(a picture from happier times)
I held him on my shoulders one last time tonight as I said goodbye and he purred in my ear. I miss him so much, and my house feels utterly empty, but it was time. Be at peace, my dear, dear Grady.
Showing posts with label Grady. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Grady. Show all posts
Friday, March 11, 2016
Grady (2006-2016)
I held him on my shoulders one last time tonight as I said goodbye and he purred in my ear. I miss him so much, and my house feels utterly empty, but it was time. Be at peace, my dear, dear Grady.
Tuesday, March 08, 2016
Of cats and journals
I used to write much more frequently about my life on this journal, and not just post a movie review now and again. This blog started out as a writing blog, I have no real idea when, because I have twice deleted every single post I had here and started over, but I used to write a lot about things happening in my life. Somewhere along the way, I stopped opening up, and I'm sorry for that. I'm much more personable than I'm sure I come across, but I have trust issues.
But I used to write posts like this one. I'm glad I wrote that one, because I can't remember dates to save my life. I rarely remember when birthdays are, even birthdays of people I care about (and my best intentions at writing things like that down are usually a failure). And that post tells me Grady entered my life on Aug 4th of 2006, and I wouldn't have known that otherwise.
It's now March 2016, and Grady is dying. His kidneys are failing, something I'm familiar with in cats, as I lost my beloved Sidney to kidney failure as well. Sidney was quick and unexpected. I still have some time left with Grady. Not that long I suspect, but he's still doing well enough that I can spend long hours holding him on my lap or shoulders or sitting outside in the sun with him, when he's not still prowling around the backyard searching for lizards. He's on my lap right now as I write this, needing to be close as much as I need him close.
There's only been a few years of my life where I haven't had cats (the college years, cuz dorms don't allow cats, of course.) I got my first cat when I was eight months old. Moxie was eight weeks old. We grew up together, and she slept with me every night (except for when my sister and I got hamsters and the cage was in my room, and Moxie gave me the cold shoulder and flat out ignored me for two weeks, which completely devastated me) until I lost her to cancer when she and I were 13. She wasn't our only cat. We've always had at least two others at any given time, but Moxie had claimed me the day she came home with us, and we were inseparable at night, and she will always have that special place of "first."
There have been many cats since, because life without being surrounded by cats isn't worth living. I've got a carved stone on my wall that says "This house owned and operated solely for the comfort and convenience of the cats." Couldn't be more true. If I run out of food, I just go hungry. If I run out of cat food, I'm on my way to the store immediately.
I have three others right now too, all girls, all rescues: Rosie and Elanor (mom and daughter), and Madera. They're all lovely, but there's always an undeniable favorite, and since I lost Kit, that's been Grady. Grady's special. I will enjoy every minute of these last weeks or days together with him.
A couple weeks ago, I also lost a good friend unexpectedly. The memorial was this past weekend. It was a good memorial, celebrating her life, but she was a musician, and the flute choir she participated in played a few selections. Which one did they end on? The theme from Legends of the Fall. By James Horner. Which undid me instantly, in a way the speeches and photos couldn't. Still hard to believe she's gone.
I'm watching movies (mostly Oscar Isaac movies right now), but if the choice is writing up a review, or curling up on the couch with my cat... Grady wins. So, I'm around, but my heart's not in posting much at the moment.
But I used to write posts like this one. I'm glad I wrote that one, because I can't remember dates to save my life. I rarely remember when birthdays are, even birthdays of people I care about (and my best intentions at writing things like that down are usually a failure). And that post tells me Grady entered my life on Aug 4th of 2006, and I wouldn't have known that otherwise.
It's now March 2016, and Grady is dying. His kidneys are failing, something I'm familiar with in cats, as I lost my beloved Sidney to kidney failure as well. Sidney was quick and unexpected. I still have some time left with Grady. Not that long I suspect, but he's still doing well enough that I can spend long hours holding him on my lap or shoulders or sitting outside in the sun with him, when he's not still prowling around the backyard searching for lizards. He's on my lap right now as I write this, needing to be close as much as I need him close.
