Thank you for your compassionate comments on yesterday’s post. I find I cannot write anything else about it, as the images of that day are still cycling through my brain and I’m haunted by them.
Though I was not up to replying to your comments, believe me, I read each and every one of them.
I won’t even go into the anger I feel towards those who did nothing.
I worry and fret that I could have done more, acted more boldly on behalf of the fawn, but Don reminds me I did all I could possibly do. And so it goes.
It’s been a tough week for us on many fronts, so we remind ourselves to stay positive, to express gratitude for what we’ve been given, to hug our girl, to take time to find some peace in the midst of what appears to be lack. But appearances are not truth. The truth is, we are blessed.
The late afternoon sun creating some highlight and shadow in the den. Caroline must be ready to turn on her lamps for the evening.
If you look closely, you’ll see tiny bug – a spider? – on one of the petals. A lovely surprise that was revealed only when I started to edit this photo.
Today, the technician comes to replace the windshield. I’m going to tackle a little miniature project for Caroline’s house. I’m going to read.
I spent a lot of the past two days mowing our unending lawn. I wanted and needed to do it. It helps to have something physical to do that gives me a short respite from sadness and anger as I concentrate on the task at hand. And I have a bit of control, you see; at the end of the task, I see beautiful results.
It’s hot and humid here, so summer is still going strong.
Happy Friday.
Good Morning Claudia, Caroline’s house looks so beautiful. Enjoy your day doing things that you enjoy. Doris
Thank you, Doris.
I know.
You’re doing great :)
S
xo
Thanks, Sue.
Take time for you today and hang in there. I hate when things cycle in my head like that, but I know it’s because we care so much and feel so deeply. I love a surprise when editing my photos (unless it’s a cat hair somewhere it shouldn’t be…need I say more).
HUGS,
Linda
I’ve had the same thing happen with Scout hairs!
Love that shot of the Dollhouse Claudia – it is beautiful. Enjoy your day and have some fun. It is still hot here in Eastern PA (despite the “promise” of a cool front last night).
No cool front here either, Vera! Have a great day.
Hoping for a lovely, peaceful weekend for all of you! YOU need a cupcake! Or three.
On a diet, Dottie!
Oh, that cupcake idea of Dottie’s is a great one. Cupcakes are well-known for their curative properties [wink wink]. Take care and have a good Friday… :>)
PS – I don’t see the spider in your photo, unless maybe it’s a gray shadowy spot on the end of a petal in approximately the one o’clock position?? If not, I am well-and-truly-stumped.
Yes, it’s in that position. I can see the legs – you can’t?
I love to do something repetitive when I’m stressed or upset. I often clean…..that seems to work it out of my system. Hope you can have a stress-less day! ;)
Same for me, Donnamae. Thanks!
What a lovely photo of the dollhouse!
It’s not been a great week here either. I was thrown from a horse earlier this week and broke two ribs, so it’s all I can do to get through the work day. The upside is that now I can stop starving to make the requisite rider weight. I’m going to succumb to your readers’ suggestions and have a cupcake (or three).
Oh no! Feel better, Barbara! And have a cupcake!
It sounds like a time to rest and do what you most enjoy…thinking of you, Claudia…
Thank you so much, dear Linda
You did everything you could and much more than most people would have done…What a lovely picture of Hummingbird Cottage in the evening sun…Once again..a flower with a tiny surprise..I love those shots…Please share with us what you are making for Caroline’s house..and let the reading take you away from the sadness for a while…Hugs
I’ll share my latest project tomorrow, Nancy. Long and hard work, but I’m fairly pleased with the end result.
The dollhouse looks so pretty in the late afternoon sun – I think Caroline must leave, I want to move in LOL!
Hope the weekend brings you peace of mind and lovely moments of happiness as you enjoy these late Summer days Claudia.
Don and Ms. Scout too of course.
Hugs – Mary
If I could miniaturize everyone and rent it out as a weekend retreat, I’d be a wealthy woman!
Sending you some mighty hugs.
How wonderful that you have now found two surprises in your flowers!
Thank you for the hugs, Deanna!
Hope you have a gentle uneventful day…
Interesting and sometimes frustrating – working on my project – but I’m using my creative muscles and that’s a good thing.
I really have no wise words different from what has been said. Instead I offer a heartfelt hug. Hope you don’t mind
I love hugs, Sue. Thank you!
