Summertime, and the living is. . .

I usually relish August. There is a laziness about it; a careless expectation of finishing summer projects, MAYBE. The weather may be stifling, as it has been many summers, or gorgeous, as it has been so far this summer. For some reason, this year, though I have never noticed it before, cicadas buzz incessantly in the atmosphere here in southern Minnesota, a sound I had previously associated only with hotter, more southern areas I have lived. It is comforting and almost hypnotic.


This summer has been difficult, too. My cat, Charlie had been injured and euthanized, and several weeks later, my other older cat, Rufie, disappeared as well. Assuming, but never really KNOWING, that she was dead, I had to just go on, without closure. This had happened to two other felines, previously, as well, since we have lived here in this location. Not wanting to believe that a strange, mentally ill neighbor would actually do something to harm my pets, I have had to quell my desire to confront his elderly parents about it.

My two new kittens, Louie and Lily, will have to be mostly indoor cats, I guess, since I can't live with the regret that something I did contributed to their safety. I love the idea that cats can explore and roam in the yard, but I guess in OUR yard, that will have to end.

 
Anyway, the summer is coasting to a beautiful close, as my dear Nathan readies himself for his second year of college. There is the expectation for a new school year, hope for new adventures, meeting new people, expanding both our horizons. The house will seem so empty and quiet, no murmurs from the basement, and I will have to busy myself with school and reading.