Hmmm, yes, it does sound like this could be a short blog about something quite nasty but in reality it isn't and a really simple explanation as to why there is toilet paper sitting in our bathroom and we can't use it - ever. We have a small window in the master bath with no curtains or shade on it. While it is small and our house overlooks the first hole of a golf course, a friend once told me "those caddies all have binoculars!" True or not, I am not taking chances. I placed a large Chinese vase in the window with sprigs of eucalyptus coming from it. As that did not take up the entire shelf of the window, I also placed our spare toilet paper rolls up there. It was easy to turn around and grab one if needs be, at the proper time.
When my daughters cat moved in with us, we discovered that he is infinitely curious and will get up on anything, anywhere, anytime, to look out a window, see what's there, or whatever else goes through a cat's mind. My daughter's cat is beautiful but for a cat, he is somewhat a bit clumsy too. So far he has knocked off and broken: a tea pot, a mug, a couple of wooden boxes, a troll from Noway, a tray, and probably more. I have taken down almost everything from my shelves and window sills, wherever he might jump and knock over something. My loft is now full of my wonderful treasures that aren't safe around him. HOWEVER, that said, it's all ok because he's a lovely cat and quite fun and entertaining to have around. Hopefully he will become more graceful as he gets older or will get jaded and not get up on so many enticing platforms (yea, right!).
Back to the bathroom. I don't want to take down the Chinese vase because of caddies with their binoculars - ha ha and it does make me feel a bit more private to know anyone out there will have a difficult time looking through that window. BUT that means the toilet paper must remain undisturbed and un-use-able sitting in the window on either side of the Chinese vase to protect it and keep the shelf fully occupied and unavailable to curious cats. So you see, quite innocent that my toilet paper is un-use-able and will sit there forever in it's pristine roll just holding the spot.
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Monday, October 28, 2013
WE KNOW WHO YOU ARE!
Stopped in at the veterinary the other day to pick up some cat food for my and my daughter's lovelies at home, the sweet furbabies that we love so much and that are adorable and loving and affectionate. The vet has this deal where if you buy 5 bags of a certain kind of cat food, any size, you get the 6th bag free, same size. So, even though it is not the favorite brand of our cats, we get the dental diet there occasionally and they love that one well enough. Had to wait as the vet assistant was helping another client with a very cute pug dog. When finished, I stepped up with my bag of cat food. She's busy typing on the computer and I figure she's finishing up with the pug dog information. Finally she turns to me and says 13.45 pounds please.
Hmmm, I want credit for my bags of cat food so I'll get my free one. So I say, "don't you want to put it on my account so I can get my free bag later?" and she says to me "I KNOW WHO YOU ARE. YOU HAVE A REPUTATION!" OMG.
Well, of course, she actually meant they know my sweet baboo, my wonderfully affectionate, loving, friendly, sit on my lap whenever possible to purr, sleep beside me at night, follow me into the bathroom whenever she can, get jealous if I pay attention to other cats Godiva. She's my cat just as much as one of the other cats is my hubby's and the third one is my daughter's. They all have their favorite human "toy".
Godiva is a Siamese and a wonderfully mixed color. All three are rescue cats, meaning we found them at an adoption center. My lovely furbaby took about 3 years before she became a true lap cat and began searching me out for petting and just to be near me. She's now 9 1/2 years old. At a young age, maybe 2, we had a bad experience with a vet in Houston who hurt Godiva in a way that she's never forgiven or forgotten. Since that time, there has been a Doctor Jeckle and Ms. Hyde transformation that comes over my sweet baboo whenever she enters a vets office, and even often when she is in the car riding to the vet's office. Everyone knows that cats can tell when they are on the way to the vet.
