Saturday, January 31, 2015

Farewell John


We posted this on Facebook but for those of you who are not on there...Our family lost Pop's brother John this weekend.  John has had stage 4 lung cancer  since 2009.  He had been successfully treating it until recently when it went to his brain. 

 Mom had to stay home with us cats but Pop went to Virginia with his brother and family.  He was a big help to them in caring for John.  We missed him but we are glad he went.  John was at home  surrounded by his wife Ann and her wonderful family.  He was in the sun room which is all glassed in, looking out over a snowy wooded scene.  Pop said it was a beautiful day with snow falling.  John slipped away late Friday afternoon, with Ann holding his hand.


In Chile last year.
When Pop called Mom to tell her John had passed - he said he had "crossed the Bridge" which made Mom smile - they definitely have been around cats too long.

Wife Ann to the left and her daughter on right

Uncle John was a runner, a triathlete, a gourmet cook, a wine collector and connoisseur, a lover of travel and a computer whiz.  He helped Mom with her computer if it didn't work right and even encouraged her to try blogging!.  He was kind, generous, caring and because of this had friends the world over.

John and Ann on the couch in the middle of the family!

He met Ann just before his diagnosis.  They married about a year later.  She was with him every step of the way.  John never had kids but Ann had two grown children - a boy and girl who adored John.  He was the father they always wanted.  Ann's extended family embraced John and they enjoyed many outings to the Massachusetts shore with tons of nieces, nephews and their kids. Mom  just wished he had more time to spend with those he loved so much. 

 To live in the hearts of those who love you, is never to die." - Unknown

Pop on left and John on right in Europe

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Thankful Thursday with Georgie


 
Mom has been posting on Facebook about my megacolon and constipation issues.  (Sorry we are talking about such icky stuff). I had to go to the vet again on Saturday and Sunday last weekend for enemas and a manual extraction under anesthesia to help me feel better.  I did feel sooo much better - I ran around the house and played with my nip toys.  


I also went for laser acupuncture on Tuesday this week to help me stay unconstipated.  That was a very interesting visit but I didn't mind at all.  I was scared when we got there so I hid in the sick hoping the vet did not see me.
 
In spite of all this I am still straining in the litter box and nothing is coming out...again.  Mom has switched me to Miralax - hoping that that and the acupuncture will help me.  If it doesn't then I may have to have surgery to remove the part of my colon that is not working.  I really hope that it won't come to that.

I love to nap on my back!

Thank you all for purring for me, for giving my Mom so many suggestions from your own experience with this and for keeping us in your thoughts.  You cat bloggers are the superest friends we could ever have!



P.S. Our buddy Orion of Angel Junior, Orion, Sammy and Emily blog is very ill and has to have expensive treatment for his thyroid.  His Mom is putting together an auction on Facebook to help pay his bills.  If you have anything you can donate to her for this - please do.  The auction goes live on Monday Jan 26. Mom has her email address - if you want it then email calcatsndogs AT gmail DOT com for it.

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Happy Rubber Ducky Day - Jan 13!

Tabitha examines her rubber duckies.
 It is that time of year again - Rubber Ducky Day!  Mom loves to post pictures of us with our Rubber Duckies.

Georgie is more sleepy than interested in hers.
 Instead of the usual "Rubber Ducky Song"  sung by Ernie of Sesame Street fame - today we have a cool video of Little Richard singing the song.  Waay cooler, right?






If you can't see the You Tube video then go here.


Callie poses for a Rubber Ducky Day portrait.
Did you know that the rubber ducky was inducted into the  the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2013?  The museum, located in Rochester NY explained - "With their bright color, smooth texture, and (for some) squeaky or quacky sounds, rubber ducks sharpen toddlers’ senses. Their presence in the bathtub soothes youngsters’ fears of water and water immersion and makes good clean fun of the routine hygiene they’re learning."


Two Spot snuggles with his duckies.
 Another trivia bit on rubber duckies - On Aug. 8, 1981, Baltimore Mayor William Donald Schaefer — nicknamed “Donald Duck” — jumped into a 79° seal tank at the city’s National Aquarium, clutching a rubber duck and wearing a Victorian bathing suit, in a stunt to draw attention to the institution.

