It's been over two years since my last post! I miss blogging! And many things have changed. A little over a month after I last posted, my little dachshund Petey got very sick, and right after the dawn of 2016 we had to say our forever goodbyes. I was beyond devastated, and then got rather sick myself with some mild-to-severe anxiety issues. Happily, I've since gotten past all that.
The biggest problem was loneliness without my best little buddy. My sympathetic nervous system just went on high alert for whatever reason, and I had nausea, trouble eating, and soaring blood pressure. Turns out that when the anxiety is controlled, so is the BP, so no austere, salt-free diet required. But it took quite a few doctor visits and prescriptions to get this all sorted.
I "somehow" adopted a high-energy older puppy from the local shelter at the end of February 2016. Her name is Daphne and she has been more delight than trial, though both are present. Then in August, Daphne found two tiny, black abandoned kittens in the ivy, and we adopted them, along with a an orange young feral male cat who had been hanging around and obviously looking for a family. Whew! The kittens are over a year old now. Daphne and the larger of the kittens are well-matched in energy level, despite the difference in size, and it's been nice for Daf to have someone to romp and tumble with. Daf is a 45-pound Boxer-Pit Bull mix, and their seemingly rough play worried me at first, but they are devoted to one another and no harm is ever done.
Quality of life is something I am trying to focus on at this point. Between the anxiety and low-grade depression, and the increased work and energy needed to take care of my new brood, a lot of things have slipped through the proverbial cracks. Also, I realized that I need to form stronger bonds with other humans in my life. I had such a happy, comfortable life at home with my little Petey that I didn't feel the need for more than the casual friendships and acquaintances I had in my life. But when Petey was suddenly gone, I felt so bereft, and it was hard to fill the void. Putting most or all your emotional eggs in one basket, I've found, isn't such a great idea. This probably applies as much to husband-wife relationships, or any other close human tie, as it does to the relationship with a pet.
So, the things I want to focus on in the coming months are:
The biggest problem was loneliness without my best little buddy. My sympathetic nervous system just went on high alert for whatever reason, and I had nausea, trouble eating, and soaring blood pressure. Turns out that when the anxiety is controlled, so is the BP, so no austere, salt-free diet required. But it took quite a few doctor visits and prescriptions to get this all sorted.
I "somehow" adopted a high-energy older puppy from the local shelter at the end of February 2016. Her name is Daphne and she has been more delight than trial, though both are present. Then in August, Daphne found two tiny, black abandoned kittens in the ivy, and we adopted them, along with a an orange young feral male cat who had been hanging around and obviously looking for a family. Whew! The kittens are over a year old now. Daphne and the larger of the kittens are well-matched in energy level, despite the difference in size, and it's been nice for Daf to have someone to romp and tumble with. Daf is a 45-pound Boxer-Pit Bull mix, and their seemingly rough play worried me at first, but they are devoted to one another and no harm is ever done.
Quality of life is something I am trying to focus on at this point. Between the anxiety and low-grade depression, and the increased work and energy needed to take care of my new brood, a lot of things have slipped through the proverbial cracks. Also, I realized that I need to form stronger bonds with other humans in my life. I had such a happy, comfortable life at home with my little Petey that I didn't feel the need for more than the casual friendships and acquaintances I had in my life. But when Petey was suddenly gone, I felt so bereft, and it was hard to fill the void. Putting most or all your emotional eggs in one basket, I've found, isn't such a great idea. This probably applies as much to husband-wife relationships, or any other close human tie, as it does to the relationship with a pet.
So, the things I want to focus on in the coming months are:
- Get my home organized again and take care of any deferred maintenance issues.
- Spend more time in the garden, culling out overgrowth and adding some nice plantings.
- Spend more time with friends and family, and make some new friends.
- Work on bringing more balance into my life.
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