Recently the summer evenings are luring us outside, to listen to the chatter of birds not yet sleepy, and to soak up the descending sun. The girls caught fireflies, and let them loose in the chicken's dormitory for lamp lights. The dogwood tree newly planted by their coop has been named Brockhall, another landmark in the Redwall series, and the yard below is Mossflower.
But with the June warmth comes mosquitoes.
The twins are apparently more delicious than me, and last week were the primary targets for a fleet of flying insects. This was unpleasant in the extreme.
The next day I replenished our supply of insect repellant. Our evening was not truncated by slapping and swiping. We could savor the more refined enjoyments afforded by the summer solstice. We broke out the popsicles and watermelon.
There is a person I have been spending too much time thinking about. It would be innocent enough if the inner dialogue was as sweet as ripe watermelon, but it more closely resembles sour cherries. I have a complaint and waste unholy hours practicing ways to express it.
I decided to be proactive. I wrote out a battery of affirmations and memories of this person, and applied them to my skin. Since they did not stick I resorted to stuffing them in my pockets. It worked wonders. Every time a noxious thought came buzzing I pulled out a slip of paper and read it. It repelled the criticism like a charm.
Close relationships are a breeding ground for stinging comments and biting remarks. But if we want to protect our marriages, it makes sense to find ways to repel them.
