Dreamy and I have just returned from our annual Christmas meet up with family and friends. Each time we head to Adelaide in South Australia I try to catch up with as many people as possible. Everyone enjoys Dreamy, and at the very least, is a little bemused by our bond.

While on our trip we stayed in a quaint little three-roomed log cabin, nestled amongst natural bushlands in the Adelaide Hills. The cabin itself is surrounded by a cottage garden.  It contains all the amenities we need for our stay and is dog friendly. Perfect for us.

We visited my 98-year-old father who is looking very well for his age. Dad has a walking stick but only uses it for balance when not inside his unit. My sister and I chatted over coffee at her place while Dreamy laid beside me on her couch.

A close friend met us the first night for dinner. Later in the week we spent the day together, and she minded Dreamy whilst I did some retail therapy. She loves Dreamy and he is very fond of her. I also met with my old mate from university at a local pub. We have known each other since the first semester of our accounting degree.

Dreamy and I walked with friends who are also greyhound lovers at the wetlands in Mount Barker where Dreamy took a dip in the water. Afterwards we chatted over coffees and a puppachino. We met up another greyhound lover who is an ex-patriot of Mount Gambier where I live. One evening we enjoyed dinner with a good friend at Strathalbyn, a small town about half an hour from our base. Afterwards we walked through a local park, returning to our cars before it was too dark.

It’s good to catch up with my old mates, some of whom I have known for over 40 years. Each time the conversation starts where it left off from the last time we met. These relationships have developed over many years, and I cherish each of them. All in all, it was a good trip, but we are glad to be home.

I hope you had a great Christmas and New Year break.

In love, Jenny

I’m not one to make new year’s resolutions because I cannot keep them. Slow, incremental changes work best for me. Promising to make major changes at a point of time is doomed to fail. All the significant changes in my life have been made up of relatively minor ones over a longer period.

External changes must be supported by internal change. For example, changing my diet started with thinking about my relationship with food. No one wants to be obese, so there must be an underlying reason for overeating unhealthy food. And, for me there were many underlying reasons. I used food as a comfort, I was addicted to sugar, I had developed a habit of reaching for food whenever I felt alone, the list goes on. But it wasn’t until I figured out the deeper need was for love that I began my journey out of morbid obesity.

It has been a long journey that has taken many years. I had always wished to be smaller but could not make the changes needed in my diet and lifestyle to do so, until I moved away from the relationships which triggered my food addiction. This was the most difficult decision to make. Grief is a terrible thing and I had to come to terms with the fact that I had initiated my own grief.

The relationships I valued the most treated me as inferior and with indifference, I thought this was love. Removing myself from those who treated me this way allowed me to spread my wings and discover who I was. I didn’t want to be obese, nor did I want to believe that I was inferior. Continuing to place myself with those who gained from my pain kept me in psychological jail. Freedom came from accepting that those I loved were hurting me and that perhaps they did not love me.

Now, years on from peeling back the damage done by the most toxic of my relationships, my life is good. Mentally I am in a good place and I’m happy. Each day brings new joy, and I am free to enjoy my friendships with all my heart.

Perhaps our new year’s resolutions should start with questioning why we do what we do.

Happy new year!

In love, Jenny

It’s Christmas! Dreamy and I will be celebrating with a special friend and her greyhound, Bella. We will have roast chicken and give the leftovers to Dreamy and Bella. I am really looking forward to sharing tomorrow them both.

As a single woman without a partner and who lives by herself, I know how it feels to be alone at Christmas. My memories as a child are not filled with happiness so I often feel anxiety leading up to it. My closest friends have family to celebrate with tomorrow and I am happy for them. At first, I found this terribly painful and felt abandoned. But I have learned to enjoy this time in my own way. It has been important for me to know that I can be happy, no matter what the circumstances.

Dreamy has made Christmas much easier. The closeness we share has taken the pain of being alone during this season. We have made many new friends who share a love of all living things, especially dogs. He has truly been a gift to me.

If you are fortunate to have a family with whom you can enjoy Christmas, please remember that not everyone is in the same boat. We all celebrate differently, some of us experience love, others experience pain, some experience both.

This season, I ask that we treat each other with consideration and care and go gently when we meet others. We don’t know what they are going through, if they are alone, who they have lost or their stress. Be kind and share love.

For those who are alone, I feel your pain. My hope is that you will sense some love as we celebrate at this time. You are not the only one who is alone, and being alone does not mean you are unlovable or unacceptable. You do not deserve to feel abandoned, nor to be misunderstood. Know this, there is love for you, and there always will be.

