#bailey – Tattoos, Motorcycles, Beer, Bourbon and Faith

Miracles, Gratitude and Life During the Pandemic

I have taken the shelter in place/stay at home order pretty seriously since it was instituted in mid-March. I have to; I am now considered to be in one of those high-risk groups since I was diagnosed with and treated for breast cancer.

I will admit, I was not too excited when the schools closed, then the restaurants were ordered to serve take-out only, then the hair salons were shut down along with all other businesses that are considered non-essential. T.J Maxx is one of my favorite places to which to escape and engage in a little retail therapy. I thought it was a bit ridiculous, too precautious, a little bit over the top. In my opinion, it was overkill. But as things progressed and the coronavirus continued to spread rapidly, I began to understand, heed the warnings, and take the recommended precautions.

I have been working from home since Monday March 16^th. That was my last official day in the office. That was day I transferred my office at the high school to the dining room table in my home. It was also the same evening that we adopted a fourth dog – Bailey, a Staffordshire terrier puppy (we think) who was about 3 months old when we brought her home. My husband and I figured, since we both would be working from home for the next month, this would be the perfect time to add a new puppy to our pack.

That first week of the shelter in place order, I kind of took it seriously. I stayed home more, but still went to the store often, went into the office to pick up mail, etc. and even stopped to see my mom and show her my new puppy. Then there was a confirmed case in our county and things got real. I made it a point to stay home and avoid unnecessary contact with people. I began planning weekly meals so I could limit my grocery shopping to only once a week (or longer when possible). I began ordering more products on-line, including items for our pets and general necessities like laundry detergent and paper towels. The stay at home order took on a whole new meaning.

Staying healthy has become a bit of an obsession for me. I am preparing nutrient rich, vegetable heavy dinners, working out daily, and walking the dogs approximately 5 miles every day. While I hope I do not appear rude during those walks, I have been very conscious of social distancing and will not get close to my neighbors when we do have conversations. And I try to limit any face to face social discourse. I nearly had a panic attack when a neighbor walked into our yard to comment on the fence project my husband and son took on during the pandemic. He was just a little too close for me.

Greek chicken and roasted spring vegetables

I have rescheduled all doctor’s appointments and avoid the grocery store when I anticipate that it will be busy. I have taken advantage of the special shopping hours available for the elderly and those who are a higher risk. I never thought that would be the case, but it is. And if at any time I begin to feel even remotely ill, I tackle it head on. That usually means, hot tea, a good stiff shot, extra vitamin C, and more rest.

Overall, as a family, I think we have adjusted well to life during the pandemic. As I mentioned before, I am appreciating this slower pace, more time with family, the opportunities to connect with friends, the meaningful conversations, the chance to declutter a bit in all aspects of our lives.

But today, today was the first day that I ventured out of the house and into the school in nearly four weeks. While I have been successfully working from home, there were a few things that I just could not accomplish remotely. I went in after virtual morning mass and arrived just before 9am. When I arrived, I found our Assistant Principal at work in her office. It was a bit surreal to be in the building on a weekday, during the school year, without any teachers or staff present. Actually, it was downright weird. We exchanged some pleasantries, from an acceptable social distance, then I set off to handle the tasks that I come in to complete.

It took about 2 hours to get my work done. About 1 hour into it, I took a break and walked down to the chapel. The door was open, the chancel candle was lit, the Missal was opened on the altar, and the lectionary was on the pulpit. Everything was in order as if we would be celebrating mass together that very day. But we were not. I went in and sat down. I had begun praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet with our chaplain and campus minister on Instagram, but when I got to the chapel, I lost the connection. So, I just sat in the chapel quietly with God for a while, said a silent prayer, then returned to my office to complete the tasks at hand.

Before I finished at the school, I spoke with our accounting clerk who came in to handle some financial matters. Our offices are adjacent, and she is kind enough to drop off materials weekly at my house that I need to do my job. Once I finished at the school, I left for the post office then I would return to my office at the dining room table to make some phone calls and send some emails.

