Rainy day in sunny, south Florida

In my all-time favorite movie, "You've Got Mail," Meg Ryan's character declares her love for daisies, saying, "Daisies are the friendliest flower." And, they surely are. Which is how I feel about the world today. Life's like a daisy --- friendly. But only for today.

Today there are no traumas, no crises, no problems that are in desperate need of solving. Today is one of those days when I got my work done at the job and now am confronted with the cold, hard fact that I have to get myself busy making valentines as St. Valentine's Day is only two days away, leaving me exactly one day to do the job!

It's downright ugly outside today. Today (a Tuesday) we have a "warm front" moving across the Florida peninsula. Tomorrow a "cold front" is supposed to sweep across the state, "ushering in cooler air." Last night I watched a newscast from Chicago and their high temperature was eight degrees with 10 to 20 mph winds. The temperature here might (and, I use the word "might" very loosely) ... might reach into the sixties. How I love this paradise where I've lived since I was 24. I'm accustomed to the summer weather, and so, don't complain about the heat. I don't complain about the rain either. I would, however, complain loudly if it were eight degrees! How does one function in that kind of weather? There's no way you could don enough clothes to stay warm, even if you wore cashmere and fur! I wouldn't last three days in eight degree weather, no matter how much I might like a place. I liked Montana ... in June. I liked the NC mountains ... in July. I liked Colorado in August. But there's is no way I could handle that kind of cold day after day. Not this chicken! I'll take a rainy day in sunny, south Florida anytime. I'll take a Florida cold front anytime they pass this way. And, by Friday, we'll be singing, "Here comes the sun!" (Can't you just hear the Beatles refrain?)

birthday blues

Yesterday was my birthday. It wasn't a very happy one though. And, then, this morning, before coffee was drunk, my husband became quite agitated and angry and he was, once again, bashing me, mocking me, belittling me and there was no way to talk to him.
He is so very unhappy, and he seems to think/believe that somehow it is my responsibility to make him happy. Dave (darling husband #3) thought/believed the same thing. And, for reasons I cannot explain, I do not agree with this way of thinking/believing. One person is not in charge of another person's happiness.
I have one of those hokey wood placques from the 1980s that has a "saying" on it that has hung somewhere around me since I acquired it in the 1980s. It has a picture of a sailboat on a calm lake --- very peaceful looking --- and the quote is: "your only obligation in any lifetime is to be true to yourself."
I really, truly believe that. Really.
Yet, one after another, I find myself involved with men who hold others accountable for whether or not they are happy.
I just don't get it.
Hey! I'm not happy right now because dh#4 was ranting and raving at me this morning about how unhappy he is in his life. He has to "put up with" my dog, my two cats, my birds, my children, my grandchild, me ... and all he wants is his "privacy." What exactly could this mean? Have I overlooked that he is anti-social? Do I recognize the behaviors of an alcoholic who blames everyone around him/her for the mistakes? How does it all fit together?
Perhaps I'm just not meant to be married. It seems that being married requires that one must give up one's identity. He wants me to become so immersed in his life that there is no place for what I care about, no room for my interests, no time for the activities I enjoy. I thought I was doing that. But, I guess not ...
How silly is this: he's jealous of my dog sitting on my lap. The dog is loyal and faithful and loves me as only a dog can do. My dog accepts me as I am, never asking for any more than I'm willing to give. And, my husband resents the attention I give to the dog. He also resents the way the dog follows me and is never more than a few feet away from me when I'm home. THIS is what he wants! Unfortunately, he's a man, not a dog. And, you just don't treat them the same way. The dog is a dumb animal, dependent on this human being for food and shelter. The man is not a dumb animal and should be independent, able to provide the essentials for himself.
DOES THIS MAKE ANY SENSE???
I've given my best. But, I know that sometimes in this life, even one's best is not enough.
I'm tired of being lonely. And, that's pretty much what I've been here lately.