My loving kitty turns into a Tasmanian Devil, a cornered badger, a captive wolverine, a fighting rooster with spurs, or in other words, she gets as defensive and mean and nasty as she possibly can. Now, my kitty will NOT bite me or my daughter or my husband IF (and that's a big IF) she knows it's our hand there holding on to her and IF she's not scared and in pain. Once she got her foot caught in a rattan chair and fell off so she was hanging and screaming and struggling to get free. My daughter rescued her but got bit accidentally in the action. In that instance, I think Godiva would have bit anything close to her. But many times, I have been to the vet and held her while they take her temperature or give her a shot and she will be struggling and hissing and growling for all she's worth and trying to bite but will stop when she sees it's my hand holding her.
That said, it's extremely hard to hold her when she's struggling. she's an expert at wriggling free, even out of the neck scruff which almost always will immobilize a cat. Not her. She's so furry that it's hard to get a scruff on her. So usually it's me holding her and an assistant also trying to hold her and the poor vet trying to do something necessary because my baby is sick and everyone trying to avoid getting bit or scratched..
Once we had to take her to the emergency vet late at night. I got her out of the cage and this new vet was very afraid that she would bite me so she said "I have trained people who can hold her". As I really hate being a part of causing pain to my kitty, I said sure so we put her back in her cage and the vet took her into the back part of the surgery and we went out to the waiting room to - well, wait! Ten minutes later, we hadn't heard anything when the door opens the the vet steps out and says, "We can't get her out of the cage!". so I had to go back in the room, dump her out of the cage again, and hold her while the vet checked her and gave her a shot. So much for trained personnel.
On a different vet visit, the vet was really trying hard to listen to her chest and lungs and take her temperature. Godiva was screaming and howling and hissing for all she was worth. When I finally walked out of the treatment room, every single person in the waiting room was staring at me with expressions of horror and shock on their faces. I know they thought we were torturing her and killing her in that room. Even the dogs were sitting there quietly and quivering as if they were definitely afraid to go into the torture chamber next.
So you see, Godiva has quite the reputation and since I am the one that always takes her to the vet, apparently I am easily recognizable now as the "devil's owner". At the end of the day though, I got credit for purchasing my bag of cat food which Godiva will eat with great pleasure and after another bag or two, I'll get a free bag. That's all I wanted.
Hmmm, I want credit for my bags of cat food so I'll get my free one. So I say, "don't you want to put it on my account so I can get my free bag later?" and she says to me "I KNOW WHO YOU ARE. YOU HAVE A REPUTATION!" OMG.
Well, of course, she actually meant they know my sweet baboo, my wonderfully affectionate, loving, friendly, sit on my lap whenever possible to purr, sleep beside me at night, follow me into the bathroom whenever she can, get jealous if I pay attention to other cats Godiva. She's my cat just as much as one of the other cats is my hubby's and the third one is my daughter's. They all have their favorite human "toy".
Godiva is a Siamese and a wonderfully mixed color. All three are rescue cats, meaning we found them at an adoption center. My lovely furbaby took about 3 years before she became a true lap cat and began searching me out for petting and just to be near me. She's now 9 1/2 years old. At a young age, maybe 2, we had a bad experience with a vet in Houston who hurt Godiva in a way that she's never forgiven or forgotten. Since that time, there has been a Doctor Jeckle and Ms. Hyde transformation that comes over my sweet baboo whenever she enters a vets office, and even often when she is in the car riding to the vet's office. Everyone knows that cats can tell when they are on the way to the vet.
My loving kitty turns into a Tasmanian Devil, a cornered badger, a captive wolverine, a fighting rooster with spurs, or in other words, she gets as defensive and mean and nasty as she possibly can. Now, my kitty will NOT bite me or my daughter or my husband IF (and that's a big IF) she knows it's our hand there holding on to her and IF she's not scared and in pain. Once she got her foot caught in a rattan chair and fell off so she was hanging and screaming and struggling to get free. My daughter rescued her but got bit accidentally in the action. In that instance, I think Godiva would have bit anything close to her. But many times, I have been to the vet and held her while they take her temperature or give her a shot and she will be struggling and hissing and growling for all she's worth and trying to bite but will stop when she sees it's my hand holding her.
