so that Zekie could see me from the car through the large plate glass windows. He is ok if I am in his line of sight.
Zekie (left) playing with his brother Baxter.
I can’t know for sure what has caused the improvement, slight though it is, in Zekie’s behavior. Is it really the kongs that have helped? Probably not. I have worked with him a bit on obedience too. Being obedient was never really his problem. He is very good about following commands such as sit, down, and stay. Even from 20 feet away. The anxiety is what causes the problems. The drooling, leash reactivity, and obsession with licking. Licking every thing! He licks himself, the floor, the dog beds, our couches, pillows. He does it to displace stress so I try to direct him to lick a few select things like a rope bone, or chew a Nylabone. But, it is a constant battle of telling him all day long, “Zekie, don’t like the floor”, etc.
The thing that I suspect is the biggest help to Zekie’s stress level is something that is indirectly related to my retirement and being at home. Increased exercise. We spend much more time hiking now. We try to get a hike in four or five days a week at one of the local parks. We take five of the dogs for our outings, everyone but Nikki. She is 13 years old now and can’t keep up. All the dogs benefit but especially Zekie. In the past 30 days we have hiked over 46 miles and spent almost 20.5 hours doing it. Many days, the dogs get frisbeed too. Even days such as today when it is snowing, I will take the pups out for a frisbee session and walk around the pasture with them a few laps.
I did not have time for this much activity and exercise when I worked full time. The jury is still on whether what has helped Zekie is the fact that I am at home or that he is getting much more exercise. Probably some combination thereof. I am getting more exercise too so I guess either way, it is a win!
Sanctuary Acres 