Like flames to the MOTH...

Went to the MOTH with Robin Bady and Barbara Aliprantis last night. Amazing - waiting in line that went round the block. Over 300 people crushed into the Bitter End to hear the 10 of the 21 people who wanted be the storytellers in a storyslam. Wow. This experience sure fanned the flames of us three LANES types who attended...such generous and dynamic women. Thanks again to both R and B for their hospitality.What a night - great stories and great connecting with the folks in NY, NY. More to come.

Weekend fun with Rodents

I worked all weekend in our mouse infested attic. Hot, smelly, cannot stand up straight because of roof pitch. Mice leavings every where - I am talking chewed paper, cardboard, fiberglass insulation,clothing, shoes and mouse pee and poo-even dead mice all mixed in with things of great sentimental value.

I have a new appreciation for the meaning of the term "rat's nest" - we were the rats and the mice had invaded our nest.

At the end of two long days of sorting and triage through the belongings of our children and 30 some years worth of my papers and art work I squealed in shock when I saw a live mouse disappear below my hand as I moved books from one plastic box to a larger one. How the hell did that mouse get in there? It was in the same box with the dead mouse near the top.Continuing on I found below the next layer of books three little micelings in a nest of insulation. I removed and examined books and finally the nest was at the bottom of a plastic box. They looked so vulnerable, trying to hide underneath each other after I removed their nest,

I brought the little guys outside. My family urged me to drown them but I could not. The poor little guys seemed so helpless and so, yeah, I know it sounds stupid, but humans are programmed on a DNA level to be kind to little mammals,- they looked so cute. I dropped them is some high weeds far from the house.

The mice nest and family had not been there long because the books were untouched. The rest of our belonging were not as lucky. Mouse excrement is one thing but their unrine is really nasty. And it was all over our storage - books, paper and clothing! Mamma mia-