That said, it's extremely hard to hold her when she's struggling. she's an expert at wriggling free, even out of the neck scruff which almost always will immobilize a cat. Not her. She's so furry that it's hard to get a scruff on her. So usually it's me holding her and an assistant also trying to hold her and the poor vet trying to do something necessary because my baby is sick and everyone trying to avoid getting bit or scratched..
Once we had to take her to the emergency vet late at night. I got her out of the cage and this new vet was very afraid that she would bite me so she said "I have trained people who can hold her". As I really hate being a part of causing pain to my kitty, I said sure so we put her back in her cage and the vet took her into the back part of the surgery and we went out to the waiting room to - well, wait! Ten minutes later, we hadn't heard anything when the door opens the the vet steps out and says, "We can't get her out of the cage!". so I had to go back in the room, dump her out of the cage again, and hold her while the vet checked her and gave her a shot. So much for trained personnel.
On a different vet visit, the vet was really trying hard to listen to her chest and lungs and take her temperature. Godiva was screaming and howling and hissing for all she was worth. When I finally walked out of the treatment room, every single person in the waiting room was staring at me with expressions of horror and shock on their faces. I know they thought we were torturing her and killing her in that room. Even the dogs were sitting there quietly and quivering as if they were definitely afraid to go into the torture chamber next.
So you see, Godiva has quite the reputation and since I am the one that always takes her to the vet, apparently I am easily recognizable now as the "devil's owner". At the end of the day though, I got credit for purchasing my bag of cat food which Godiva will eat with great pleasure and after another bag or two, I'll get a free bag. That's all I wanted.
Friday, October 25, 2013
The Beer Book
My hubby has been brewing home brew (beer) since before I met him so that's got to be about 40 years now. This includes doing batches up to 5 gallons but also smaller batches as it is all for his and his friends enjoyment. no selling involved or anything like that. Just a hobby that he loves. On occasion, we've been places where's he way to busy with work and I've taken over the brewing duties so I've been brewing for around 20 years. But I'm not as good as I'm not really a beer drinker. So it's a little hard for me to taste and beer and know if it tastes like it should. My hubby is an expert and has judged many a beer contest including novelty beers to his dismay which always include something like Jalepeno beer! I prefer my ole diet coke or diet dr. pepper anytime.
When we move to a new location, new country, new town, it takes a bit to settle in and set up and find a home brew shop where he can get his supplies and such. So he is never adverse to buying beer and enjoys tasting new brews and especially micro-brews. We tend to visit brewerys whenever possible for tours and tastings. Also vineyards and winerys and also distilleries. And no, we're really not big drinkers but it's fun.
So, starting out in England a bit over 2 years ago now (OMG, we've been here that long! time is passing too quickly!), he was delighted to find a whole new cornucopia of brews to taste. Unfortunately, it took me about a year to figure out we needed to keep a record of these brews so we hit on the idea of having a beer book. People do this for wines they like - saving the labels and such and we've tried that without much success because we're not big wine drinkers but beer! Hubby drinks one a day, at least! So I became the keeper of the beer book and I soak off the labels and glue them into the book. Not as easy as it sounds as some labels refuse to be parted from their bottles and others totally dissolve and turn to mush when you try to soak them off. But I've been doing a pretty good job and so far we have around 136 different beer labels in our book which is almost full. We are going to have to go to book #2 soon. Wish I had thought to do this years ago because the beer history would be remarkable. But better now than never as just about every county in England has its own plethora of brews and sometimes even towns have their own brews specific to them. We won't ever get all the beers in England into our book but we're going to give it a good try and then keep the book going wherever we are. Bottoms up!
When we move to a new location, new country, new town, it takes a bit to settle in and set up and find a home brew shop where he can get his supplies and such. So he is never adverse to buying beer and enjoys tasting new brews and especially micro-brews. We tend to visit brewerys whenever possible for tours and tastings. Also vineyards and winerys and also distilleries. And no, we're really not big drinkers but it's fun.
