“We have to dare to be ourselves.”

The day started out rough. 
Annie wouldn’t take her pill, and Badger kept trying to give it to her. 
Annie just kept spitting it right back out, and you know that had to be uncomfortable for the cat. 
I told her to stop or at least try hiding the pill in some food, but she got upset, things got a little loud, and she wound up getting Heron upset and waking Cowboy up.

I finally said to heck with it and took a long walk in the rain until it was time for Badger’s therapy.

And no, I can’t give the cat her pill. 
My husband and kids don’t see why it’s a problem, but my vision is terrible these days, and I deal with mild vertigo almost every day.

Living with and supporting someone with autism, ADHD, and mood swings isn’t neat or tidy. 
It’s messy, and that’s just the reality of daily life. 
I’m not here to paint a perfect picture. 
This is my life as I see it.

Sometimes things are gentle and calm. 
Badger asks for cinnamon toast and slips back to her room. 
We watch TV together. 
We take a walk.

Other times it’s an overwhelmed Badger trying to help a sick cat, and me stepping in because I’m worried about Annie’s comfort. 
Emotions run high, and voices rise a little.

That’s real life. 
My blog isn’t sparkles and rainbows. 
It’s more arsenic than sugar, and that’s just me. 
That’s just Jane.

I don’t share everything. 
Some things stay on a private blog. 
What I put here are glimpses, enough to show the truth, the real life, not glitter and not the illusion that everything’s wonderful all the time.

While they were gone, I filled up the bird feeders. 
The birds had cleaned out all seven of them. 
Then I came inside and curled up in bed under a pile of blankets. 
It’s cold today, and I’d gotten wet on my earlier walk. 
I spent the rest of the day, until Cowboy went to work, curled up in bed watching “M*A*S*H” and reading. 
Badger did bring me a peppermint coffee from Dunkin’, which I appreciated. 
I don’t know what she and Cowboy got into, and I didn’t much care, if I’m being honest.

After Cowboy left for work, Badger and I spent the rest of the day watching TV in the living room.
It’s colder than a gravedigger’s rear end outside, and nobody wanted to be out in it. 
There’s not much to write in the winter. 
Honestly, there’s not much to write any time. 
But at least in the warmer months I can jabber about the Pitbull chasing us, a parade of skunks, or the squirrels fussing at us down by the creek.

I expect tomorrow will be more of the same, hopefully without the drama of Annie. 
She has to take these pills for about two weeks, and she’s a stubborn cat. 
I’d say we’ll go to town on Thursday, but that’s iffy right now. 
Cowboy said something about Heron needing to go to the car repair shop. 
I think Saturday, weather permitting, we’re supposed to go to Morristown. 
Badger’s new camera has stopped working; none of the lenses are connecting, so it’s back to the repair shop. 
Maybe I’ll get Cowboy to go up to the mall and walk around Five Below. 
There’s no way I’m going in the mall at this time of year, though.

OK, I’m off here. 
A big nasty black spider just webbed down on my tower, way too close to my arm. 
That’s a huge old nope, no ma’am. 
He can have the whole desk to himself. 
I’m heading to bed.
 I’m trying to get through this book series. 
It’s got a good idea, but it goes off into so much science stuff it’s a little hard to get through.