We had heard ...

... that with the economic crisis in Portugal, petty theft on the island had been on the rise. In fact, it was just last week that Hita and Julie told me to not be so trusting. They told me to not have kids' toys outside. JB told me to stop telling people Scrubs doesn't bite. "Tell them he's mean and ferocious and that he'll bit their heads off," JB joked.

From what we've been told, the island really has no major crimes. Not surprising being as it IS an island. I mean, where can you run? But petty theft, especially since the financial downturn around Europe and North America, has been on the rise -- especially in areas, like our little town, where there are more Americans living.

And last night, they thefted us!

It wasn't anything major. They stole clothes off our clothes line, and they took Scrubby's food. Obviously not things I will grieve.

But it still made me really mad! My parents were robbed when I was very young. And when I was in college, they were robbed again. This time, my dad rolled over and there was a man next to his bed going through his pants pockets! But that was South Florida. This was a cozy little island. I was way shocked.

I first realized something was amiss when Sidge came inside from doing his "feed Scrubby" chore and told me he couldn't find Scrubs' food container. We keep his food in a big container in the garage, but each week, we fill it up from the garage and keep it outside where we can get to it easily.

I went outside to look and immediately felt that something wasn't right. My memory from the night before was crystal clear as I had pushed the food container into a corner and said to the boys, "Always keep it away from the edge so Scrubby doesn't knock it over." How could it have just vanished? Sidge, of course, thought it was great fun to go on a search. "It's like a mystery Mom," he kept saying.

It was just about the time that I convinced myself someone had stolen our dog food container and had a conversation with myself about how that was absurd ... who comes into someone's premises and steals dog food? ... that I realized it wasn't just the food.

I realized that there were big gaps on our clothesline. And on the kids' gate I had hung clothes on when I ran out of room on the line. It had been a rainy day and so I had been backed up with clothes. I remembered hanging my nice under armor running pants that Joni gave me for my birthday on the kids' gate. I remembered hanging JB's yellow under armor running shirt. And both were gone. I had used my very last clothespin hanging clothes on the line, and now, there were numerous ones that hung empty.

We'd been robbed!

I emailed JB. I also called Julie, our awesome Portuguese friend who speaks amazing English and asked her if there was anything we should do. She said that reporting it was sort of pointless. But she was mad! I was too. I sent an email to my neighbors and talked to the ones that I didn't have emails for so that everyone could be aware and more alert.

I have to say that I really don't feel unsafe despite this robbery. JB says I am a little too Pollyanna, but I do feel better about the fact that they stole need items instead of want items. There were a lot of other things that they could have taken -- like the kids' bikes and swimming shoes and boots, etc.

But my bubble, which I have loved living in, was popped. And that made me mad. We lived for three years in a condo with a secure entrance in Rochester. Then we lived three years on the Base at Eglin. And then Turkey for two years. We never even locked our doors in Turkey.

Pop. Pop. Pop.

Plans our now in place to make things more secure. To make sure this doesn't happen again. But for now, I just have to grieve my lost pants. And my favorite grey tank top. And other things that I know I'll realize were taken in the days to come.

Pop.