The first week of any new year can bring an unsettling mix of relief, new direction and incentive, angst, apathy and procrastination. Even if your holiday season was emotionally challenging with some bouts of nostalgic melancholy, the quiet inertia of the post-holiday season can be a let down when the world asks us to conjure the energy to start anew.
This year got off to a somber start with the passing of a beloved former US President, a polar vortex in the southern region of the nation and catastrophic fires raging in California. I have friends and family in Southern California and I’m told that they are all safely ensconced at a safe distance from those fires and I hope will remain so.
Life here in Central Florida has been a bit colder than usual, but those visitng from places like Wisconsin are wearing shorts and T-Shirts because compared to where they live, the temperatures here are down right sub tropical.
It is a positive time for me. With my 66th birthday next week, I’m feeling pretty damn good. Life here in Central Florida has grown on me and time seems to fly. Work on the newly acquired Boat House goes on and my tenants in Georgia have settled down as their fire-damaged home begins renovations.
The number 66 conjures images of the iconic route, the first highway to be paved in 1938! Nearly forgotten, I understand that although compromised, parts of that road are still driveable. If you live near the route, please send me photos!
Last week I learned that a post I wrote for Widow’s Voice last May entitled, Ruff Challenges and Big Dreams: A “Tail” of Two Dogs received a nomination for a Special Award in the Dog Writers Association of America’s Annual Writing Competition. I’d been awarded the DWAA’s Maxwell Medallion in the past, but in recent years I’ve came up zero for nominations so this was especially exciting. That post relayed the story of a shelter dog that had been returned several times before being adopted by a woman who turned him in to an AKC agility champion.
I serve on the Board of Directors for the DWAA and judge competition entries (never in those categories I’ve entered) and I know that the number of entries, and their quality has increased over the past several years. In judging entries, I learn so much about canine health and behavior, an added bonus. I also sponsor two Special Awards; one named in honor of my late sister, Manette Loudon and this year, although I offered to sponsor a Special Award in my mother’s memory on the topic of Spay and Neuter, I was disappointed to learn that there were no qualifying Finalists in that category. Winners are announced in New York City next month at the DWAA Awards Banquet.
Spay and Neuter is an important topic and back in 2016, I’d won the North Shore Animal League Special Award for writing about S/N initiatives in an underserved region of the nation. Now, several years later, I am trying to assist local efforts to help with animal overpopulation here in Putnam County. I hope it is a year that brings some hope and relief in a region where so many dogs are dumped, neglected or left to roam risking a bad end on the road. Feral cats are also a huge probem here.
I know that it’s also important to take some time just to relax and enjoy this beautiful region and reconnect with old and new friends. This is my first birthday without my mom something that isn’t lost on me. When I feel myself sinking or sagging in spirit at times, I hear her rallying my spirit and telling me to go out and make the best of the day and make sure to have some fun, too. Rich used to tell everyone I celebrated birthweek. That is something I still like to do. My late brother Matt’s birthday falls on the 17th and I’ve made a point to claim some fun on his day so as it won’t be forgotten; it’s how I honor his life.
Have a safe week, especially if you find yourself in areas affected by extreme weather or natural disasters. It is especially sad to see so much natural beauty and wildlife lost in addition to human lives and homes. Resigned, we carry on doing our best despite what life presents.
