I’ve been losing my focus again lately, something that seems to come and go with me. My mild OCD seems to have gone on vacation for good. Most people would see this as a good thing, but for someone who is accustomed to being meticulous and organized, it’s kind of frustrating. Sure, I still write lists…but when you have five different lists going, on various scraps of paper, can you still be considered organized? Therefore, I decided this was a good time to go back and look at my New Year’s Resolutions post, and see if I could get myself back on track that way.
Also, having just passed my one year blogiversary, it seemed like a good time to reflect on the blog and where things are going with that. Since this post got quite lengthy when I began to write it, I decided to break it into two parts: Part 1 will be a follow up on my resolutions regarding our pets, and Part 2 will cover my resolutions regarding the blog.
Here’s a recap of what I resolved to get done for our pets this year, and grades on how I think I’ve done so far:
1. Walk Kobi more. (B+) I am doing very well on this, though I could always do better! Back in the Winter I signed up for the Idita-Walk, and that really got me motivated to get out walking. I logged the 1049 minutes required, most of them with Kobi. He had some medical issues, so missed out on some of it. Once that was behind me the weather turned to Spring, and even though it was crazy Spring weather, we still managed to get out quite a bit. I had some downtimes, but overall, I’ve been doing well. Summer is usually a slow walking time for me also, because of the heat, but this year I’ve persevered and I think I’ve been out more than ever in a Summer. Fall can only be better.
Kobi has slowed down a lot lately (he’s almost 13), so we cover a lot less distance, but it takes more time. He not only stops to smell a lot, but now when he is moving, especially on the second half of a walk, he is SLOW. I’ve had to learn patience, and remember that now I’m out there for him, not for my own exercise. I get my exercise by long walks or runs with the two girls, and I often walk Kobi as my cool down after that.
Not just Kobi has benefited, but we have been more active with the girls also. My hubby has started helping a lot more. Now that he is running, when he gets back from his run he will take one of the dogs for a walk (we take turns as to who needs it the most). For example, this morning after his run he took Sheba for a walk. Sheba is on restricted exercise because of her limp…..at least until she has x-rays on Tuesday to find out exactly what is going on. She hasn’t gotten worse, but she hasn’t gotten better either. While he was gone I played ball with Cricket, and Kobi will get a walk this weekend also.
2. Spend more time brushing and grooming the Goldens. (B-) In a way, this has become a bit easier since we unfortunately lost one of them to cancer. But Sheba is still the difficult one to groom, as she gets very antsy. I’m doing better at keeping her paws trimmed, and I brush her more often, but I’m still struggling to clear her of all her knots and tangles. Her undercoat has been coming out early this year, and that just makes it worse. She’s also had a skin issue going on, she was scratching a lot and created some hot spots. At least that seems to be clearing up now. I’ve toyed with the idea of taking her to a groomer, but she’s so high strung and I know it will stress her out and I hate to start that now. I think I’ll just keep plugging away at her, little by little!
3. Get the cats to play more. (F) I hate to admit I totally dropped the ball on this. I did try early on, but those cats are hopelessly lazy. Samantha kind of half-heartedly swatted at the feather toy, and Conrad was scared of it. Neither one of them has had any interest in the other toy (see Conrad ignoring it, below). Maybe I need to try different toys? Conrad gets zero exercise, because he pretty much only goes from the kitchen counter where he eats to his favorite bed in the dining room. He can’t even always be bothered to go downstairs where the litter box is (UGH).
The most exercise Samantha gets is climbing through the window to get to her favorite napping spot on the porch, when the door isn’t open. That and her mad dash out the sliding door when we’re not paying attention (she’s supposed to be an indoor cat but doesn’t quite accept that). If anyone has any suggestions on a toy that is irresistible to cats, I’d appreciate the input!
How about you? Did you make any resolutions for you and your pets this year, and have you looked back at them to see how you’re doing?
This is our first time joining the Saturday Pet Blogger Hop! Many thanks to our hosts: Two Little Cavaliers, Life With Dogs, and Confessions of the Plume. Please visit their sites and others through the links below.
My kitty loves to play and will make her own toys, which is not really a good thing…lol. But what about that thing they advertise on tv? I think it is called Cat’s Meow. Maybe that would entice them?
It sounds like you are doing well on your other resolutions! Congrats!
Thank you….I’m getting there with most I think!
We used to have a cat that would play with anything also….weirdly she loved to chew on photographs too!
I haven’t seen that toy on TV but I will look for it, thanks!
Great idea to check in on yourself and see how you’re progressing!
Don’t be too hard on yourself, 2 out of 3 going well isn’t bad, I don’t think my Mum even got round to making a resolution list! 🙂
Hope you’re having a fun day 🙂
Your pal Snoopy 🙂
Thanks, Snoopy! I guess I probably knew when I made all those resolutions, that I probably wouldn’t keep up with them all! But at least it gives me something to shoot for.
You have fun, too!! 🙂
Good idea to assess where you’re at with the resolutions. I’m usually pretty bad with them. I make a bunch, and then forget to keep them. The only time I ever kept one the whole year was when I resolved to try at least 1 new recipe each week (I tend to make the same ol’ stuff all the time!). This year I decided to make it simple – just resolved to “move more, enjoy more, listen more.” Doing okay on the first two (and Rita benefits from that since she gets to walk more with me) but I had kinda forgotten about the last one! Thanks for the reminder!
