

I’ve reached the tenth day of the blogging challenge, and I’m amazed I’ve made it this far. And look above, I received a Blogger Award. Since the challenge is to inspire us to write about our days, I’ll share what I do with my time.
Besides food shopping, I have excursions with my dog to the vet or the park. Since he has diabetes and Cushing’s Disease, we visit the vet more often. Nounous doesn’t enjoy walking on the sidewalk since he trips on everything since he lost his sight to cataracts. I visited the park near his vet two months ago when I was getting his medicine. When I spotted people walking their dogs, I was surprised since dogs were never allowed in this park, and I searched for signs, and there weren’t any prohibiting dogs. The park I usually visit, which has the outdoor pool I use in the summer, doesn’t allow dogs and sports huge signs stating that fact. Since then, I’ve been walking Nounous around the small lake in the park when the weather isn’t too cold. I’m waiting for the weather to brighten later this week for me to take him on Thursday.
I miss going out with my friends since my husband refuses to see them on Saturday nights, saying he’s tired from work. Whatever. My friends work during the day and see their families on Sundays, so it’s hard to see them. During the summer, I met them at the pool. If it wasn’t for Covid, I’d spend most of my days at the indoor pool, not far from my house, but I’m afraid of catching Covid. I was exposed to one person who had it, my husband, and I was sick three days after him and three weeks longer than him. I’ve never had any resistance to colds or viruses.
My daughters live in New Jersey and Connecticut, and since I don’t drive on the highway, it’s been challenging to see them. Hopefully, they’ll visit when their newborns get older. Covid and RSV have limited a few of our planned events. We haven’t celebrated Chanukah yet with our grandchildren, and I told Ezra, my oldest daughter’s four-year-old, we had more presents for him and that Chanukah would be extended through January.
I use my free time to create book banners and trailers and then share them on social media. This past year, I edited my work in progress a few times but am still waiting to feel the urge to continue writing it. The reviews on the first book in the series asked for more background on the Penobscot Indians, and I always listen to my reviews. I read everything I could find on the Penobscot, but I might have outlined and researched too much for this book that I’ve lost the creative drive to finish.
I tell myself to be happy I have my health and my daughters and grandchildren and to use my loneliness to write better books. This challenge has pushed me to write daily, and I hope to continue this productive habit.
Thank you for joining my blogging challenge. Please visit my fellow RRBC bloggers at https://ravereviewsbookclub.wordpress.com/rrbc-member-chat/
Congratulations, Susanne! You’re a warrior blogger! How cool that you create banners and book trailers. You’re very talented. Nounous is blessed to have you to take care of him, and the walks around the park sound nice. I pray you have more opportunities to meet with your friends and your daughters and grand babies. As the weather gets warmer, I hope you can get out more.
Blessings!
Patty
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My husband finally took off a Sunday to see them in New Jersey in February. Hopefully, my daughter, living in Connecticut, will join us.
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Susanne, congrats on blogging for ten days! Like you, I’m wondering what on earth to write about for the remaining days. I’m sorry you can’t see your friends, but maybe you can find ways to see them alone, for lunch on a Saturday for instance. Reading that you create banners, I wondered if you created your covers. They are gorgeous!
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I’ve also run out of topics to write about. I try to find the cheapest ways to create book covers. For Meet Me In Maine, I found someone on Fiverr and gave him the pictures I found on Pixaby, which are copyright-free, and asked him to put them together. I had a picture of a woman and a picture of a lighthouse. He came up with the idea of floating The Blue Harbor Series in the water. The end result is fantastic. I hope I can come up with a good idea for the second book in the series, that is, after I finish writing it.
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Hi Susanne,
Congrats on blogging for ten days.
I do hope your husband change his mind and go out with you and your friends at least once or twice a month. Maybe you two could make a compromise.
Keep up the good work and have a good day.
Shalom Aleichem
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I hope so too. He’s not big on compromises. I even had my friends ask him. I guess he’s not happy and wants to ensure that neither am I.
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Susanne–I had a dog with Cushing’s and diabetes a while back, but I think I already told you that. He was so worth giving insulin shots. He was such a good little guy!
I have avoided going back to the indoor pool as well ever since the Covid thing started. I had been doing Pilates in the pool prior to March 2020, but I don’t want to risk getting Covid again. I had it in June of last year–I picked it up at a memorial service for the husband of one of my tennis friends. They asked us to wear masks, and I did. I was one of only about five people wearing one, out of about 250 attendees. I took it off to eat something at the reception. Guess that was enough! Since I was vaxxed and boosted, I had a minor case with very few symptoms.
Our grandkids all live far away–three in Michigan, three in New Hampshire. We don’t see them all that much. Here’s hoping your isolation is short-lived.
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Our lives seem to be following similar paths. Covid has affected everyone in many ways, making it even harder when people refuse to wear masks. I hope we can see our children and grandchildren and swim in our pools soon.
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Hi Suzanne…Day 10…Yea!! Congratulations!!!! On a more serious note, I found my loneliness in my former marriage actually kept me from writing well. I just couldn’t concentrate. I think the reason for this is because my thoughts always went back to how lonely and sad I felt. You seem like such a nice lady, I hope you feel less lonely very soon. : )
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Loneliness has also affected my writing and concentration. After finishing this blogging challenge, I hope my mind is limber enough to complete my book, and I will have no excuse after writing each day for 30 days.
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My dog developed diabetes as well. I had to give her daily insulin shots. She eventually went blind but kept her happy demeanor until toward the end. When her quality of life was gone, I put her to sleep so she wouldn’t suffer anymore. I held her as she took her last breath so she would know how much I loved her. It still makes me tear up to this day, but I know it was the right thing to do.
I’m glad you are starting to write again, Susanne. I wrote a poem today, which made me very happy. I, too, am grateful for this challenge.
Yvette M Calleiro 🙂
http://yvettemcalleiro.blogspot.com
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I’m sad to hear about your dog. It seems I hear more stories each day about dogs developing diabetes, and it must be a common occurrence. I hope she managed to live a long life. Please share your poem on your blog so it can make us all happy.
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She lived for twelve years and had a great life. I posted my poem in it’s separate post. You can see it here: https://yvettemcalleiro.blogspot.com/2023/01/tankatuesday-weekly-poetry-challenge-no_11.html
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I’m enjoying your banners on Facebook. What program are you using?
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Thank you so much. I enjoyed my Marketing courses in college. I don’t use a program, but I use the free pictures from Pixaby and whatever Canva.com offers for free.
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Congrats on reaching day 10, Susanne!🥰🎉👏🏽🎆🎈🎈
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Thank you, Linda. I’m struggling with what to write for Day 11.
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