Let It Go

So many people are looking for puppies these days and I get emails almost daily asking about breeding plans (waiting for a girl to go in season — that is the current plan). I have gotten to where I ignore people who ask about price in the first email and my justification is that I have a disclaimer about this on my Puppy Page — and there is a pandemic.

I really cannot spare even one Little Soldier to generate an email to someone who cannot be bothered to read over the info on my website about how to approach finding a puppy from a reputable breeder.

And yes, I could cut and paste an email (and sometimes I do) but the truth is being annoyed by those types of emails is a burden, and I am just over extra annoyance right now.

(Note and an aside: Are you tempted to tell me how to solve this? Please don’t. Trust that people: 1) can usually figure things out for themselves; and, 2) will ask for advice if they want it.)

The pandemic has reduced bandwidth for everyone. Dialing back is especially important right now and that means it is okay to be intentional about how we spend our time and energy.

Harper, Pozy, and Daisy

In order for any of us to be our best and most effective selves, we must recognize our limits and target our Little Soldiers to those things that matter most. There is, after all, no shame in being an imperfect human in a pandemic. In fact, to be that means we are one of the lucky ones — in the USA alone, 237,000+ imperfect human beings and counting were not so lucky.

And so those of us still standing have permission to pick and choose what we can do right now, and not feel guilty because we cannot do and be all things to all people.

Pandemic Life means we need to dial back and make safe choices because — if we are smart and lucky — there will be…

In the meantime, just keep marching and doing what you can. It might not be pretty but that is okay. You are, after all, still taking showers and showing up in the middle of a once-in-century pandemic with no cure and no vaccine and so many dead people.

Wouldn’t it be strange if it wasn’t hard?

And so let’s sing it together…

Pandemic Life, Episode Infinity

Pandemic Life is especially wickedly bad because so many of the losses are those we may not consider griefworthy. This means we might be dismissive of these losses, not treating them with the respect and care they deserve — and even adding shame to the emotional burden.

First-year university students talk about the loss of their senior year of high school plus the loss of the “normal” and expected college experiences.

Professionals share how much they miss colleagues and smiles and hugs.

Lincoln and Berkeley are not having normative childhood experiences; Berkeley will tell you it is because of “the germs.”

The upcoming Holidays have the potential to become Family Super Spreader events. Covid is the new Grinch.

I walk through the world saturated by losses these days — my own and others.

I bet you do as well.

It is flipping exhausting.

Knowing the importance of having Hope, I decided to enter Claire in a small obedience-only show. Having something so immediate to look forward to was a well-needed Uplift.

Claire

And then their Covid precautions came out.

• Crating allowed inside the building.

• Spectators discouraged but not prohibited.

• Masks required but not really — exhibitors and the judge need not wear masks when inside the ring, thereby setting up a peeing section of the swimming pool.

Yes, I understand the plan was approved by the County — in a Red State with surging cases.

I pulled my entries, and in doing so, I pulled away a small bright spot of Hope and more losses rained down on me.

I know enough not to judge myself for feeling grief. It wasn’t just an obedience trial. It was Hope. Something cheery to balance all the losses. A sliver of Normal.

And the politics of Covid stole it from me.

A Break from Pandemic Life (sort of)

Bethany’s parents are traveling and so Bethany and the kids headed up to their place in Plains, Montana for a break from Pandemic Life.

We joined them for our own break…

Daisy, Harper and Pozy

Daisy and Pozy

Harper, age NINE!

Sparkle

Claire

Claire

Unfortunately, my keyboard fell apart while I was there — not helpful for blog posting or remote teaching. Ooops.

Claire and Pozy

Claire

Galen was supposed to come up for a week but Montana winter was heading in and so yesterday I followed Bethany and the kids south to Boise with Sparkle and Pozy…

A certain girl turns four tomorrow…

I have a lot to catch on now that I am back in Keyboard-Land — A What’s Up, Buttercup? will be included tomorrow. In the meantime, stay safe and have a wonderful Saturday.