I need another name for squirrels

I have a couple of bird feeders outside of our house. I'd have more, but I've run out of trees and places where I can watch the birds. I like to watch .... the birds ....

I do very much enjoy seeing what kinds of birds we have in our area, and specifically watch them while they eat. At one particular feeder I have a mated pair of House Finches that come every day. She sits on one side facing one way, he sits on the other side facing the other way. They're very cute, and I rarely see them come separately.

On Saturday afternoon I was sitting at my kitchen table, looking out the window at a feeder when on the fence between our house and the neighbours two squirrels were sitting there eyeing my feeders.

I do like squirrels, but I don't like the damage they do the bird feeders. They're not called "bird" feeders for nothing.

I digress.

The one smaller squirrel caught my attention first. Something was different about this little fellow. He was smaller, but I could tell he wasn't a baby either. Realization dawned on me that in fact he had no tail, or at least a mere nub of a tail was all that he'd had left. I'm sure he had some wicked story to tell over that one.

At the understanding that I was now dealing with a 'handicapped' squirrel my heart softened to the furry bloke - just a little.

They started up their scare tactics chatter that squirrels do, so I went out to our deck to see if one of my cats were bothering them. Can't have that.

Once I got outside, the pair had moved and one was on the tree only a couple of feet from me. This one was slightly larger - and had a gigantic tail. However, to my astonishment - this squirrel was missing an eye AND had a torn up ear!

Talk about heart wrenching! I'm sure I quite audibly gave a "ohhhh myyyy nooooo" gasp of compassion. And despite my strong feelings of not encouraging the little rotters I went back into the house to get some bird seed to put on the fence for the squirrels to get.

You'd think my story would end here, happily ever after, squirrel couple well fed (and safe from all felines). That I'd have them in for cuddles and daily tea times by the fireside, but no .... my story does not end, and my heart not fully wrenched from my chest cavity yet.

I came back outside to put the seed out for them, the smaller, tailess squirrel was on a tree beside the fence. It was scampering up and down feverishly calling his friend and tailfull / earless mate to come away. Suddenly I made another discovering about my tree living neighbours. Mr. No-tail (prefer to think of him as a him) was an amputee! He was missing a hind leg.

Forget the previous "ohhhh myyyyy noooo", I now let out a huge grown of condolence.

I really have to have the furry neighbours over more often, sit them down for a good old fashioned chin-way. There has to be a good story behind these two. How did they meet? Did they get the plate of the car they crashed into?? Did they meet at the vets office over comparing war wounds? What?

I'll try to get a picture of them. They really are quite cute.

On a Brighter Note ...

My In-Laws pulled out around 2pm on Sunday, and I must admit I felt a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. The balance of tranquility was being restored in my home and for the first time in days I felt that could let my hair down and relax. It was a tangibly physical feeling, and - yes - I reveled in it.

It's also true that I ate my big, heaping bowl of "stew of ugliness", and I must admit it gave me heartburn. But a couple of large Rolaid-prayers and a gallon liquid-grace, and I got things under control.

Please understand that I love my In-Laws BIG TIME, and appreciate their acceptance of me into the family. It's more that I don't like what I turn into when my mother-in-law is around. A very agitated side of me surfaces. I want to correct, if not muzzle, what comes out of her mouth. I need to tell her she's wrong - all the time.

I confess that I am the person in the wrong here. I am not honouring of my mother and father (in-law). I must remember the grace and mercy that the Lord pours on me abundantly - daily.

The majority of the stress came to a head on Saturday morning when I confronted (in love) my M-I-L on behaviour she was giving us (hubby & I) that morning. I won't go into it, other that to say - we hugged and made up.

I am NOT, however, in a rush to have them visit again anytime soon. And Lord help me - if they want to come and stay over on the next statutory/long weekend (it's been two in a row now), or any long weekends to come in 2009. And as much as my hubby loves his parents - neither is he in a wishful stance for the next sleep-over. Neither one of us can handle being around both in-laws when they begin to lay the guilt trips on each other. But that's a whole other story.

For now, I/we are breathing easier, sleeping better, and loving the parents from a distance.

2nd Post - same rant - Part 2

If you haven't read my entry from earlier today, stop and do that first because this is the punch line of a continuing saga.


I got home from lunch to find (her still in the same spot) that she'd gone into our bedroom and folded my dirty laundry!!

I have no more words.

Its My Right To Rant, and you can't take it away from me

I'm starting this entry off by saying that this is a rant. This is my space to do with what I want, and if you know me personally - you will allow me the grace to say what I want how I want to say it - and no talk-back!

I have a rant!! As many of you know from my previous entry my mother-in-law is staying with us this week. She'll be turning 78 next month and is not the most mobile person. My father-in-law is off in Winnipeg at meetings (Meti Veterans) and a bit of a visit with his 93 year old mother.

My F-I-L decided that the M-I-L couldn't/shouldn't stay at home alone for fear of her falling. So instead he insisted that she stay with us where she'll have nothing to do and no one to visit with, and be completely alone ALL DAY because both hubby and I work for a living and can't take extra time off.

I leave the house in the mornings and the M-I-L is sitting on the couch. I come home at lunch and she's still sitting in the same spot. I come home after work and she's STILL in the same spot. The very same spot that she continues to sit in all evening. However, she does get bored enough during the day to 'make herself helpful'.

