My Ex told me later, that he wanted to marry me because he thought it would be fun to break my spirit. He did a good job of it, but it is not my nature to give up easily, so I stayed until I was very close to dying from stress.
Gardening and my animals remained the solace for my woes. I went out gardening at dawn when I could and would not return to the house much until it was dinner time. I planned ahead in order to cut down dinner prep time because I didn't want to interrupt the gardening.
When I made apple pie I made two and froze one and spent time baking dozens of chocolate chip cookies that were in the freezer with the pies. The night before I did an all-day gardening session, I put the main course in the crock pot and it would be ready for dinner the next day. That was for something that came out better with a long cooking time, like meatballs or flank steak in mushroom sauce. The flank steak came out tender enough to cut with a fork. It had a little wine in it to tenderize the meat and add to the flavor.
I made several loaves of shepherd bread at a time and put the extras in the freezer also. I took out a frozen loaf the night before along with dessert. That left only salad and a vegetable dish to prepare at dinnertime.
The Ex hated it when I made dinner that way. He complained about the whole meal and often stormed out to go eat dinner next door in Mom's kitchen. The food being disparaged that way was just fine if he saw me slaving away making it for hours, instead of being out gardening. It was the gardening he didn't like. He was okay with eating the food from the garden, but didn't like to see me enjoying it so much.
I would garden until I got too tired to continue. I didn't want to leave to rest, so I went to the corn, which quickly grew taller than anything else. It was shady between the corns talks and leaves. I laid there and dozed. My cats usually came next to me and the dogs were nearby. The goats laid down where they were and would be quiet for a bit. I usually put the current gardening chicken in the pen before nap time.
As soon as there were baby ears of corn on the stalks, I started eating them raw. They were very tender and juicy. It was nice eating them warm from the sun right there in the garden. I gave the tender corn shucks around the ears to the goats.
My animals somehow decided, together or separately, to try to defend me from my ex when he was being mean to me. At first I thought it might be a coincidence, but it soon became clear it was not. Even some of the wild birds went out of their way to poop on him. One got him in the eye.
Since my cats were in and out of the house they got first crack at my Ex after he yelled at me. Peabody was boss kitty, so he started. He headed over for the Exe's socks. The socks would be on the floor next to the boots. Peabody held a sock between his little white-mittened paws and ripped holes in it with his teeth. He would do the other sock if he got a chance. NBC or National Broadcasting Cat (she had a loud Siamese voice), would make her contribution by urinating on or in the boots. She didn't go for the direct approach as Peabody did, but waited until nobody was looking. It took months before she was seen doing it.
I told the Ex that she did it as a sign of affection to mark him as her territory. I was unsure whether I believed myself about that, but he seemed mollified by it.
Tigger was the weirdest cat. She had been raised as a kitten among three big litters of pit bull puppies. Maybe it did something to her little kitty mind. Tigger must have patented her, "back attacks". They usually occurred because she wanted to be held and petted. She made an exception when the Ex was yelling at me. She waited until he was not paying attention and leapt for that spot on his back where he could not reach her. She really dug her claws in hard and hung on like a rodeo rider.
I am not certain that I will have time to finish this story today, but it will be soon.
Gardening and my animals remained the solace for my woes. I went out gardening at dawn when I could and would not return to the house much until it was dinner time. I planned ahead in order to cut down dinner prep time because I didn't want to interrupt the gardening.
When I made apple pie I made two and froze one and spent time baking dozens of chocolate chip cookies that were in the freezer with the pies. The night before I did an all-day gardening session, I put the main course in the crock pot and it would be ready for dinner the next day. That was for something that came out better with a long cooking time, like meatballs or flank steak in mushroom sauce. The flank steak came out tender enough to cut with a fork. It had a little wine in it to tenderize the meat and add to the flavor.
I made several loaves of shepherd bread at a time and put the extras in the freezer also. I took out a frozen loaf the night before along with dessert. That left only salad and a vegetable dish to prepare at dinnertime.
The Ex hated it when I made dinner that way. He complained about the whole meal and often stormed out to go eat dinner next door in Mom's kitchen. The food being disparaged that way was just fine if he saw me slaving away making it for hours, instead of being out gardening. It was the gardening he didn't like. He was okay with eating the food from the garden, but didn't like to see me enjoying it so much.
I would garden until I got too tired to continue. I didn't want to leave to rest, so I went to the corn, which quickly grew taller than anything else. It was shady between the corns talks and leaves. I laid there and dozed. My cats usually came next to me and the dogs were nearby. The goats laid down where they were and would be quiet for a bit. I usually put the current gardening chicken in the pen before nap time.
As soon as there were baby ears of corn on the stalks, I started eating them raw. They were very tender and juicy. It was nice eating them warm from the sun right there in the garden. I gave the tender corn shucks around the ears to the goats.
My animals somehow decided, together or separately, to try to defend me from my ex when he was being mean to me. At first I thought it might be a coincidence, but it soon became clear it was not. Even some of the wild birds went out of their way to poop on him. One got him in the eye.
Since my cats were in and out of the house they got first crack at my Ex after he yelled at me. Peabody was boss kitty, so he started. He headed over for the Exe's socks. The socks would be on the floor next to the boots. Peabody held a sock between his little white-mittened paws and ripped holes in it with his teeth. He would do the other sock if he got a chance. NBC or National Broadcasting Cat (she had a loud Siamese voice), would make her contribution by urinating on or in the boots. She didn't go for the direct approach as Peabody did, but waited until nobody was looking. It took months before she was seen doing it.
I told the Ex that she did it as a sign of affection to mark him as her territory. I was unsure whether I believed myself about that, but he seemed mollified by it.
Tigger was the weirdest cat. She had been raised as a kitten among three big litters of pit bull puppies. Maybe it did something to her little kitty mind. Tigger must have patented her, "back attacks". They usually occurred because she wanted to be held and petted. She made an exception when the Ex was yelling at me. She waited until he was not paying attention and leapt for that spot on his back where he could not reach her. She really dug her claws in hard and hung on like a rodeo rider.
I am not certain that I will have time to finish this story today, but it will be soon.