So, starting out in England a bit over 2 years ago now (OMG, we've been here that long! time is passing too quickly!), he was delighted to find a whole new cornucopia of brews to taste. Unfortunately, it took me about a year to figure out we needed to keep a record of these brews so we hit on the idea of having a beer book. People do this for wines they like - saving the labels and such and we've tried that without much success because we're not big wine drinkers but beer! Hubby drinks one a day, at least! So I became the keeper of the beer book and I soak off the labels and glue them into the book. Not as easy as it sounds as some labels refuse to be parted from their bottles and others totally dissolve and turn to mush when you try to soak them off. But I've been doing a pretty good job and so far we have around 136 different beer labels in our book which is almost full. We are going to have to go to book #2 soon. Wish I had thought to do this years ago because the beer history would be remarkable. But better now than never as just about every county in England has its own plethora of brews and sometimes even towns have their own brews specific to them. We won't ever get all the beers in England into our book but we're going to give it a good try and then keep the book going wherever we are. Bottoms up!
The Rain-Hole Phenomenon Updated
As my daughter is off on her rotational assignment, it took a few days for the links and posting to reach her and I finally just had to copy it into an email as the link wouldn't work where she is. She remembered the storms and sitting on the balcony and reminded me of a few things I had forgotten. Snacks or a picnic while we were watching the storms was important. In those days, it was so much easier and cheaper to buy food that wasn't the best in nutrition but it filled your tummies and since we didn't have a lot of money, that's what we ate. Mac n cheese, crackers and squirt cheese, bologna sandwiches and chips (potato chips as in the U.S. style, not chips as in the U.K style) and such. Our main food for storm watching was crackers and squirt cheese. You could make it as you sat there or squirt some cheese into your mouth directly to be funny. It was a comfort food with the stories and the storms. I think it took us years to get over buying the squirt cheese in a can as it certainly wasn't nutritious.
She then reminded me too that her "rain-holeness" had happened much earlier than I remember as she moved to several different places well known for having a lot of rain and fog and storms and each time she moved there, a drought happened. Not usually a major drought but the rain and storms dried up and went away for the most part until she left the area, either on holiday or permanently. Gosh we need to find out how to market this!!!
Once again, she has moved to a place well known for it's rainy season which is now. We'll have to wait and see what happens but if you hear about certain parts of Africa that inexplicably aren't having their usual amounts of rain, you'll know that's where she is!
She then reminded me too that her "rain-holeness" had happened much earlier than I remember as she moved to several different places well known for having a lot of rain and fog and storms and each time she moved there, a drought happened. Not usually a major drought but the rain and storms dried up and went away for the most part until she left the area, either on holiday or permanently. Gosh we need to find out how to market this!!!
Once again, she has moved to a place well known for it's rainy season which is now. We'll have to wait and see what happens but if you hear about certain parts of Africa that inexplicably aren't having their usual amounts of rain, you'll know that's where she is!
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Bathroom Buddy
In my own house, I think it is a fairly safe bet to say I haven't been to the bathroom by myself in - oh - probably about 7 years or so. There may be the odd occasion once or twice but most of the time, heading into the bathroom means I am joined by my bathroom buddy, my Siamese cat. She's 9 1/2 years old now and about 7 years ago, I think she decided that the bathroom was a good time for her to get petted. I am still and not moving and my hands are closer to the floor so she's made it a major part of her life to join me.
In the morning, she is usually on the bed trying to wake me up anyway so as soon as I am out of the bed, she makes a beeline for the bathroom. If she is not fast enough to beat me into the bathroom and I should - heaven forbid - shut the door in her face, she makes it known that she is displeased. She scratches on the door and cries until I open it enough that she can squeeze through and come into the bathroom. Then it's purr time and rub against the legs time.
In my office, she likes to sit on my lap until my legs are numb and my arms are tired of typing over her and I kick her off. Then she'll sit in the extra chair. If I get up to go to the bathroom, she's up and coming with me. In fact, about the only time I can get some bathroom time to myself is if she is busy eating. That is much more important than bathroom quality time but that is the only thing more important.
