Heading to Vermont this morning with Apple...

As I sit here this Thanksgiving morning I contemplate the changes in my life over the past year and think of all those friends and family who have let me lean on their strength and who have listened to my crying with compassion and understanding.  I am profoundly thankful for them and words are not sufficient to describe such gratitude.  How comforting it is knowing one has people you can rely on in a pinch.

I’ve discovered that when you’re young you count many acquaintances as friends, but as your life unfolds and you grow older there’s more to being a friend than I might have realized back then.  A true friendship I know now requires maintenance, needs to be reciprocal, carries certain responsibilities and unless you’re willing to invest those deep and abiding friendships cannot be had.

I do not believe we are meant to live our lives in isolation.  I believe we are meant to have relationships of all kinds and that these relationships should help us grow, reflect and correct the flaws in our character.  There’s nothing like a good friend to help with that project.  My friends are honest even when what is being said might “ouch” a little.  And a really good friend will make you feel beautiful and valuable and listens to what you have to say even when you’re rambling.  Yes, having friends and being a friend is a wonderful thing.

Some of your friends might be also family (as it is for me) and that is a true bonus.  Your family are people with whom you have been riding through this life with right from the start.  Family they’re people who know you at your best and your worst.  Family… people with whom you share a collective memory.  My family are people who know me like no other.  They know my secrets and weaknesses, but don’t use those things against me unless it’s to get a laugh or make me laugh.  Family as friends are a wonderful thing.

This Thanksgiving I want to give thanks for my family and friends both near and far (you know who you are)!   Thank you … You help me to see when my view is obstructed, you make me feel loved when I’m feeling alone and you make me laugh when tears are nearing the surface.  I am truly… truly blessed.  I give thanks.

and pumpkin. I'm really looking forward to spending time with JonBoy and Calico!

It’s funny sometimes how a crisis promotes changes that would otherwise never happen.

On the heels of this cat-astrophe it became apparent to me that my geographic location creates isolation and hardship in my life that are not healthy.   My life, as it is, living here in the country forty miles or more from work, friends and family has become a burden.  This reality was never more obvious to me than it has been lately with crisis after mini-crisis on my doorstep.

The morning after my trip to animal emergency care with Lil’ Missy I realized in a moment that I needed to move.  The thought alone lifted a weight off my weary soul and that feeling of lightness and truth makes me know this is the right decision.  My intuition and gut tells me so.   What I need to do now is post a “For Sale” sign, begin packing my bags and pray for patience in waiting for God’s timing.

“Where will you go” you might ask.

Well, my plan is to move closer to Bethy and Conrad and beyond that I’m open.  Of course, our plans are our plans and if God has other ideas He (or She) will reveal them to us.   If you’re not paying attention when Heaven sends a communication things can get sticky.  I plan to pay attention!

I realize now that God has been trying to get my attention lately and I kept hanging on with my own agenda and planning.   I was planning to stay here in spite of all the inconvenience, isolation and the fact that for years I’ve wanted to move.  I stopped listening to my inner voice and that is never good.

So, as Lil’ Miss continues to heal and adjust to her shorter tail I have things to do here to get ready for spring when I’ll begin advertising in earnest.  There’s painting, packing, cleaning and culling.  I’m on it and want to be ready when God says “headed em up move em out.”

Here's Missy staring at her shorter, shaved tail.

[Click here to read "A Cat Tale - Part 1]

Later that evening when we were sitting on the couch – me , Lil’ Missy and Luvy-Dovey – I noticed some blood on my hand as I petted Missy’s long, beautiful, multicolored tail. What the heck and OMG! The tip of Missy’s tail was bleeding. I just never imagined . . . after a more thorough inspection I could see the end of her tail was badly damaged and a vet visit would be needed pronto.

It was surprising to me that just after the initial injury Missy took it all in stride for the most part resuming her normal behavior, which includes scooting here and there in a quick evasive way and demanding a scratch behind the ears from time-to-time. She acted pretty much normal really that is until our veterinarian examined her and informed me that the very end of her tail would need to be amputated.

What the heck and OMG! I felt like crap and that’s when a whole slew of “what ifs” and “why mes” began running through my mind. What if I didn’t have my shoes on when I stepped on her tail? What if I weighed less? Why did I adopt these cats anyway, I’m no good with animals? And so on… you get the idea… self-flogging. I just felt so bad, so responsible and now this little cat … Anyway, I knew that kind of thinking would be counterproductive since taking responsibility and taking action would be necessary and no amount of regret would change things.

