Tools for feeling unsettled

When I got home from taking Jade to college, I found things unsettled at home. Felicity had given birth, though we don’t know where the kittens are. Likely they are under the house, but we haven’t heard anything. She’s gotten very friendly, coming around for petting and stroking – very different behavior from her earlier skittishness growing up feral. She’s such a petite little thing. It’s hard to think of her as a mother.

The bully chickens are still coming right up to the porch for dinner. They scare the cats into leaving their bowls, and start pecking away, sounding like machine guns. BG has taken to sitting out on the lanai watching guard while Puss and Felicity eat. Dandy and Henrietta know just when to show up. He lets her approach the lanai first, but she’s smart enough to steer away when she sees one of us sitting there. He sits just out of sight behind the bushes. But in the backyard at other times of the day he struts around proudly with Henrietta and another hen.

We have some new roosters vying for Alpha Rooster status in the neighborhood, and Dandy has had to fight for “his” territory (our yard). I’ve seen him take after other roosters and pursue them until they physically leave the premises. In the process, he’s lost all but one of his long tail feathers. Then in a particularly loud and raucous fight, he lost that one too. But BG picked it up and gave it to me. There must be some ritual I can learn to rid us of these fowl using Dandy’s power feather.

I’ve had many people say, “You’ll get used to them.” I don’t think so. Friday I was on the back lanai Skyping with Rita, when Dandy showed up raising sand. I’ve never heard him so persistently loud. I had to stop the conversation and run him off so I could hear her. Rita said, “Now I understand why you’d want to murder them.”

But the “unsettledness” goes far beyond cats and chickens. We are ending the relationship with our renter in our Wisconsin house. I’ll have to fly out there and manage the transition to a property manager. We’d prefer to sell it, but this is not a good time to put the house on the market, with the holidays approaching and Packer football in full swing. So we still have to rent it.

And finally, I think I’m a bit depressed about Jade being gone. I miss her hearty hug first thing in the morning and her laugh at the dinner table when BG tipped over her giggle box. We Skype frequently, so I get to see and hear her, but it’s not the same as a hug.

So it’s time to get out my toolbox and apply some of my transformation tools. Let’s see:

Gratitude is probably my favorite tool.

• I’m grateful that Jade is at a wonderful college where she can grow into her potential. She’s a mature young woman with good sense. I don’t need to worry about her.
• I appreciate the prospect of a new renter who will pay on time. I’m also grateful to have the chance to visit my sisters and friends while I’m back in Wisconsin. What luck!

Positive Thinking/Choose Your Attitude:

• Jade leaving home is a natural part of her and my life’s progression. I can be proud that she’s ready to be on her own. And now I can put more focus on Faye. She and I have had several very long talks in the last week. That’s so nice.
• We can start fresh with a new renter and a new process. Having a property manager means the burden will be off me to oversee the renter from 4000 miles away. They will vet the new tenants and ensure that rent is paid and on time.

Support Group/Women’s Circle: I sent out an email to my Wisconsin neighbors to tell them about the renter situation. All but one sent encouraging supportive words back. One invited me to stay with her and offered to help reclaim the yard that the renter hadn’t weeded this whole growing season. Thank you, Dear Friend!

Trust – Ask – Accept with Gratitude: Dear Holy Spirit, I trust that you have a plan for us with this house. I ask you to help us rent it, and then sell it soon. Please hold off the snow until Amy and I can weed the yard. Watch over Jade. And please get rid of the bloody roosters. Thank you for all you do for me.

Yoga: Anita created the perfect practice today. It was all about getting grounded, and getting out of our heads. Ahh. I felt so much better after yoga. I can tackle these head problems with a different perspective now. I’m not entirely settled, but on my way.

 

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