Merry Christmas!

In love, Jenny

Dreamy and I have just returned from a holiday in Victoria, Australia. This was part of my 60th gift to myself. While we were away, we enjoyed walking in a different part of the country.

We spent three days at Halls Gap which sits in the Grampians, a national park. Our accommodation was nestled amongst trees. In the mornings kookaburras could be heard laughing and kangaroos and wallabies grazed nearby. Next, we spent five days at Daylesford, a small holiday town in central Victoria. The accommodation here was also nestled in nature including kookaburras and kangaroos. The town is surrounded by natural forest and farms. Lake Daylesford is a man-made lake and very pretty to circle. We checked out the local shops and travelled to nearby parks where we walked. Listening to native birds, seeing native fauna and the scents of native flora send my heart into song.

We have returned home, and I am tired, sore, and happy. My life is not perfect, but I revel in what I do have. There were times while we were away the walking was not easy for me, so I used my walking sticks and boots to keep my balance and moved slowly. My legs hurt as I dodged tree roots, mounted large steps, and traversed paths that had deteriorated. My faithful mate, Dreamy walked gently beside me.

I have not seen another person like me walking in this type of terrain. But there is joy in the simple achievement of doing what I thought I could never do. There is freedom in doing a hard walk in nature that fills me with pleasure. Wearing different shoes causes a major adjustment to the way I walk; hence I suffer back and leg pain with every new pair. My back is permanently damaged, and I have knock knees from obesity. Despite the cards that life has dealt me, I have managed to limit further damage to my body by choosing a different life. So far, I have managed to change the expression of my genetics to keep my health for longer.

So, I am celebrating my life. I am grateful for those who have helped me live a fulfilling life. Thank you to all those who find inspiration in my story and encourage me by telling me so.

In love, Jenny

Since my 30s I have worked to be healthy for as long as possible. I have no control over my genetics, but I do have control over the way they are expressed. I don’t know how long I will live, but I have a fair chance of remaining fit and healthy for some time.

Earlier in the week I realised that I would reach my 60th year without any of the physical challenges my mother suffered. She did not have the motivation or the knowledge to prevent her diabetes. I witnessed her body failing as it took hold of her life. She lost feeling in her feet and developed ulcers. Eventually she suffered a stroke, septicaemia and passed away 5 years later at 62. Watching mum’s physical struggles with her health, and the love and support of a close friend, convinced me to change my lifestyle.

These alterations have changed the expression of my genetics. My health has not taken the same direction as mum’s. To say that I am elated is an understatement. I feel pure joy to have reached this age with my health intact and I am now free to enjoy it. Others may revel in their financial success and to have a luxurious retirement, but my wish has been to be healthy so that my retirement would be without physical limitations. I am glad I made this choice.

My only wish is that I had trusted that these changes would make such a big difference. Looking back, I have worried too much and rested too little. Perhaps I could have experienced greater satisfaction in the journey and enjoyed the positive changes to my body with each step.

In hindsight, my lesson has been to trust in the process because I now know everything will be okay in the end.

In love, Jenny

Today has been a warm, sunny spring day where I live in Southern Australia. Beautiful weather for a walk with my boy, Dreamy. Although the day was a bit warm for us, we walked the Leg of Mutton Lake which is shaded by trees, protecting us from the sun. I filled his water bottle with iced water which he drank liberally.

A gravel road lined with native Australian and introduced trees zigzags down to a dried lake. Originally the lake was filled with water and formed the shape of a leg of mutton, hence the name. In the early years it was used as a nursery, the water sustained the introduced trees which were planted near its banks.

This is a short but steep walk for someone like me. As I slowly walk down the track, I unwind. It is a quiet place as the area sits much lower than the road between it and the Blue Lake. The noise of vehicles travelling above are muffled and the air is filled with the sound of birds and leaves rustling in the wind. During autumn the track is covered by bright yellow, orange, and red leaves from the introduced trees. In winter it can be muddy and a little slippery. But spring brings with it a freshness and hope that only nature can give.

After a busy few days, the space was restful. Peace saturated my soul and Dreamy revelled in the freedom, different scents, and sounds. As we sat amongst beauty, wisdom for unanswered questions bubbled up from within me and my gut disentangled. Ahh, peace.

Do you have a place where you find peace for your soul?

