Keeping the Peace

So, in a house full of furry, four-legged beasts and two adults you might think the adults are in charge. If so, it's quite an illusion. Each animal is certain that she is calling the shots; we believe that there are moments when control is within our grasp. At night, we sleep assuming that we ARE in control and all is right with the world.

It's not enough that three female cats are constantly at odds with each other. They are all alpha females, jockeying for dictatorship, taking no prisoners. The dog? Only wants one of them to love her back, just wants to play...she is a puppy after all. She worships the ground they prance on, willing to be the favored subordinate of any of the three, if only they would just be her buddy.

So, we jump through hoops. Food, treats, sleeping arrangements, water on demand (and in drinking glasses). Soft blankets and slices of sunshine. Bits of chicken, zucchini, green beans, milk, cream cheese...whatever smells good at the moment. The dog? Again, would consider even the cat food a special treat...anything but the puppy food!

How DO we keep the peace? Right now, we don't. There's hissing and barking, a flurry of swinging paws, mad dashes to escape puppy...on a counter, behind a tree, in a closet. When day is done (and that's after 11 p.m.), puppy is crated and the cats have only each other to deal with. Beds are chosen, food consumed. The pace is more casual, but wary all the same. Where is the dog? Why are the other cats on MY bed?

At some point, when puppy is older and the cats catch on that she's not going away, there may be something closer to peace. I'm told that cats adapt and while they may not welcome the dog with open paws, they allow her to coexist with them...maybe even curl up together on a cold winter night.

I'm not holding my breath...

All good things must come to an end

No matter how often you might talk to or email your child, nothing...absolutely nothing...beats having them close by. Even a visit of a few days, seeing the facial expressions and the familiar gestures, makes all the difference. The time that has passed since last seeing them seems to melt away and it feels like only yesterday you were together. Walks on an ocean beach, lunch with the ocean view, hikes in the mountains and lots of photo opportunities. That's the upside. The downside comes when it's time to put them on the plane again, wave goodbye, and wonder when you'll get to see them again. The greater the distance travelled, the harder it is. Our visit with Jamie last week was a good one, lots of walks and sights to see. Lots of good food, fun with puppy and cats, shopping, and just enjoying the wonderful weather. Oregon was much cooler than Texas last week, and if it had been possible, bottles of that cool air would now be in Texas.

Life goes on; we all go back to our routines. Those good memories sustain us until we see each other again. And we share photos of our time together; as we grow older, they are more and more our memories, saved in a blog, on a computer, offloaded to a cd, or the actual photo...held close on a night full of memories when that special someone is so far away.