Catching the Squirrel

My daughter's MIL had a dachshund who lived to chase squirrels.  Chased them thru her yard, chased them up trees, high line wires, over and under fences.  She chased squirrels for years, this little red sausage. And they, in turn, tormented her, taunting her from the high places and the outsideofthefence places.

Ginger made  her Life's Mission to catch a squirrel.  Just ONE squirrel, so she could experience the triumph and Joy of having known she could do it.

But the years of practice rolled by, and even with daily exercises and Encouragement from her humans and dog friends alike, she never achieved her goal.

Then, one day, Ginger and her human were walking in the park across the street from her house. A familiar face showed itself on the path around the pond, and Ginger took off, her owners leash flying like a banner behind her.  She flew like the wind, and the squirrel, who was unaccustomed to such unbridled menace, had no instinct to escape this marauder.

Ginger caught that squirrel, right square around the ribcage, turned and headed towards her mistress to display the prized trophy.

If you have ever been around squirrels for any period, you will quickly come to realize that they truly are the embodiment of the definition "squirrelly."  Their movements are jerky and fast and certainly unpredictable.  They are squirrels, and they act like squirrels. And they have sharp teeth. And they bite.

Ginger is a very sweet dachsie, unaccustomed to violence or even discomfort of any kind.  Mostly she burrows under the quilts on the couch in winter, and people's laps in summer.  She's never bitten anything except her chew toys and various chair legs....

So What! does a city dachshund DO when she finally captures her prey in a beautiful park by the lake with her panicked mistress trying vainly to regain control of leash and deal with an hysterical rodent.

Ginger had caught the squirrel, and did not have the "tools" to complete the task.

She walked around with the semi-comatose squirrel wiggling in her jaws, telling the world around her, "Omigosh! Omigosh! Omigosh! I caught the Squirrel!!"

Eventually, Ginger released her prize,allowing the sodden rodent to run up the nearest tree. Ginger remained triumphant, proud, and a bit bewildered. She had received her Heart's Desire, and her life was changed.

Last week, I, too, Caught The Squirrel.

My Collies and I have been asked to dance at the Collie National Specialty in Wisconsin this spring.

At this point, I am still walking around repeating OmigoshOmigoshOmigosh.

Dancing Thru Life

Below you will find a note from our older daughter.......Their life has been in a (wonderful!) upheaval of moving to another state, selling and buying a home, unpacking, finding the closest Target and Kroger, deciding on a new church, locating a new hairdresser.......

And in the midst of all this Change, her daughter crossed into "Womanhood," momentarily blindsiding her and causing a great deal of introspection, and yes,...worry........

As we each rotate into our individual roles in Life, we expect the World to stop and slow down a bit. We need to get our bearings and understand  our management of these new titles.....

The planet doesn't wait for us to interrupt its rotation and gradually cope.  Instead, it insists we continue to fly thru the universe by the proverbial "seat of our pants."  

It makes us stronger.  Causes us to think on our feet AND savor each moment as well.....

 Here's what Emily wrote to me:

Well, yesterday I went shopping for sanitary pads with my baby daughter and today I taught her how to shave her legs.... I am still in a state of shock because she is just a baby.  She is so interested in discovering all that it means to be a young lady and it is difficult for me to watch her stretch out her longer-than-mine, beautiful legs and ask me questions about pubic hair and Listen to her whisper that "everything was okay when I went to the bathroom....".  We shopped for new, cute panties to celebrate "The Event".  She has quizzed me about my cycles and we have discussed how important it is that she be thinking ahead in preparation for the Job her body will someday do when she becomes a 
momma.  So much.....so fast.  I know it is a big change for her but I had No Idea as to what a big change it would be to me.  So, to you that have experienced it I want to say Good Job and Thank You. To those of you who are waiting to
experience these changes I want to say..... Soak everything up while you are where you are.   Everyone talks about the changes that a young woman goes through during puberty but no one warns the momma that her baby slips through her fingers In a mere second..... 
Em 

And here is my reply.....Red a tenting, indeed!

I have never met anyone so Eager to start her period! I heard the "catch" in her voice when she called to tell me, and I melted....Delicate snow turning to rain on my skin.....

It is so wonderful that you can discuss this and cherish the Moment in Time when she steps over to Womanhood.  This is the Perfect age for her....She knows enough to be in awe of her body and to appreciate the miracle that surrounds and grows within her.  She is not afraid of going forward into Life, tho she certainly welcomes the company and the Support.

What a Great Age!!!  PERFECT timing on her Creator's part.

And you!  YOU get to sit beside her and watch her journey into places you can never go......You travelled this road at this age with your head in the stars, counting it all as Normal and Quite Easy.  You had no fear for the future, only anticipation and delight. You wondered how you could incorporate jewelry into each moment and desired, above all, that those around you be as content.....

Yes, I marveled at you, as I watched you depart from me into worlds I could not go. I see you now experiencing the same joy and trepidation and sadness that I felt when I realized you had to do much of this Alone, without me, and in your own style. 

Here I am, two generations away, and confirming, once again, what a Good Job I did......

xoxox

Momma