pause

(Millie, trying hard to use up the entire bed; she has quite the stretch!)

 

Another pretty August day!

However. When you have a close friend who is not feeling well, you put on hold thoughts about good weather, rose garden ideas, lovely moments of peace on a beautiful morning, outside. Oh, you still have breakfast. Outside in fact. With roses in a cup and roses in a pot.

 

 

 

 

 

But your mind is on logistics -- how to help here, how to deal with that, what's a good path forward under the circumstances. This is very different from yesterday's problem solving, where there were obvious solutions with strategies on how to achieve them. Change the drain pipe, build a swale. When a friend has taken a sharp turn for the worse, solutions aren't necessarily your primary concern. Finding good professionals, doctors, whatever -- yes there is that. They'll take care of the medical aspects of the situation. You have to figure out what your role can be outside of treatment. You'll tell me -- be supportive! Easy to say, right? Exactly how -- this is something you have to figure out, one day at a time. Making mistakes along the way.

I have many very long conversations on the phone today, consulting about all this. 

 

I booked a half day for Millie at Happy Dogz. Yesterday, the groomer said she was extremely playful with the other doodle who was there for a trim. She told me that this seems to be in the nature of all doodles. I would certainly agree that Millie's defining characteristic is that she wants to play. No, this does not mean she needs a playmate pup at home. Home is her place to pause and regroup, and attend to other things in life -- rest, eat, learn, cuddle. But she is a social creature and she is extremely active. A half day with her friends is a far better option than a quick trip to the dog park. It's worth the drive, right Millie?

 

 

 

In the meantime, I have work to do. Outside, inside and of course, there is all the stuff going on with my friend. Millie plays with Adie and Oliver (her two best friends at day care), I attend.

 

In the evening Ed comes over with fresh corn from Stoneman's Farm. That's a good thing -- I'm low on groceries, low on cooking enthusiasm, low on supper ideas. Corn, nuts, a salad. Good enough! 

with so much love...