Of Mice and Mowers

Dear John,

 

The new lawnmower is good. It was lovely to mow and not end up looking like a scarecrow and having grass clippings in my eyes. This one is a lot safer because it doesn't throw anything out anywhere, so I don't have to worry so much about the back yard - Jethro still tends to dig up rocks, play with them, and leave them all over the yard. It will take me a little longer to mow now because the top speed for this mower is slower than the old one, but that's probably a good thing since I tend to go too fast for my age. The yard looks great.

 

I'm finding that vigorous physical activity helps with the anxiety, which is no help on work days but came in handy today It was really bad when I woke up this morning, and mowing helped. After that I had lunch and took a nap, then the anxiety got bad again so I dusted and swept. I couldn't vacuum because it was storming outside. I can't get the vacuum cleaner out with the dog inside because he still jumps on it, bites it, and generally tries to play with it like he did when he was a puppy. (This is another safety issue, and probably a personality problem.) I'll vacuum the area rugs tomorrow.

 

You should have seen Abby this afternoon. I've discovered that timid cats can gain self-confidence by play that hones their hunting skills, so I bought her a new mouse-on-a-string that squeaks when you jiggle it. It took her a while to figure out what to do with it, but she ended up catching it and worrying at it like a normal cat. She had a wonderful time. Jethro and Hunter sat to one side and watched, and a good time was had by all. She ended up taking a nap cuddled up with the mouse.

 

That's all from today - just a good, busy day off. I'm sure I would have enjoyed it if it weren't for the anxiety. I'll see Joe a week from tomorrow so there is relief in sight. Please pray for me as I get through this next week!

 

Still hanging on,

Joan.