Managing

One of the things that has been bothering me for months about our dogs, is that they couldn't all be together at once. When you have different personalities, sometimes, it's just not possible. So, to keep  everyone safe, we "manage" those dogs, keeping one dog separated from the another. 

The dog that we are "managing" the most, is none other, than you guessed it, Todd. 

Knowing that our foster boy Jack, doesn't like the boys as much, we kept he and Todd away from each other. If one was outside, the other was free in the house. If Todd was inside, Jack was outside. In the evenings, Todd stayed locked in his crate, and Jack was allowed with the other dogs, and at bedtime, Todd was let out, and Jack was crated overnight.

~The Very Handsome Jack~

It was working. But I was feeling guilty about it because I was really feeling like this wasn't fair to either of them.

It became even more complicated when Ree entered the picture. At 4 years old, I thought she was way too energetic and playful for Todd and Jack too. So, we kept Ree away from both of them. Now we were "managing" three dogs that we thought couldn't be together. 

~Ree~

When Carl went out of town, I was left to care for all the dogs. I decided I'd had enough of all that "managing." So, I decided I was going to try putting the three dogs together outside and see what would happen.  

And you know what happened? I'll tell you what happened, nothing happened. There was no growling. There was no snapping.. There was no fight. The three all went about their own business, and were and are all fine together. Okay, Ree didn't and doesn't exactly mind her own business, she loves the two boys, but the bottom line is, the three all get along. 

~Mealtime!!~

Finally, I love that all the dogs can be together! I'm not having to "manage" where at any given moment they might be. I don't have to worry about where Ree is (probably on the bed), where Jack is, (usually in the office on his bed,) and where Todd is, (almost always in his now-open door-crate snoozing, or outside watching the world go by). I know the three of them are much happier. Actually, we are all happier and relaxed. And I'll add that none of the dogs are crated at night. 

~Jack and Gerry~

But I am however wondering, just what the heck was I worried about?

Drumroll please…..We're back!!!!

Well, hello blogging friends! It has been nearly a month. I have missed you. Thank-you to those of you who messaged asking if we were okay. It was so thoughtful of you to think of us. To answer that question about how we are, I can tell you that we all are just fine. 

Yes, we are just fine, with the exception of a bit of writers block, and that ole familiar feeling of guilt because behind the scenes for a while, I was having problems keeping up and catching up. 

We all know that the reality is that catching up never ends. There will always something that needs tending to. And I'm always going to feel guilty about something. It's just who I am.

But it was all getting harder and harder and I was losing my focus. I knew I had to stop that kind of madness. I found I needed to call a truce. 

I am a real news and political-junkie so I took a break from the news and politics. I turned off the TV and I even went outside, and sat on my front porch. 

I also took a break of sorts from social media. I love and want so much to keep up with family and friends on social media. I know that I don't have to read everything that is posted. And I know very well that I need to get over my F.O.M.O. -- That's my fear of missing out. But for whatever reason, I was feeling like I needed to watch every video, read every email, tweet, and Facebook update. Even though the chances were pretty good that if I did miss something, it was going to be repeated. I had to end that endless game. It honestly was making me irritable and cranky and hard to live with and be around. I needed to make a change and reconnect in a more meaningful way, and make that phone call to my oldest brother and others who aren't on social media, that I've been missing, but felt I just didn't have time for. 

With all that, things in my daily life have started to come back into balance for me. I know I need to stop dwelling and being irritated by the news, by what's happening at work, and what didn't get done yesterday or what needs to get done tomorrow, and focus on what’s going on right now. 

So, with the month long break, I'm back with the goal of starting fresh and being more mindful of the need to have and keep that balance, and not let the news and other things consume me like they had been. It's not easy to end what has become a habit. It's also not easy to stop being so critical of yourself when you feel you've fallen short in so many way. But I know it's worth it to try. 

It really does feel good to get this post written and to be back. 

Thank-you for stopping by. 

I hope you'll come back, I have so much I want to tell you.❤

Our Week

 Here's our week in picture review ....

Sunday - Todd couldn't and wouldn't stop scratching his ear. 

We cleaned it and put in medication. I think that made it worse.

Monday - Off to work. Traffic is getting back to having pre-pandemic delays as people return to their offices and kids are back at school.

Tuesday - hornets, or yellow jackets, I don't know which, have eaten the few pears we have on our tree. We knocked the pears off the tree to try and get rid of them. It's a total loss of the fruit.

Wednesday evening - How I feel when my work week is over. 😊 

Thursday - Deer watching and just being outside. It was a gorgeous day.

Friday - A really busy day. I left the house at 8:30 to get to the groomers by 9:45 with Todd and Jake. Max was on the list to be groomed too, but we decided that his hurt knee still needs a few more weeks. 

Jake has been totally transformed. Irina (our groomer) took more off of his coat than I wanted. But we talked about it, and she thought it was best. I totally trust her judgement. Jake's coat was so thick and so heavy and I know he will feel better, and not be so hot, even though the weather has suddenly turned cooler. 46° this morning.

~All the hair that was removed from Jake~

A very tired Todd afterwards.

Saturday - Our day is just beginning. Whatever it brings, I hope yours is an enjoyable one.

What's Taking My Time

Life has been humming right along for us. So grab a snack, get comfy and I'll tell you what we've been up to.

Carl went to see family out of state, leaving me to be the single-dog-mom, which as you can figure, took a lot of time.

~Our very handsome foster boy, Jack~

I did what I could to wear the dogs out, which involved walks and playing ball. Todd with his Scottie sized mouth, can fit two tennis balls in his mouth at once. 

I've made the trek more than once to Mobile Vets office. First was our newest arrival, Jake. 

This big boy weighed in at a smidge over 100 pounds. He was really good at the vet, and all tests that were returned show that he's a healthy 13 year old boy. 

At home he's settled in really nicely. His pal appears to be Todd. They spend time outside together, barking at the deer, or whatever the two think needs to be barked at. I think Jake is having a good time.

Our boy Max, who had two knee surgeries almost exactly 5 years ago, somehow hurt his knee. So, he's on limited activity. 

Bringing up the rear for vet appoints was Todd. His was just for his yearly exam, rabies vaccine and bloodwork. At 10 years old, it was a first for him to have senior blood work.  

~Todd got a bandage from the vet, and I got the bill~

Our hospice foster girl Sheeba is doing well. Sadly, the cancer shehas is taking its toll on her appearance, and she's painfully thin, even though she eats enough for 2-3 dogs every day. She always barks at me when I am in bed, and then she stands there and stares at me. It occurred to me that she may want onto the bed, so I put her up on the bed with me. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep and start snoring. I guess it's what she's always wanted. Now she wants to be on the bed every night. ❤

Shedding season has also started, and it was Shelby's turn for a bath and an overdue brushing out. 

In the meantime, Ree ate a bar of soap....

And George is the one that ended up with a bad upset stomach. Go figure.

Our mailbox disappeared.... I think it got knocked off by a passing truck or something like that.

And my longtime and very dreaded nemesis, the dreaded Brown Marmorated Stinkbug has reappeared.  I have to say, they are one thing I could do without. 

Whatever you're having to put up with or without, I hope all is well in your corner of the world. THANKS for stopping by!