Squirrely Girl Is Back In Her Tree House!

Moi has been missing from Squirrel Town. My tree was foreclosed on and Squirrely Girl had to go and live elsewhere for awhile. I've been saving my pennies and recycling aluminum cans for fifty-five cents a pound. I was an avid recycler until the little cart for hauling Animal Ale soda cans down to the scrap yard lost its wheels.

Today, I proudly went to the bank and reclaimed my treehouse! What a happy day in Squirrel Town.

Let me see what's going on in the world.

April 11th is National Eight-Track Tape day. Really? I bet there aren't too many people celebrating that. And I can just see anyone under the age of thirty asking their mom and dad, "What's an eight-track tape?"

April 13th looks more promising for mass participation. It's Blame Somebody Else day. It seems to me lots of people celebrate that one all year long!

April 27th and April 28th are much more interesting for this squirrel. The 27th is Tell A Story day and the 28th is Great Poetry Reading day. I'm writing squirrel stories lately. Why, naturally! One couldn't find any creature more fascinating to spend words on, in my humble opinion.

I'm glad I dropped in to check on my friends in Squirrel Town. I've missed them and looking at life through my squirrely eyes.

You know, my friends the animals of Squirrel Town love when folks leave a comment or let them know you were here. 

Until next time, you can find me at the Peanut Factory quality checking the nuts.

Cheers! 





Doing Unto Others

It's been a great week, meeting the residents I'll be visiting with at the nursing home; making prizes and crafts for them.

Oh, and I have my first assignment coming up next week to deliver a birthday cake, flowers and birthday goodies to an elderly friend in another nursing home. Helping him to feel like a king on his special day! How cool is that? :-)

The happiness I feel over doing stuff for other people feels so surreal to me. Not used to this selflessness thing. I'm not trying to be funny when writing that.... I'm really unused to not being consumed with being number one.

There's a freedom and an odd, enveloping joy that is taking over me. Serenity fits in there somewhere.

Working with the cats at the animal shelter gives me a feeling of contentment that I can not even explain. I met a new resident cat this week - Cameron, a Siamese. What a gorgeous laid back fellow he is. And he hung out with me while I worked on the cages. It was an honor to feel his acceptance. I know non cat lovers probably read that and think I'm off my rocker. Maybe. But cat lovers will understand.

This is Cameron :-)

Not to say I don't still have moments of melancholy. They seem a little less strangleholding when they happen now, and they tend to fade away more quickly.

I can't say I understand this. Me, who likes to analyze everything, is having to accept what's happening to me on faith.

:-)

I'm Back in My Tree Again :-)

Hello good friends of Squirrel Town. I've been away on an extended stay at the Squirrel Spa. While I was away, I had my friend Garfield tree sit my home. As you can see, he wasn't exactly gracious about it, but he did keep my home in good order!

I've decided to make this the summer that I do the things that make my heart sing. One of those is volunteering.

I've began helping out at an animal shelter for an organization called S.A.A.P. (Stray Animal Adoption Program), working with cats. Spending time with Cassidy, Bonnie, Madeline, Nina, Isabella, Harry, Jersey, and a few who have since been adopted (YAY for Mason, Cody, Larry and a few others!!) has been such a rewarding experience for me. And a lesson about life. I learn my limitations sometimes, which doesn't always feel good, but the lessons are needed. I am discovering that some of my priorities have gotten a little out of order and am working on putting those right. All this from working with little furry bundles of love who just want a home to call their own. They're all lovely cats. If you live near the Petsmart in Western Hills and are thinking about adopting a cat, you won't meet a finer bunch of felines. I can tell you all about each one's personality and who might make a great addition to your home.  Here's a picture of Cassidy, who's probably one of the sweetest kitties there, and she's such a fun, adorable, playful cat! Great with kids and grumpy humans who could use a lesson in lightening up!! :-)

One of my other volunteer activities has been helping at a nursing home. I help out with activities and shortly I'll have a few regular residents to visit. I like helping at the Bingo. It brings back so many memories of when I was a wee squirrel and my Dad was in the American Legion. His Legion group had a bingo on Sunday nights and he worked at that. My whole family went. Back then, in the days before cable tv, video games and endless sources of meaningless mind boggling entertainment, the simple things like families hanging out together at bingo was a lot of fun. I can still remember so much of that place - the building, the getting to choose my soda and snack, the eternal hope of WINNING!!!! Being able to call out that magical word - BINGO!!!! Anyway, all of that drifts through my mind when I help the residents play bingo. They play for a funny assortment of donated prizes - snacks, socks, puzzle magazines, drugstore items, etc. It's fun to watch them gaze over the prize selection. :-)  It's given me ideas for prizes I want to make to add to the cart. If you have any ideas for good prizes, let me know.

I've picked up my crochet hook again. Working on lap afghans for the residents, kittie komfees I'm making for my friends at S.A.A.P./Petsmart, and even a few things for my furry self and my family.

