Category: Furry Family

Whirlwind…

by thrutheashesblog, posted in #bloggingbranding, #Changes, #Depression, #Education, #Growth, ;, Abandonment, Acceptance, Accountability, adaptability, Anxiety, Balancing Mental Illness, Belly of the beast, Black and white thinking, borderline personality disorder, bpd, branding, Can't Hurt Me, Colour spectrum, contemplation, Contentment, Creativity, DBT Skills, Depression, Discipline, END THE STIGMA, Fatigue is a hallucinogen, Fuck Mental Illness, Furry Family, Goal Setting, Goals, growth, Habits, Highlight reel, History, Hope, journalism, keystone habits, learning new skills, Legacy, Making time for what's important, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Health Tools, Mental Illness Awareness, Motivation, my story isn't over yet., Perspective, Photography, ptsd, Pushing myself, reporter, Road Trip!, Scars, Self-care, Self-confidence, Self-Discipline, sheep dogs, sparks, Storms, Stress, suicide survivor, Teamwork, TheOnlyEasyDayWasyesterday, Uncategorized, Writing Therapy

The last couple of weeks have been ... intense. Just about two weeks ago, we said goodbye to our precious Willow. We ultimately ended up having the vet come out on the Monday as we detected another problem with her and we just didn't want her suffering any more. I'm not going to lie; I … Continue reading Whirlwind…

It’s hard to say goodbye…

by thrutheashesblog, posted in #Changes, #Depression, #Education, #Growth, #Mental Health Monday, ;, Abandonment, Acceptance, Accountability, adaptability, Anxiety, Balancing Mental Illness, Belly of the beast, Colour spectrum, contemplation, Contentment, Depression, Discipline, END THE STIGMA, Faith, Family, Fuck Mental Illness, Furry Family, grief, growth, Habits, journalism, keystone habits, learning new skills, Legacy, Making time for what's important, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Illness Awareness, Motivation, Photography, ptsd, Pushing myself, reporter, Road Trip!, Self-care, sheep dogs, Storms, Stress, suicide survivor, TheOnlyEasyDayWasyesterday, Uncategorized, Writing Therapy

Suffice it to say, 2023 is already starting off on the wrong foot. While I have some positive stuff going on as far as work goes, which I can't speak about quite yet, on the home front things have been rough. I found out that Noreen, my biological dad's wife, passed away on Dec. 31. … Continue reading It’s hard to say goodbye…

Looking at the year ahead with hope…

by thrutheashesblog, posted in #bloggingbranding, #Changes, #Depression, #Education, #Growth, ;, Abandonment, Acceptance, Accountability, adaptability, Anxiety, Balancing Mental Illness, Belly of the beast, Black and white thinking, borderline personality disorder, bpd, branding, contemplation, Contentment, Creativity, DBT Skills, Depression, Discipline, END THE STIGMA, Faith, Fatigue, Fuck Mental Illness, Furry Family, Goal Setting, Goals, growth, Habits, Highlight reel, Hope, journalism, just for fun, keystone habits, learning new skills, Making time for what's important, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Health Tools, Mental Illness Awareness, Military Motivation, Motivation, my story isn't over yet., Perspective, Photography, ptsd, Pushing myself, reporter, Scars, Self-care, Self-confidence, Self-Discipline, sheep dogs, small victories, sparks, Storms, Stress, suicide survivor, TheOnlyEasyDayWasyesterday, Uncategorized, University, Writing Therapy

‘Twas the night before Christmas…. How can another year be nearly over? I can say with all honesty that 2022 has flown by. The last year has been one hell of a ride; it’s been full of challenge, growth and endurance. I sailed past the two year anniversary of my last hospital admission with barely … Continue reading Looking at the year ahead with hope…

