A Long-Winded Thursday Post

I apologize for the inconsistent scheduling of posts and all that chaotic jazz on our blog as of late. I was excited when September rolled around, because that marked what should be a sort of quiet period at my full-time job, so I thought I'd have ample spare time to get back to all of my hobbies, like scribbling up more doodles for our blog, commenting more on all of your amazing blogs, writing, reading, all that jazz. Then, as soon as supposed-to-be-calm September rolled around, a couple of unexpected events happened. Since you all are my friends and I honestly tell you more than I tell a lot of people in my real life, and since sometimes typing things out helps me cope, I'll try to briefly explain the excitement in my life at the end of this post, for anyone who is interested. And when I say "excitement", please note my sarcasm. First, though, how about a cute kitty?

And how about that cute kitty in the middle of a belly roll?

Today is of course Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop. During the crazy times in life, I am so very grateful for all of my furbabies, like the adorable Thimble you see there. I honestly don't know what I'd do without them.

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Now, finally, let's share the fill-in statements for tomorrow's Friendly Fill-Ins challenge. My co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two fill-in statements, and I came up with the second two.

1. So far this year, I have accomplished _________.

2. My plans for October include _________ and _________.

3. _________ maybe difficult, but it's worth it.

4. I don't think I'll ever master _________.

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Given what's been going recently, I haven't had much time this week to write a poem for Angel Sammy's Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge. I also realized that, after postponing last week's poem because of Remember Me Thursday, I then never shared it at all. Perhaps that's because I forgot to scan the poem's illustration, even though it's all done and ready to go. So, what I've decided to do is share last week's poem this Saturday, and this week's poem this Sunday. Then, I intend to get back to the fun of actually completing my poems and illustrations on time as I used to. I enjoy this kind of thing, and so I want it to go back to being something I do every week.

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Flashback Doodles of the Day

Tomorrow is the first day of October! My favorite month and season of the year is finally nigh. On September 30, 2018, I shared this doodle:

And then on October 1, 2018, I shared this:

I did a similar sort of thing in 2019, but with these two doodles:

I've already started scribbling up and sharing Halloween-ish doodles this year, even though it's only September. I just can't help myself when it comes to the spooky season.

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Now, if anyone is curious about why our blog and presence in the community has been so erratic lately, I'll type it out for you now. I'm generally a pretty private person, but for some reason here on this blog and with all of you internet friends of ours, I feel it really helpful and cathartic to sometimes express what I'm going through. Maybe this is just because writing in general has always been how I best express myself and cope with things. So, where have I been and what have I been doing?

First and somehow least exciting, one of my co-workers put in his two weeks' notice earlier this month. I wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors, because he's moving to a new state and has some exciting things ahead for him. But, since we're already working with a skeleton crew at my workplace, that being a chemistry lab, it was admittedly a bit alarming to learn that he's leaving. And an employment place told us that with the kind of scientific position we're trying to fill, we might be waiting up to six months or more before someone comes along to fill it. Patience is a virtue, as they say. And I've been testing out this virtue all September as my workplace tries to function with one less very vital person. Some days I'm at work pretty late trying to keep up, and then that makes hobbies like blogging get put on the backburner. I plan to remedy this asap, though, because what's life without your favorite things?

Second, does anyone remember my neighbor I mentioned in last Friday's post? You know, the one who wants to put up a new fence, which in general I have absolutely zero problem with, but instead of finding the property line or making sure to put it well on her property, she wanted to tear down the fence that was attached to my gate and put her fence there? Even though that current fence is probably on my property and her new, even bigger fence would essentially be on top of the sidewalk that leads into my back yard? And this neighbor also wants me to move my backyard shed, because apparently the fencers she wants to hire said they can't maneuver around it since, you know, they'd likely be putting her fence in my yard? All that said, my neighbor was told by the city that she needs to find the property line not only before putting up a fence where she's intending, but also before tearing down a fence that might either be shared between us or on my property. But, she went ahead and tore down that fence anyway. I bought a house with a fully fenced-in yard, in no small part because I have this giant dog named Astrid who kind of likes having a yard to safely enjoy, but I came home from work the other day and part of the fence was just gone. So, I had to go out and buy wire fencing and metal posts because I'm not okay with suddenly not having a yard for Astrid. My city does not require you to find the property line when putting up a fence if you make sure to put it well onto your property, and so I did that. I also did that so that my neighbor won't think I'm trying to infringe on her. I honestly just want to keep my dog safely in my yard. Don't worry, though, because my neighbor thinks I'm infringing anyway, and she doesn't like that the new fence in my yard could get in the way of fencers putting up her fence, much like my shed would. Since, you know, she wants her fence installed on top of my yard's sidewalk. Friends, is this normal behavior in human adults? I don't get out much and might very well be what you call antisocial, or maybe just asocial, but I'm pretty sure this isn't normal. Maybe I'm wrong, though? I am still in contact with the city regarding all of this, and luckily our zoning administrator has been incredibly helpful.

Long story short, September has not only been a month with an unexpectedly busy workplace, but it has also been a month with a property line dispute I never thought I'd have, because I've really never had issues with any neighbors before. The silver lining is that I now know how to install a simple albeit sturdy metal wire fence. Both of my parents grew up in rural areas where apparently putting up a fence is a required skill, so they were majorly helpful in getting this fence set up for Astrid. My mom and dad weren't about to let their beloved granddog go without her beloved fenced-in yard.

All that said, things seem to be quieting down a bit. I think. Either way, I've been rearranging some things in my daily schedule to make sure I can get back to fitting in my favorite hobbies of doodling, blogging, writing, and all that good stuff. I'm pretty sure I've said this before, but I'm one of those people who refuses to live to work. I will work to live, but I won't ever let my full-time job, or other similar aspects of life, make me lose the things that bring me joy. That's not the life I ever want to live. This weekend, I'm already planning on sitting down and scribbling up a ton of new Halloween doodles. I honestly can't wait.

I should probably stop typing out this tome now.

See you tomorrow, friends!

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Tip of the Day

The last of our Animal Pain Awareness Month tips involves ways that you can help enable a pained furbaby be more mobile and comfortable around the home. If your furbaby has difficulty jumping due to an injury or arthritis, for example, you can put pet stairs or a pet ramp beside chairs, couches, or beds in the home. This can help your kitty or pup better reach elevated areas without having to jump, which could otherwise exacerbate pain associated with an injury or arthritis. For a cat, another way to help them combat pain and discomfort is to give them litter boxes with low sides, so that they can easily walk right in. Or, you can also give them a ramp or stairs leading up to the entrance of the litter box, if needed. If it helps reduce pain associated with certain injuries, arthritis, or other ailments, you can also elevate your kitty or pup's food and water bowls.

Another simple way to help a pained furbaby feel some relief and comfort is by way of their beds and blankets. You can offer extra soft and thick beds, and in easy to reach locations. Some forms of pain are also alleviated by heat, which means that safe, pet-friendly heated blankets or heated beds could also be of use. Of course, you would need to take all necessary safety precautions when using any heated or electric products.

In more extreme cases, your furbaby might be in need of direct assistance with their mobility. If need be, you can use various forms of slings to help your kitty or pup ambulate. You can use a towel or blanket to create a makeshift sling, for example. Another option is to purchase a sling, or a harness with handles, which are indeed available on the market.

It is not easy to see our furbabies in pain. At the same time, it is not easy for them to feel such pain. That's why it is important to do what you can to alleviate your kitty or pup's pain, even if that means a bit of redecorating within your home.