Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 3:46 am on March 16, 2016 Permalink
  Tags: Bell ( 2 ), Sophie   

  Out of the Blue 

  Out of the blue a phone call comes and you know your child needed to reach out and touch you. I took the news and a rock went into my stomach. Kersten and Kevin have two pups, Bell and Sophie. Those two are as much as family to Kersten and Kevin, as I am to Dennis.

  Sophie was to have surgery this forenoon and it was serious. When white blood cells and red blood cells tell a story of trauma, surgery is needed to find out the real deal. When Kevin called, they had been in the waiting room within their own home since the night before when they had to leave Sophie at the veterinary clinic. Kevin had no idea when they would hear if Sophie had indeed made it through the surgery. Kevin did make a reference to crocodile tears during this interim waiting time. I was prepared to also being in the “wait mode.”

  Not five minutes later, Kevin called back. The surgery may have been scheduled for the forenoon, but Sophie had been first on the docket and was now in recovery. Sophie had had a volleyball-sized blood tumor on one of her ovaries that had begun to bleed out, and now she was going to be just fine after a “take it easy” time when she gets to come home tomorrow. I think there were more crocodile tears, but now the joyful ones.

  Yes, these are not ordinary pets, Bell and Sophie have become a cherished part of Kevin and Kersten’s family. I have to admit, I am quite fond of them as well. Not so much different as Dennis and me with our cats and kittens. Vulnerable beings that have captured our hearts and have made us better people in our day to day lives.

   
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  Noreen 4:14 am on August 30, 2015 Permalink
  Tags: Bell ( 2 ), Butter Ball ( 7 ), Dennis ( 40 ), Kersten ( 6 ), Kevin ( 8 ), Sophie   

  The Patio Annex 

  It is no secret that the older ones on Stauffer Avenue have a soft heart.  Most of that heart is reserved for family, but the four legged creatures that happen into our lives are real scene stealers.

  The talk has been had about a dog.  When we travel, that would be a real heart breaker.  Leaving a dog with a stranger could crush its spirit.  Taking a dog with when traveling, is not always appreciated.  We have had Kevin and Kersten’s Bell and Sophie for a sleepover.  They fit right in and know that we are kindred spirits.  So . . . the talk about having a dog, is just that, talk.

  Now, cats that happen across our patio, that is another story.  One of the first cats that happened across our yard quite a lot of years ago, is still coming for brunch.  Megan named her Tabatha.  She looked like she had some age on her then, and has kept a consistent look of well-being.  We couldn’t count how many have been by for a snack and, over time, did not return.  Dennis feels that if they make it to our yard, they will have a bite to eat and water to drink.  Formally, we have taken in three cats to the degree of having them treated to a visit to the veterinarian once a year for their shots.

  This late spring, pretty much right on schedule, the yellow mama cat, Sweetie Pie, brought over her wares.  Butter Ball Curry is one of her kittens from last year.  This year, there were two little gray ones following mama right up to the Meow Mix bowl.  Surprisingly, they were not as frightened of us as we would have thought.  Dennis gets the biggest charge out of these two in the morning.  They can hear him getting his slippers on in the house and they are coming up the patio sidewalk to meet him.  If he takes a bit too long, one of them will give him a “Meow,” as if, “What are you waiting for.”  We have had a run of very cool evenings, and the little ones would huddle against the porch patio doors.  The ole cowboy felt sorry for them and put out an old pillow.  Sure enough, they still were huddling, but the fluff of the pillow seemed to have swallowed them up.

  

  Our patio annex, complete with Dennis making sure that there are comfortable fixings inside. It’s a good thing I save old quilt batting for uses such as this.

  Yesterday morning, I came out with my coffee to find that we had a patio annex added.  Inside, I could see the same little pillow had been tucked inside.  What peeked out from the opening of the pod were four little ears.  Priceless.  I have no idea where this kitty adoption center will take us.  In the mean time, Dennis feels proud that he could offer a retreat to these two wee ones.  I was going to snap a photo today, but I think they had decided to sleep in.

  Stauffer Avenue: where wondrous events keep us happy and content.

  In life, please remember to give and have no memory of it, or take and remember it always.