So, this summer promises to have new experiences and I can't wait to see what God has in store for me. The thing that on the surface looks the most mundane or least adventure-likely turns out to be the thing that has the greatest surprise and light bulb moments.

Let the fun begin!!



Melancholy Blues

There's an old song by Queen that I love - "Melancholy Blues". It just FITS when I'm having one of my down episodes.

I try really hard in my own squirrely way to maintain a bright outlook, but sometimes those Melancholy Blues just get ahold of me.

Sigh.

The Power of Purple

Hello friends of Squirrel Town.

I was looking at the calendar for notable days and saw that tomorrow is an absolutely lovely one :-)

May 16th is "Wear Purple For Peace Day". Anyone who knows this purple squirrel knows I couldn't agree more!

Purple brings up the most lovely feelings for me.... passion, love, serenity, happiness. Do you know, most people wear dark drab colors to funerals. If I really love the person, I wear purple! That shows how much I care :-)

In honor of the coming Purple holiday, I wanted to reprint the lovely poem "When I Am An Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple". I celebrate the wonderful notions in this poem and agree wholeheartedly - why wait until you're older to do the things you want to do and to act with love and passion and abandon?

In giving my heart to God and trying to live a life I feel is pleasing to Him, I'm trying to "Live Purple" NOW!



WHEN I AM AN OLD WOMAN I SHALL WEAR PURPLE



With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.


And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves


And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.


I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired


And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells


And run my stick along the public railings


And make up for the sobriety of my youth.


I shall go out in my slippers in the rain


And pick the flowers in other people's gardens


And learn to spit






You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat


And eat three pounds of sausages at a go


Or only bread and pickle for a week


And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes






But now we must have clothes that keep us dry


And pay our rent and not swear in the street


And set a good example for the children.


We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.






But maybe I ought to practice a little now?


So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised


When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.






Taken from the book


When I Am An Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple

Gratitude

When I started this blog, I wanted to make people smile. I also want to write about everyday life. Everyday life is what I get most days. I don't get big, WOW events, thankfully.

I've been feeling gratitude lately and a deeper sense of happiness. I think it started a few months ago when a lot of turmoil and anxious feelings surfaced regarding my retirement date and pension.  Until very recently, I had about 4 1/2 years until retirement. It's been that way for the past 25 1/2 years. And then reality stepped in a few months ago and changed that. The pension is now not the solid rock I always thought it was. I get to work longer at the job I fortunately love before I can call it a day.

That got me to thinking. I've had things I wanted to do when I retire, but I always had them on the back burner in my mind... until I retire.... and then the retirement date changed.... and that set off a whole new train trip through my mind of pondering life, and how some people die a lot earlier than they ever thought they would..... and I wondered, "What if I die earlier? I'll never have done those things I've always wanted to do." It occurred to me nobody said I have to wait till the magical retirement.

So I'm not. I got out my mental "what I want to do list" and I've been going down it and pursuing the things that speak to me with the most passion.

I want to work with stray animals at an animal shelter. I know you could never tell by reading my blog that I like animals, but I do. :-)  I have such a heart for them.  I've started helping cats with the S.A.A.P. organization once a week. I LOVE it. Who ever thought scooping poop could be so rewarding?! I love helping them, loving them, and getting them ready for their adoptive persons. It's an honor that I'm allowed to do this.

God laid on my heart a strong passion for older generations. I've enjoyed the elderly for a very long time. When I was much younger, I volunteered in a retirement home. I wasn't ready then. The reality of life for them was too much for me.

Lately, God's been whispering in my ear again and the desire to help the elderly and the forgotten has gotten strong again. I checked out a nursing home a few months ago, but it didn't really click with me. Then a few weeks ago I felt God laying on my heart to go out of my comfort zone and find a place that takes care of not only the elderly but also the people totally forgotten about, the people who never get a visit.

I can not imagine any worse poverty than being alone and forgotten.

I found the home where it feels completely right for me to volunteer at. I went there the other day to fill out my application. Upon entering the lobby, I encountered an elderly woman with a walker, waiting for the elevator. I smiled at her and said hello. She looked at me with an amazing quiet dignity and nodded a smile. I can not explain it to you, but her simple act of kindness toward me touched me deeply.

Life lately has been an adventure of listening for God's whisper and then following it. When I do, it's like this internal sunshine floods my being. I am growing to crave it.

Blessings :-)

Happy Birthday Kevin!!

Greetings friends of Squirrel Town! It's a most splendiferous day :-) Today is my son's 14th birthday!! Applause all around! Imagine the balloons, the parade floats, the big band playing Happy Birthday.... kind of like Mayberry during one of their shindigs :-)

I made a special cake, yes I did....

After school, time to have fun :-)  (I personally think no one should have to work or go to school on their birthday.... and if Squirrely Girl is ever elected Queen of the Earth, that's the first law she will pass :-)  Alas, I am not and so, to school he must go!

Enjoy this most official holiday in Squirrel Town everyone!

Blessings :-)