Hello!

How does this post find you today? Are you feeling renewed and energized with the approach of a crisp new season, or are you depleted and exhausted from the effects of the pandemic? Perhaps a bit of both? Life is more of a roller coaster than ever before, speaking for myself at least.

I never thought I’d live through a pandemic. It always seemed like something reserved for dramatic doctor shows like Grey’s Anatomy. The spring was especially tough for us, as my two children didn’t get to return to school after spring break. All the sudden, like so many people around the world, we were all just HOME.

Thank goodness it was starting to warm up here in Minnesota at that time. Our dog got us outside every day, rain, sleet, or shine, which was a lifesaver.

My “writing for fun” took a long hiatus, as I was quickly forced into survival mode: focusing on caring for my kids, getting my copywriting assignments completed on time, converting all of my school-year tutoring sessions to online conferencing…and of course taking care of a house, our pets, and everything else we humans must do to function on a daily basis.

All this said, I am grateful that my children were able to get out and play sports again this summer with other children, and that I managed to work as I was able. Baseball for my son and soccer for my daughter became crucial for our family’s mental, emotional, and physical health.

Unbelievably enough, I’m coming up on my one-year ‘workaversary’ with Chewy.com, the pet website I started with last fall. It’s been an interesting ride to work for a large corporation and to be one tiny rung on a gigantic ladder, but it’s overall been a good fit for my interests and skills.

I’ve also enjoyed receiving the last several months of VHD (Versatile Hunting Dog) magazine in the mail, published by NAVHDA, where they’ve released articles I’ve written each month featuring a female dog handler and/or trainer.

I also have an exciting article coming up in the magazine Young Rider, about a talented female writer. Stay tuned!

I wish all of my readers the best this fall. I truly hope that the pandemic dies out as soon as possible, and we can all move forward with a renewed sense of energy, gratitude, and joy.

~Julia