Feeling strong…

by thrutheashesblog, posted in #bloggingbranding, #Changes, #Depression, #Education, #Growth, ;, Acceptance, Accountability, adaptability, Anxiety, Balancing Mental Illness, borderline personality disorder, bpd, branding, Communications, contemplation, Contentment, Creativity, DBT Skills, Depression, Discipline, Dogs, END THE STIGMA, Faith, Family, Fuck Mental Illness, Furry Family, Goal Setting, Goals, grief, growth, Habits, Highlight reel, Hope, journalism, just for fun, keystone habits, learning new skills, Legacy, Making time for what's important, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Health Tools, Mental Illness Awareness, Motivation, my story isn't over yet., Perspective, Photography, ptsd, Pushing myself, reporter, Self-care, Self-confidence, Self-Discipline, sheep dogs, small victories, suicide survivor, TheOnlyEasyDayWasyesterday, Uncategorized, University, Writing Therapy

I can't believe it has been nearly a month since I've last wrote. Things have been ... busy. Aside from a lull in the closing days of July and the first few days of August, work has been keeping me pretty steady. It seems like whenever I am have got things just about wrapped up … Continue reading Feeling strong…

Time off…

by thrutheashesblog, posted in #bloggingbranding, #Changes, #Depression, #Education, #Growth, ;, Acceptance, Accountability, adaptability, Anxiety, Balancing Mental Illness, Belly of the beast, Black and white thinking, borderline personality disorder, bpd, Communications, contemplation, Contentment, DBT Skills, Discipline, Dogs, END THE STIGMA, Fatigue, Fuck Mental Illness, Furry Family, Gaming, Goal Setting, Goals, growth, Habits, Highlight reel, Hope, journalism, just for fun, keystone habits, learning new skills, Making time for what's important, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Health Tools, Mental Illness Awareness, Motivation, my story isn't over yet., Perspective, ptsd, Pushing myself, Red Dead Redemption 2, reporter, Self-care, Self-confidence, Self-Discipline, sheep dogs, small victories, Storms, Stress, suicide survivor, TheOnlyEasyDayWasyesterday, Uncategorized, University, Writing Therapy

Well, I've been benched for a few days. My publisher is having me take a few days off to burn off some overtime I've accumulated. As frustrating as it is, as I have things to do, I definitely appreciate it. I don't think I realized quite how fatigued I was. I'm off for three days … Continue reading Time off…

A BUSY Couple of Weeks…

by thrutheashesblog, posted in #bloggingbranding, #Changes, #Depression, #Growth, ;, Acceptance, Accountability, adaptability, Anxiety, Balancing Mental Illness, Belly of the beast, borderline personality disorder, bpd, branding, Communications, contemplation, Contentment, Creativity, DBT Skills, Depression, Discipline, END THE STIGMA, Entertainment, Fatigue, Fitness, Fuck Mental Illness, Furry Family, Gaming, Goal Setting, Goals, growth, Habits, Hope, Injured List, journalism, keystone habits, learning new skills, Making time for what's important, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Health Tools, Mental Illness Awareness, Motivation, my story isn't over yet., Perspective, Photography, Prose, ptsd, Pushing myself, Red Dead Redemption 2, reporter, Self-care, Self-confidence, Self-Discipline, sheep dogs, suicide survivor, TheOnlyEasyDayWasyesterday, Uncategorized, University, Writing Therapy

A Camaro marked up as Bumblebee from the Transformers movies, and an R-5 droid at Calgary Expo 2021. The last couple of weeks have gone by in a blur. Last week was fairly busy, with interviews and meetings for work, which I tried to get caught up on before Lynn and I headed to Calgary … Continue reading A BUSY Couple of Weeks…

Home again…

by thrutheashesblog, posted in #bloggingbranding, #Depression, ;, Abandonment, Acceptance, adaptability, Anxiety, Balancing Mental Illness, borderline personality disorder, bpd, Depression, Dogs, END THE STIGMA, Faith, Fuck Mental Illness, Furry Family, Goal Setting, Goals, growth, Hope, journalism, keystone habits, learning new skills, Making time for what's important, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Health Tools, Mental Illness Awareness, Motivation, my story isn't over yet., Perspective, ptsd, Pushing myself, reporter, Road Trip!, Self-care, Self-confidence, suicide survivor, TheOnlyEasyDayWasyesterday, Uncategorized, Writing Therapy

