Lacy

This is Lacy, smart, playful, energetic 3 month old puppy. She is a mix of border collie, hanging tree dog and blue healer. She showed up a couple of weeks before this photo was taken, while I was recovering from illness. Lacy is my son’s dog, a companion to another 2 year old healer. Both young ones keep their much older (and far slower) Westie brother on edge.

I am just over half way through a 4-month interim position. Staying with my son and his wife as well as house-sitting for others gives me opportunity to experience different surroundings and think about my future retirement plans. In those first two months I have made some important decisions, but there are more to be considered.

Living on an island far away from family for the past 10 years was a good thing (in my opinion) while I was working full-time. I could focus on work and not get too caught up in the family drama. Now that I am almost retired I have been thinking that the isolation of living on an island will quickly become a burden. Travel is difficult with the constantly changing ferry and flight schedules. Just getting off the island can take half a day, then there is the travel inland.

As soon as I return home in January and have time to clean and pack, the house will go on the market. Any decision beyond that is TBD.

Usually before I can make a decision I try to evaluate how each choice will affect others….and what they’ll think of me once the decision is made. I have been challenged to make the decision this time in my best interests, and that is not easy.

If only I could be like Lacy. Go with the flow, endless energy until I collapse in a dream-filled sleep, no decisions to make beyond “should I obey and receive a treat or disobey and get yelled at?”, loved by all.