Monday, December 25, 2023

Merry, merry! Wishing you all an exciting gift-opening morning and a pleasant rest of the day enjoying your findings.

Here in Central Oregon, this Christmas Day will be balmy. A wonderful thing is that today represents a shift toward longer daylights.

Right now, big gifts for me are seeing my donkey, Pimmy, in less pain after several days of receiving painkillers and knowing the meds are working. She still limps but gets around better and now rests her pained hoof flat instead of keeping it tipped up.

I dislike that painkilling medication; it’s effective but has unwanted side effects. Pimmy needs its help until a veterinary evaluation pinpoints the source of her pain and offers ways to help.

More gifts that occur are greetings exchanged with friends, and in so many ways–hugs, cards, texts, and phone calls. My younger self considered such exchanges mundane, but today, our lives are more compartmentalized, and greetings seem more meaningful.

Dear Friends: Have a wonderful time through this Christmas Day. Diana

Sunday, December 24, 2023

Happy Christmas Eve!

Finally, at last, it’s here. Coming next are the bills. I’ve left all my earned money from working part-time there at the store.

Last spring, I was starting to dress and attend the wedding of my friend, Enrique, when I couldn’t find absolutely anything wearable for a special occasion. While carefully considering this, I understood that I was clueless about appropriate special clothing to shop for.

The problem is/was, I’m a horseperson.

Most horsepeople don’t shop. We spend our time outside–in the cold, rain, and/or snow; and otherwise, out sweating in the summer heat. We wear the oldest clothes, often with holes, and wear boots comfortable, with soles worn and caked with you-know-what. We fall in exhausted at bedtime, and maybe still wearing the rags with holes we were in all day.

That’s the long and short of things–we’re busy, too preoccupied to go shopping for non-necessities. And, too, our social gatherings are beyond casual; we wear (clean) rags with holes. Our gatherings are not to judge but to swap stories, collaborate, and support one another.

After my aha moments of searching for something wearable for a special occasion, I began pushing myself toward working in retail sales, particularly clothing. I wished to learn about the world of contemporary fashion and maybe update my wardrobe.

I have learned and updated. So, my earned money stays where I earned it. I’m also relearning how to use a needle and thread. And I have knocked the dust off a long-disused sewing machine.

Tomorrow, I am planning to enjoy a Christmas dinner with my horsey friends. We will be dressed casually (and this time maybe minus clothing holes). As an aside, I feel pretty good knowing that if an occasion calls more for formality, I’m ready.

Dear Friends: This is my story of achieving a full-circle success this year. Diana

Saturday, December 23, 2023

This photo of me holding up a schedule gone amuck has gone viral in the company for which I work. Exactly as I punched the print button to get my weekly schedule, the printer went into malfunction. I desperately fiddled with the printer and couldn’t stop it. Meanwhile, those short pieces continued rolling out.

I radioed the store’s manager for assistance hoping she’d not find me guilty of mishandling the electronics. She arrived, glanced at the printed mass and that ongoing spitting out, and she laughed, couldn’t stop. I didn’t know why she wanted a photo and learned later that she had sent it to everyone.

The next day, I understood. Her photo had caused laughter throughout the organization. In other words, it had created a little “Christmas Cheer Among the Weary.”

I will be working all day today, but neither tomorrow nor Christmas Day. On Tuesday, when next I work, lines of customers will be wanting to return items. On that day and those following, I will be processing many, many returns.

Dear Friends: Have a wonderful day. Diana

Friday, December 22, 2023

On today’s date, two years ago, this header photo captured our local weather. This year’s winter, in comparison, has been balmy. The seasonal balm is welcome but worrisome because this is high desert territory. Its reservoirs annually need refills from abundant snow and rain to support the ever-growing population.

Through a relatively dry winter like this one, we with livestock worry about next spring’s hay crop. Unless hay is abundant, finding available bales becomes challenging and costly. Several recent relatively dry local winters have made it difficult to find and afford hay. As the financial stress of supporting large animals grows from shortages of hay and of property availability and affordability, one wonders how much longer we can manage to keep large-animal pets.

Yesterday morning, my donkey, Pimmy, received a full dose of painkiller. Nonetheless, she limped throughout the day but did have more appetite. Today’s plan has changed, as Kate’s veterinary team postponed its visit to her Equine Rescue. So, this morning, Pimmy needn’t be loaded and trailered for examination and treatment.

Meanwhile, Pimmy will receive daily doses of the painkiller and hopefully soon feel less or no pain.

I will have today off unless called in, and tomorrow will work through the day.

Dear Friends: Practicalities aside, the warmish winter feels wonderful to me! Diana

Thursday, December 21, 2023

Today, I will medicate my donkey, Pimmy by using a syringe. There’s no other choice in order to ease her foot pain. Pimmy’s appetite has fallen, and she’s not consuming enough painkilling powder by mouth. Our past experience with medicating by syringe has made my sweet donkey wary and intent on avoiding my nearness.

I will capture and medicate by getting her into the barn without a chance of escaping. She will follow the hungry horses inside this morning and I will do my thing. Later, I’ll come home from work at lunchtime, feed the horses, and see if Pimmy appears less painful. If the medication works and tomorrow makes her loadable, she’ll be transported to Kate’s for a vet visit. There, Pimmy will be radiographed, re-diagnosed, and receive meds.