Usually she is fine to wander around the bathroom and come over for some petting and some tummy rubs but on occasion, it's apparently necessary for her to sit on my lap. that's what laps are for, yes? and I do have a warm body so winter times, she's into the bathroom with me and demanding some extra lap time. This also occurs should I have been gone for awhile, on a holiday or something, then she feels the need, I think, to reconnect and make sure the bathroom is still her place to share with me. Should one of the other cats come along into the bathroom, she gets upset and hisses at them or shoves open the door and leaves in a huff. I'm left sitting there in disgrace.
Don't mind having a bathroom buddy. Kind of cute and clever that she likes to be with me that much. And of course I talk to her so when I am heading to the bathroom and she just looks at me, I'll ask if she's coming along and wait for her. She has me well trained.
In the morning, she is usually on the bed trying to wake me up anyway so as soon as I am out of the bed, she makes a beeline for the bathroom. If she is not fast enough to beat me into the bathroom and I should - heaven forbid - shut the door in her face, she makes it known that she is displeased. She scratches on the door and cries until I open it enough that she can squeeze through and come into the bathroom. Then it's purr time and rub against the legs time.
In my office, she likes to sit on my lap until my legs are numb and my arms are tired of typing over her and I kick her off. Then she'll sit in the extra chair. If I get up to go to the bathroom, she's up and coming with me. In fact, about the only time I can get some bathroom time to myself is if she is busy eating. That is much more important than bathroom quality time but that is the only thing more important.
Usually she is fine to wander around the bathroom and come over for some petting and some tummy rubs but on occasion, it's apparently necessary for her to sit on my lap. that's what laps are for, yes? and I do have a warm body so winter times, she's into the bathroom with me and demanding some extra lap time. This also occurs should I have been gone for awhile, on a holiday or something, then she feels the need, I think, to reconnect and make sure the bathroom is still her place to share with me. Should one of the other cats come along into the bathroom, she gets upset and hisses at them or shoves open the door and leaves in a huff. I'm left sitting there in disgrace.
Don't mind having a bathroom buddy. Kind of cute and clever that she likes to be with me that much. And of course I talk to her so when I am heading to the bathroom and she just looks at me, I'll ask if she's coming along and wait for her. She has me well trained.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
The Rain-Hole Phenomenon
Way back when, really years ago, when I was a single mom and my daughter was a cute little toddler, she was afraid of thunder and lightening storms, horribly afraid. I didn't want this to affect her in any way later in life. We were living in Houston, Texas at the time and there were plenty of thunder and lightening and rainstorms, practically every week some months. We also lived on a second floor apartment that looked out onto a bayou where we could see the water rise during a really heavy downpour. This apartment had a small protected balcony and I had a wading pool on it for her enjoyment. So, in my incredible mother wisdom that I certain had at the time (meaning I was lucky to have a clue about anything those days), I figured we'd go outside and sit in the rain and storms and watch the lightening and hear the thunder and I'd tell her stories about it and possibly she would lose her fear of the noise and light and rain and all. So we did. We'd take a snack, sit on a blanket, hold the umbrella over the two of us if the rain was blowing or just over our feet if it was just raining steadily down, and I'd make up stories about thunder and lightening and rain. Can't even remember a single story but I think I was rather verbose back then. Nothing mythical like Thor or Zeus or anything, just stupid little things that a toddler would find funny and amusing.
Well, I am here to tell you now that this worked wonderfully. Worked way above my expectations. Worked so well that she has become a connoisseur of thunder and lightening rainstorms and dearly loves them. She likes best to be curled up inside so she can watch and listen to them. Gets really irritated if she has to be inside with no windows and cannot see the rain at least. Opens windows no matter what the temperature to hear the rain better. Some day I am sure she will buy a house with a tin roof to enhance this as well.
