Views from Raven's Nest: Daily Reminder # 356

I have been meaning to break the birds, birds, birds trend with some kitties and today - despite the fact that it was virtually perfect weather - my back yard was quiet and boring. Of course every time I left the back door for my desk an epidemic of chirping would break out. Very frustrating. The indigo bunting and the blue bird continue to visit the yard next door and ignore me. Such is life, I guess. I have no pictures of Tara Grace to share because she has been pose resistant and because the pictures I have taken diminish her beauty and she deserves better.

Nothing particularly profound or inspiring to share tonight, but wanted to mention a strange ah-ha moment a week or two ago. It has taken me 63 years to realize something. It was a major aspect of our family dynamics that my brother was a genius. His IQ was 162. What was never mentioned was that my sister's IQ was 158, which means she was also in the genius category. Did nobody know? Care? Did it not impress anybody because she was female? Who knows. My IQ was kept secret to protect me from any damage that might come to me from knowing, since there was some belief that my brother's genius was responsible for his hatefulness (although we never actually admitted aloud that he was a psychopath). What a group of crazy smart people I grew up with. It's amazing the things that can be right in front of our noses and go unseen. I was in my 20s when my brain finally metabolized what I had known forever; that my father was an alcoholic. My sister got angry and said "you're drunk" and in an instant, something I had not wanted to know became so profoundly clear that there was no longer any denying it. Just like that. Life and the human mind are strange. I don't think I really have a point with all this. I just had to say the thing about my sister's IQ. Guess, I'll just share some more pictures of the tiny terrorist and do my gratitude list.

I think Angel views the back door (and my addiction to my camera) as
rivals to my affection for her. She alternates between mournful fretting,
sleep and trying to climb onto my back and lap so she can "see too."
She seemed really despondent the day I took this.

She's not really supposed to climb up there, (silly people rules)
but she looked cute so I took her picture and then yelled at her.

Some things I'm grateful for today: (Items in red are pre-gratitude, an effort to gently strong-arm the Universe to bring me my wishes quickly and effortlessly on my part.)