Are people looking for a simpler life now?

[presley]

I feel like it's given me permission to do what brings me joy vs. what I feel obliged to do. I still have a lot of obligations, but I am going to go ahead and start scheduling my weeks with stuff that brings me joy and then add in work, schoolwork, chores, etc. I was putting myself last all the time before. It wouldn't take much to take away my personal exercise time or not be able to meet up with friends. I'm over all of that. Mondays, I normally spend a few hours on financial stuff: home, business, making sure my tithing is correct, etc. I'll still do all of that today, but I went ahead and scheduled taking a rescue dog out on a hike this morning. My dogs don't hike much anymore and I volunteer at a dog rescue (brings me lots of joy) and there's a dog there right now that I think would be a good hiking buddy for me. Thinking about that gives me energy. Prior to COVID19, I had a hiking group that met twice per month. Some of the people in that are asking me to start up again. When I think about it, my energy drops. While it's nice to go out with them, most only want to do a mile or 2 (and I do more than that every morning just walking my little dogs). It's not worth it to me to drive somewhere to walk/hike for an hour or less. It feels like a chore that is taking up my time. When I think about driving 30 minutes to pick up a dog and then hiking for a couple hours, I feel very excited about it. It doesn't feel like it's taking up my time even though it's going to take half a day.

 

[bbodb1]

@presley - kudos to you for your work with rescue dogs! Please tell me a bit about the puppy you think would make a good hiking partner!

 

[Ralph Sir Edward]

Simplicity is what you make it. There is no "one size fits all". The closest I can come to a generality is that simplicity starts when what you choose takes precedence over the demands of society around you (as long as you are not breaking the laws of the society). Things that you think matter, not what somebody else thinks matters.

 

[bbodb1]

Simplicity is what you make it. There is no "one size fits all". The closest I can come to a generality is that simplicity starts when what you choose takes precedence over the demands of society around you (as long as you are not breaking the laws of the society). Things that you think matter, not what somebody else thinks matters.

Hmmmm...simplicity.....or Nirvana?

 

[Ralph Sir Edward]

Hmmmm...simplicity.....or Nirvana?

I cannot say, Master. I have never experienced Nirvana. . .

 

[Ralph Sir Edward]

I can only speak for myself. I have sampled many choices. I have come to the conclusion that one cannot escape from the circle of Yin and Yang. One can only try to find the most comfortable seat for one's self on the Great Mandela. . .

Or in other words, it doesn't do one much good to climb to the mountain top, to get away from the idiots. Once you're there, the air is always cold, the food is sparse, the bed is usually uncomfortable, the doctor (which you will need sooner or later) is far away. And the occasional idiot will still climb up to bother you. . .

My answer is to still live in deepest, darkest, suburbia. I have now retired, and I am pitching out (now) useless items. The flowers bloom in the pots, the berries ripen, and are eaten; the books are plentiful, as are the music, and stored video entertainment. I pay somebody else to mow the grass (and have been for 2 decades).

Good mail delivery, good healthcare nearby, good grocery choices. Until COVID-19, timeshares to avoid the coldest part of the winter. . . .

And to keep the ol' brainbox ticking, I'm reading about a particle physicist, who has lost faith in particle physics. Plus, I am comtemplating doing research in microscopy. . . .

One size truly doesn't fit all. . . .

 

[presley]

@presley - kudos to you for your work with rescue dogs! Please tell me a bit about the puppy you think would make a good hiking partner!

Mitzi is a 10 year old lab mix. She's extremely social, but also an escape artist. She was adopted out recently and escaped out of the front yard. 3 people who work at the rescue and Mitzi's former foster mom all went to look for her near her home which was about 90 miles away. They did find her in a parking lot. There's a rule that we have to initial when we sign a contract to take a dog - we cannot leave a dog alone in the yard when we're not there. Thus, Mitzi was brought back to the rescue.

When I was giving tours of the facility last weekend, Mitzi was one of the best dogs as far as turning on the charm when I was introducing her to new people. We went on a group hike on Sunday (over 30 volunteers and dogs) and she looked like the ideal partner for me. Since it's a senior dog rescue, most dogs are very slow. She has lots of energy and can go very far without pulling or being obnoxious.

When I picked her up yesterday, she was terrified of getting into my car. I almost decided to take another dog, but the founder of the rescue just picked her up and put her in and said that she's skittish. She was great in the car and the ideal hiking partner that I expected her to be. She was okay with getting back into my car afterwards and she gave lots of kisses, so I think she knows I'm not a creeper after all.If you ever travel to the San Diego area and want to see the senior dog rescue, it's called Frosted Faces Foundation in Ramona, CA.They have open house on Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 - 1:00. If you visit on a Saturday, you might get me for your tour. In the month of May, they put over 100 senior shelter dogs into homes for fosters/adoptions. Those were all dogs that shelters didn't expect to get adopted.