Tuesday

Kill 'em With Kindness

A part of kindness consists in loving people more than they deserve. Joseph Joubert And in this I have failed. A very sad, very angry person has just left my life and, while I feel great relief, I also feel very sorry that I could not be a bigger, better person and continue to show kindness to someone who clearly lacks it in her own life. I gave up on her, which means I also gave up on a little part of myself...the part which believes that most people are pretty good and don't mean to cause anguish to others. This person has a long list of people she considers foes and it seemed I was amongst them. At the top of the list, actually. And, yes, I saw an actual list. This has been a very trying time for many of us (I'm just one of tens) who had to deal with her and now, finally, we are enjoying the freedom of breathing...walking on mere ground instead of eggshells...laughing...having healthy, appropriate conversation without wondering how our words will be twisted and made ugly... And the vow to never subject ourselves to the bullying of one unhappy person again...we acted like sheep and it came to no good end. Yet, along with my relief, I feel guilt. I followed HER lead and built defenses against her instead of just being well, who I am-a sociable, fairly happy, not so bad person. It's also made me realize how lucky and grateful I am to have such fantastic friends. I see that not everyone has those bonds, those supports and perhaps that lack of friendships is a contributing factor for someone's inability to deal with people in a positive, healthy way. I wish this person well. I wish her health and happiness and many, many years of true contentment. And that, it seems, is all I can do...let go with kindness. It may be too late for our relationship but it's the right thing to do.

Monday

Sea Glass, Sand Dollars and Scaling SeaWalls

Getting down to the beach (no small feat in itself) this morning was a great way to start off a Monday. We parked, then had to climb down an embankment to a sea wall which is where the boardwalk USED to be. From there, it's about 20 feet to the sand, and in order to get there one must maneuver/descend/butt-crawl down the boulders which function as a barrier to keep the sand on the beach. We made it to the seawall then saw a police car coming toward us. Fully expecting to be reprimanded (yet again)we felt defeated before we even hit the beach. Cop must have been busy because he went right on by (though, with a 10 foot drop from the roadway to the seawall he may not have even seen us). "That's right, Copper, you'll never take us alive...we got a haul of seaglass to pick up and no uniform's gonna stand in our way...see..." It's so amazing to me how, even with the crazy churning violent sea so many little jewels wash up perfectlly intact. Sand dollars, for instance. It's such a marvel that they can be tossed about, battered and smashed in the surf yet make it to the shoreline whole. That Sandy was a flat out bitch, but she did leave a bounty of beauty in her wake...
Beauty after the storm...it's a small comfort, but I'll take it.

Saturday

Dog Days

Good thing she's pretty...
OK, I have a problem...and her name is Maisy. When I was going through a rough time, a bit over a year and a half ago, I got the brilliant idea to get a dog. So...off to the SPCA we went and came home with...Maisy. 8 weeks old, utterly adorable, a rescue from Puerto Rico. She was high energy right from the get go. And that has only increased exponentially with her age and growth. Problem: She's an escape artist. Not often, but when she does, it causes HAVOC. We live on a street in a fairly rough part of town. The speed limit is 25 but most cars zoom past at 40 and above. My kids could never ride their bikes around or even walk around the block...when we moved in, the house two down from us was, um, a very entrepreneurial independent pharmacy. AKA Crackhouse. They were great neighbors, very friendly, prone to barbecuing on their front yard and were they ever popular. Day and night there would be a steady stream of customers. They've since moved out but the neighborhood in general is still a bit rough. So when Maisy goes on a crime spree and runs around like a maniac, it's only a matter of time before she gets creamed by a car. She responds to NOTHING when she gets out...no treat, cajole, sweet voiced calling, nothing can get her to come to me except other dogs. Today it was a really nice guy and his son who actually brought their dog out to lure her into captivity. But there isn't always a bait dog to be had. SO...my question is: WHAT THE HELL DO I DO?!!!??? I seriously could have killed her today, out of frustration and rage. To cap off this charming behavior, she also refuses to walk home from wherever we capture her, so picture this: Me, stooped over grabbing her collar with one hand and her scruff with the other, force march/dragging her through the neighborhood back to the home she finds so confining. Oh, also, during this perp walk, I am muttering, cursing and threatening like a MAD WOMAN. How no one has called the police on me yet is a miracle. They'd surely come with two nets...one for Maisy and one for me. Is there hope for us? I am ready to put out the word that we need to find her a home where she doesn't think escaping and playing chicken with produce trucks is just so damn fun. I just don't know what to do. Since getting her was my idea I am the one who will decide her fate...and after today, I'm thinking she should go live with a family who a. has high energy kids b. doesn't live on a busy street c. has a more secure fence than we do. She's very sweet, loves people and does well with other dogs. But maybe we're just not the people for her. She gets a LOT of outdoor time, so it's not like she's cooped up in the house all day. I am just at the end of my...leash.

Sunday

Hurricane Sandy at the Jersey Shore

Hi BlogLand... We made it through the Superstorm with minimal property damage but have been a week withiut power. Trust me I am NOT complaining...our neighboring towns on the shore have been decimated and it's truly heartbreaking to see. Such a lesson in perspective...we are so tiny, so helpless against such a raging force. Hard to believe humans have wrought so much damage on earth when we are so easily reduced to helpless babes by her latest whim! I wish you all good things, kindly send a positive thought out to the people who Have lost so much in this massive storm.xoxo Please forgive awkward typing...my phone is a bit difficult to type on!