My urban rooster

Sneaky synchronicity has reared its fateful head again!

And in addition to this, I'm pleased to report that I have a new animal spirit guide. 

Behold: my rooster. 

I've written about meaningful coincidences and animal totems before. 

The last time I wrote about synchronicity I was on vacation in the Florida Panhandle trying to figure out the significance of seeing butterfly nets. And the last time I wrote about animal spirit guides, in particular my frog spirit guide, I got a tongue lashing from Natasha up in Alberta, Canada.

This time it's cocks.

Someone in the neighborhood has a rooster. How else can I explain the barnyard opera I'm hearing in the morning when I walk the pug? 

The first time I heard it, I froze in my tracks. 

Could it be? I asked myself. A rooster crowing in the City of St. Pete? I wrote it off as a Basset Hound and continued walking the obstinate pug.

Again it crowed. 

I looked down at my pug to see if maybe he had heard it too, but he was uncharacteristically uncurious and continued about his sniffing, pissing and grunting. So I let it go – until Thursday morning, when I heard it again. 

Well, I'll be damned, I said. A goddamn rooster living in the city! 

When I returned to the house with this knowledge, I had to tell Joe.

"Must be someone knows you've got problems getting out of bed in the morning."

He grunted. Rolled over on his side.

"A rooster in our neighborhood! How exciting! First tomatoes, now this. Man, it's like I'm back home again."

To further illustrate my point, I started mimicking the cock.

"If it's not a rooster it sure sounds like one," I said as I shuffled to the kitchen to make Joe's usual turkey sammie. 

Five minutes later, I went digging for a little card to stick in his Tupperware container. I'm lame and sappy and sometimes put notes in my fiancé's lunch. I've got this box of random note cards with one note card for every day of the year. They're tiny – the size of a matchbook – and therefore function perfectly as embarrassing lunch love notes. 

So I reached into my box of 365 note cards (at this point there are about 300 left) and I pulled one at random. Now remember: no two cards in this collection are alike, making what happened next quite impressive.

On the front of the card was of course, a devilish rooster. But I reckon you already knew that.

So now it seems a rooster is my shepherd, signaling the end of the tree frog's reign. 

As for what exactly the rooster means, I found this:

Rooster (aka Cock): Rooster is a symbol of resurrection and sexuality as he heralds in the dawn of a new day. Often, good news is at hand when Rooster appears in Dreamtime. However, watchfulness is key as the dreamer must be ever aware of being overly arrogant or cocky. Rooster reminds us to avoid fighting at all costs. The lesson is to respect others while honoring ourselves, or we just might find ourselves ensnared in a ruse of our own making.

Or this:

The Rooster is a solar symbol and represents sexuality. Those with a Rooster as a Totem may have had past lives as early Christians or ancient Greeks. A Rooster totem brings enthusiasm and humor and a sense of optimism. The Rooster is a totem of great power and mystery with ties to the ancient past and clues to your own hidden powers. It is the enemy of evil spirits and can bound them with the light of day.

Cockadoodledoo! I already love this totem way better than the tree frog.  

--

PS. The misguided rooster above was photographed by McBeth. For more evocative storytelling pictures like this, visit McBeth's Flickr photostream. She photographs vexing toothbrush packages, puzzling road signs, tea bags and much, much more!

Anatomy of a refrigerator door

While Joe watched some snooze-fest on Charlie Rose tonight, I diagrammed our refrigerator door. I'm not necessarily proud of this. In fact, there were a million other more productive things I could've, should've done. Ah well. At least now you know I have a framed photograph of my fiancé with his dentist and dental hygienist on the fridge. (And yes, they're posing with balloons.)

Note: This is just the top of my fridge. There's an entirely different collection of crap on the bottom.

Nana never sucked it in.

Mail from my Nana is the best thing on earth.

She likes to write me letters on tree bark and toilet paper.

Last month I scribbled her a Valentine on a maxi pad.

In return she sent me this note with a magazine clipping inside.

The note reads:

Hello Heidi–

Just had to send you this article that I received from Aunt Shirl. Oh, how true it is! I certainly remember my first "rubber" Playtex girdle. Several of my friends were sold on them. They flattened your tummy, but pushed the excess up to your boobs. Really a tight fit. It would get mighty uncomfortable, especially if a girl had a large stomach and hips. God, what we didn't do to try and look glamorous. Nowadays the girls go panty-free!