When I left the post office, I had this incredible urge to stop at Holy Family Church, my home parish. I had not been in the church since the weekend before the stay at home order was executed. It felt good to be back. I was completely alone in the church, well just me and God. (While there are no public services, the Catholic Churches are still open to provide places of prayer and reflection for the faithful.)

Now, I must admit, I did have an ulterior motive for stopping. Our parish often has “The Word Among Us” publications available for the parishioners. I has hoping to pick up a copy as I like to follow along with the readings and Gospel during daily mass. I also enjoy the daily reflections and stories. The last publication ran through Easter Sunday. I walked in and checked the table where Monsignor normally places the booklets, but there were none there. I was not sure if there would be any booklets because of the strangeness of these times. I proceeded into the church, sat down, and read the daily reflections in the Laudate app on my phone and prayed for a while.

I got up to leave, grateful for that time in church. I did not realize just how much I missed it until I walked through the doors. As I was walking out, there on the very table that I had checked when I came in was one copy of the new “The Word Among Us”! Yes, it was a miracle. Yes, it was something that I needed, and God knew it. Yes, it was amazing. Yes, it took my breath away. As I picked it up, I thanked God for my little journey out into the real world today. I thanked Him for the work that I had to do, the tasks that I needed to complete at the school. I thanked Him for the few interactions that I had with coworkers and that time of quiet in the chapel. I thanked Him for my parish, my priests (all of them), and for that booklet that just appeared. I thanked Him for all of the blessings in my life, especially the ones that I never really noticed until I was forced to slow down, stay indoors, and shelter in place.

So today, be grateful for all the blessings, all of the little miracles, and remember to thank God. He really is there. And while you can never surprise Him, He just might surprise you when you least expect it. Please pray for me and I will continue to pray for you.

Walking the Dog(s)

If you spend enough time with anyone, you can learn lot about them. The same is true with your pets. As you already know, I have been spending a lot of time with my dogs. Because of the COVID-19 epidemic, I spend most of my time with my dogs these days.

Yes, my family and I are sheltered in place. But my son, while a full-time college student, is also an essential employee with his job at the local hardware store. So he goes to work and he has been working a lot. When he is not at work, he is doing his on-line class work since the schools are effectively closed down for the year.

My husband and I are both working remotely. He is a teacher and I am an advancement professional. While we see each other throughout the day, we are typically involved with work or other projects. We are not spending all day, everyday together. But the dogs and I are together – almost the entire day. I am learning more about them, their personalities, their moods, their likes and dislikes, their schedule, etc.

We go for daily walks. In fact, we typically take our “lunch” hour going for our afternoon walk. Eve and Charlie get the first walk. It is normally a little bit longer because they both enjoy the walk and can handle it. We typically do about 2.5 miles. Ruby and Bailey get the second walk. This one is a bit shorter because Ruby does not appreciate the vigorous walk that counterparts do, and well, Bailey is still very much a puppy at 4 months old. Their walk is approximately 1.5 miles. Lately, I have started taking Bailey and Charlie on an evening walk after dinner. They are the youngest and seem to have the most energy, so I think that evening walk has been beneficial for both of them.

I am learning quite a bit about my dogs during these walks. The way they react to the prospect of the walk, their demeanor while walking, their attention to their surroundings, the pace of the walk, etc.

Eve, our oldest dog at 6 ½ years, loves her walks. We affectionately call her “Go Dog” because she simply will not stop. As soon as I get her collar and leash, she gets excited. And when I say excited, think puppy excited, to the point that she will sometimes bark, giving me a WooWooWoo. She is a bit of spaz about it. She prefers a quicker pace and would walk until she drops. However, she is easily distracted by other dogs she encounters on our walks and regaining her attention can be a challenge.

Ruby, our second oldest dog is 3 ½ years old. I truly believe she only goes on walks because she is afraid she might be missing out on something. Therefore, we call her “Me Too”. She is not really all that excited about the prospect of the walk. She prefers that the walks be shorter, and she really just can’t wait to get back home so she can lie in sun or look out the window. Ruby’s pace is all over the place from a very slow gait at the beginning of our walk, to a faster pace as we approach the end. I swear she knows it’s almost over and just wants to be done with all of it. She is strong-willed yet easily distracted especially by noises and other dogs. She will let you know where she wants to go, which is usually home.

