Learning Curves

In her birthday wish, my friend Lisa at Halal Home asked me a rather profound question: “What do you feel you have learned this year that you didn’t know last year?” I have been pondering this query for the past few days, with the intention of offering a pithy, humorous answer; but given the introspective natural of Lisa, I decided she deserved a serious response. What have I learned? Is there something different about the way I think, or act, or respond? Have I taken my own advice & continued to expand my horizons? Pretty deep, philosophical stuff, don’t you think?

So, here are some things that I feel I have learned this past year:

v Occasional solitude is not an indulgence- without it, I become frayed & frazzled.


v My small life & humble words have value to others beside myself.


v While marriage has brought me wholeness, I am not incomplete on my own.


v Cucumber vines are prickly

Okay, so the last one isn’t particularly insightful, but it was a lesson well & truly learned- I haven’t approached one without long sleeves & gloves since.

---

I, Viscountess Meg the Dissolute of Piddletrenthide on the Carpet, now must go to arm myself for a quest, a Herculean task to rescue a fair maiden from her own folly.

Scissors? Check

Step ladder? Check

Broomstick handle? Check

Spray bottle? Check

Bath towel? Check

Cat treats? Check

No, it’s not my daughter this time; Dahlia has wedged herself behind Wally the Washer for the past 12 hours & refuses to come out. We have discovered that Boo Kitty has an overwhelming & irrational fear of balloons, particularly large Mylar ones that play an obnoxious version of “Happy Birthday” every time it moves. So, in order to avoid bestowing the title of “Lady Dahlia of Piddle behind the Washer” on her, I will dispose of the balloon (scissors), climb on top of the washer (step ladder) & force coax her (broomstick & spray bottle) to come out, then comfort her frazzled nerves (towel & treats). Poor little Pickle!

---

Update: Dahlia finally came out- soaking wet & smelling of mint extract that I had to add to the water (my cats don’t like the scent of mint)- after a good rub down with the towel & copious amounts of tuna treats, she has recovered her sunny disposition I, on the other hand, am nursing a wrenched shoulder & a lump on the back of my head (whose idea was it to hang that shelf so low?)so I will be applying equally generous amounts of ibuprofen & chocolate