Well, I just had to get this to you for your Lance. I think it's an article everyone will enjoy – I certainly did. Have a great week and say hello to Joe for me.

Love,
Nana

The magazine clipping, if you can read it:



And Nana's trademark cursive of course.

Duly noted

Joe and I scribble a lot of notes to each other. They're scattered all over the house in various places. I thought I'd pull a few from our collection.

..................................

This is Joe's favorite most emasculating note. "Took 20 bucks for ammo. Have a good brunch. If you wake up for brunch ..."

This note was edited due to explicit content. Note: Stein Mart. As a female who lives in Florida, I can't help it. I'm a Golden Girl in waiting.

This note was rolled up, stuck in the pug's tail and delivered to Joe in the living room.

Our first Christmas tree shopping list. Note: "Cranberries or some shit."

We made this list when we moved into our old apartment. I like when Joe makes it a point to kiss me.

I wrote this note on the corner of an envelope and stuck it to Joe's fridge the morning I left for my cross-country excursion to Oregon.

Like Donna Reed, I make Joe turkey sammies every day before he leaves for work. This one was because he "forgot" to eat a sandwich the day before and had to throw it out because the Mayo had congealed.

He forgot again and blamed me.

We play Rummy like two old coots. This game ended in Joe's favor. As you can see, I'm a sore loser.

I really AM trying to become a better sport.

Finally. A Rummy game that ended in my favor. Step one to becoming a better sport: gloat via cartoons.

Nana barked.

This is the latest letter I received in the mail from my Nana. She wrote it on a piece of bark that fell from her birch tree:

Hi Heidi -

Oh yes, it's me again!

How about that I found this piece of bark that came off our birch tree, and thought it looked like parchment paper. A-ha! The lights came on and I says, I think that's sturdier than TP, so I'll send a note to Heidi.

You never know what I'll use next. Maybe I better get some note cards or something, right? You'll begin to think that I've lost my marbles. Or just that I'm plain cheap. I like being different. Besides, this came from my yard, and I love the white birch very much so I had to send it to you - whom I love also!

The only downfall is that it came off in small strips and is hard to write on.

Saw your mom today. She says you may be home next month. Good. I hope to see you then. Have a good week and enjoy the rest of the summer.

Much love!

Nana

PS. Hi to Joe.

Nana's toilet paper.

My Nana and I are pen-pals. Rather than call each other, we exchange letters every few weeks. Last month I mailed her a rock from the Florida Panhandle and she responded with this letter written on one continuous sheet of two-play toilet paper:

Hello Heidi & Joe -

Finally getting around to answering your letter and acknowledging the lovely gift. I would say it's a shell from St. George Island. How wonderful that you could vacation. Thank you both for thinking of me and remembering my collection. (Oh yes I've added it to my special box you gave me of rocks.)

I had a hard time finding the right kind of toilet tissue. You see it has to be of premium quality in order to be able to write.

Warning! If for some reason (you never know) you decide to use this in an emergency be very careful to use it ink side down, or you may have a blue streaked butt. (Just joking.)

Well, your vacation is over and you're back to work. You know all good things come to an end sooner or later.

Went to Troy Gier's grad party Saturday night. (That's Aunt El's grandson.) Had a good time. Then Sunday Papa and I went to his aunt's 90th birthday party - that too was nice even if I didn't know too many of the relatives on Papa's side of the family.

The next month we'll be going to Lisa and Shawn's baby shower. Its at a restaurant in Dunkirk. Ought to be nice. I got him a baby stroller which can be made into an infant as well toddler car seat. It is quite deluxe! Of course Shawn picked it out so I know he'll like it.

I've been trying to catch up on my garden work. Lots of trimming to do but the rain has been annoying. I no sooner start and down it comes! Oh well one day I'll get it done.

Day 2. Trying to get this letter finished so I can get it out in tomorrow's mail. Just finished doing some trimming in the yard again. It seems like a never-ending job and I'm getting too old and tired. Trying to talk Papa into hiring a landscaper to do the work but he wont hear of it. You know Papa. If he doesn't do the work himself it won't meet his approval. I gave up mowing two years ago now I might retire from trimming too.

I've just about run out of happenings so I'll say bye for now. Enjoy the rest of the summer. Write when you can.

Love to you both.

Nana

PS. Written on quality TP.