Let it Slide

  Sometimes you just have to let things slide without ever addressing them.  It does not do any good to get your shorts in a wad and fret over what meddling folks say.  It is not an easy pill to swallow and, sometimes, I admit to letting it irk me. But, I am trying to take that so-called high road and look the other way.  It is hard not to fire back.  Lately, it seems that friends and family members have been on a roll with their not so constructive criticism.  In the past few days, five different people have come to the Little Bayou House with their unwanted "helpful" judgments. From "Hopefully, your hair being purple is not permanent." to "I can't stand the dog hair on the floor!", everyone seems to have a bit of pointless condemnation about the way I live.  Don't like it?  Don't come to the Bayou.  Simple as that.  I am good with it!

  Just to clarify, the hair bit was something that Darling Daughter and I did on a whim.  I liked it so much, I am going to keep it for a while.  Blue and purple seem to fit my demeanor pretty well.  It was done as a much needed step out of my comfort zone.  I would never dream of telling folks that I do not like their curls, their gray, their braids, their baldness.  This is a personal thing that is no one's business other than my own.  That said, yep, I am going to keep the purple and blue.  I like it...nuff said.

 The pet hair issue is a problem with me, too, but since Mr. PJ had nowhere else to go, it is here.  I fully understand one cousin who is highly allergic to pet dander avoiding the place but, unless you have a surefire method of stopping a huge dog from shedding...shush.  Dog hair is now the norm here and will be as long as Mr. PJ needs a home.  I am sure not going to turn him away because of his shedding, age, health issues or stubbornness.  Add a large, fluffy cat that leaves hair mats all over the place and I have a relative carpet but Ms. Nycto is not going anywhere either.  They both needed a home, I provided it and that is the point....it IS their home...hairy or not.  And, to be perfectly honest here, I like them more than I like most people...again...nuff said.

  The same idea goes for the messiness of my house due to remodeling,  sawdust on my floors , my use of herbal remedies, spiderwebs in the corners, my quirky sense of decorating (or lack thereof), my dust, my doubly full pantry, my critter friends, my habit of going barefoot, my massive collection of weird and wonderful items, my stockpile of craft supplies, my penchant for fishing, my...well, you get the idea. It all boils down to respect, which sad to say, is something that most folks lack these days. What I do is my business.  A couple of old Bayou sayings come to mind here.  "If you can't help with your hands, don't help with your mouth." and "Let it slide like water off a duck's back."  For those who are not familiar with these sayings, the first one is our way of saying "Stop your gabbling if it is only to make you feel superior."  If you can't come push a lawnmower, then don't whine about the tall grass. The second is our way of saying "We really don't care what you think."  Your "constructive" criticism, unasked for advice and snide remarks are not wanted nor needed.  I am working on that second one...it is hard but I am working on it.  Now that the rant is over, here is a pair of ducks...which, by the way, are a couple of my critter friends.