Bailey, our nearly 4 month old puppy, is still learning the finer points of the walk. While she loves the walk, I think she loves the exploring (her name at the rescue was Dora – The Explorer for good reason), she was not initially fond of having to get her collar on. But now she handles that like a champ. She prances when we walk and sometimes takes to little running bursts. That must be the exuberance of her youth. But being a puppy, she is easily distracted by sounds, sights, smells, basically everything. She tries to stop frequently to smell something or look at something but is soon pulled along by her canine sibling.

Charlie, our 7 month old, is our only male dog. He loves his walks. My husband even says he walks best on the leash and that’s saying something. You see, Charlie is truly my dog which you would know if you read my blog Love at First Sight. I think all the boys in my house might be a little jealous of Charlie. But Charlie’s whole focus is the walk. That is all he wants. He is great about getting his collar on and waits patiently for me hook on the leash. He is not much concerned with other dogs he might encounter, he couldn’t careless about people, and while he is constantly sniffing the air, he never stops once to investigate a scent. He just walks at the perfect pace, right next to me and looks up lovingly at me, like each moment of that walk is the best moment of his life.

Yes, I was reflecting on all of this while I was walking the dogs today, when Eve, Charlie and I snuck out in between rain showers and when Ruby, Bailey and I got caught in a spring shower on the way home. I truly believe each dog gets something different out of the walk because of the way they approach it, enter into it and experience it.

As I was walking Charlie and Bailey this evening, I realized that our prayer life and our relationship with God is the same. We each experience something different in our prayer lives and from our relationship with God based on how we approach it, how we enter into it, and how we experience it. And it can be different every single day.

If I enter into prayer preoccupied with or worried about other things, my relationship with God suffers. Much like Eve’s walk suffers when she encounters and becomes anxious about other dogs, her walk is not as fulfilling because she is preoccupied by that dog. If I feel hurried or rushed during prayer, just trying to get through it; again, I suffer because I am not getting the most out of that time with God. Like Ruby rushing to get through the walk just to get home. She is missing out on the joy of the actual walk just like I am missing out on the joy of spending time with God. If I am distracted by things that I need to do, errands that I need to run or chores that I need handle, then my prayer life suffers. Like Bailey, who although young, is missing out on the joy of the walk because of all of the distractions around her, vying for her attention that she just can’t seem to block out. But when we enter into prayer with focus, with our relationship with God at the center, we can get the most out of that time. Like Charlie, who is not concerned with everything else going on around him; whose only focus is that walk. He is getting the most out of each and every step.

So today, let us not worry or be preoccupied with other thoughts, let us not rush or be hurried, let us not be distracted. Today let us turn our entire focus on God, for just ten minutes, and see how much more we get out of that time of prayer and our relationship with God. Please pray for me and I will continue to pray for you.

Lessons from Dogs

I have been reading the book The Fifth Mountain, by Paul Coelho. There is a lot of wisdom packed into this book. A passage that I read last night struck me: “A child can always teach an adult three things: to be happy for no reason, to always be busy with something, and to know how to demand with all his might that which he desires.” I read it before bed and pondered it as I fell asleep. Each time I woke in the middle of the night, I contemplated it even more.

Now some people might not fully understand this or appreciate this, but I am a dog person. Full blown dog person. We have rescued 4 dogs in the past six years, two of those dogs in the past 3 months. I have a t-shirt that reads “Dog Mom” (although I also have a 30-year-old son and an 18-year-old son). I have a mug that reads “I love dogs. It’s people that annoy me.” And I spend most of my free time with my pack. The two youngest dogs (Charlie and Bailey) sleep with my husband and me every night. I let them lick my face and crawl in my lap. Even Ruby, our largest dog at 55lbs, thinks she is lap dog. I will even share my beverages with them. I would rather drink after my dog than drink after another person (my husband and sons are the exception). They can get me muddy and I love to wrestle and cuddle them. When they get sick, I don’t become nearly a queasy (but I still don’t handle it all that well) as I do when a human in my house has the same problem. Therefore, I relate most things to my dogs and not to people.