 
Snowball is debating whether he wants to be near these funny yellow things.

Norm looks perturbed that the duckies have joined him in his bed.
Happy Rubber Ducky Day to y'all!!!!

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Fly Free Sweepy


This post is in memory of a wonderful dog who lives in the Philippines.  His mom (or keeper as Sweepy calls her) and our mom met online a few years ago.  Since we call our Sweetpea, Sweepy  as a nickname we followed both Sweepy's blog and his mom's.  We are so grateful that we got to know Sweepy and his family.

Sweepy has gone to the Rainbow Bridge at age 12. (he would have been 13 on March 18).  His mom Lui, is heart borken over this loss.   Sweepy is the last of the orginal group of dogs - Hounds in Heaven - that she rescued and cared for.  An era has ended even tho Lui has younger dogs and cats still with her.

Please do visit her blog and leave her words of comfort.  I know that whenever I have lost one of my fur family, others who care have helped me so much in my grief.  Lui has posted about her beloved Sweepy here -  Lui is in Heaven.

 We would like to end this post with a this wonderful article.  I have sent it to other friends when they have lost their dog.  Thank you all for caring for your fur babies so much!

Fly free Sweepy - until we meet again!

Ernest Montague  (of dogheirs.com) wrote this and says, "I wrote this several years ago in memory of Bolo, a black and white Pit Bull who would always go for a walk, right up to the day he died. He might only get 15 feet before he stopped and looked at me and gave me the look: 'I can't go any further. But don't you think for one minute I'm done walking.'"

The experience of losing a dog is a universal one for every pet parent. I hope Ernest's wise words help you, or someone you know, even if just a little.

"Some of you, particularly those who think they have recently lost a dog to 'death', don’t really understand this. I’ve had no desire to explain, but won’t be around forever and must.

Dogs never die. They don’t know how to. They get tired, and very old, and their bones hurt. Of course they don’t die. If they did they would not want to always go for a walk, even long after their old bones say: 'No, no, not a good idea. Let's not go for a walk.' Nope, dogs always want to go for a walk. They might get one step before their aging tendons collapse them into a heap on the floor, but that's what dogs are. They walk.

It’s not that they dislike your company. On the contrary, a walk with you is all there is. Their boss, and the cacaphonic symphony of odor that the world is. Cat poop, another dog’s mark, a rotting chicken bone (exultation), and you. That’s what makes their world perfect, and in a perfect world death has no place.

However, dogs get very very sleepy. That’s the thing, you see. They don't teach you that at the fancy university where they explain about quarks, gluons, and Keynesian economics. They know so much they forget that dogs never die. It’s a shame, really. Dogs have so much to offer and people just talk a lot.

When you think your dog has died, it has just fallen asleep in your heart. And by the way, it is wagging its tail madly, you see, and that’s why your chest hurts so much and you cry all the time. Who would not cry with a happy dog wagging its tail in their chest. Ouch! Wap wap wap wap wap, that hurts. But they only wag when they wake up. That’s when they say: 'Thanks Boss! Thanks for a warm place to sleep and always next to your heart, the best place.'

When they first fall asleep, they wake up all the time, and that’s why, of course, you cry all the time. Wap, wap, wap. After a while they sleep more. (remember, a dog while is not a human while. You take your dog for walk, it’s a day full of adventure in an hour. Then you come home and it's a week, well one of your days, but a week, really, before the dog gets another walk. No WONDER they love walks.)

Anyway, like I was saying, they fall asleep in your heart, and when they wake up, they wag their tail. After a few dog years, they sleep for longer naps, and you would too. They were a GOOD DOG all their life, and you both know it. It gets tiring being a good dog all the time, particularly when you get old and your bones hurt and you fall on your face and don’t want to go outside to pee when it is raining but do anyway, because you are a good dog. So understand, after they have been sleeping in your heart, they will sleep longer and longer.

But don’t get fooled. They are not 'dead.' There’s no such thing, really. They are sleeping in your heart, and they will wake up, usually when you’re not expecting it. It’s just who they are.

I feel sorry for people who don’t have dogs sleeping in their heart. You’ve missed so much. Excuse me, I have to go cry now."




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