A rare moment today when I experienced complete, unconditional generosity of spirit from others. News came through and reached to the very heart of this grumpy old woman that she will have an opportunity to do some of what she loves doing at a future date. It was like a shaft of sunlight on an overcast day. I was mopping around feeling a wee bit sorry for myself because I had not gone to the conference I wanted so badly to attend when, bingo, an alternative invitation is received - open handed, gracious and generous. I no longer feel the victim once again of circumstances beyond my control. Sometimes such circumstances can turn up a golden opportunity. Today was that day.
The post bought a good read from a dear friend. The title was enough to make me giggle - Never Have Your Dog Stuffed. Well it worked for me... It is the autobiography of the actor Alan Alda. As a die hard West Wing fan and M.A.S.H. officianado I couldn't have been more delighted.
I am getting together some information for our foster daughter about her early life. She now has a thriving family of her own and we were very touched she should ask us for details - such as we have. My partner has just emptied the loft of the large A4 twinlock files that hold the story of this particular young person. It was a shock to see just how much paperwork there is. I can see I will have a long evening ahead scanning material onto a memory stick. I think it will be interesting to re-read some material. I suspect some of the official documentation will make me pretty angry. At the time I felt frustrated and despairing but rarely angry in the moment. Frustrated because we were never listened to or supported and despairing because it often felt a herculean struggle to get even the simpliest things done. It's a shame I don't drink - I suspect I could get through a few vodkas this evening!
Humph is doing well. My partner bought him a large rubber Kong yesterday at the pet shop and an even larger one for his older pack member Mungo. Needless to say Mungo has eaten quite a lot of the teething kong and Humph can barely lift the big one! He has discovered the joys of packaging and has eaten the cardboard it came in!!! He has also picked up Dido's habit of creating inspired installations from paper. Dido will remove paper from the refuse sack in our study (yes I know most people have a wastepaper bin - but there we are) and take it out into the hall where she carefully shreds it into tiny pieces. Humph has enjoyed watching her do this and has even tried to playfully bark his way into being given a piece of paper of his own from Dido's store. But so far she is ahead of him and keeps her paper under her paws until she is ready to shred. Not to be out done, today Humph created his first paper installation in the study. A refreshingly zany piece and much less challenging on the senses than his usual offerings from organic waste. We are resisting calling our latest pup a genius - but we may succumb sooner rather than later.
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