It feels good to be home. After two weeks away looking after Lynn's mom post-surgery, I travelled home today. In total, the trip was just shy of eight hours, which makes for a long day. I'm a little annoyed at myself though. I thought I had packed everything up at the mother-in-law's house, however, apparently … Continue reading Home again…

Stress test

by thrutheashesblog, posted in #Changes, #Depression, #Growth, ;, Abandonment, Acceptance, Accountability, adaptability, Anxiety, Balancing Mental Illness, borderline personality disorder, bpd, contemplation, Contentment, Creativity, DBT Skills, Discipline, Dogs, Fatigue, Fitness, Fuck Mental Illness, Furry Family, Goal Setting, Goals, growth, Habits, History, Hope, keystone habits, Learn from history!, learning new skills, Legacy, Making time for what's important, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Illness Awareness, Motivation, my story isn't over yet., Perspective, Photography, ptsd, Pushing myself, reporter, Self-care, Self-confidence, Self-Discipline, sheep dogs, Storms, Stress, suicide survivor, TheOnlyEasyDayWasyesterday, Uncategorized, Writing Therapy

After an intense three week push, it's all over but the crying. I wrote the final exam for the first half of twentieth century history today. I say this after every exam, but I do not have a good feeling about this one. The exam was three long answer questions where you were expected to … Continue reading Stress test

Running in the red…

by thrutheashesblog, posted in #Growth, ;, Acceptance, adaptability, Anxiety, Belly of the beast, borderline personality disorder, bpd, contemplation, Contentment, DBT Skills, Depression, END THE STIGMA, Faith, Fatigue, Fitness, Fuck Mental Illness, Furry Family, Goals, growth, Habits, Hope, journalism, keystone habits, learning new skills, Making time for what's important, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Health Tools, Mental Illness Awareness, Motivation, my story isn't over yet., Perspective, Photography, ptsd, Pushing myself, reporter, Road Trip!, Self-care, Self-confidence, Self-Discipline, sheep dogs, Storms, Stress, suicide survivor, TheOnlyEasyDayWasyesterday, Uncategorized, Writing Therapy

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com Today has been a day. I was up and out relatively early, taking Willow to see the vet in Stettler. The vet ended up keeping her for a few hours so she could do some tests, which left me with time to kill. The good news is that the vet … Continue reading Running in the red…

Contemplating the -near- future…

by thrutheashesblog, posted in #Changes, #Growth, ;, Acceptance, Accountability, adaptability, Anxiety, Balancing Mental Illness, Belly of the beast, borderline personality disorder, bpd, contemplation, Contentment, DBT Skills, Depression, END THE STIGMA, Fallout4, Fatigue, Fuck Mental Illness, Furry Family, Gaming, Goal Setting, Goals, growth, Habits, Hope, journalism, keystone habits, learning new skills, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Health Tools, Mental Illness Awareness, my story isn't over yet., Perspective, Photography, PS4, ptsd, Pushing myself, reporter, Self-care, Self-confidence, Self-Discipline, Storms, suicide survivor, TheOnlyEasyDayWasyesterday, Uncategorized, Writing Therapy

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com This evening, I am feeling grateful for friends. A friend of mine reached out this morning offering to pick up the pet food from Alliance for me today, seeing as they were up there anyway on other business. This kind gesture saved me a trip up there, for which … Continue reading Contemplating the -near- future…

Return to reality, and potential changes on the horizon…

by thrutheashesblog, posted in ;, Acceptance, Accountability, adaptability, Anxiety, Balancing Mental Illness, Belly of the beast, borderline personality disorder, bpd, contemplation, Contentment, DBT Skills, Depression, Dogs, END THE STIGMA, Faith, Fuck Mental Illness, Furry Family, Goal Setting, Goals, growth, Habits, Hope, journalism, keystone habits, learning new skills, Making time for what's important, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Health Tools, Mental Illness Awareness, Motivation, my story isn't over yet., Perspective, Photography, ptsd, Pushing myself, reporter, Road Trip!, Self-care, Self-confidence, sheep dogs, Storms, Stress, suicide survivor, Uncategorized, Writing Therapy