In love, Jenny

Over six years ago, when I bought my latest car, I moved from a manual transmission (stick shift) to an automatic transmission. I learned to drive in a manual car over 40 years ago and have always driven a manual until this one.

This week my car is being fixed. As I have a few appointments, my friend offered hers while she is away. I gratefully accepted the offer. The bonus was that Dreamy could ride in it. However, her car has a manual transmission.

Driving a manual car has always been natural to me. I can’t believe how quickly I have forgotten how to drive one. Here a few issues I have experienced so far:

  • Forgot which pedal was the clutch; thought it was the brake pedal.
  • Turned the ignition on to start the car when it was still in gear (often) so that it jumped forward and stalled.
  • Stalled the car at the lights twice because I left it in second or third gear and attempted to drive off when the lights turned.
  • Moved the gear stick from second to fifth gear while driving which nearly caused it to stall.
  • Tried to change gears without my foot pressing the clutch fully to the floor making the gears crunch.
  • Learned that so many people drive at 40 km per hour because they don’t want to change gears.

It has been an entertaining experience. If you see someone driving erratically where I live, it will most likely be me!

This shows how quickly we can forget our automatic responses when we no longer use them, and it gives me hope that we can change other behaviour patterns when we need.

In love, Jenny

Over the last few days, I have been thinning out the violets in my garden. I first planted them thinking they could not go wild given the composition of my soil. The block was originally part of a site owned by SA Water who had covered it with gravel. It was subdivided and sold to a local builder who added builder’s grit to the mix and covered that layer with bark chips.

When I purchased the house, I decided to create a cottage garden. It took great effort to get through the solid layer, so I used a pick to do it. Over the last 25 years I have managed to break the layer up, but small stones still form part of the soil. I planted the violets when I first started to garden, and I figured they couldn’t possibly take hold. How wrong I was! So now, each year I either employ someone to thin them out or I do it myself.  

Even though my back is sore, and I am fatigued, it is worth the effort. Being in the garden brings me joy. I feel free to be me. Now my green waste bin is full and ready to be taken next week. I am left with a real sense of satisfaction, albeit only for a few months. By then the violets will have begun to grow back. But at least there will be less of them until next year.

Dreamy usually strolls outside to check on me when I am in the garden, whines, then turns his head so his pointy nose is directed toward the back entrance of the house. He wants me to go inside with him. Instead, on Sunday when I started, he spent the afternoon laying on my bed asleep. Monday and this afternoon (Wednesday) he was at a friend’s place (his Uncle John). There he slept on his couch for the entire time. Uncle John tells me that he didn’t move, except to check outside once, but came back in quickly when he felt the heat. Ah, the life of a greyhound!

Here I am this afternoon with a satisfied look on my face. Below is a picture of the work in progress.

In love, Jenny

Each week Dreamy and I visit a couple of aged care facilities where Dreamy is a Caring Canine Companion. Over time he has developed bonds with many of the residents. One of the facilities bakes fresh sausage rolls on the day we visit. Dreamy loves sausage rolls, and the residents usually don’t disappoint him. Most times he will get two each visit; his best has been six sausage rolls.

Dreamy has taken to one of the residents, a 93-year-old gentleman, who adores dogs. They have developed a bond since we started visiting. When we enter the facility, Dreamy makes a beeline to his room where they excitedly greet each other. The elderly gentleman sits at the end of his bed so they can be close. Dreamy lays on the floor directly in front, often on his foot. Over the next half to an hour they will cuddle, hold hand, and paw, and love each other. If Dreamy’s paw is not held, he will wave it around and yelp to let him know that he wants it held again. The resident will spend most of the time patting, or cuddling Dreamy who complains if he stops.

On a recent visit we arrived late, about half an hour before lunch. At the end of the visit Dreamy’s favourite resident said he wanted to take his lead. He used his walker to lead Dreamy from his room to lunch where the other residents were waiting. I walked behind watching as Dreamy gently walked beside him, tail wagging in joy. The other residents applauded as they neared the table.

Although he is large, Dreamy is very gentle and calm, and he loves being cuddled. Hence, he can get very close to the residents for a long time. He does not jump, nor steal food. It means the residents can enjoy his close company without fear of bruising or being knocked off balance.

It is a great joy to do this and heart-warming to witness the bond between residents and my boy. Sharing love is my mission in life. Dreamy happens to be a great conduit for love. Dogs have a way of showing it in a non-threatening way.

In love, Jenny