Maverick got bronchitis for Christmas. Apparently it’s a form of kennel cough, the vet said tracheal bronchitis – his cough sounded like a goose honking. It all started last week, and went full blown on Christmas Day. Maverick was all wound up with the kids here, wouldn’t settle, just batshit crazy actually. In the afternoon, he started coughing and it got progressively worse. I got it on video, sent it to our daycare provider and she said to give him something to eat to make sure it wasn’t a blockage – it wasn’t. So I told her to keep an eye on the other dogs and I’d be going to the vet in the morning. She won’t allow a dog that might be sick and I totally respect that. I would feel horrible if we got another dog sick.

So off to the vet on Monday. He listened to Maverick’s lungs, etc, watched the video and proclaimed 3 weeks of antibiotics and keep him home for at least a week. Research has revealed that it will more than likely be 3 weeks, and possibly a month.

It appears that when I make plans, Maverick laughs. I was expecting to have a month off with Maverick going to daycare all day and Bear going to work. I was going to do some major cleaning and organizing. This will not happen. So I will be doing a lot of sewing – because Maverick naps when I’m sewing. And I might get to hoe out the overflow craft room – once he falls asleep.

New Year’s Eve plans have been cancelled, the friends who were coming up are fearful that they’ll get contaminated by Maverick’s germs (he IS highly contagious right now) and take this home to their dog, who is currently battling an infection from her spay surgery. (I told them to wait on that surgery but they didn’t listen, because everyone is an expert and they only listen to what they want to hear.) It may be just me and the Bear on New Year’s Eve for the first time in years. I’m not sure if we can handle it! (Maverick will keep us from getting too crazy.)

Yesterday I learned that someone I’ve known for a very long time is dying from cancer, and it’s progressing very quickly. I wish her a gentle passage, carried home by the wings of angels. She unfriended me a few years ago over political differences, but I didn’t stop caring about her. I was told that she’s gotten every vaccine and booster available for Covid and I refrained from saying that research is showing that those jabs exacerbate any existing cancer and make it spread like wildfire. Her daughter in law said to me, “I blame the damned jabs.” I could only agree.

So this craptastic year is coming to an end. It was not the worst, but it was not the best. It was a tough time for everyone and I honestly hope that things will soon turn around. May we all remember how much we care about each other – and put political differences aside for once. May we all remember that we want the best for each other, and respect that we will find our ways down different paths. May we all be thankful that we made it this far, and may we all make it to the end of next year with lighter hearts and happier memories.