The holiday season is behind us, and with that reality resumes. After a whirl-wind trip to Calgary where we spent New Year's Eve with friends, today is most definitely back to the grind. I'm glad I don't mind driving. First up, I have to recover the dogs from the kennel, where they had a min-vacation … Continue reading Return to reality, and potential changes on the horizon…

Touring the back country

by thrutheashesblog, posted in Balancing Mental Illness, Belly of the beast, borderline personality disorder, bpd, Contentment, Creativity, Depression, Dogs, END THE STIGMA, Faith, Fuck Mental Illness, Furry Family, Habits, Highlight reel, journalism, keystone habits, learning new skills, Making time for what's important, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Health Tools, Mental Illness Awareness, Motivation, my story isn't over yet., Photography, ptsd, Pushing myself, reporter, Self-care, sheep dogs, small victories, Storms, Stress, suicide survivor, Uncategorized, Writing Therapy

Today was a quieter day. I covered a breakfast with Santa event in Halkirk first thing, then met up for lunch with some of our church folks. After lunch I loaded up the two big dogs, Sirius and Roll, and headed out into the back country to take some photos. It was a relaxing afternoon, … Continue reading Touring the back country

CW: Rollercoaster…

by thrutheashesblog, posted in ;, Anxiety, Belly of the beast, borderline personality disorder, bpd, DBT Skills, Depression, Dogs, END THE STIGMA, Fatigue, Fuck Mental Illness, Furry Family, Habits, Hope, Impulse control, journalism, Making time for what's important, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Health Tools, Mental Illness Awareness, my story isn't over yet., Perspective, Physical injury, ptsd, Pushing myself, reporter, Self-care, Self-harm, sheep dogs, small victories, Storms, Stress, Suicidal Mind, suicide survivor, Uncategorized, Writing Therapy

Edit: today continued to decline and the suicidal thoughts hit me in a wave so hard I had to stop driving as I broke down completely. Definitely not a good day, but my doctor is fitting me in today. I have way too much going on to be this damn tired. While yesterday was an … Continue reading CW: Rollercoaster…

Protected: Finding ways to reconnect

by thrutheashesblog, posted in ;, Acceptance, adaptability, Anxiety, Balancing Mental Illness, Belly of the beast, Black and white thinking, borderline personality disorder, bpd, Colour spectrum, contemplation, DBT Skills, Depression, Dogs, END THE STIGMA, Faith, Family, Fuck Mental Illness, Furry Family, Goals, grief, Habits, journalism, keystone habits, loss, Making time for what's important, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Illness Awareness, my story isn't over yet., Perspective, ptsd, reporter, Self-care, sheep dogs, Storms, Stress, suicide survivor, Uncategorized, Writing Therapy

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

Feeling content while finding my niche.

by thrutheashesblog, posted in ;, Acceptance, adaptability, Anxiety, Balancing Mental Illness, Belly of the beast, borderline personality disorder, bpd, contemplation, Contentment, DBT Skills, Depression, Fuck Mental Illness, Furry Family, Goal Setting, Goals, Habits, Hope, journalism, keystone habits, learning new skills, Making time for what's important, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Illness Awareness, my story isn't over yet., Photography, ptsd, reporter, Self-care, sheep dogs, small victories, suicide survivor, Uncategorized, Writing Therapy

I'm feeling content tonight. Today was busy, yet fulfilling. Meeting this morning, coffee with a couple of friends, then a road trip with B up to Forestberg. Tonight I helped Lynn plant some vegetables in our little garden, and then Lynn and I talked over supper. It was one of the deepest, most connecting conversations … Continue reading Feeling content while finding my niche.

