Home Life

Aside from this darned cold which is hanging on like a sandspur on a fuzzy sock….things here are pretty good.

I am largely sitting back and watching the show when it comes to Chickie.

Oh wait!  That sounded a bit like I actually had a CHOICE about that, didn’t it?  Well, I don’t.  Chickie is a force of nature unto herself.  I am surprised that EVERY hurricane that comes through each season is not named after her in some way.

A:  Absolutely Chickie

B:  Bizarre Chickie

C:  Chickie’s Glory

D:  Devastation Chickie-fied

E:  Exceptional Chickie………

Get my drift here?  lol

In the last year or so I have become increasingly concerned about her withdrawal from friends.  She tends to adopt people who need taking care of.  Then she puts her every effort into saving them.  They take all she has to give…and then don’t appear to appreciate or reciprocate in even the smallest way.  Then she becomes hurt and slightly more jaded.  Several times she has remarked that she doesn’t need people – people are all jerks.

Over the past month or two since she graduated from high school I have noticed a bit of a shift in her attitude.  She now has a "friend" or two that don’t appear to need saving.  And she has begun, once again, to turn our home into a flop house for friends.

On the one hand, I was rather enjoying the relative peace and quiet her disillusionment with the world was visiting upon me.  On the other hand I was worried.  I think I can stop worrying now.

Last night she decided to have a small "party" for one of her friends who is moving.  Since several of the guests work until 10, the party didn’t start until then.  She went to the store about 9 and came home with chicken and ribs for me to grill.  I informed her that the grill would take more than an hour to be ready (it’s charcoal).  So….she graciously allowed me to bbq in the oven.  I put the food in to cook and placed the fixings for the side dishes on the kitchen counter.  Then I retreated to my room for a bit.

I came out when I heard someone beating out a tune on my beautiful old piano.  That piano hasn’t been played in years….I lost interest a long time ago.  But it is a marvel.  It is a large upright piano made of cherry wood….with a grand piano size keyboard.  It is beautiful to look at and to hear…….even though it hasn’t been tuned since before man could make fire!  I came out to find a handful of friends and their children.  I was greeted happily and invited to stay and party with them.

By this time it was 11 pm.  I had been to Happy Hour with co-workers and the effects were fast wearing off by this time and all I wanted was to go to bed.  I checked the meat, told them when it would be ready and pointed to the fixins.  I rescued poor Cassidy from the back yard and went to bed.

They rented movies and got some beer.  A couple of other friends showed up.  They hung out and did whatever they did til the wee hours of the morning….and I slept through it all.  They were actually that quiet!  And the mess left this morning……..was quite minimal. 

Chickie just called me from work in a REALLY good mood.  She was chatty and Miss Personality.  I am still a little stunned by the whole turn of events………but I think I like it.

Just a little reminder to me….that "things" will most likely take care of themselves if I give up my jaw-gritted need to control all aspects of everything….and let life flow.