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Thankful For Our 2020 Blessings

A year of extreme change and stress from COVID-19, in my humble opinion shouldn’t exist, has made it difficult to see our BLESSINGS.

December 29, 2020 | TheDogPress.com

Vickie Haywood, Retired Professional Groomer and SAAB Member

I have been trying very hard to find blessings in my life and ended up surprising myself! First off, my significant other, Frank, is doing very well 18 months after his Proton therapy for prostate cancer. The hurdles we faced getting him on that treatment plan, moving him 5 hours to the nearest center, being treated for nearly 11 weeks have, so far, paid off. Such a sinister virus has brought us closer together as a couple. During the COVID-19 shutdown, we voted together in person at our tiny precinct, I was number 7, he was number 8.

Like so many others, one of the hardest aspects of the self-imposed isolation has been contact with friends and family. Our granddaughter tested positive for the virus, my SO's brother died with it and my daughter-in-law, just last week, tested positive so my son has to be in quarantine. Fortunately for him he can work from home and he hasn’t had any symptoms. I can tell you, this Mom’s anxiety is HUGE! The live far away and we can’t give them any kind of in person support, just emotional support over the phone and computer.

I officially "retired" in March. It wasn’t not my choice to retire. I didn’t plan on moving my grooming business into a bedroom to create a tiny salon in my home in September either. I was going to work and let the business slowly die off from attrition (the Pandemic), but Frank and I are High Risk people so I nixed that idea and retired even sooner. I had to start referring my special clients to a dear friend.

Since March, I have slowly re-read over 2000 books in my Kindle Library. Frank and I have combined our Kindle accounts, so we now have access to each other's libraries. A BONUS!

Since March, we have spent time together learning new cooking recipes, signed up for a meat delivery that sends us beef, pork, chicken, sea food and shellfish every month with some fish I have never purchased before thus expanding my preparation knowledge. We have become quite fond of Red Snapper!! A PLUS!

Frank has become quite an expert in the baking department. Between the Bread Machine and YouTube videos we have had some very tasty treats. all of it spurned from early shortages in the stores. It is AMAZING what you can have delivered to your door in the form of healthy flours and vast herbs and spices. YUMMY!

A highlight of our isolation is a drive to a fairly local Angus Beef farm (over an hour away) where, by appointment only, you can purchase meats to your heart's content in safety. This makes grocery runs shorter and safer. We also have the added benefit of a full-sized fridge in the RV, so we can store quite a bit. Another BONUS!

So, the blessings I have been given this year…

BLESSED we have enough combined income to be solvent even with the loss of income from my early business retirement, this is not the case for so many others who are suffering.

BLESSED that friends/family who have had the virus are alive and doing ok.

BLESSED to be able to communicate with those we cannot see in person.

BLESSED with memories of Holidays past with pictures and looking forward to the future when we can hug our loved ones again.

BLESSED for a future where treatment for this vile virus is the norm and/or the vaccine, just released, gives some lasting, rather than short term, immunity.

This year we celebrate our BLESSING of being ALIVE! What are YOUR Blessings this season and for the New Year?

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