A lot of people (let’s call them “fans of the blog”) have asked me (and I’m hearing a touch of derision in their voices, if I’m honest) about this idea of writing a list of 21 goals for 2021 and why you would bother in the first place if they’re all going by the wayside...
The end of this gawdawful year is fast approaching. We can start 2021 with the hope that the vaccines will make a difference to our quality of lives. We can look forward to hanging out with our friends, going to restaurants and generally enjoying close proximity with people. For many of us it’s that hope...
I’m living a surreal week. It’s the first time in my life that I’ve ever planned ahead to end the life of another living being. Before your mind immediately jumps to axe murder, be assured that I’m talking about my dog, Monty. Life for Monty has become a trial. He’s approximately 15 years old and...
The pandemic has made most of us realize how much of “normal” life we took for granted. In retrospect I’m grateful for the things that I mourn the loss of: casual dinners with friends, birthday parties, Thanksgiving with 12 guests for dinner, all of whom decide to congregate in the overheated kitchen, and the list...
If you’ve read my previous post on this issue, you know that I’ve had recurring sleep issues at various times in my life and since perimenopause (i.e. around age 45) they’ve been pretty consistent. Consistently inconsistent, you might say. In this post I want to discuss the challenges of following what the sleep experts say...
So, we’re in November, 8 months after the onset of the pandemic, (the Covid babies should be almost ripe) and we’re still in it. We have to get through the winter somehow and it’s not going to be easy up here in the Frozen North. I have a feeling I’m not alone in finding the...
When I was about 40 (the first “milestone” birthday that really hit me), I started taking medication daily for a minor condition. I suddenly became very aware that each pill signified one day in my life. Those pills were like the sand particles in an hour glass. As the month’s pills would start to run...
I have always had an uneasy relationship with sleep. Even as a child I used to have wakeful nights, especially after a bad dream (there was a recurring one about an abominable snowman that was particularly terrifying). For several nights after an especially vivid dream I would have trouble getting to sleep. In the room...
When Dave and I want to watch TV in the basement nowadays, I have to carry Monty down the stairs to join us, because he can’t handle the stairs anymore. My guess is that he’s afraid of falling because he can’t see where he’s going. I believe his eyesight has deteriorated even since the covid-19...
Living with an old dog is a bit like living with a puppy, without all the exuberant energy and exercise demands. In other words, Monty is quiet, needs little to no exercise and really doesn’t know when or where he should be relieving himself. For a long time we simply cleaned up after his little...