There's only been a few years of my life where I haven't had cats (the college years, cuz dorms don't allow cats, of course.) I got my first cat when I was eight months old. Moxie was eight weeks old. We grew up together, and she slept with me every night (except for when my sister and I got hamsters and the cage was in my room, and Moxie gave me the cold shoulder and flat out ignored me for two weeks, which completely devastated me) until I lost her to cancer when she and I were 13. She wasn't our only cat. We've always had at least two others at any given time, but Moxie had claimed me the day she came home with us, and we were inseparable at night, and she will always have that special place of "first."
There have been many cats since, because life without being surrounded by cats isn't worth living. I've got a carved stone on my wall that says "This house owned and operated solely for the comfort and convenience of the cats." Couldn't be more true. If I run out of food, I just go hungry. If I run out of cat food, I'm on my way to the store immediately.
I have three others right now too, all girls, all rescues: Rosie and Elanor (mom and daughter), and Madera. They're all lovely, but there's always an undeniable favorite, and since I lost Kit, that's been Grady. Grady's special. I will enjoy every minute of these last weeks or days together with him.
A couple weeks ago, I also lost a good friend unexpectedly. The memorial was this past weekend. It was a good memorial, celebrating her life, but she was a musician, and the flute choir she participated in played a few selections. Which one did they end on? The theme from Legends of the Fall. By James Horner. Which undid me instantly, in a way the speeches and photos couldn't. Still hard to believe she's gone.
I'm watching movies (mostly Oscar Isaac movies right now), but if the choice is writing up a review, or curling up on the couch with my cat... Grady wins. So, I'm around, but my heart's not in posting much at the moment.
Monday, August 07, 2006
And a saucer of milk please
Boy, nothing disrupts the writing routine (heck, routine in general) so quickly as a new kitten. Now mind you, I'm not in the market for another cat. I have plenty already, but on Friday, that didn't stop Grady from walking up and demanding a new home. And life has been topsy-turvy ever since. Because, of course, I took him in. What, I'm supposed to let an adorable kitten run loose in the neighborhood? With off-leash dogs and cars and raccoons and all else that would think a kitten is just a bite of lunch?
But I already have cats and dogs, so the weekend was spent acclimitizing everybody and breaking up minor spats. Elanor, the youngest of my indoor cats, warmed up first. She can't watch Grady playing soccer without wanting to get in on the game. Kit tolerates Grady, but with much hissing and swatting. Rosie, who is Elanor's mother, and was abandoned with her kittens in my backyard, is the most stand-offish. Brinja, my old dog, has renewed her resident household position as cat-defender, and has been trying to protect Grady from my younger dog's rough attempts to play. Maxie, thinks the new kitten is just grand, a perfect toy I brought home, just for him to stomp on and bowl over. Sigh.
And so, writing ground to a complete stop on Friday and Saturday. Yesterday, things started settling out, and when the whole gang crashed out for a siesta, I took advantage of the quiet to get 1000 words done. It was something anyway. Made me feel the weekend wasn't entirely a loss. I read a lot on Saturday, cuz it was easier to pick up and put down a book through the animal madness, then it was to attempt to stay grooved into writing.
But I already have cats and dogs, so the weekend was spent acclimitizing everybody and breaking up minor spats. Elanor, the youngest of my indoor cats, warmed up first. She can't watch Grady playing soccer without wanting to get in on the game. Kit tolerates Grady, but with much hissing and swatting. Rosie, who is Elanor's mother, and was abandoned with her kittens in my backyard, is the most stand-offish. Brinja, my old dog, has renewed her resident household position as cat-defender, and has been trying to protect Grady from my younger dog's rough attempts to play. Maxie, thinks the new kitten is just grand, a perfect toy I brought home, just for him to stomp on and bowl over. Sigh.
And so, writing ground to a complete stop on Friday and Saturday. Yesterday, things started settling out, and when the whole gang crashed out for a siesta, I took advantage of the quiet to get 1000 words done. It was something anyway. Made me feel the weekend wasn't entirely a loss. I read a lot on Saturday, cuz it was easier to pick up and put down a book through the animal madness, then it was to attempt to stay grooved into writing.