Now, years later, she is a wonderful adult and still loves a good rainstorm but for some reason, they evade her! We've moved around quite a bit as has she and she's ended up in some locations where it just doesn't rain very much. Usually, she manages to leave those locations before too long. However, we've come to realize that she is a "rain-hole phenomenon"! This means that where she is, it will likely not rain! Last year when she lived in Houston again for awhile, the site of the beginning of her love for storms, the place where the rain and humidity stay high constantly, Houston had a drought. She was there about a year, and hardly any rain at all. Once she left, the drought broke! She was back for awhile this year during their rainy season and no rain again until the day after she left!
And we are living in England, right? Damp, dreary, wet, raining, dripping and such? Right? NOPE! She visits us every other month when she is on her rotational time off her job. Rain can be predicted for the first week of her visit and disappear from everyone's radar screen the minute her plane touches down at Heathrow. Rain pops up in Surrey (our county) and will be showing hard rain everywhere in Surrey except for a bright and sunny hole over our community! Rain scheduled for the entire week always shows a hole over us. No rain for us and yet it can be pouring down rain less than 2 miles away. She can move from our house to the neighboring town 5 miles away where she goes to the gym and it will rain at home while she is gone then rain in the neighboring town when she has returned home. She is like the Charlie Brown character "Pig Pen" only while he had dirt attracted to him like a magnet, she repeals rain like a negatively charged particle. You have no idea how much this really "pisses" her off since she loves rain so much.
We would really like to find out what causes her to have a "rain-hole" over her location. We could rent her out to countries that are inundated during the monsoons. We'd make a fortune having her sit in a city and keep the rain away when someplace has reached their saturation limit or are well over their needed amount. Unfortunately, no idea why this is and if it's a permanent phenomenon or not. So to my friends, when you know my daughter is visiting, you can plan all your outdoor activities in relative safety, knowing that they will not be rained out. When she is gone, "here comes da rain".
Well, I am here to tell you now that this worked wonderfully. Worked way above my expectations. Worked so well that she has become a connoisseur of thunder and lightening rainstorms and dearly loves them. She likes best to be curled up inside so she can watch and listen to them. Gets really irritated if she has to be inside with no windows and cannot see the rain at least. Opens windows no matter what the temperature to hear the rain better. Some day I am sure she will buy a house with a tin roof to enhance this as well.
Now, years later, she is a wonderful adult and still loves a good rainstorm but for some reason, they evade her! We've moved around quite a bit as has she and she's ended up in some locations where it just doesn't rain very much. Usually, she manages to leave those locations before too long. However, we've come to realize that she is a "rain-hole phenomenon"! This means that where she is, it will likely not rain! Last year when she lived in Houston again for awhile, the site of the beginning of her love for storms, the place where the rain and humidity stay high constantly, Houston had a drought. She was there about a year, and hardly any rain at all. Once she left, the drought broke! She was back for awhile this year during their rainy season and no rain again until the day after she left!
And we are living in England, right? Damp, dreary, wet, raining, dripping and such? Right? NOPE! She visits us every other month when she is on her rotational time off her job. Rain can be predicted for the first week of her visit and disappear from everyone's radar screen the minute her plane touches down at Heathrow. Rain pops up in Surrey (our county) and will be showing hard rain everywhere in Surrey except for a bright and sunny hole over our community! Rain scheduled for the entire week always shows a hole over us. No rain for us and yet it can be pouring down rain less than 2 miles away. She can move from our house to the neighboring town 5 miles away where she goes to the gym and it will rain at home while she is gone then rain in the neighboring town when she has returned home. She is like the Charlie Brown character "Pig Pen" only while he had dirt attracted to him like a magnet, she repeals rain like a negatively charged particle. You have no idea how much this really "pisses" her off since she loves rain so much.
We would really like to find out what causes her to have a "rain-hole" over her location. We could rent her out to countries that are inundated during the monsoons. We'd make a fortune having her sit in a city and keep the rain away when someplace has reached their saturation limit or are well over their needed amount. Unfortunately, no idea why this is and if it's a permanent phenomenon or not. So to my friends, when you know my daughter is visiting, you can plan all your outdoor activities in relative safety, knowing that they will not be rained out. When she is gone, "here comes da rain".
