Casualties

Winnie and Mary in the kitchen as I type this 

In the fallout that are divorces, children are often seen as casualties of war.
Hopefully, if everyone plays nicely, the trauma is kept to a minimum but I have friends who have joint custody of their children and I am always amazed of the complicated juggling act that has to be performed to keep heads above water.

When I was separated I was resolved to keep all of my pets.
I had four dogs then, two of them elderly and practically I was in the shit , what with no car, a vet seventeen miles away and expensive medications to pay for.
So I had a choice .
Rehome the animals
Or shut up moaning and get on with things

I continued to moan just a little , but I got on with things .
William died in his sleep one wet Winter’s morning which admittedly made things a little easier though painfully sad and valiant old George died after a thankfully short acute illness.
Dorothy’s arrival was a serendipitous hiccup of madness which complicated home life even more

Full time work provided the biggest challenge to me where the animals were concerned.

The Sexy bearded dog walker has been an expensive but necessary ally in maintaining the status quo but his input has been supported way above the the level expected by Trendy Carol and her hubby who have been total heroes when dog sitting is concerned.
Without them I doubt I could have coped with those long days at work complicated by a commute longer than I was ever used to.

My sister and Hattie from Choir have also pulled their weight, and so those trips to see friends, those nights out in London and In Liverpool and Sheffield have become a thankful reality.

It’s a juggling act but is a necessary as breathing juggling act.

Last night Mary’s irritated ear kept up both awake with its itchiness and yesterday Winnie dropped a small, beautifully rounded constipated stool quite perfectly between the book case and the wall.
Dorothy’s PTSD remains  a daily challenge and only this morning moments after I had triumphantly placed my avocado and eggs on toast on the kitchen table, Albert stuck his head towards the centre of the plate and then sneezed loudly in disgust all over it.

Tying, needy, expensive, emotionally demanding and totally indispensable
I may be a lone parent

But my animals ain’t going anywhere