You wrote such wise words of gratitude and blessings. I wish you peace for this day and the weekend to come.
Thank you so much, Denise.
Claudia, if you were sitting across from me having coffee, I would squeeze your hands to let you know you did a wonderful deed. What you did is appreciated and valued. If only everyone treasured every life, what a lovely world we would live in. Sadly, that isn’t the case.
I wish you a peaceful weekend knowing and believing that what you did was a true act of kindness. If each of us could do our best to include a few random acts of kindness every day, we would all benefit.
xoxo
Thank you so much, Chris. Your words have helped me today.
Oh, Claudia, I just went back and read yesterday’s post. I am heartsick and so sorry. No more words necessary.
Thank you, Donna.
I have been worried about you.
Claudia, I canceled Saturday’s appointment to euthanize my cat. I just can’t do it. I spent SO much time with him the past days and he’s just too engaged, too alert, even getting into mischief. Instead, I took him into the vet today and we’re running tests and doing more bloodwork. I’ll know more tomorrow when we take in the dog for her annual exam and immunizations. The vet and I are on a good wavelength about quality of life. We talked a long, long time over the subject and I’m grateful for that; he’s a big believer in not waiting too late. It’s not about me and my hesitancy; it has to be about what’s good for the old-man cat. I have been a zombie about this all week, while battling some familiar health issues of my own. I’m drained.
Let’s all just try to have a good 3-day, holiday weekend. I’m with you; let’s go for some calm. Despite good gas prices, we’re staying in, as usual. I think a nice grilled-on-the-BBQ dinner is in order!
Claudia, I can’t tell you how to feel, but I beg you to not do this to yourself…don’t second-guess. I do this all the time and it’s counter productive. You acted quickly; you knew who to call. You weren’t in any kind of proactive position but your instincts and intelligence took over. You’re not a vet. You were still dealing with a wild animal and there could have been risk. Our humanness wants to relieve suffering; immediately. But sometimes all the dots can’t connect at the moment we need them to. It’s just that unfair side to life. When I was at the vet today, and I don’t want to go into too many graphic details because you’ve had enough of that, he told me that someone brought in a cat that he figures had been hit by a car and was left to the side of the road for dead. But it wasn’t dead and probably lay there two days with mortal injuries with no one attending to it. The vet of course humanely euthanized the cat posthaste; I could tell he was affected by the situation, and he’s a doctor. At least in the end, one human made up for another (AGAIN) and the cat is now at peace. With the fawn, despite its injury and fear, I absolutely KNOW the dear thing was soothed by your caring voice and your gentleness. The sweet thing didn’t leave this world alone and you watched over so that no further harm would come until he/she passed. You did more than you may ever know, Claudia. I wish you continued healing from this upsetting, unsettling occurrence. You have a good soul and a kind heart. We just never know when we wake up in a morning, what a day may bring. I felt like hell today but, you know, life is life and I had some adult responsibilities so, yes, I had to get out there in that 90-degree heat and keep appointments and do errands, grumbling the whole time because I have a fever, I’m on more scary antibiotics and am really sleep-deprived. I did NOT want to go get the mail at the post office. But I did, and I looked at the boxes above mine and noticed somebody had left their box open with a full set of keys still in the little door…house keys, car keys, mail box key (really strange). Nobody around. I locked up the box and took the keys to the mail counter and gave them to a clerk just before closing. Maybe I helped somebody by keeping their keys from getting stolen (our p.o. is sort of not a very safe place when it’s closed…24-hr access due to the boxes but, unfortunately, a haven for the wrong kind of people loitering and up to no good). I don’t know where I was going with this ‘point’ except to say that we can have really shitty days to where we just want to hole up and not get involved in the problems of the big, bad world out there…stay safe from unpleasantness; stay protected in our own little home oasis…and not be exposed to other stuff we might have to deal with…but it’s not what we do. We rally, we get up, we dust ourselves off and we go back out there. Maybe a little tougher and a little harder edged. But we’re of the world. And I just hope this next week that you have something really good happen to you. Because you deserve it!
Thank you so much for your kind words, Vicki. I’m happy to hear your cat is rallying. Good news!
I know I am a few days late, but I, too, think you only fret about having done more because you have a huge heart. :] Hugs for you. I think you were an angel for the fawn.
Thank you, Brae. It’s been a tough week and the images are, thankfully, fading a bit.