Tangled Web

A lot has happened since the last post.  I had a birthday.  I was really looking forward to it because that means we’re one step closer to 2020 being in our rearview mirror.  It can’t come fast enough, can it?  I got in a few 2021 calendars from some of the charities I support, and it’s so good to see 2021 on them.  Sorta like the light at the end of the tunnel.

I also had a root canal.  Okay, that seriously sucks.  The procedure itself wasn’t too bad, but it’s been four days and my mouth still hurts.  My regular dentist, Dr. Nelson, referred me to a “specialist” so I was a little uncomfortable from the get-go.  Fear of the unknown.  Or in this case, unknown dentist.  I adore Dr. Nelson, but I know one thing.  He’s gonna have to step up his game.  The specialist likes to sing, and I spent the majority of the time in the dental chair being serenaded.  Luckily, the music was good and so was the dentist’s voice.  Not sure what Dr. Nelson will say when he finds out I’ll expect songs during procedures from now on.  His fault for referring me there.

If we had any doubt that raccoon babies are worse than kittens for getting into stuff, that’s been dispelled.  I was watching the babies on the security camera monitor last week and the cover over Ed’s grill was flapping all over the place.  Kind of funny, actually, because it looked like a scene from The Exorcist or some other show/movie where an object is possessed.  The cover finally came completely off and revealed a raccoon baby on top of the grill.  I’m not positive, but he (she?) might have done a short “happy dance” afterwards.

The raccoon now had plenty of room to jump back and forth between the grill and the insulated doghouse we keep out there for the stray cats and proceeded to do so.  Numerous times.  I so want to bring one of them inside the house!  I asked Ed the next day if he noticed the cover when he fed the cats.  He had and said Charlotte was angry after their escapades.

Who is Charlotte?  She’s Ed’s pet spider who lives by the barbecue grill.  Since he had decided to “adopt” her, I looked up what kind she is, just to make sure we weren’t harboring some murder spider.  From what I can tell, it’s a Yellow Garden Spider, mostly harmless, who likes to catch wasps.  And they’re usually female.  Hence the name.  And, btw, if she likes to catch wasps, she can stay.  For a long time, Ed thought she was dead, because she never seemed to move.  The morning after the cover got moved, Ed noticed she was all over the place trying to rebuild her web.  Probably cussing, too, but he didn’t mention he heard any bad words.

From the Charlotte episode, you can probably tell why I haven’t buried Ed in the back yard.  (Yet.)  He must have some redeeming qualities if he’s concerned about a spider being harassed by rambunctious raccoon babies.  And I’m fine with her living out there.  I’ll only get concerned if I see something like “Some Pig” or “Humble” spelled out in the web.  Of course, if I do, I’ll be looking for Wilbur so I can bring him inside too.

Yesterday, we had the 19th anniversary of 9/11.  I can’t believe it’s been that long.  It still seems like it just happened.  What a horrendous day in our history.  I was at home when it happened, stuck in bed with a particularly nasty bout of bronchitis, and spent the day watching every sordid detail.  I found out later that people at work had spent most of the day in my office, huddled around my 6” screen TV so they could watch.  Horrible, horrible day.  I can honestly say that was the only day since my mother died I was glad she was gone.  It would have broken her heart, as it did most of ours.

The damage done to us that day is incalculable.  And I’m not talking about the loss of lives, which goes without saying.  So many good, innocent people died that day.  But so did our sense of security.  I don’t think any of us who lived through it have been the same since.  For some time, America pulled together in ways we haven’t done in a long time.  That’s a good thing.

What isn’t good is what’s happening now.  Factions of people are trying to pull us apart and doing more damage to our country than 9/11 ever did.  For one day in our recent history, we didn’t see color.  For one day, we didn’t care about political affiliations.  For one day, we were one people, united in a common cause against a common evil.  For one day, we were hurting for each other, regardless of age, gender, religion, color, or any other difference.

We are still one people and those who are actively working to instill an “us against them” attitude throughout this beautiful land would do well to remember that.  Eventually we’ll (hopefully) wake up to the reality that God loves all of us, God wants all of us to get along, and God’s heart is probably breaking as much as ours are.  Only when that happens will we truly be “One nation under God.”

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