Bill Leslie: Walking Rufus

As I write this message I hope and pray that all of you are safe.

Cindy and I are fine. Our children and grandchildren are fine. We are extremely grateful.

We are also grateful for medical personnel on the front lines of the pandemic, grocery store workers and journalists providing important information every day.

Our hearts ache for those who have lost their jobs. Our hope is that there will be a strong economic recovery after what appears to be a steep recession.

Cindy and I have developed routines, rhythms and rituals to get us through each week.

Cindy has been reading, baking, organizing and reaching out to others. I’ve experienced a burst of creativity in my music studio.

We list homemade oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies and banana bread as occasional comfort foods.

I would love to hear your stories. What activities bring you joy in this time of uncertainty? What are the simple pleasures you can still hold onto? bleslie@wral.com is my email address. Please write so I can share your stories in future blogs.

One of our favorite things to do every day is take our dog Rufus for a long walk on a greenway. We usually head out early in the morning to avoid a lot of people.

Rufus is ten years old now.

When Rufus was a puppy I wrote a song about him and crafted a music video called “Walking Rufus.” This week I updated the video to include images of Rufus as an older dog. This new project brought me great joy and I wanted to share it with you.

I look forward to hearing about the weekly rituals that bring you happiness and give you a sense of stability during these uncertain times.