Our appointment was scheduled for last Tuesday morning with pick up and at the end of the same day. Later that afternoon when the vet phoned I was told the procedure had gone well, but when I brought Missy home with the very end of her tail missing (about an inch or so) she was understandably upset. I tried to console her but she would have none of it.

The following day things went from bad to worse when (while I was at work) Missy attempted to trim her tail a little more by chewing and who knows what.  It was a bad scene, spots of blood all around the house and Missy perched on the window ledge in shock and pain.  I wrapped my cat with the ever shorter tail into a towel and then into the pet carrier and hurried off to animal emergency, which is about an hour away.   That was a very long drive and I can hardly remember  how I got there in my state of upset.  Missy required an overnight stay at the animal emergency center and required a little more of her tail be amputated. What the heck and OMG?

Once Missy was in good hands at emergency care I headed off to meet Bet and Conrad who had adjusted their plans that night to meet me at a nearby Red Robin (it’s a burger joint).  They cheered me up and helped to appease my guilt with their humor, love and tower of deep fried onion rings.   I am extremely blessed to have a supportive family that also doubles as my best friends.  They came to offer words of support and hugs that were much needed that night and it helped.  There’s a lot of power in hugs and compassion and love you know!

There would be another five days spent in our vet’s medical boarding facility as a precautionary measure, but Lil’ Miss is now home and doing pretty well considering what she’s been through.  She came home yesterday, was delighted to see Luvy and was even happy to see me.  Thank God for the forgiving heart of an animal.

I do catch Lil’ Miss staring at her short, shaved tail every now an then and I do hope sometime soon the fur will have grown back and she’ll have forgotten the pain and trauma somehow.    As I sit here writing this Lil’ Miss is sleeping near me on the couch and I can hear her softly snoring, ever so softly, and dreaming I hope good dreams, dreams that tell her the foot that hurt her did so unintentionally.  Dreams that tell her the hand and heart that helped her did so with love.

Little Miss getting some special attention from Luvy.

Luvy...

As you may recall I adopted two cats a couple of months ago and have discovered – much to my surprise – that I just might be … “a cat person.”  My attachment to these two kitties was instantaneous and with my life in transition right now they have provided a great place to express my love and nurturing nature.   Not only that they are great company.

My choice of adopting “older” cats (Luvy is a little over a year while Little Miss is more than five) was inspired as I watched my parents who’d done the same just a few months prior.  The older cat’s personality is on display where a kitten’s personality can be overshadowed by their cuteness and playful nature.  It just made sense to me and since I myself would be considered “older” and still have much to give I thought why not – older is good.

Luvy... energetic, loving and playful.

So on a sunny day last July when I stopped into our local animal shelter to find out the “deal” they provided me a “buy one/get one free” offer.   As I sat in the cat room pondering the huge responsibility I was about to take on Luvy jumped in my lap.  He was all playful, affectionate, loving and just plain nosy.  He still is all those things and I fell for him immediately.

Little Miss, on the other hand was a bit more of a surprise – affectionate as she was at the Shelter – once home she stayed on the fringes mostly and hid under the bed for a couple of hours until curiosity and a little kibble drew her out.  After joining us  (Luvy and I) I could see that Missy was the nervous type,  skittish and aloof and without knowing her history it’s impossible to know why.  Don’t get me wrong, Missy will show up for her neck scratches from time-to-time but she refuses to be picked up and protests if you try.  But still… she is an awesome sweet thing and I have grown to appreciate her quiet kindness.

Littlie Miss... quiet, gentle, kind and a bit nervous.

In all fairness, if I’d been paying attention that day at the Shelter Missy’s disposition was just as it is now.  Loving, affectionate, kind and playful, but all these things are on her terms not yours.   I love Little Miss too and  her quiet, gentle nature is very compatible with mine and a balance to Luvy’s insistence to be on your lap or in your face.  This threesome – me and Luvy and Lil’ Miss – it works.

And here we were going along just fine until one day a couple of weeks ago.  I’d come home from work and walked through the kitchen into the dining area.  It was dark and I hadn’t removed my shoes as I usually do.  I headed for the light switch and heard a squeal as I unintentially stepped on Lil’ Missy’s tail.  She ran off quickly and I never suspected or expected that she was injured, but she was injured I mean really injured and that is where this cat tale begins…