The word 'helpful' is what I have to keep in mind and I rant, because this particular 'helpfulness' really bugs me (OK - to be honest - it pissed me off!!).

I have a bad habit of, after doing my laundry I leave them semi folded up in the hamper they came from (cause that's the way I like 'em). Then I live out of that hamper until its empty and I refill it with dirty clothes.

My M-I-L took it upon herself (to be 'helpful', said with sarcasm) to refold my laundry. RE-FOLD my laundry. This included folding my underwear.

Who Freakin' Folds Underwear?? Let Alone OTHER People's Underwear!!!!!

If I'd wanted my freakin' shirts to have an extra fold pleat I would have fold them. But I don't, I lie them flat. I freaking want them laid flat. I don't freakin' want them folded!

The woman has GOT to go home! SOON!!

(deep breath in ...... deep breath out .....)

I would like to write that at this point I am feeling better for having ranted. But to be honest - I'm tired, I'm grumpy, its Friday, and I've got another 48 hours of 'helpfulness'. So I am NOT feeling better post writing rant.

Try as I might right now I cannot be filled with grace, mercy, love, and peace. I will be sitting in this stew of ugliness for a little while longer. And hopefully by lunch I can be civil when I get home - to find her sitting in the same spot on the couch that she's taken up residence in all week.

I would like it noted that I did not go into lengthy diatribe on the type of 'conversation' the M-I-L likes to have - during our favourite TV shows, like Hell's Kitchen Finale, or Survivor .... etc.

Harruummmphhhhhhh!

Please have patience for me, God isn't finished with me yet.

Mother of a Week

I've been a bit absent (minded) this week. My mother-in-law has been staying with us, and I have had a hard time keeping routine - in thought or deed. I find that whenever we have overnight company I slip into a parallel universe where very little is familiar, and even less can be attributed to 'mine'. Ya know? Your house is not your house, your kitchen is not your kitchen, your schedule is not your schedule. It all very dependent on 'them'.

And I am by nature - a very routine kind of person. It's probably one of the ways that assists me in feeling in control of my surroundings. Which I recognize as being a total oximoron anyway. Who's really 'in control' of whats happening around them?

At least when I'm at work I feel as if I have some control of my surrounding and people.

Speaking of work / surroundings / peeps - I received flowers this week from our bookkeeper. She brought me flowers for Mother's day, although I am not a mother nor ever will be, in the tradition sense. Our bookkeeper wanted me to be recognized as a mother to my co-workers. And as a past co-worker pointed out later that day I am a 'mother of all co-workers' ....

Is that a back handed compliment, or ....

I'll take it in the spirit in which it was intended - and pay him back later.

In the meantime I will gaze upon my bouquet of flowers (at work) and long for the weekend when I get my house and routine back.

Must share my toys again

My grass-widow days are weaning to a close. Hubby was supposed to arrive at the airport this afternoon, but just as my front tires were still on the driveway and the back tires were on the road, he called to say they'd missed their connection flight. If they were lucky they might be arriving around 8pm tonight.

So much for getting off work early ....

On the flip-side - I've enjoyed my solitude. I was a single adult for over 20 years before the hubby came along, and all but 3 years of that I didn't have roommates. So even though we've been married for almost 7 years now, I still miss my alone times. Hubby is a real introvert, so getting the house to myself is a very rare commodity. If he's not at work, then he's home or out with me.

I am looking forward to having him home again. I need someone to take the trash out.

Ok, ok - it's more than that, and you and I know it. I love his company, I love his friendship, and I love him.

Lets hope he doesn't miss anymore flights today.

I'm Not Buying That Ticket For The Guilt Train

I took the hubby to the airport yesterday morning. He's off on business in Atlanta, Georgia. Part of me wishes I was with him - its warm and not raining in Atlanta right now. And the other part of me is heaving a huge sigh of relief that I have the house and the bed a-l-l t-o m-y-s-e-l-f!!!

Truth be told it falls into a 10 / 90 split, face planting strongly on the latter.

Is that wrong? Should I be feeling guilty?

Naaaaahhhhhh!

As I awoke to the luxuriousness of the bed all to myself, the cats kicked out of the room, and the bed NOT jostling to every tiny move - I (without guilt) felt wonderfully refreshed and ready to meet my day.

Is that wrong? Should I be feeling guilty?

Naaaaahhhhh!!

It doesn't mean I don't love or miss my husband any less. On the contrary, I truly do love him and miss him. I don't miss the fighting over pillow space (he pushes the half way boundary), temperature control, are the cats in or out, and most of all ..... (shhhh don't tell him I said this) I don't miss the loud, purposeful, off key ditty singing he does when he first gets up. Nooooooo! I do not miss that!!

Everyone tells me I have such a quite and polite husband - well "they" haven't spent early mornings with him.

But I digress.

Tonight I will go home to a quiet house, look at a mess that "I" left behind from this morning. Clean up the mess that "I" made this morning. Make a dinner that's healthy and well balanced and nutritious. Watch television that doesn't include guns, cops, or serial killers. And go to bed at a reasonable hour to read in quiet with no background noise.

Is that wrong? Should I be feeling guilty?

Naaaaahhhhh!!

He'll be home late Friday afternoon, we'll be back to normal and I'll be glad for it.