Yesterday I caught our sweet dog, Barnaby, fussing his front right paw. When Diana inspected it, Barnaby had made something between his paw toes fussy-red. So, on went the antibiotic cream and a baby sock. Newborn baby socks are just about the right size for Barnaby. His paws always look pudgy, but it’s all the fur. His paws are really quite petite. Barnaby always wears “shoes” on his back paws when he goes for his walks since he’s sensitive to so many different types of grasses, and fortunately, he’s begun to accommodate to these walking impediments. However, now that he had the additional sock on, he had to walk as if he were doing some weird ballet dance. He held his leg out, he delicately tried to touch the floor, nope, he had to pick the leg up again and hold out his paw. Finally, he did his usual back paws in shoes with a waddle along with a hop and toe dance for the front paws. Poor boy. How he suffers! Today, his right front paw is better and he doesn’t have to wear the dreaded sock.
I had a friend over today for lunch and a gabfest. She’s thinking about retirement. I remember when I first retired and had to go through a whole mind switch. No longer was I having to get up at 5:00 a.m. to get to school earlier than my teachers. I didn’t have to write the weekly bulletin, and I didn’t have to do the school budget. I was so at a loss with how to schedule my time that I took a part time job at a tutoring center to cause me to have a time commitment. When I look back I am so grateful to that tutoring center. True, I didn’t get paid very much, but the year that I worked there helped me to get my head on straight. There were people to talk to each day I was at the center so I didn’t feel lonely for the ever present chatter of a business place. I was able to figure out what I wanted to do with my new found freedom and how to organize my time. Retirement is a wonderful affair. It gives one time to look around and choose what is important and what to do, who to see and who to talk to, and when to be busy and when to sit back and simply rest. But, one has to learn this. It isn’t automatic. I wish my friend well.
Next Sunday, the 23rd, is our The Cozy Mystery Book Club meeting at 2:00 p.m. Pacific. We’re discussing Agatha Christie’s Halloween Party and “bobbing for apples.” Also, don’t forget our contest for a short chapter starting with the paragraph on our contest page. Remember, chapters can be as short as 2 pages or as long as you want. It’s your creativity that counts!