Paws and Pause. And a Puzzle.

I had the day off yesterday. A much needed respite from the nonstop crazy that is retail during the holidays. I had plans to stay in pajamas, catch up on reading some blogs, and do some writing. Candles and coffee figured in, because it is cold in Southern Ohio this week! I woke up to find Miss Emma limping around the house, and upon inspecting her paws, found a small trace of blood. So off came the pajamas and off to the vet we went.

Somehow she managed to open one of her pads, possibly she stepped on something sharp outside, or it may have been from chewing her feet, which she does in the winter months. We got everything we need to take care of the problem, antimicrobial wipes, an anti-inflammatory drug, and some Epsom Salts for a foot soak, twice a day.

As you can see, Miss Emma is not quite sure what the foot soak will be. I hope she will be pleasantly surprised and not fight me on it

About that relaxation. I have just completed the first draft of next year’s Christmas novella. Crazy, I know, but the deadline to submit is May first. So I’m in good shape. Since I have basically been writing nonstop since 2020, I’m going to let the draft settle and take a little break. I’m going to hit the pause button and spend some time relaxing with my hobbies. First up is this winter jigsaw puzzle.

It’s only 300 pieces, so won’t demand too awful much of my time, just enough to put on some Christmas music or a podcast and decompress for a few hours. I’m really going to do this one! I got out a lovely summer puzzle, and then a fall puzzle, and as the seasons slipped away, I put them back in my closet. I intend to post a pic when the puzzle is done, hopefully that will keep me accountable!

What’s your favorite way to decompress?