Carole Simpson

Pets and the Pandemic

May 5, 2020 | Coronavirus, Mental Health, Something. To. Say.

Pets and the Pandemic

Hello everybody.

I have something to say about the joy of pets during the despair of the pandemic. I can tell you that things are a little less stressful if you are staying at home with a loving pet.

This is my crazy poodle, Roxy. She’s still a puppy and makes me laugh when I might rather cry.

Like other canines and felines, she doesn’t know anything about the horrors of the coronavirus. All your pets want is food, a walk, some playtime and plenty of sleep. Ah, but even more, they want you to join in the fun: their very best friend.

They love you.

How anxious can you be when your cat crawls onto your lap and starts purring. It’s so calming. Or when your dog stares at you, with his tail wagging and a squeaky toy in his mouth?

In March when the national stay at home orders took effect, there was a run on animal shelters all over the country. Shelters in Los Angeles and New York had a 500 percent increase in applications for cats and dogs to foster. Shelters with animals to adopt were overwhelmed.

People stuck at home to avoid catching the coronavirus, don’t want to be alone. They want company. They need emotional support, even if it’s provided by a creature with four legs and a furry coat.

Until next time.

2019 Top Ten List

Jan 2, 2020 | Activism, Bad Behavior, Something. To. Say., Trump, Women

2019 Top Ten List

Happy New Year, Everybody!

I have something to say about 2019. Everybody has a top ten list. Since I am a wise old woman, I compiled mine.

My whole year seemed consumed with all things Donald Trump. But Number One on my list is his impeachment in December. Finally, somebody told him, no more.

Number Two was seeing old women leaders exercise power, like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Senator Elizabeth Warren and the best Supreme, Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Similarly, young women showed their muscle and that’s my Number Three. The four Congresswomen of color, known as the Squad, shook up the old white men in Congress, who didn’t much like their chutzpah. And Katie Bouman, the young scientist who helped make possible the image we saw of a Black Hole.

Number Five is youth activism. Greta Thunberg and youth across the planet have taken on the fight for climate change and American teenagers continue to protest gun violence.

The MeToo Movement was my Number Six. The resistance gained traction that led to new laws and corporate policies against sexual harassment and sexual assault.

I joined a huge gathering of some of the most successful, brilliant, and celebrated African Americans in the country. My Number Seven was the History Makers, an important reminder of the contributions that black people have made and continue to make to our communities and the nation.

Like any wise old woman, I feel compelled to speak about some personal things that happened in 2019.

My Number Seven is retirement ain’t all it’s cracked up to be. After 62 years of non-stop working, I retired in 2019, not because I wanted to, I was given a push. I realized that I love to work, so I started this blog.

Children and grandchildren are Number Eight. My son and daughter are both happily married and enjoying their careers, and nothing is better than watching my three grandchildren grow and learn. My best times are spent with them.

Number Nine is my health. I’m grateful to still have most of it. I do what the doctors say, wear sensible shoes and grab handrails.

Now Number Ten may seem inconsequential but it’s not. It’s my pets—my toy poodle Coco-Puff and my Siberian cat, Catarina. They are my home companions. They are glad to see me, happy to cuddle and don’t talk back. They made 2019 tolerable. 2020 may be pretty rough. I expect them to ease the pain.

 

The best to you all.