Dear Cricket

Last night I found a Post Secret post that was written in my EXACT handwriting. Only...I never wrote it.
I asked my mom to read my last post. I wasn't entirely sure how she'd react. But I hoped she'd understand what I was trying to say. She did. She thanked me this morning and apologized for effecting me in the way that she did with her self image issues. She said she wished she could have read what I wrote when she was 18. I wish she could have too. I wish I could have known her then. Sometimes I feel like I did. Sometimes I feel like she isn't my mom at all. She's my sister. It's hard to explain. But she's the closest girl friend I've ever or will ever have. I'm so grateful for this chance for both of us to feel better about ourselves and grow into the women we were always meant to be. Loving ourselves. Because how can you fully love someone else if you can't fully love yourself?
Change of subject.
I have two living creatures that hang around my house and they are not my cats. One is very welcome. The other is not. A wee tree frog often finds himself a nice place to nap inside my watering can. I usually leave it outside after I water my plants and then bring it inside and fill it. Multiple times, he has jumped out mid-fill and I've had to capture him and retreat to the out of doors to keep him from being a cat casualty. Other times he just hops out of the can as I am picking it up. He is bright green and very small. He is a welcome surprise visitor to our house. The other is not so welcome. Last week I was woken in the middle of the night to a LOUD cricket. For the days that followed, I would hear it only in the middle of the night and very loudly, although all my windows were shut. I assumed it must be just very near the window...but always thought it odd that I never heard anything else outside. Last night I discovered why. My cricket is not outside. It is living in my wall. Yes. My WALL. I poked my head by the window last night to listen before I went to bed. Sure enough the cricket began singing...but the sound was NOT coming from outside. It was coming from the power socket to my left. Away from the window. I finally narrowed down where I think he is. He is slightly to the right of the power socket. I don't know how he got there. I don't know how long he'll stay. I'm HOPING there is a limited food supply so he will die (I'm so morbid) soon. But he is definitely the oddest house guest I've ever had.