Maggie Day

This is the hardest day of the year -- the day my Maggie died.

For those who don't know her story, she was used and abused by a backyard breeder and then dumped. She was under 3 lbs and covered in sores when I got her from the shelter. Someone had tried to trim her mats, but instead cut into her to the bone of her tail.  Shortly after coming home, she got herpes which went to her eyes. One burst from an ulcer and was removed. The other one burst and was grafted, twice, and was saved. She also had cancer in her mouth, which eventually killed her. I had her 16 months which was a brief instant and lifetime....

She loved to play with her mousies, her turbo track, and her jingle balls.  At night, at 2:30am, she used to go to her waterbowl in the bedroom and howl at it.  It got to the point I would wake up to hear it.  And when she was gone, I woke up and didn't hear it.

Most of all she loved to lay in the sun on me. She snuggled to me every night of her life here, including the night before she died when she could barely walk.

Maggie was special. No other cat before or after her has just a joyous spirit. Give her a few minutes of love and attention and she was thrilled.

 

And that is Maggie's gift to me, it's her legacy. And it's something I want to you to pass on. Please, spend 5 or 10 minutes with each of your cats today. Just love them for the special beings that they are. 

Cherish them while they are still alive.

3-Day Weekend, Part 2

This is the second 3-day weekend in a row -- President's Day -- and I'm getting very used to having 3 days off.  After 3 days, I'm usually relaxed, caught up mostly on grading, done some housework, and caught up with my friends.  I think every weekend in February should be 3 days!

Miss Maggie Moo, now an angel for sure

Well, this hasn't been the best weekend in some respects.  Friday, 15 Feb, was the one-year anniversary of Miss Maggie Moo's passing.  It was hard.  But a kind and understand friend helped turned a sad time into a celebration -- Maggie Day!  I like that.  I was actually shocked by the responses -- most people were really, honestly touched by her life.  They had never met her, only known her via the Internet.  And I do think a few shed some tears when she died and the other day on the anniversary.

I guess my whole point in reminding people about Maggie is enjoy our cats NOW.  Maggie was love -- she wanted to be loved and she wanted to love.  But she had a short life -- 16 months -- with me.  I had hoped for longer time, but it wasn't meant to be.  In the time she was with me, I loved her without reservation.  I took what time I could to pet her and love her and play with her.  I have no regrets.

I know death is not a much-discussed topic, but there are two important things:

1. Every cat, no matter if it's 6 weeks or 16 years, will die.  Most will die before their owners.
2. Death helps us appreciate living -- it gives us push to love now.

I have taken extra time this weekend to love and play with and groom all my cats.  For some, this just means laying on the sofa in a pile with them.  For others, it's an extra treat.  But I do think they all know they are loved.

On to other things, once I get some groceries bought and cat food made, I basically have today off with nothing to do.  I do need to do a bit of cleaning and then I'm going to work on my cross-stitch.  I am tempted to play with some stamps, also, which I might later.  

Or I may find a good book and start a kitty pile on the sofa...

Book Review: Crazy About You

Crazy About You by Randy Attwood

While the very core of this story is simple -- a teenager becoming a man -- the actual story is anything but simple. A high school boy begins to care for a young female inmate at the asylum where his father works. In the nearby town, an older woman is murdered, and an inmate is suspected. The young man's feelings for a high school girl, his friendship with his father's new girlfriend, and a terrifying encounter with an inmate all complicate his life further and lead him to interesting insights into what it means to be an adult. 

This book has a lot to recommend it. The plot moves the story along briskly with many surprises. Admittedly, with the location being in or near an asylum, one would expect a few unusual events. The writing is wonderful. The sentences are carefully crafted and have a natural cadence to them. The background on the history of asylums is expertly woven into the story and adds to the richness of the novel. The main character, Brad, a high school student, is real, not just a flat created person, and comes alive in the pages.

As far as negatives, sure, one or two typos, but that's it.

One thing that should be mentioned is that this book is not a light read. It does explore several dark topics and made me uneasy or uncomfortable in several places, which is something I do enjoy in a book. Also, there are a couple of brief violent and sexual scenes, which were tastefully done and truly necessary for the story.

Overall, I was extremely glad I read this book! If I were to write a book, this is exactly the type of book I would love to write -- a book to make people reflect. (  )