A Fine Mess

Not a good day. You know how you can psyche yourself into thinking all kinds of bad things? Your partner is seven and a half minutes late on the way home and you already have him/her lying lifeless in a ditch, neck broken and intestines strewn across the roadway, or you chip a nail and know that the whole day, well maybe the entire month, is going to be full of imperious doom!

Well, it was hot and muggy yesterday and yesterday morning when I went down to give the dog a bathroom break - something just wasn't right. I should preface all this with the explanation that my beloved Bart has been diagnosed with an enlarged spleen. It is likely that the organ will just keep growing until it bursts and all his blood starts hemorrhaging into his body cavity and the inevitable end ensues. The vet said when this ghastly event occurs, we will notice pale white gums. So when I arrived at the kennel, the poor dog would not stand up and I practically jammed my hands into his esophagus in my haste to check out his very pale gums! I was sure the time had arrived and was overcome with remorse for all the walks he didn't get and all the treats I had prevented my husband from giving him. Of course a few minutes later he stood up to lick my tear-stained face and I realized I was being an utter idiot. He was fine. His gums are naturally light pink - his tongue was bright red all his blood was exactly where it should be! - It was just beastly hot and nobody in her right mind moves around unneccessarily at 90+ degrees. So I got out Bart's swimming pool (a 3x2 foot plastic tub for feeding pigs (I think)) and filled it with cool water and left him splashing happily in his pool. You better believe he is getting a special walk at the trail this afternoon!

Okay, so here is the real tragedy. I finally finished the last row on the endless baby blanket! Here it is in all its glory.



Looks great, you might say - what is your problem?


Try it from this perspective!




Yes, there are not just one, but two fewer leaves on the top row than on the other three. I can hardly express how completely frustrated I was! I had to get out of the tropical stuffy house for a moment so I went out into the even hotter daylight and down to get the bills. As I opened the mail box, stewing in my own juices, I discovered an unexpected object. My friend Neroli had sent me some lovely rose scented tea. So now this morning I sit here on another scorchingly miserable day, thinking about my dog who is playing in his splashing pool, and I am drinking a cup of rose tea. The mercury is rising mercilessly and I'll be sitting today with a hot baby blanket in my lap as I rip and painfully reknit the top border, but as I listen to the splashing of my dog and sip that delicately scented gift of tea, I realize it is hot and oh so much sweeter than before. Maybe it is not such a bad day after all.