Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “full/empty.” Use one, use ’em both, use ’em any way you’d like. Bonus points for including both in your post. Have fun!
There was a time when our home was full of love with our set of black-and-white dog, Kali, black cat, Rosey, and orange tabby, Teddy. They grew old and passed, leaving our home so empty for so long!
Through some wonderful magic in our lives, we have a full house of love again. Black-and-white dog Milo (formerly ‘Crunchy’), black cat, Shiloh, and our orange tabby, Sammie. It is the oddest thing, even now, that the combination of pets came just that way. We still mess up names and genders. Every parent knows how easy it is to call the wrong name of the naughty kid or when in an emergency moment hits. Most of the time, the kids don’t look the same. Autocorrecting the brain can save it. But if your kids all look alike (Italian, dark hair and eyes), it’s even harder. So I should be used to it. But this team of pets is uncanny!
I don’t want to go searching for the old team pictures (I need to write 2,000 words today–this distraction I can avoid), but here’s the latest of the ‘ILO’ team
They loves each other! Milo and Shiloh groom each other and play often. They share their bed with me.
And here’s Sammie from the other day. I like the picture so much that I need to see them again.
He is getting used to the ‘Ilos” and now plays with them. They have been on my husband’s bed together–he has treats nearby.
But this was just this morning. With temps being in the teens, I love the BTU of pets.
Isn’t that the cutest face?
My life is full.
On the other hand, on November 1st, my yWriter app was empty. On November 30th, it should be full. I should be at 36,674 words. I only have 33,172. TrackBear says I should write 1,893 a day to reach the 50k by the end of November. But that is a lot. 1,667 is a lot. If I can push it today and for a few days, I might bring this project to something doable. Wish me luck! I need to bring this story to its full and proper ending. Let’s hope the brain isn’t empty!
Our lives feel weird. We are blessed. But we admit to questions. My husband and I don’t necessarily believe in reincarnation. And in the case of the new cat who was born while her doppelganger lived with us it seems impossible. Oh, and by the way, we’ve finally got the close under the skirt, to find Shiloh is female.
So, we had Teddy from the time he was a young kitten.
Rosey was 12 when we rescued her.
Kali was an older dog when we adopted her.
Over a year ago we lost each ine over the rainbow bridge.
We felt the losses profoundly.
Even as we felt that, we knew there were furry friends who needed new forever homes.
Ginger=Teddy, Black cat=Rosey, Black and white dog=Kali
Manifesting, prayers, the screaming cries of our souls?
We are each feeling the gratitude and wonderment. We didn’t seek out replacements. As my vision board showed, I needed a small dog. My specifics were merely someone small enough for me to pick up.
Yet, somehow we got Sammie
Who is in hiding from the barking dog, he’s hiding near and behind the fridge. He’s getting braver.
Shiloh who is afraid of nothing.
Milo, our new doughnut dog.
Cat and dog doppelgangers. Living the dream.
This is me gently playing the A-Z challenge. Yes, I’m a day ahead but who knows how long that will last.
Today on the calendar will be a red-letter special day for us and these special guys. They are on their way. And may make it all the way here or spend the night at a motel if my son gets too tired to drive.
Crunchy, one year old, Chihuahua-terrier male. Needs to be neutered and rabies shots. Name subject to change.
And Salem. She’s seven I think they said.
Does anyone see what we see? The more things change…
We still miss our black and white Kali, rat terrier, Rosey, black cat, and Teddy ginger.
Sammie, ginger, will hopefully welcome his new friends soon. I hope they like each other.
I haven’t been here in depth lately. Mostly checking in. Sorry. Between caring for, then losing Rosey, and thinking about and finally planning to join on a friends road trip, I’ve been distracted. Add to that the new sock project and all my many hobbies and now cleaning and pack… Craziness!
As much as I’m looking forward to seeing more than my four walls and small town, I ordered a much favored ukulele that was on sale. That makes me equally excited to get back home.
Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “Start with a question.” Begin your post with the first question that comes to mind when you sit down to write your post. Bonus points if you end your post with a question, too. Have fun!
Which question shall I start with? Shall it be last night’s answer to the prompt when I read it?
Who was the most resilient?
We lost Kali over a year ago. Why does it seem like less than a month ago? Kali’s Death
Shortly after that, Teddy left us. Could I miss anyone as much as I missed them? (Teddy’s story is easily researched here.)
So, the third question is the one I’m answering first, and the answer is plain: Rosey outlasted the rest of the furry trio. Yikes. I already am speaking in the past tense. I hadn’t planned to do that last night.
