Couch Potatoes

Stretched out long on the wood floor, curled up on the couch, dozing in the sun; so this how my dogs live while I'm away at work, or otherwise preoccupied. Today, I'm living like they do, stretching out or curling up on the couch, doing my best to follow the doctor's orders to be a "couch potato."

My eye seems to be healing, though it becomes fatigued in very short order. (As I write, a patch covers it to mitigate the strain.) The list of don'ts includes most everything I normally do – housework, work, bending, lifting, gardening, running, swimming, bicycling, hiking, carrying heavy loads (anything more than a pillow, the doctor's assistant told me when I asked for clarification). Now that the family is gone on vacation, I'd love to settle in with a good book or some bead work, but …

Meanwhile, it's
the
week; the week when Nicholai's dog-friend Maya so abruptly took her leave of earthly life two years ago. I can't help but remember how fast she went – first symptoms on Monday, dead by Friday. Then I feel nervous on this second anniversary of that shock. Without meaning to or wanting to, I find myself waiting for Nicholai to crash.

However, Nicholai's doctor seems to have worked a touch of his magic and mitigated the worst of Nicholai's panting and heat stress. Of course, I keep the house tomb-ish with curtains drawn, air conditioners sucking down energy, and doors closed. After enjoying a nice walk – a friend came to pick us up at 6 am – he's spent the day resting here, and resting there, exactly like his much younger and healthier counterpart – Kelley. Isabella is having a sleepover at another house for her fun and my ease, and I assume she's spent much of her day the exact same way.

It's awfully hard for me to just chill out and do all of this "nothing." Once again, I find taking cues from canines to be a worthy endeavor. "Just be," they demonstrate effortlessly, lounging about with neither guilt nor boredom. So far, we have meditated in the late morning sun, napped on the couch, watched Harry Potter, and shared a bite of lunch and chips and salsa. Now I'm writing, but soon, it will be back to curling up on the couch, then a bite of dinner – always a hit with the dogs – and more couch surfing.

Funny, I was so sure I'd be bored silly. Indeed, I started the day busy – walk, breakfast out, phone calls (damned insurance snafus), and a bit of office straightening, but the afternoon has opened gracefully into "being."