ALL BY MYSELF!

You know that song by Celine Dion that goes, "All by myself, don't want to be all by myself." I have a Diana version that is close, but it goes, "All by myself, just want to be all by myself!" I came upon a new realization this afternoon. I was taking some food out in the garage to put in the deep freeze, when I was immediately accosted by two cats and a dog. Now, to understand my plight, I need to give you a little background info.

Before we moved back to Sugar City I used to revel in the fact that my children were now old enough that when I stepped out to get the mail or needed to borrow an egg from the neighbor I could do it alone without having anyone bawling because they wanted to come with me. (I still haven't quite graduated to using the bathroom without lots of onlookers, but I am hopeful that it will happen some day.) I want everyone to know that I do love my children...they truly are fabulous to be around, but a little loneliness now & then does me good.

I thought I was doing better at allowing myself much needed alone time...until today. All I have to do is step outside and the animals come a running. So my new challenge is how to slip outside without being noticed by our four-legged family members. Can I train these animals to ignore me? Can I hope that at some point they will get used to me being around and not accost me every time I step outside? I guess I can always hope! Until then I will try and appreciate the "special moments" when our dear old Otis looks at me with his one partially good eye and his tongue hanging out, exerting every last ounce of his old dog energy to get off the ground to greet me. Or, when the cats (GusGus and Comet) jump down from their perch (on top of my van! Leaving little footprints everywhere!) to give me a quick hello!

Oh, how truly great it is to be loved!