Net Gain

Our cat Tibby is one of those plant-eating felines who can't leave anything green alone. As such, we have to hide or place any plants or cut flowers out of her reach. Over the years, that's become more challenging: our place is only so big, and Tibby's pretty adept at finding and reaching almost anything. 

There is one place that's an exception, though. The downstairs bathroom is always closed, so we have taken to putting any bouquets we receive in there. To be honest, it's kind of awesome, really. Fresh flowers in the powder room are a lovely touch.

Kids Only

Heidi was home today, and so we walked Lucy together. The three of us ambled amiably through the back greens and commons of the neighborhood, away from the streets and traffic. There are little playgrounds back there, near the pools and tennis courts, and we saw groups of children playing unaccompanied by adults, which is a rare sight in this area. 

Not surprisingly, the kids were doing and saying ridiculous things: shoving each other over a liter of Pelligrino, arguing over a swing, playing mean princess in a log cabin-like structure, and riding bikes recklessly down embankments. Even so, we were more charmed than alarmed by this display of untamed behavior. Both of us recognized it from our own, more free-range childhoods.

My only regret is that we were there at all, because each time we drew near, the kids either stopped what they were doing or stared defiantly at us to see if we would intervene. 

Wordle Wise

 Solved it in five:

Just a Little Bump in the Road

I made the mistake of checking the news when my phone woke me up at 2:30 last night, and I couldn't get back to sleep after that, no matter how many meditations and bedtime stories I listened to. The election results were crushingly disappointing: I really thought it was going to go the other way. 

As I lay there, I couldn't get that Batman movie quote about the hero Gotham needs versus the one it deserves out of my head. Which one is Batman? I wondered but didn't want to turn the phone on again. It turns out that Batman, incorruptible and strong, is the hero they deserve, but they need him to be a scapegoat and a villain. Yeah, it doesn't make much sense to me, either.

But what about America? Is Trump the president we need or the one we deserve right now? I think he's a deplorable character, but we elected him, so we deserve what we get. I sure don't think he's the guy we need for the job, but then, that's why I didn't vote for him. 

I read an article this morning that contained what I considered to be a bit of an understatement. The next four years are going to be rocky, it said.

I laughed, because we should be so lucky.

Kid Charming

On a long road trip, our conversation meanders, but it never wanders far from school and teaching. Despite my retirement in June, this trip was no exception. At one point, we were talking about a group of kids we both knew who were very charismatic, even if they were challenging in the classroom. 

I told Heidi about a time when the other teacher in my co-taught class was out, and I was fussing at some of the kids. 

One of them raised his hand. "What happened to the nice teacher?" he asked.

I raised my eyebrows. "What are you saying?"

He flashed his dimples at me and smiled. "I mean, what happened to the other nice teacher?"

Now, those are some social skills!

Five Dogs, Will Travel

What happened to the other house? my sister-in-law texted when I sent a link to one more possibility for our Thanksgiving beach trip.

This one has a more generous dog policy, I replied.

Oh good, she answered, we have a generous amount of dogs.

Demolition Delight

As fall rapidly winds into winter up here in Buffalo, Heidi's mom had a few lawn chores for us to help with today. After we stored away the bird baths, grill, and hanging swing, there was the matter of the old double settee. Made of pine, ten or more seasons of use had taken its toll on the piece: the mortise and tenon joints were loose, the wood on the seats was rotten, and it was no longer safe to sit upon.

A lovely teak replacement was already stowed in anticipation of next summer, but the old one had to be demolished before hauling it out for trash pick-up. I hunted down a hammer to do the job, and the ease and gratifying crack with which the first slats were knocked off inspired me to make quick work of the piece. In under fifteen minutes, the settee was reduced to a neat stack of lumber. 

I'm always sad when something has reached the end of its natural life, but today I was reminded of how satisfying it can be to tear something apart. "Let me know if you have anything else for me to destroy!" I told my mother-in-law gleefully.

"I think you enjoyed that a little too much," she answered with raised eyebrow. "But, thank you. I will"