Yesterday got underway beneath overcast skies. I was up several times through Monday night with poor Sheba, so I was keen to get to the vet’s and get the analysis of her stool sample done so we could get treatment underway,
She got me up at 4:30 to go out, so I got several chores done in the house before we went for our morning walk at 7:30. Then I began watering the garden beds until it was time to leave to take her sample in. Again, it felt so, so good to be watering all my floral buddies. What’s amazing is how much tolerance for the endless job of watering, and how much energy I have for work. God bless Tezspire the miracle drug.
I was at the vet’s just as they opened. Her foot is much better. We walked one of our 707 trails like we usually do, and she was trotting along at full speed looking like her old self. And now help is on the way for her digestive problem. Karen, the administrator at the vet’s said that they would do some kind of scan and call me back. I got the feeling that I’d be hearing back later in the day and that was exciting news.
When I got home from the vet’s, it was back to watering, and I finished all the beds. My goodness it felt good! Then I did the vacuuming needing doing; it’s essential daily now that there are cone caps dropping out of the trees in vast numbers. They get caught in Sheba’s hair and she brings hundreds of them indoors.
Then came lunch, just before 11:00 (we’d been up since 4:30) because I saw Dr. S. at 11:00 on Zoom. We had a great, great session, and I am going back to once a month. It was such a great session, I wanted to keep going every two weeks, but I reckon once a month is the right way to go. I need to do some living. I can’t stay focused on my past and the challenges of my present. She said something she’s said before. This time I took note because I found it very interesting. She said: “Our brains are wired for safety not happiness.”
Right now, being outside and making Pinecone Park look good and keeping it in shape makes me very happy. Being alone makes me happy, so I want to do more of that. It feels as good as therapy to me. I love the feeling of being on top of maintenance at Pinecone Park. I’m keeping up with house cleaning and yard and gardens work. I’ve more garden beds to clean of needles, weeds and cones, and I hope to get to some of that today because all the beds are well watered.
I’m highly motivated to work. And I’m almost up to speed with all my SPACE homework. Once my call with Dr. S. was done, I wanted to weed whack the courtyard, but first Sheba and I went into the village to shop and to pick up a prescription. When we got back, I cleaned my garbage and recycling containers that had developed a bit of an odor.
And then I jumped into a controversy. I’m part of a What’s App group chat that SPACE runs. A person who stutters (PWS) posted an ad by a manufacturer of soda that had a cow mascot stuttering—in their ad, “studdering.” He and others were outraged, and the community was planning their angry response.
Social media scares me. I wanted to speak slightly contrary to the prevailing sentiment, but I was afraid of the response I would get. Here’s what I wrote:
“I’m not as outraged, but then I grew up gay when gay bashing was the way of the world. At times we are fighting to be represented. I’d consider the tactic of opening my correspondence with this company by giving them the benefit of the doubt. I’d acknowledge their awareness of PWS and our need to be seen and heard, and then I would go on to tell them how they missed the mark in their ad by not having an inclusivity qualifier that serves our PWS community. Simply bashing makes people and corporations defensive. …Just a thought to consider.
Almost immediately, seven (!) people attached an emoji heart to my comment, and I relaxed and became proud of my contribution to the conversation.
I’d had plans to weed whack the courtyard and use my blower to clean it up afterwards, and to blow clean my pathway to the dump and my front sidewalk, but instead I got on the chaise, and opened my book to read. The overcast sky and cool air were not compelling me to work outside. I chose to chill for a while, hoping constantly to hear from the vet.
And no sooner was I installed on the chaise, than the phone rang. It was Karen from the vet’s office. Sheba indeed has a bacterial infection in her bowel, and so last night she had the first of ten doses of antibiotics. I’m so relieved to know that treatment is underway!
When I got home from the vet’s, I started reading, but when the sun came out, I decided to have a spa, my second of the day. It’s so relaxing and soothing, and the sunshine feels so lovely on my face.
And then began an evening like every other. Not! Slightly fed up with television, last evening I did yard work. I weed whacked the courtyard and then I used the blower to gather all the crap into a pile that I’ll scoop up and tote to the organic dump today. I also aim to clean up two beds that need my attention.
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Well, what a wonderful night. Monday night I was up three times to let Sheba out at her request. Last night, at dinnertime, she had her first dose of antibiotics and last night she slept through the night! I didn’t have to get up once. She had her second dose this morning, but already she seems like herself again. I am going to take the bandage off her foot this morning. I’ll either clean her foot and put a new bandage on, or she’ll be going without a bandage. Either way, her limp is negligible now, and it feels so, so good to have her back and we can get back to long walks together.
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