With this pandemic, I find myself taking more naps. My mom and I share a house and do many things together. When I got tossed out of my job in Feb 2020 (almost 10 years there), I convinced my mother to move with me to North Carolina and we have been here since 08/30/2020. I finally was hired by the Health Department to help schedule people to come in and get their shot of the vaccine. It is good to feel productive again. I have also been helping at the animal sanctuary I do volunteer work for and we have been on several cat transports since moving here.

With all that, it has not taken away the mild depression I have been experiencing for the last few years. Since we are currently renting and the house is small, we have not been able to get book cases and unpack our many books. That, along with the knowledge that having been divorced since 2005, I will never experience the type of loving, long-lasting marriage that my parents had. I only have my mother and my cats, which in of itself, is not all that terrible, but it does get very lonely. When the weather is fine, we do try and take a walk every day. So many friends have lost family and friends during this trying time and I am just cried out. I had to put two of my oldest cats down in less than a week of each other - which hasn't helped. I did take in a kitten to foster for our sanctuary and my mother - who is not a big cat person - suggested that I formerly adopt him and baby Joey (JoJo) has been a great bright light to us both.

We have no problem with limiting how often we go out and we ALWAYS wear a mask when needed. This is NOT a political issue - it is simply a matter of life or death and we have absolutely NO sympathy for anyone who does not bother to wear a mask for the good of everyone.

What have you done to help alleviate the strain of these trying times?