Rosebud

Yesterday was another lovely fall day and I was able to get out and enjoy it a bit. I hope you did, too. Now is the time to suck up some serotonin before the winter sets in. Although I must say, that my therapist has me in love with winter. Still, the past couple of winters have been very rough.

But the stressors are different this year, so I am hoping for a good one.

Enough about that. Right now it is beautiful enough to leave the cat window open all day, and there is plenty of sunshine to be had for all. I am trying not to let fear overtake me at this juncture...when Ted was my therapist, he talked me into walking everyday, come rain or shine, in the winter. With Eddie, it was almost a necessity. But when Mom was very ill those last two years, I fell out of the habit. And now my beloved Eddie is gone, too.

I do have to say that what my current dog, Max, lacks in discipline, he makes up for in enthusiasm. He's a corgi mix, and a 50 lb. free weight on the end of a lead rope (leash.) And he is young, and ecstatic when I tell him he is going out. The first 50 yards is always at a dead run, hence, he hasn't been walked since I injured my ankle.

But I am going to take the plunge and try to walk him today...which is even more necessary for me than for him. Despite how "clear" I feel, compared to last year; I still have to push myself to take a shower everyday, in a society where one takes a shower everyday. And sometimes I win and sometimes I lose. I am more successful at persuading myself to brush my teeth. It takes so much less effort than bathing.

The past week, it has taken too much of an effort to even get onto my computer. And I want to nip that in the bud while I still can...

So gather ye Rosebuds while ye may...*

*Robert Herrick