That was really good, Jackie, sticking to trying one new recipe every week! I like your more simple one….I think I might give myself a break next year and simplify it a bit more. You still have almost 4 months to work on that last part anyway!
I’d say you’re getting quite a lot accomplished this year. I am also a list maker, but I have not felt like I have gotten a lot accomplished this year at all. Well, maybe that’s a bit harsh, but I definitely had more I wanted to do.
I admire your progress on the grooming. With two Shelties, it is necessary, but sometimes it can be quite the task. Cupcake’s coat has finally blown, Jasper’s is hanging in there. I see more extensive grooming in my future. 🙂
Thanks, some days I feel like I’ve accomplished a lot, others, not so much. Then again, if we got to the ends of our lists we probably wouldn’t know what to do with ourselves!
The grooming is definitely challenging, isn’t it?
I didn’t make resolutions, but yours are great, keep up the good work.
Thank you, Roxy! With that only being half of them though, no wonder I have time management issues!
Nice time to revisit your resolutions. I have been doing so-so with my own, but that’s a blog post in it’s entirety. Great that you have been doing well with the walking routine and that your husband is helping out too. Good for all of you, four leggers and two! 🙂
As for the grooming, a little at a time is better than nothing, right? Goldens are such beauties though…so it’s worth it in the end. I’m sure. As long as I’m not doing it. 😉
The cats, well, mine are lazy too. They do like the laser pointer thing, but I can only do that if Leah isn’t in the room – or they chase the laser and she chases them. 🙂
I actually meant to take stock of them half-way through the year, but didn’t quite make it!
I think I am making progress with Sheba, but she just never quite looks as beautiful as some other Goldens I see though! I’m always telling her she’s a mess…..but I think she’s a bit of a tomboy and doesn’t care about looking pretty! 🙂
That’s funny about Leah chasing the pointer. My niece has a dog who is totally obsessed with any reflections or moving lights. I don’t think my dogs will be interested, but they might want to chase the cats like Leah!
Good for you taking stock like that of your resolutions. I tend not to make them and then can’t be disappointed 😉 You have the right approach, just do what you can slowly but surely. Half the battle is just remembering what they were!
I don’t usually make resolutions either….I’m not sure I will do it again this coming year! But I guess it helps to give me goals, and keeps me focused if I lose track of them. It definitely didn’t hurt to have them in writing! 🙂
Good job, Jan, keeping up with all the exercise for your pups. Kobi may be slowing down, but he still looked great to me last weekend. Sheba was limping a little, so maybe she could use more glucosamine than what’s in the food? Her “hot spots” looked almost completely healed, so I didn’t end up having to put coconut oil on them, etc. Hope you have good news at the vet on Tuesday for her. I was SO happy to see Samantha still jumping up on the counter to get her food! In fact, she did that the first time I came upstairs into the kitchen (the day you’d left). 🙂 Conrad tolerated my picking him up to put him up there. I remember the day when he’d barely let me see him. lol. So he has definitely mellowed. 🙂 Love them all, and I miss that sweet Moses. It was so nice to see a pic of him. Love, S
Thanks, Sheryl. I have Moses as my background on my computer, so I still get to see him every day. 🙂
Conrad has mellowed in some ways, but he can be kind of mean these days also. He’s always swatting at someone!
It was hard for the vet to see Sheba’s limp, because it shows up more when she walks normally. And of course she was being a nervous Nellie at the vet’s, and just wiggled and squirmed and wouldn’t walk normally! LOL
The x-rays will hopefully show if it’s her joints, or if maybe she just injured something. She’s still been scratching some, but not scratching herself raw any more, so that’s a good thing!
What a great idea to look back at your resolutions! I have a substantial case of OCD myself, and I do quarterly check-ins on my annual goals. Crazy, I know. Anyway, I’ve fallen short on all my dog goals, especially with Cooper, but I’m feeling inspired by your post to renew my commitment. Maybe I should do a post about it, too? Just to have that accountability… Hmm…
Are the cats interested in a laser pointer? For some reason Newt is crazy about it! I pick it up off the table and she jumps up from her nap, chases it like crazy for 5 or 6 minutes, then goes back to sleep. Between that and wrestling with Cooper, that’s how she exercises! She isn’t interested in any of her other toys!
I really think it does help to have the accountability….then I can’t just completely forget about them. Even if you’ve fallen short, you’ve probably still been trying like I have (on most things anyway). Glad I could inspire you!
That’s the second vote for a laser pointer, so that’s now on my list to try!
Mom’s biggest pet resolution is to keep me better groomed/stripped. It hasn’t changed much since I don’t like being brushed and stripped, but she is trying. We have one cat that loves to play and one that doesn’t. Have you tried a laser pointer? Mom got one at BlogPaws and my cat bro Bert just loves it. Most evenings when Mom is on the couch watching some TV, she will get it out and let Bert chase and jump at it for a bit. It is easy for her and super fun for him.
Sounds like you and Sheba have something in common then, Emma!
We used to have a cat that would constantly chase reflections….if our watches caught the sun, he’d be chasing the light all over the place. So a laser pointer does sound like a great thing to try!
Cats are nocturnal, at least ours is. Exercise in the daytime seems beyond her scope, but back when we used to let her sleep on our bed she must have hiked five miles across our bodies. We think now she must have a nocturnal work out and be ready for daytime snoozes.
If ours are having a nocturnal workout, they are being very quiet about it! However, I’d hate to think after sleeping all day, that they sleep all night also!