When I read that passage, I immediately thought of my dogs. I know most people would reflect on children, not me. I’m not great with kids, nor do I really relate to them even though I have experience in raising them and being around them. But dogs – my dogs – have taught me the same things, especially in these uncertain times.

The events of the past few weeks have not phased them. They have adjusted quite well to the new normal of having humans with them all the time. They have found joy in spending time with their people, going for more walks than normal, getting bathed more frequently (thanks to the torrential rains and resulting mud we have experienced this past week), watching movies (I thought the dogs needed to see Bolt), and just generally living their best lives. They are the epitome of happiness. I am pretty sure the shelter in place order is their idea of paradise. They love their people, love being with their people, never tire of their people, and are just generally appreciative of spending time with their people, no mater the situation. Right there is a huge lesson we can learn from dogs – Appreciate the people in your lives.

My dogs are always busy with something, even if its sleeping. They pack a lot into their days and help us pack a lot into ours as we all learn to navigate this new normal. The daily walks not only keep them busy and active, but also help us fill in our time and get some exercise and fresh air. They get us outside to play ball in the yard. When indoors they wrestle, play tug of war, and even keep the cats on their toes by playing with them (a combination of wrestling, tag and hide and seek). They spend hours chewing, working on deer antlers or Nyla-bones. But best of all, they know when their people need them. When we need a break from the stress that inevitably sneaks into our days because of the strangeness that COVID-19 has brought into our lives; they nudge us for an ear rub, lay on our feet, lick our faces, or put their paws into our laps letting us know that everything will be ok – eventually.

Lastly, the dogs make no bones about (no pun intended) letting us know exactly what they want or need. They each tell us when they need to go out. Eve (our oldest dog) has an internal alarm that lets her know when it is dinner time and when its time for her bed to made up for the evening (that’s another story). She proceeds to announce those times to our household daily. Ruby will let us know when she doesn’t have to go out and when she just wants to sleep. And she snores like a drunken sailor. She will reluctantly join the pack in regular outings only because she knows eventually, she will be forced to. Charlie tells us when he wants to play fetch and tug of war by bringing us toys. He’s like a little energizer bunny. Bailey lets us know when she needs some cuddles by putting her paws on your leg until you pick her up. If you are standing up, she will sit between your feet until she has your attention. And if we haven’t given them enough attention or spent enough time with them, they let us know by singing the song of their people or by just generally being persistent with nudges, playful growls, and happy barks. When all else fails, they climb – uninvited – into our laps.

I can’t help but think that maybe this is what God is doing right now. Trying to get our attention. Trying to get us to slow down and return our focus to Him. Trying to get us to re-order our priorities. Many people have kicked Him out, haven’t made room or time for Him. I think maybe He is trying desperately to get back into our lives.

As odd as it sounds, there have been so many blessings in the midst of this chaos. While I cannot attend daily mass like I normally would, I have been attending virtually with Fr. Michael Gossett. He has celebrated mass everyday for the students, parents, faculty and staff of the Steubenville Catholic Schools (and anyone who wishes to attend). That is a blessing in and of itself. The bigger blessing is that my husband has been participating with me. I have actually gotten to spend time with my 18-year-old son. We have had dinner together nightly as a family. We have also had movie night and a family Atari tournament. We are talking more, reading more, praying more. We are checking in more often on family and friends, and we are spending less time on the superficial meaningless things that have filled our lives. Those are real, tangible blessings.

Spicy Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps for dinner

So today, lets learn from dogs how to be happy and how to stay busy within in all the turmoil. And especially today, let’s give God the praise and the attention that He deserves. Look for the blessings buried within the chaos and the confusion. I promise you; they are there, and they are abundant. Please continue to pray for all of those on the frontlines and in the trenches as we continue to battle the coronavirus pandemic as a community. And please pray for me and I will continue to pray for you.