Theft

(026:  The missing peonies.  Photo © 2009 by Robin)

As mentioned on my other blog, the peonies, vase, and pruning sheers pictured above were all stolen from our porch sometime Sunday night/Monday morning.  I was glad to see the pruning sheers go.  Not so glad about the peonies and the vase.  Especially the vase.  It wasn’t ours to lose.  I haven’t heard from our friend yet (the one who gave us the peonies; I emailed her last night).  I’m hoping the vase wasn’t valuable in some way, particularly not in the sentimental way as there is no insurance that covers that sort of loss.

We’re assuming the thief or thieves are the same people who bashed our mailbox as well.  Nothing says “school is out!” like minor theft and mailbox bashing.  It must be frustrating for the kids these days, having all these plastic mailboxes around that don’t bend and twist in the satisfying way the old-style metal boxes do.  Bashing a plastic mailbox — such as the one we have — usually doesn’t result in much more than the door(s) flying off.  Easily fixed.

We called the sheriff’s office and they sent someone out yesterday evening to make a report.  There has been a rash of such incidences in our area and we decided we should put it on record.  Some of the stuff going on is a little more serious than a missing vase of flowers and the loss of broken (and not mourned) pruning sheers.  Cars have been broken into.  Houses have been egged (a mess to clean up).  And I’m sure there are still a few metal mailboxes out there that have been knocked over or twisted beyond recognition.

I have tons to do and shouldn’t be wasting time sitting here yammering about a minor theft.  It’s annoying.  And a little scary that someone has the balls to walk up to a well-lit porch (we left the light on that night) and just walk off with stuff.  It’s also a reminder that we better make sure we lock up.

As for the front porch, we’ll go back to the plain and simple look.  I’m actually kind of surprised they didn’t take the watering can.  That may have been the most valuable thing on the porch that night.

All the more reason to suspect it was kids.

I’ve procrastinated long enough.  Having taken the day off due to illness yesterday, I have double the work to do today.  I think I’m feeling a little like a deer in the headlights.  Frozen, unsure which way to go.  It’s probably best just to move.  Once moving, I’m sure I’ll figure out what my priorities are and from there I just have to keep moving until everything is taken care of.

So much to do…