Minnie

I lost Minnie today. She was 13 years and 7 months as that is as close to what the vet figured out her age when she came into the auction house all those years ago.
She slept under my left arm every night and would 'chirp' instead of meow everytime I entered the bedroom. I will fill you in on more about my beloved Minnie later.
Since I was with a heavy heart last night knowing what I had to do this morning, I just held her as much as I could without hurting her as much of the night as she would let me. She was in a lot of pain.
So will write more later.

Back

Well, I'm back after the virus left me without the laptop for nearly 2 weeks. DH had a notebook that I jury-rigged and had to use ethernet cable for, but it was a distinct pain and sooooo slow.

Now have to figure out which stitching sites I was following. Everything was wiped off the desktop with the exception of my photos. He put them in a folder on the desktop for me so I have them.

Glad to be back.

Have a very sick 13 yr old cat and am so torn and saddened. May not be on for a bit.

Huggs, to all.

Cait

Thanks

Meari,
Thank you for your kind words on Dovey.
I still expect her to come into the bathroom in the morning and meow her 'Good Morning, Mommy'.
It is lonesome without her and her siblings and I are still in blue.
Thanks again,
Cait

The measure of love....

It is a measure of love to know how we are missed.
All last night they were walking around the house and calling to her.
Their agitation and confusion was palpable.
It didn't stop with last night. This morning they were doing the same.
Dovey's sisters don't understand where she is.
I brought her back in the house after I took her home from the vet's clinic.
I laid her down on the floor for them. Both sniffed and walked away.
But they wouldn't or couldn't accept that Dovey was gone.
Their missing her equates to the love they had for this little, grey being.
That my talking to them and petting them had some effect, don't tell me that her siblings aren't mourning the loss of their sister.
I can see her grave markers out under the Haraldson apple tree from my eastern facing windows, and I also grieve.
Talking softly to Cinders and Cuddles helps them, just slightly, but they still call for her.
To those that insist that animals are just that, without thought and feeling, and haven't seen this phenomenon of their grieving for Dovey, well, I don't think I ever want to meet these people. I would just appreciate that they never come into my life for me to feel sorry for their lack of knowledge and compassion.
Little Dovey, Thank You for gracing my life for the last decade plus. For teaching me to appreciate all of God's gifts to us.
Your life was a great joy to me.
I grieve for you also.

Dovey

Today was a hard day for me.
For the last week I have been trying to get one of my little cats to eat. She wouldn't and couldn't.
Today the hard decision was made to let Dovey go.
She wouldn't eat anything and all she wanted to do was drink.
She was so weak, I didn't have much choice.
Dovey was the best mouser, the best I ever had. Dovey would hear a mouse in this 96 year old house and she sat there in the kitchen until she got it.
She was a small dove-grey cat, only 11-12 years old.
Dovey was a feisty one, and if you invaded her space, most likely you were told by her to back away. It was only in the last few years that she tolerated you to pet her. Never on her head, but from the shoulders on back you could touch and stroke her body down to the end of her tail.
And she was a talker! If you were in the kitchen having a meal, or anywhere she saw you, she would just let loose with one of her outlandishly loud meows. You could literally hold a conversation with her. Dovey would 'say something', you would answer and she would respond.
Dovey wasn't one of the most cuddly cats, and I regret not being able to sit with her in my lap to pet and cuddle with her.
This last week was hard for both of us, and her sister, Cinders, never left her side. When Dovey went to drink, Cinders was with her.
She asked for so little, but gave so much even though she did it on her terms.
I will miss you little girl, wait for me when it is my time to cross our rainbow bridge...............

Been a while..

Well, it has been a while. Lost our furnace about a month ago, and I sure do wish it would warm up a bit. Good thing is that they aren't delivering any more fuel oil, bad thing is that the cold floors are getting to me. The atomic clock receptor outside says that it is 39* and it is 67* inside the bedroom. Guess I need to bake something

Common courtesy

Have you come out of a store or warehouse facility and had to lift that 42 pounds of litter up into your car or truck? Or that very heavy, bulky, unwieldly case of bottled water?
I did the other day.
Now getting it into the cart isn't as bad, as you are usually dropping it into the cart as opposed to lifting it up out of the high walled/sided cart into the vehicle.
Imagine my surprise while at the Coon Rapids, MN, Costco this past week and I heard a shout from the cart corral asking me if I wanted help to get the litter into my truck.
I turned around and here was a young man, Sam by name, and he was asking ME the question. At first instinct I thought no. Then as instantly as that thought came to mind, I turned to him and said that I would love some help.
Sam easily hefted both into the truck cab and I told him I could take care of the rest. And Thank You! He gave me a look that said that he was more than willing to finish the rest, but acquiesced nobly and went back to his work.
While getting into the truck after all was said and done, I dug out the cell phone and dialed Free411 to get the phone number of that particular Costco.
I called and mentioned what just had happened to me. I told the lady that answered that Sam was a great help to a 5'2.5" 68-year old woman. She was so surprised and asked me if I wanted to talk to his manager. I said that I definitely would and did so. He mentioned that the young man was standing right in front of him and I repeated that I was so grateful for that bit of common courtesy and to please Thank him again.
Sam, you will go far in your career, simply because your work ethic has allowed you to see beyond corralling carts. Your parents raised you very well. I am pleased to have been part of your life, you certainly lifted my day to the best quality for that particular incident.
Thank You.