Pimmy will be home, in an optimal solution, with ways to counter and control her lameness. Kate loves Pimmy and is a super resource for information, support, and backup. Happily, too, Kate’s equine rescue organization is not far from my place.

Our friend, Julie, will help load and transport Pimmy tomorrow morning.

Dear Friends: In this worrisome period, my donkey and I have a village! Diana

Wednesday, December 20, 2023

Yesterday, my donkey, Pimmy, ate most of her painkiller-laced breakfast. At lunchtime, when I came home to feed the horses, Pimmy still moved pitifully. By evening, she was waiting for me at the gate with her painful hoof fully resting on the ground. A good sign, because that hoof previously has been held lifted. Still, however, she walked with a limp and maybe appearing less awful.

Today, more of the same. She’ll have breakfast in the barn, some sort of deliciousness laced with a painkiller. My weirdo donkey! She might or might not eat. Fingers crossed.

While at work, sometimes I’m asked to stay longer because of employees calling in. I’m willing as the store’s super busy, and I like the place. Besides, my work ethic won’t let me refuse. However, there’s a balancing act between working away from home and horse-keeping. The horses need feeding several times daily, and fortunately, mine have decent weights. If that changes, I’ll stop working away from home.

Dear Friends: Thanks to all who have fingers crossed for sweet Pimmy. Diana

Tuesday, December 19, 2023

Here I am again, trying to medicate my donkey, Pimmy. She’s limping, and that’s forcing me to get her into a pain-free condition. Last night, I followed her around, trying to interest her in a bowl of delicious something laced with a powdered painkiller. To no avail; she wouldn’t let me near her.

Yesterday, Kate Beardsley took some x-ray photocopies of Pimmy’s pained hoof to an equine vet, who wondered if Pimmy’s pain isn’t from her coffin (hoof) bone but a leg joint. That vet will be at Kate’s on Friday. I hope to load and take Pimmy there for an exam and for more x-rays.

This coming Friday, there won’t be any “loading Pimmy,” unless her hoof supports enough so that she simply can “pop” (as usual) into my horse trailer.

I will end this now to go outside. I’ll put the horses, and Pimmy, into the barn. There, I can capture the donkey. If necessary, a syringe will introduce the painkiller into her system. I hope first for Pimmy to eat what I offer. That would let us avoid the syringe. However it can be done, Pimmy must be free from pain.

Dear Friends: I’m hoping we can get Pimmy more well, and keep her on all fours. Diana

Monday, December 18, 2023

This week, we’ll all do our part for the economy by shopping online, in person, or both ways. Thankfully, the runup to Christmas ends soon, but renewed activity starts right after Christmas as gift returns. That will carry us into January’s mega-gloom–sorting and paying our run-up dues.

All this exhausting year, we’ve been adjusting to post-Covid conditions, coping with an ever-confusing world economy, and trying to absorb the now-occurring wars between nations. Let us include trying to absorb AI’s implications, America’s strange political landscape, and threats of nuclear activity by some brain-twisted leaders (e.g., N. Korea).

Despite some feelings of non-optimism, I intend to create some New Year’s Resolutions that are optimistically upbeat and clearly defined. They will become my path forward. If correctly writing them requires outside assistance, I will tap into AI’s capable and available world.

Again today, my scheduled working hours are strange and also subject to unexpected changes. The confusion will extend through this week and next; maybe I’ll be laid off afterward. Actually, I’d welcome having free time to rest and re-plan.

Dear Friends: Have a wonderful day. Diana

Sunday, December 17, 2023

Here’s another short hello, and this time, not because I must work until the store’s almost midnight closing but because today I’m to be there when it opens. We who work in retail will be incredibly happy when this week is history under our belts.

Fortunately, the local weather has facilitated my weird working hours. Generally, it’s been warmish without much rain or snow. My part-time job is ending in a couple of weeks, and then I will take time off to relax, enjoy my pets, read and learn, and renew casual interests.

My donkey, Pimmy, has contracted an equine disease called “Cushing’s.” One side effect is laminitis or extreme hoof tenderness. Pimmy has begun to limp. Kate Beardsley has offered to coach me in treating Pimmy’s laminitis, which she’s certain is controllable. Kate heads a non-profit horse rescue and is an all-around equine expert. She knows the specialness of this gentle and sweet donkey; along with me and others, she loves Pimmy.

Dear Friends: Now, I must get ready for work, and will see you tomorrow. Diana

Saturday, December 16, 2023

This will be a short hello. Last night, I left work after 11 p.m., the store’s new closing hour until Christmas time. I felt too wired to sleep at home and mostly tossed around during last night’s remaining hours. I’m tired today, with working hours stretching into another late night.

Anyway, I found a familiar and enjoyable old movie to stream. “Somewhere In Time” is a well-directed and well-acted romance with Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. Many years ago, I watched it several times, and last night, it recaptured my attention until I finally began dozing off.

I’m even dozing off now, so I will end this here. Hopefully, I can start my tomorrow with more productive brain power.

Dear Friends: See you then. Diana