Today is the day after Christmas, the weather outside is chilly and dreary. My home is filled with warmth and love but some days it is just really hard to find something that makes you happy. I find during the nasty weather that most things just annoy me or set me on edge. I also find myself worrying over things I have no control over or cannot change, at least not right at this moment change.
I try to find things to keep my mind and my hands busy. I got in my new Burpee catalog in the mail today. Going through it reminds me that spring is just around the corner so I begin my seeds for the coming garden. I spoke with 2 of my girls about the bad weather and began to make plans for the coming weekend, if the weather lifts and we can actually safely get out.
I live in TN which is not known for its bad weather or capable drivers on bad roads. Most folks around here make a mad dash for the grocery store if the weather man even mentions rain or snow or sleet. It is frightfully cold and I worry about our animals outside the ones I cannot bring in because if I did it would a Noah's ark in my home. We already have all of the dogs and the cat inside and that is stressful enough. So I do what I can to ensure that everyone is warm and safe and has extra bedding and food to try and stay as warm as possible during this hopefully short lived cold snap.
I have the cat and the dogs inside so they won't suffer from the cold or possibly get frostbite, but then I find myself stressing over the animals I know are still outside both here and in others homes. I know that many people including myself have not given much thought to having animals out of doors during bad weather in past years but since I have allowed mine into my home they have become family members and not just yard ornaments. We always had dogs growing up and we never thought twice about leaving them outside during bad weather. But I was raised in a very different generation than the society I now live in.
All of our animals now are cared for to the best of my abilities. They are ensured regular vet visits and the highest quality food we can afford. They are given holiday gifts at Christmas time and they often sleep in our bed or roam freely through our home at any given time. I tell people this is their house I just pay the bills.
During cold dreary days I also have entirely to much time to think. I am stuck inside and cannot do anything outside without bundling up like an Eskimo and I am not fond of bundling up. I am so not a cold weather person. Am not sure if that is because I am getting older and every rain drop and every snow flurry I feel down in my bones or if that is just something I lack patience with. I often dream of moving to a tropical island that there is no such thing as snow on. But then I realize I would miss the turning of the leaves and the budding of the flowers in the spring and resign myself to dealing with an occasional day of bad weather and cold and sleet or snow.
I try to find happiness in watching my dogs play and learn from them. They do not care if it is 102 outside or 32 outside they are just happy to be alive. Playing with exuberance with other pack members even if only earlier they may have been disagreeing over who is going to lay where. They live in the moment and take joy where they can find it. Be that in a chewie or a bowl of special food, or even in the pure joy of the company of others. Sometimes those are life lessons we could all be better by in remembering.
With the nasty weather and the dreary day don't have much to share today, just wanted to flex those writing muscles and try to remember my blessings and find something that makes me happy. Time to go do some cooking and make the house smell more of fresh bread than wet dog. Hope all are staying safe during this last of 2012 and hope that all are enjoying the last of the holiday season.
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