The animals definitely know how to try my patience…

by thrutheashesblog, posted in ;, Anxiety, Balancing Mental Illness, Belly of the beast, borderline personality disorder, bpd, coffee...., DBT Skills, Depression, Dogs, END THE STIGMA, Fatigue, Fatigue is a hallucinogen, Fuck Mental Illness, Furry Family, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Illness Awareness, my story isn't over yet., Photography, ptsd, reporter, Self-care, Storms, Stress, suicide survivor, Uncategorized, Writing Therapy

The animals are lucky they are cute, because I was ready to wring three of their necks last night. They were all being obnoxious turds as well, except for Taffy. She slept. Between Sirius barking his fool head off, Rolo attempting to push me off the bed, and Willow turning my CPAP machine off multiple … Continue reading The animals definitely know how to try my patience…

Another piece towards “normal.”

by thrutheashesblog, posted in ;, Anxiety, Balancing Mental Illness, Belly of the beast, borderline personality disorder, bpd, DBT Skills, Depression, Dogs, END THE STIGMA, Faith, Family, Fuck Mental Illness, Furry Family, Gaming, journalism, L.A. Noire, Making time for what's important, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Illness Awareness, my story isn't over yet., NHL 18, Perspective, Photography, ptsd, reporter, Self-care, small victories, Storms, Stress, suicide survivor, Uncategorized, Writing Therapy

I'm trying to figure out how today was so busy yet restful. I drove into Stettler today, and got an oil change, prescriptions, and a few things from Walmart, then stopped and picked up the dogs from the kennel on my way home. All three of the critters were happy to be making their way … Continue reading Another piece towards “normal.”

Back in the saddle

by thrutheashesblog, posted in ;, Acceptance, Anxiety, Balancing Mental Illness, Belly of the beast, borderline personality disorder, bpd, DBT Skills, Depression, Dogs, END THE STIGMA, Entertainment, Fitness, Fuck Mental Illness, Furry Family, Gaming, Goal Setting, Goals, journalism, L.A. Noire, loss, Making time for what's important, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Illness Awareness, my story isn't over yet., PS4, ptsd, Red Dead Redemption 2, reporter, Road Trip!, Self-care, sheep dogs, small victories, Storms, Stress, suicide survivor, Uncategorized, Writing Therapy

Today was busy! Up and out the door early, conference most of the day, then my first workout in a few days. Damn that felt good. This evening I joined B for supper on his birthday. Still trying to figure out how he ended up cooking on his birthday, but I appreciate the gesture! After … Continue reading Back in the saddle

Home again.

by thrutheashesblog, posted in ;, Acceptance, Balancing Mental Illness, Belly of the beast, borderline personality disorder, bpd, DBT Skills, Depression, Dogs, END THE STIGMA, Family, Fuck Mental Illness, Furry Family, Goals, grief, Hope, journalism, Making time for what's important, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Illness Awareness, my story isn't over yet., Perspective, ptsd, reporter, Road Trip!, Self-care, Storms, Stress, suicide survivor, Uncategorized, Writing Therapy

After eight and a half hours behind the wheel I am home. I'm home, but totally drained. The emotionally charged weekend for Brenda's burial and the drive out there and back saw to that. The bright side is I did get to spend some time with my parents. That is something that happens infrequently enough, … Continue reading Home again.

“new normal”

by thrutheashesblog, posted in ;, Acceptance, Balancing Mental Illness, Belly of the beast, borderline personality disorder, bpd, DBT Skills, Depression, Dogs, END THE STIGMA, Faith, Family, Fuck Mental Illness, Furry Family, grief, journalism, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Illness Awareness, Perspective, ptsd, reporter, Road Trip!, Self-care, sheep dogs, Storms, Stress, suicide survivor, Uncategorized, Writing Therapy

