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Snacking on rainbows* for her, feathery green tops for pesto for me. Love all around. Simple joys.
*The burgundy colored carrots are Purple Dragon from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. Under the dark skin is a bright orangey yellow interior. They are amazing!
The original pet cemetery had been converted into the little babe's dog-free play area, so we were standing under the hot sun in the weedy corner of the back garden, just inside the property line. My husband was digging up clay and rocks, our cat Anini was lying there on the ground amongst the rampant catnip, and the little babe and I were holding hands and waiting.
As my husband tossed the dirt on top of Anini, the little babe placed something in my hand. It was a single catnip leaf that she had plucked from the plant at our feet. What better parting gift to give a cat? And so a bouquet was placed on top of the dirt, just under the green plastic netting and rocks that will hopefully keep out the animals. We said a little something and then, dripping with sweat from the chaos and sun, we walked back inside and had lunch.
Our cat, Anini, had been losing weight for the past couple of months and vomiting. When we took her to the vet a month ago, her white blood cell count was sky high, but no other problems were found. Then two weeks later, the vet could feel a mass. So we put her on a steroid and pumped her with as much food as she would consume in many small meals throughout the day and night. As I commented in my blog post on Tuesday (written on Monday), she had been holding steady for two weeks. I'll skip the details, but she died on our kitchen floor at 1pm on Tuesday. I am so grateful that my husband just happened to be home at the time. The little babe does not seem traumatized, the other cats don't seem to notice, and life goes on. The cats tend to get the shaft in our home, simply because the five other larger and louder pets demand more attention. However, since we knew Anini's time was coming to an end soon and because she was requiring more attention with her meals, I was spending more time with her than usual. I will miss her presence. I always had to double check the dryer before I closed the door and I couldn't let the tea towel cabinet open because she would climb inside. Along with her surrogate sister, Lanai, they were the first two pets that my husband and I adopted together, twelve years ago. She was a hell raiser as a kitten, but mellowed out into a sweet and petite little black cat. And so now we're down to just eight. (Three cats and five dogs.)
Today I am thankful for...
~a reprieve from the chaos of the past couple of weeks. For some reason, things have been a bit calmer around here. The rain has stopped and Summer temps have kicked in. The cat with cancer is responding to the steroid and while we know she is not getting better, she is at least eating again and so is with us for a bit longer. Prolonging the inevitable, but we feel we should do what we can within reason. The little babe has been a bit more even keeled, which makes for a less stressed Momma, and since one of our moods affects the other, life is better all around. And the garden is kicking it up a notch into its Summer action. Garlic scaping, beans twining, tomatoes and potatoes flowering, peas disappearing from the pods (probably chipmunks), roses blooming, apples forming, robins building nests too close to dog territory, and herbs hanging and drying. Lots of goodness.
What are you thankful for?
~not blogging.
~weeding, planting, and defending the garden from marauders. The groundhog has breached the defenses.
~getting very frustrated with a slow and dysfunctional computer, but then realizing that it really isn't important.
~encouraging my sick cat to eat as much as she can. A mass was found in her abdomen and she is wasting away.
~dealing with two other pets that have unidentified illnesses that cause them to not want to eat. Normally people have problems with fat cats and dogs, but I have the opposite problem.
~hiking in the woods and drawing in the sand with the little babe.
~trying to air dry laundry in a seemingly never ending wet and overcast Spring.
~squeezing in a few minutes here and there to knit and breathe.
~picking strawberries at our local organic u-pick. Four gallons in the freezer and another trip planned for this week.
~trying to handle toddler/teenager tantrums (is she really only 4 1/2 years old?!) with patience and kindness. I'm not doing very well.
~walking dogs that are getting older and slower. Our walks don't really count as a work-out anymore.
~trying to figure out a new photo editing software (Google), so I apologize if they just aren't up to snuff. My computer is basically kaput, along with the old school editing program I used, Picasa. I'm figuring out the Google version on my husband's computer.
~reminding myself about the things that really matter and trying to keep a positive outlook. Every day is a new day with things to be thankful for. I tend to get bogged down with managing the small things.
Thanks to all of you who take the time to check in here.