Mental Health Monday

Dog on Drugs + Conversations w/Grandkids + More!

Poor Sammy! The 4th of July holiday was especially stressful for him, beginning on 7/1, when fireworks became legal. He lost his appetite--a sure sign that something was wrong. Getting him outside (to do his business) required a supreme effort, especially at bedtime. One day we found him hiding in our shower. We tried benadryl. We tried melatonin. Finally we gave in & got a prescription for trazadone. That's right. Our dog was on drugs. 

So much for our dog's mental health. What about mine? I've had way more good days than bad days lately, & for that I am thankful. I attribute this to medication, more time elapsing since my heart procedure in March, some visits to my new mental health therapist, a slight tweaking of my meditation, continued writing, prayer.

Conversations with my grandkids

I took Brianna, age 14, & Bentley, age 5, fishing last FRI. Bentley--with help from me--reeled in a mini-sunfish on the very first cast.
Bentley:  (15 minutes later) Can we go home now?
Me:  I said we'd fish for an hour.
Bentley:  (5 minutes later) Can we go home now?
Me:  No.
Repeat dialogue for next 35 minutes.

For the record, Bentley & I caught 5 fish. Brianna caught 6. Girls rule, boys drool.

Road trips

We are planning to embark on a major, multi-faceted road trip. Tomorrow we leave for MN, where we'll spend several days at David & Carmen's chalet, located on picturesque Little Island Lake near Nevis. Then we'll stay for the Summer 2018 Hill Sister Bash, also at the Chalet, which begins on SAT 7/14. I enjoy spending time with Lois' sisters & give thanks for the fellowship we enjoy with them. CAVEAT:  Topics to avoid include politics, religion, & global climate change.
          On WED 7/18, Lois & I head to International Falls, MN. We'll visit Voyageurs National Park, where we've booked a boat tour. We'll also venture into our neighbor to the north, getting to use our passports for the first time. This will also be Lois' first trip into Canada. 
          We return to Norfolk on SAT 7/21. On MON 7/23, we begin our annual camping trip with the grandkids. We reserved a cabin at Platte River State Park, which is located between Lincoln & Omaha, a little ways off I-80. We'll take them to the water park at Mahoney State Park one day & maybe take in a melodrama at the playhouse there. A trip to the Henry Doorly Zoo is also in the works. 
          Avid followers may be asking, "Are you going to blogging over the next few weeks? I haven't decided whether to take my laptop along or not, so it's possible that you will have to cope with few or no posts until the very end of July. [Did I just hear some faint applause?]          

Dept. of Shameless Joke-stealing

Norfolk Daily News 'late laughs' (7/6):  "The fast-food chain Sonic has introduced a new flavor of its iced slushes. And apparently they've run out of ideas, because this new flavor is Pickle Juice. This is great news for people who are hot, thirsty & well into their 2nd trimester." (Late Late Show w/James Corden)

Final Countdown Announced

Five days remain until the Summer 2018 Hill Sister Bash @ David & Carmen's Chalet, located on picturesque Little Island Lake near Park Rapids, MN.