It has been an emotionally trying few days. Brenda's dogs Taffy, Skor, and Rolo. Taffy and Rolo joined our pack back in February, and Skor was rehomed. We said our final goodbye to Brenda yesterday. Today was a lighter day, but not without it's own emotional drain. We met up with some of Lynn's family … Continue reading “new normal”

the long goodbye…we will survive

by thrutheashesblog, posted in ;, Acceptance, Anxiety, Balancing Mental Illness, Belly of the beast, borderline personality disorder, bpd, Depression, Dogs, END THE STIGMA, Faith, Family, Fuck Mental Illness, Furry Family, grief, Hope, Legacy, loss, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Illness Awareness, my story isn't over yet., Perspective, ptsd, Scars, Self-care, sheep dogs, Storms, Stress, suicide survivor, Uncategorized, Writing Therapy

How do you even begin to say goodbye? That is a question that has been running through my mind today, as we say a final goodbye to my sister-in-law Brenda. Today was the day of her burial, after her sudden loss in the beginning of February. With the burial complete, we are closing one chapter … Continue reading the long goodbye…we will survive

The sheepdog

by thrutheashesblog, posted in ;, Acceptance, Balancing Mental Illness, Belly of the beast, borderline personality disorder, bpd, DBT Skills, Depression, Dogs, Emergency medical services, ems, END THE STIGMA, Fatigue, Fuck Mental Illness, Furry Family, Goals, Hope, journalism, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Illness Awareness, my story isn't over yet., ptsd, reporter, Self-care, sheep dogs, suicide survivor, Uncategorized, Writing Therapy

I'm enjoying a bit of a change of pace. This week has been slower than my last couple of weeks, although my Thursday and Friday are looking busy this week. It's a good thing though. I need to keep myself somewhat active. I need to keep my mind somewhat active. I just have to pace … Continue reading The sheepdog

A sea of doggie…

by thrutheashesblog, posted in ;, Balancing Mental Illness, Belly of the beast, borderline personality disorder, bpd, Depression, Dogs, END THE STIGMA, Fitness, Fuck Mental Illness, Furry Family, Habits, Hope, journalism, Making time for what's important, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Illness Awareness, my story isn't over yet., Photography, ptsd, Self-care, Storms, suicide survivor, Uncategorized, Writing Therapy

On this beautiful Sunday morning, I am ready to wring one of the dogs necks.... I get up, get dressed, and go to take the boys outside for their morning pee. I get to the landing and see some dog poop on the floor in the basement. So, I go down stairs to clean it … Continue reading A sea of doggie…

Finding energy…

by thrutheashesblog, posted in ;, Balancing Mental Illness, Belly of the beast, borderline personality disorder, bpd, Depression, END THE STIGMA, Fitness, Fuck Mental Illness, Furry Family, Habits, Hope, journalism, Making time for what's important, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Illness Awareness, Perspective, ptsd, reporter, Road Trip!, Self-care, suicide survivor, Uncategorized, Writing Therapy

Today has been a fairly steady day. I was up early this morning, just after 6, copying the habit I picked up in Hospital. Considering we were out with friends last night and I didn't get to bed until 11, it was a bit of chore, but I got up when I naturally woke up. … Continue reading Finding energy…

Admission update: Growth while going back to basics…

by thrutheashesblog, posted in ;, Acceptance, Anxiety, Balancing Mental Illness, Belly of the beast, borderline personality disorder, bpd, DBT Skills, Depression, Dogs, END THE STIGMA, Faith, Family, Fatigue, Fitness, Fuck Mental Illness, Furry Family, Goal Setting, Goals, grief, journalism, loss, Making time for what's important, Mental health, Mental Health awareness, Mental Health recovery, Mental Illness Awareness, my story isn't over yet., Perspective, ptsd, reporter, Self-care, Storms, Stress, suicide survivor, Uncategorized, Writing Therapy

My appointment with the doctor yesterday was good, if not a bit strained. He told me some things I already know, such as I need to change the channel in my mind from dying to living when I get overly stressed. His recommendation for me is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. The problem is where to find … Continue reading Admission update: Growth while going back to basics…