Such mixed feelings! I live a ways from my mom. She rarely answers the phone. If I visit she can only stand about a half hour visit even after years of not seeing her. I love her, of course. She is who she is. She's older but nothing's changed in many years. When I see women her age still riding horses, I wonder why my mama is the way she is.
My own kids live a ways from me. They rarely call. Not really true, the youngest calls when he's hungry and standing in front of a Chinese Restaurant....

I just finished reading the National Bestseller, Chosen by a Horse. I found these words near the end stunning and remarkable.
"My mother's death was my death - a death and a birth at the same time. The death of the child I still only knew through my mother's eyes and the birth of someone unrecognizable - this new child, faceless without her mother mirror. A child with no proof of her own existence. The death of a mother is an annihilation of that first love, which is narcissistic and...

Found out last night you took your own life a nearly a year ago. wth, man? She wasn't worth it. I hope you're with the Father now.
I'm thankful for the time we worked together in the Marine Corps. God bless those who mourn.

He was a rescue. I wasn't interested in getting a cat. I had visions of doing all the care-taking and having to lug him back to the mainland, both of which came true. Turns out he's a pretty good piece of carry-on but I digress.
He's a hunter. I guess all cats are. HIs prey in Hawaii was the gecko. Here it's spiders. Being a house-cat he finds adventure where he can. Last night he patiently waited with his nose to the crack under the stove. Later he was peering under the refrigerator. I noticed...

...and my dog is acting like a nutcase. She never gets to go with me so she's not accustomed to all the excitement. Being pushed around in a cart - reminiscent of her jogging stroller we had in Mississippi. Growling at Guinea Pigs. Rows upon rows of squeaky toys. It was all too much. By the time we got to the register she was a basket case. She goes into a "lights are on, nobody's home" mode that involves full face panting, glazed eyeballs and attempting to scale anything to get to mom....