“We all sorely complain of the shortness of time, and yet have much more than we know what to do with. Our lives are either spent in doing nothing at all, or in doing nothing to the purpose, or in doing nothing that we ought to do. We are always complaining that our days are few, and acting as though there would be no end of them.”
– Seneca
What is Wrong with Me?Lately I have this feeling of lethargy. I make lists of things to do, and I get them done, just never quite when I planned to do them! So, I was thinking I was depressed, but I looked up the symptoms. Nope! (Whew)
The COVID pandemic has changed the way a lot of us get our work done and the way we plan our days and time. Lately, I've found more time on my hands than I am used to, and I have had to shake myself out of "there's always tomorrow" attitude. Basically, I am blaming COVID for turning me into a procrastinator. (So far, I am very lucky that that is the only bad thing it has done to me! Trust me - I am aware and thankful!)
So, I started thinking about procrastinating and did some digging to find out more (see, I still have an eager-to-learn brain). I found out there are 5 types of procrastinators: 1) The Wishful Thinker (If I wish hard enough and keep talking about it, it'll happen on its own!)2) The Last-Minute Junkie (I work best under pressure and strive on stress.)3) The Resourse-less Complainer (I don't have the time; I don't have the money - the knowledge - the motivation.)4) The Perfectionist (Things have to be perfect; a half inch short of perfection is not good enough. If it is not going to be perfect there is no sense in starting it.)5) The Intimidated (I am afraid I will fail. I am afraid no one will like my ideas. I am worried I will look/sound stupid...)
Even after all that, I still am not sure which type I am. None of the descriptions fit well, and I guess at various times I have been "guilty" of parts of them all. So I'm just going to claim I was lazy about writing this blog. My intent was to write on Friday because we had the day off. Our university was closed in honor of Lincoln's Birthday. I found other things to do.
On Saturday I woke up feeling like I was getting sick. Out came the thermometer -- 97.3. But I still rested, napped, read a book, watched some tv, played with the dogs, etc. I just did not write.
Sunday I felt 100% better but I had to finish the book, groom a couple dogs, play with the puppies, do some laundry. The blog was low on the list and I did not get to it. Besides, it was Valentine's Day.
I don't even remember Monday and that was just yesterday. The university was closed again due to the extreme cold. There were no excuses. I just could not think of a way to start the blog. The below zero weather had also frozen my good intentions. I had photos all lined up, just nothing to say. But today, here I am, still with nothing to say but writing anyway. As I used to tell my students, "just start writing and see what comes out."
Here is a confession -- I am really, really procrastinating on one thing, my Joyslyn's website. It needs to be updated, a task I usually enjoy. However, a few months ago in a moment of not thinking well, I clicked "update" for my Mac OS. OMG, it updated alright, but the program I have used for years to create and update the website is not compatible with the updated OS. Damn!
I've thought of a workaround but my vast lack of tech skills and knowledge -- and lack of a computer with an OS that is compatible -- has me putting off the chore. (Quick test: Now which of those 5 categories is this excuse?)
As I was contemplating the "am I depressed" question, I thought about all the things I miss due to the virus. You probably have a similar list. Here is part of mine - in no particular order:1) Going to a movie.2) Browsing the stacks in our city library, looking for something new by a favorite author or hoping to find a new favorite author or a new audio book.3) Meeting with friends at a restaurant for a meal.4) Feeling carefree about traveling.5) Going to dog shows.6) Being able to go inside the vet's office to be there with my dogs.7) Feeling comfortable being with family, friends, and co-workers and not wondering who among them might have the virus.8) Going mask-less in public.9) Hugging, shaking hands.10) Going to dog training classes.11) Going to work and having the whole staff there in person. Seeing them on countless Zoom meetings just is not the same.
What About The Lhasas?At our house we have an almost 4 week old litter of 4. Here are the latest photos and their "our house" names. They are (in order of appearance below) Eddie, Gidget, Molly, and Titan (who is well deserving of that name!)
Our Emmy is growing up and is learning to share us with the new puppy, Rusty. There is about 2 months difference in their ages. Rusty is all drama and very vocal, but cute as can be. Emmy is a little lady, except when she isn't.
And here is the new boy, Rusty. Always curious about anything new, he solves the problem by barking at whatever it is!
And here is the latest photo of Archie, who is now 10 months old. Time really flies!
Notes and Photos from OthersWe'll start with the note and photos of Daisy from Jim, who wrote, "A couple of Daisy. I have been trying to let her enjoy the snow as we are moving to Florida next week. She is in for a change! But she is going to be loved by so many family members down there!"
I love these pictures. Look at the joy!
Theresa sent a note and photos of Rocco. "Just got home from the groomers. He is my joy, and I’m not alone. He pushes Kitty to the limit, and me too when he insists on starting the day at 6 AM. He likes to get up early, and won’t let me cat nap on the couch. He is so communicative, particularly about things that he wants. We love him very much. Oh, also, he loves to play ball in our back pasture. I hope you and your family are well."
Here is Emmy's brother, Tucker, wearing his new rain gear and not looking thrilled with it!
Another brother, Rudy. His owner, Terry, wrote, "Hi Joyce, My little Rudy is getting bigger, of course. My daughter took this as he just was scolded for getting after my older girl. He is always looking innocent! He is always the charmer & as cute as he can be. He is smart, house broke, well behaved...I need to clip him but I love his looks & black tips on his hair. I have trimmed his area between his beautiful eyes since the pictures so he looks like he has a home!..."
This is Betsy's girl, Willow, who knows exactly how to take it easy and stay warm in this cold weather.
From Paul about Joey: "Well Joey has decided that airplanes are much faster than a tractor. After being out flying all day he has a new way of taking a nap.Happy Valentine's Day. He is at 12 pounds."
Molly Anne wrote, "We are experiencing-5 d weather with bitter winds and snow. Luna quickly accepted the challenge of navigating in 10+” of snow. With no hesitation, she dove in; jumping, pouncing, tunneling and biting at it. Her rabbit coat is very warm, and with a healthy layer of Mushers Secret on her pads she did not suffer any ice balls. Actually, she seems to float rather than sink through the snow.
When the weather settles, a Cherrybrook delivery is due, so there is no point in giving her a bath until then. For the moment, she can just play in the snow, and (try to) chase flocks of brazen birds that invade her kingdom."
And here is Luna enjoying the snow!
Luna is the mom and grandma of many of our Lhasas. She is the dam of champions Bekka, Chance, and Gabby, and their brother Beethoven who is currently being shown. You have seen their photos in other posts. She is the grandma of our Millie and of the current litter of Bekka and Josh puppies.
That's it for today! Those of you who are also having a hard and really really cold winter, stay safe and warm. Those of you who are lucky enough to live where it is warm, send some of that sun our way, soon please!
Lhasa love to you all.
Joyce
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