Monday, October 21, 2013
Empty Nest - Once Again
Really shouldn't have the Empty Nest Syndrome, especially when you realize that my daughter is 40 years old and we have all been moving in and out of each other's lives and residences since she first left for university way back in '91! That was really hard because she and I had been through some very tough times before we met my current husband. I was a single mother for years, didn't have any money, was homeless a couple of times - sort of but for the grace of good friends, and yada, yada, yada.
So we have gone back and forth with her moving back to live with us at various times, after school, between jobs, before school and such. And we have moved into her house between overseas assignments, during rotational shifts, and yada, yada, yada. While it is not easy for two grown women who are both very strong minded to live together in a space that can get smaller every day, we make it work and I personally love to have her close. I try hard not to be so much "mom" these days but more "friend" and she tries also equally hard or maybe even harder to not be so much "daughter" but also more "friend". And I would like to think that we are best friends and I think she agrees. Gets a bit crowded in the kitchen when everybody is home and trying to fix their own dinner but we make it work.
Now she has a rotational job where she works 28 days on and then has 28 days off. Since we are living in England and the choices were rather meager for her to retain a place in Houston plus she needed someone to care for her cat, she comes and stays with us during her 28 days off. I get a 28 day wonderful break from cleaning cat boxes, she gets to see her cat and also gets to spend some time living in another country. But then the 28 days comes to an end and off she goes back to her job and her 28 days working and I am left bereft and feeling quite sad that my daughter has left the homestead yet again and I have an "empty nest". Odd that it's never gotten easier, even knowing I will see her again in 28 days. Odd that every time she leaves, I feel a wrench and a tug on my heart strings and have to slam the door shut as she pulls away so she won't see me crying. Odd that it has never gotten any easier to send her out into the big, bad, wide world and hope that all goes well for her this time and nothing bad happens to her.
I really thought it would get easier as time went by. When it became apparent several years ago that we were "yo-yo" parents as well as her being a "yo-yo" daughter, I thought the elastic would weaken and maybe even break but it never has. I hate it just as much now as I did that first weekend when we dropped her off at school. So once again, empty nest for a month. Better find stuff to do to keep me busy.
So we have gone back and forth with her moving back to live with us at various times, after school, between jobs, before school and such. And we have moved into her house between overseas assignments, during rotational shifts, and yada, yada, yada. While it is not easy for two grown women who are both very strong minded to live together in a space that can get smaller every day, we make it work and I personally love to have her close. I try hard not to be so much "mom" these days but more "friend" and she tries also equally hard or maybe even harder to not be so much "daughter" but also more "friend". And I would like to think that we are best friends and I think she agrees. Gets a bit crowded in the kitchen when everybody is home and trying to fix their own dinner but we make it work.
Now she has a rotational job where she works 28 days on and then has 28 days off. Since we are living in England and the choices were rather meager for her to retain a place in Houston plus she needed someone to care for her cat, she comes and stays with us during her 28 days off. I get a 28 day wonderful break from cleaning cat boxes, she gets to see her cat and also gets to spend some time living in another country. But then the 28 days comes to an end and off she goes back to her job and her 28 days working and I am left bereft and feeling quite sad that my daughter has left the homestead yet again and I have an "empty nest". Odd that it's never gotten easier, even knowing I will see her again in 28 days. Odd that every time she leaves, I feel a wrench and a tug on my heart strings and have to slam the door shut as she pulls away so she won't see me crying. Odd that it has never gotten any easier to send her out into the big, bad, wide world and hope that all goes well for her this time and nothing bad happens to her.
I really thought it would get easier as time went by. When it became apparent several years ago that we were "yo-yo" parents as well as her being a "yo-yo" daughter, I thought the elastic would weaken and maybe even break but it never has. I hate it just as much now as I did that first weekend when we dropped her off at school. So once again, empty nest for a month. Better find stuff to do to keep me busy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)