Spiders...

Ya know, despite being a self-proclaimed nature-lover/environmentalist , I’m just not a big fan of them. I know they are good - they eat the other creepy-crawly things that I don’t particularly care for. None the less, they pretty much freak me out. I blame it on this old black and white movie that was repeatedly shown on the Sunday Matinee where there was this giant spider living in a cave that ate humans. Hmmm… maybe I should blame my phobia on my parents for allowing me to watch cinematic horrors at such a tender age. Anyway, my dearly departed grandmother never harmed a spider in her 96 years of life. Gracki always went out of her way to gently escort any spider that had lost its way back outside. The old me stomped, smushed, dropped a shoe on and ran, or called someone else in to do the deed whenever confronted with an arachnid. The new me, and this new me has only come about since the death of my grandmother, in her honor, has not intentionally killed, harmed or asked someone to harm any spiders. I won't even let Eser kill one if he comes across one. I was put to the test last evening when, while cooking dinner, I turn around to see the biggest spider (half-dollar size maybe, maybe smaller, but they always look bigger) I have yet to find in our new house. I had the urge to call Eser to deal with it, but he was upstairs shampooing the carpet, and who am I to interfere with that!?!?! My first instinct was to take the empty pasta box that I was holding in my hand, set it on the floor in front of the spider, then attempt to shoosh the spider into the box and carry it outside. After carefully placing the box on the floor, I thought to myself, this is nuts – the spider is going to be super-fast and crawl right out of the box and end up on me. No way, Jose!!! Plan B. I decided to sweep the spider out the door. I very slowly opened the door to the back yard, praying the spider didn’t move because the door actually had to swing open over the thing. Holding Gabriel’s little broom, I tip-toed over the spider, ready to jump at the slightest movement. I pushed the screen door open as wide as I could, and WOOSH, swept the little bugger right out (followed by quickly slamming the door shut and locking it, both the knob and the deadbolt). Am I overreacting a bit, maybe, but because of my Gracki, another spider lives on…