A recent picture of love. Rosey and Chris.
What is Rosey’s story? Well, when we moved to Reno, we had only had Panda, a tuxedo sweetie. Then, our friend Kieu brought us a little Teddy. It wasn’t long until Panda was playing and, we think, had a heart attack as he was gone. Sadly, we were at our writers’ meeting, so we didn’t get to say goodbye. My brother and Son-in-Love were home to take care of the felines.
Teddy and Chris were heartbroken, so we didn’t wait long to grieve. As much as we needed a new friend, we also realized that there had to be furry friends looking for us, so we went to the shelter. Chris, my brother, and I wandered the shelter for a couple hours. As many animals were adorable, nothing seemed to call out for us. Then, just as we were leaving, I felt something off to the other side of the call to me. I walked over, and there was this black cat wanting all my attention. Without waiting, I reached into her cage and picked her up. The attendant was surprised at how easily I held her. She asked us to a visiting room to see how we all got along. David and I sat on the floor, expecting the kitty to come right to us. Nope. She walked right by us straight up to Chris on the bench at the back of the room. She jumped in his lap and started licking his face. He giggled like a little kid. His face was red with happiness. And so it was when Rosey was 12 years old she adopted my husband. I sometimes felt a slight jealousy of the way they clicked together. But I was happy they were both happy.
Teddy seemed to like Rosey, so we had a good thing. Teddy would choose me, so we each had a cat on our laps. They loved riding in the car.
Teddy during the long move from Reno to Christmas Valley.
But when Kali came into the picture, Teddy divorced me. I tried to let him know I still loved him, but it took him a while to get over feeling replaced. Towards his end, he chose me again and Kali.
When Kali joined us, Rosey was already 14 years old or older. She already felt like a bit of a grump around the more energetic Teddy and Kali, but we could tell she missed them when they were gone.
As of last night, we had been on a bit of a vigil for about a week. She refused food and soon refused drink. Again, the horrid choice, take the hour-and-a-half drive or just try to make her as comfortable as we could. She was 22. We dosed her with bone broth and water as that was all she’d tolerate. Although alert and loving, we knew it wasn’t long for her. Every night, we wondered if she’d be with us in the morning. Even on her last days, she walked/crawled the hallway to our room, looking for Chris to hold her.
This morning, we woke early. David found her in the livingroom end of the hallway. She was still breathing. He lifted her up, and within a few moments, she stopped breathing. After our goodbyes, David buried her with her special bed. She loved it so much we couldn’t think of her without it, or it without her.
How quiet can a house get? She wasn’t noisy but… How lonely are we going to be without her?
Courtesy of my daughter. Thanks! She was going for a walk with Maggie, her dog. They saw a Family of Four Foxes.
She only captured the one. Isn’t he/she cute?
Gratefully, I’m making strides on many levels. German is coming along. I’ve added more languages. I think 12 now. I doubt I will ever be conversant in most of them. But with two grandmothers who died from Alzheimer’s, I’m trying to keep my brain learning new things. LOTS OF NEW THINGS.
And I work both sides as much as I can. I have never been a left brained person so I do the Sudoku. I’ve nearly finished a whole book. I play math games.
Not quite this hard. Cross Math and Number Crush.
Music uses both sides, both hands. And that’s moving along, too.
Gradually the diamond paintings are coming along. I think these are mostly right-brained. The beach scene and the lighthouse cause my brain to relax and stay organized.
If you tap on the picture you can enlarge and see that I’m nearly finished.
This one is small. That is the only good thing. The glue is inconsistent, the symbols are hard to decipher. The drills are irregular. Still, both keep my hands busy.
One more thing I’m grateful for is
Gentle love and long adoring purring sessions between. Rosey and her favorite person. Grins and gratitude.
This came in my memories today. Kali, Rosey, and Teddy taking over my bed. Now it’s up to Rosey to do the job. 😥
On, the other side, my peacock got a corner filled in.
I worried about the black. But it’s a mixture of dark blues mixed with dark purple and pink. I’m loving it already. I wouldn’t be able to leave the art out with Teddy, or younger Rosey. Kali would have made it more fun as she would have kept me company.
Floundering is almost over. I think I’ve decided to use March for editing to get ready for April’s camp NaNo.
I’m going to be glad not to see this guy every day.
Working on my series: Haven.
Doodler (zendoodle.com)
Music major: voice and piano
Mom of four great adults
Reiki II practitioner
I have been on disability/retired for 10 years now from depression, anxiety and fibromyalgia.
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