Author Archives: Humor Happens

1. Giving thanks for a Pastor with a heart of gold and passion to do the nitty gritty work.
2. Giving thanks for an incredible and beautiful and kind church family.
3. Giving thanks the kindness of everyone on facebook and email and in person who offer love in light of my cat’s passing. I am awed by how many know or understand the love of a good furry friend.
4. Giving thanks for being a part of the volunteers at Kalamazoo Animal Rescue. I am a minor character in a cast of the most gifted and giving people with a passion for dogs and cats.

I was hoping to have a positive post for today, but there is this painful, breath-stealing, gaping hole in my heart. Sometimes it takes up my whole being, and I cannot breath. Other times, it’s just turns me into a vegetable, and I forget what is going on around me. It’s the same when each loved one has passed. Dad, sister, niece, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends… Eventually it will dim, but that’s not today.

However, there is one bit of humor that I’d like to share about Miss Daisy. Jealousy gave her a longer life.

You see, there was a jealous streak in that girl four times the length of her body. Personally, I’ve always felt that with any number of cats, each deserves equal time of love and affection, equal food, and equal quality care. Daisy was an excellent moderator of my time. Too much with her sister, neveryoumind with the two younger feline interlopers in our home, and I would first be warned. If I didn’t heed that warning, I would pay.

How did this keep her with me longer in the end? Simple: what her sister had, she believed that she needed. Within the first week of diagnosis, Daisy quit going to their elegant dining area on my dresser (raised dishes, table-cloth, and such). She would only eat when food was offered to her. For the first week of this new reality, she ate well, so long as it was offered. From that second week of this new lifestyle on, not so much. There was much coaxing going on.

No push was needed though, if the sisters were together and I gave them each a dish. Daisy might wait for Daffodil to determine it edible, but that was all it took. She would eat again with gusto, making sure to eat as much or more than Daffodil. Seriously! She watched the bowls to see which had less food!

The jealousy even showed me how much she wanted attention, no matter how bad she felt. If I was laying it bed at night and had been petting Daisy for a long while, but felt I should then pet Daffodil for a while, Daisy would let me know when it had been long enough petting Daffodil, and I needed to return my attention to Daisy. My girls aren’t big talkers, but Daisy spoke quite loudly and clearly when it was her turn.

As you can see from this true tale, jealousy kept her here longer. It also allowed her more quality, because there is no quality of life without food and water. Her quality will no longer be called into question from hence forth. I also hope that in Heaven, there is no jealousy. But man, it sure was a big part of her personality here on earth, and it kept me in check!

Who has more room?

The glare in the eyes is either from me taking too many photos or that one or the other is done sharing the same chair.

Today was my kitty Daisy’s last day on earth. But it was also her first day in Heaven. I need to concentrate on that or I cry buckets of tears.

On January 30, 1999 we finally managed to capture two gorgeous barn cats that my dad had deemed “too pretty for barn life”. After working to tame them for over a month in the barn and bring them into our home, they had locked themselves into the cat carrier we had down there hoping to one day use for them. We had nearly 16 full years of joy with both of them. Today, January 16, 2015, Daisy went on to be with the one who saved her from the barn and eating mice: My dad. He saved her, and she never, ever forgot it. Her love for my dad turned my mom – a primarily dog person – into a dog AND cat person.

In April of 2014, we were told my kitty Daffodil (Daisy’s sister from the same litter), had kidney failure. All these months I’d been getting myself ready to live without her. But on December 9th, we found out that Daisy had a huge tumor in her lung and would be lucky to make it another month. She made it five weeks.

Dr. Penning from the Eight Street Animal Hospital came to the house and helped Daisy find comfort in the gift humans are not permitted to give one another in most US States. I couldn’t recommend them more. They helped me months ago when Daffodil needed it and my vet was out sick. Today, they came to the rescue again, but this time in my home where Daisy was even on her favorite chair when she passed from this earth.

She was grace and elegance until the last moment. She never missed the litter box. She even refused to toss her cookies on the bed, but she got up multiple times during the night to do so on the floor where I can easily clean it up. She groomed as much as possible until the last couple of days, and she was thankful each time I brushed her to help keep her pristine fur as soft as an angel’s wings. She was truly the queen of our roost and following the proper etiquette put forth by Queen Elizabeth as much as possible.

Here are a few photos of her majestic beauty:

I think I’ve tuckered Joy out with my hopefulness of continued projects.

About four or five years ago, a dear friend taught me to crochet. At first, I used every swear word I knew (and learned a few extra too) to explain how miserable this nasty craft was making me. I could only make triangles, and the work was so tight, the smallest of ants could not squeeze through it without certain death.

However, after a few more much-needed lessons, I fell in love with it. In the last few years, I made about ten scarves. I decided in November that I would give them away to my immediate family for Christmas as I’d been hoping to do from the beginning, so I needed 18. I could do it if I worked diligently in these last few weeks before Christmas.

What you see under this tree below is four or so shy of the end goal. I achieved those as well and was able to give each family member a truly unique gift. I say truly unique because although I try my best to follow the general, and very simple pattern, each has mistakes, which I prefer to call “personalization” or unique aspects that make each a custom work of art. Some works of art are even different widths throughout or wider at one end than another! How spectacular am I?

Do you have a comfy spot? Someplace you can curl up or stretch out. A place to be yourself and relax. A spot that conforms to your body and mind?

Our Joy has a spot … any spot in any basket she can curl herself into. Room to breathe appears not to be on the list of requirements.

Today there is one thing I give thanks for. Our living room decorative mirror has a nose and paw print on it. I know who did it.

A curious little girl, who is also a bit of a scardy cat at the oddest times, made this mark on our mirror. It just makes me happy that she did so, probably trying to nuzzle the other kitty.

Giving thanks for the little things.

Giving Thanks:

1. Giving thanks for not doing much today. Watched movies, undecorated from Christmas, and read with cats.
2. Found at least a paper grocery bag full of Christmas items to donate next year.
3. Glad there wasn’t as much snow today as predicted. No shoveling today!

Who’s Lookin’ at You?