My Day

Well, I admit I had the Soggy Weeps today, since we are working on sending Emily away for some time, details pending, as a last-ditch effort to get her healthy, and we all know how stoic and brave and nonchalant I am about sending my big kids out of the house, especially when it's for such a depressing reason.

Siiiiiiiiiigh.

Then this evening Amy was out on her walk and came home with a half-grown Siamesy-looking cat. Within minutes this cat was surrounded, fed, held, watered, cuddled, and named. Or I should say her name was argued over in typical noisy gotta-have-that-last-word Smucker style.

The cat followed her home, Amy said. It doesn't belong to Aunt Susie who has a few Siamesy cats in her flock.

Now Peyton or whoever she is is out in the back hallway with food, water, a litter box, and an old rug. She ought to be happy. She is not. She yowls. Constantly. WAOWWR! WAOWWR! WAOWWR! Over. and over. and over.

Actually that is how I was yowling in my spirit all day today.

Meanwhile my day was improved by the arrival of supper at my SIL Bonnie's hands, her payment, she said, for Amy taking Bonnie's turn driving kids to choir. Oh my. It was a very unfair exchange. We sat down to an exquisite Mexican repast and Jenny, who calls it like she sees it, squealed, "Whoa! Can you imagine living at Aunt Bonnie's house and eating a supper like this every night?!"

Yes, well, I love you too. But the supper was all Emily-safe and delicious and helped to soothe the troubled soul.

Part of the spread was apple dumplings, which we put aside for later this evening. We cleaned up the kitchen and I did some more laundry and came in the back kitchen door and realized I was all alone.

Oh, could it be? Could I enjoy some of that yummy dessert all by myself, in Peace and Quiet? I scooped some in a dish, poured on some milk, and ate a few therapeutic bites. . . . and was joined by Jenny. Who perched on a bar stool and said, among plenty of other things:

Quote of the Day:
"Do you realize how much that cat needs a home, Mom? It's so silly, in my Pace it talks about these missionaries and it'll give the man's name but it'll hardly say ONE STITCH about his wife. Like Adoniram Judson. I guess it does say he married a beautiful woman named Ann, but after that it just says The Judsons. I feel like that cat needs something. Something undescribed. Something like the best thing in the world. I think he needs love. But I don't know how to give it to him because when he climbs up me he scratches me. Mom! I'm almost like a human climbing tree for him! Look at me, you can see all the scratches where he tried to climb on me. It just breaks my heart, he meows so pitifully."