Happy 19th Birthday Boo

Happy birthday Boo!

It was surprising but she turned 19!

***

It's a beautiful sunny day here today, which is not

at all unusual after a Hurricane passes by.

Sort of like a vacuum cleaning sucking up

all the debris.

***

Hurricane #Ian will be one for the record books.

Especially for SW FL.

I for one cannot even fathom what it must be like

to find your entire world destroyed as savagely as

Ian did to the SW FL coastline.

I am sure once all everything is recorded we will 

find the topography of the coastline is forever changed.

It is going to take years to rebuild, if it is rebuilt.

I suspect there are a lot of folks who will 

never rebuild on an barrier island.

My heart breaks for those people.

I cannot put into words how sad I am for 

incredible destruction that happened to my state.

It began in SW FL but there was so much more

throughout the state, and it's not done yet.

All the water is still flowing up and out

to the Atlantic and causing flooding, and 

infrastructure failings to happen. On I-75 near Ft Myers

the traffic was being diverted because a levee failed

and flooded, homes within the area had to be evacuated.

It's just beyond words.

***

Locally we had minor flooding, and that even feels

odd to say "minor". If it was your home with even

inches of water, you had to take your flooring up

and drywall out of the walls and furniture was lost.

It's miniscule compared to your home being washed

away but it's hard nevertheless.

***

I hate Hurricanes. Being what is now considered elderly

and alone I feel a lot more vulnerable than ever before,

even though I lived my entire life in this state.

The season isn't over yet either.

Another wave came off Africa, where it heads 

no one knows.

I'm not sure Ian is finished yet.

It might have impacts to New England depending

on where it ultimately goes.

***

It's ironic, Boo, Ping & Jinx went through Hurricane Charley

in 2004 with us and it literally took the same path as

Ian. Now 18 years later it's just Boo & workshop cat Ping

still with me dealing with this again.

Hope things are better in your part of the world.

We'll be fine, for now at least, even if we feel more

vulnerable than ever.

***

Happy birthday to my sweet loving Boo,

who got evacuated with me (and Annabelle) during Ian. 

 

And So It Is

I really don't know how to begin this post.

There's a lot I wanted to write down but

the words seem to be hard to come by.

***

In 2005 I started blogging because I wanted

a journal about Abby. I wanted something

that was as permanent as it could be, and it 

turned into a great deal more than just talking

about Abby, but it was borne in the idea that she

was the thing it all centered around.

When I lost her, I went down a very steep dark

road, and it's been a rocky one ever since.

My life has been no harder or easier than

anyone else's but we all deal with things

differently. I chose to share some of my deep

inner insecurities and sadness and I know

that isn't 'fun' read by any stretch of the imagination.

***

But, things have changed.

Blogging has changed.

Life is so different.

And so much harder.

There are so very few of the us

left who began

cat blogging from the mid-2000's,

and most all of the cats,

if not all,

have all gone to

the Rainbow Bridge.

Every single cat that passes over,

I feel a deep sadness over, 

as I'm sure you

do as well. 

Maybe some more than

others because you knew them more.

But I feel the loss because of my own

cat losses,

 and we all know the feelings

that come out when we have to say

 farewell.

***

I think I've come to the conclusion

that it's time to take a pause.

Maybe a fork in the road.

I didn't want to leave and not explain

because I look back at the list on my feeds

and see so many blogs and one day

they stopped.

I still wonder why.

(Still wondering)

***

I feel I owe you, 

those of you who

drop by a final word.

I've stepped back so much from social media

because there is so much struggle

and sadness I carry inside.

I've finally come to understand a great deal 

of it but I still carry it.

A lot of days it grows heavy to 

carry it.

And it's made me draw inward more 

than ever, and then of course

the entire world was forced to draw inward

because of Covid19 and that only made

life more isolating.

***

I know that by drawing myself off  I was

not seeing much traffic, and I really do

understand that. But it's a self filling prophecy

that when you do "x", "y" happens.

And it did for me.

It was my doing by not engaging that led

to not being engaged with.

***

So I think a hiatus is called for.

I will post from time to time, I still feel so

strongly that it is the story tellers who 

keep alive the memories of those who 

have gone before and I owe it to my Abby,

to post the days of most significance. 

And also the others cats as well.

***

I thank all who have read this and who have

come and visited with us.

I apologize for not being a better visitor to you

because I wasn't able to do it.

But I do cherish all the memories.

Keep well.

Keep strong.

Onward...

 

Caturday Art

Annabelle is joining the beautiful

Athena for this week's

CATURDAY ART

blog hop.

See you all there!

 

Caturday Art

Annabelle is joining the beautiful

Athena for this week's

CATURDAY ART

blog hop.

See you all there!

 

TBT

March 2006

I can stand by this window and close

my eyes and see you sitting in the window sill.

I wish when I opened my eyes you

were still there.

I love you Abby.

I miss you

everyday.

#TBT

 

Boo Hoos

Boo-licious

 

Annabelle's antics

Why yes, I'm  hiding!

 

Sunday morning

It's a happy Sunday here.

We hope yours is too!

 

Caturday Art

Annabelle is joining the beautiful

Athena for this week's

CATURDAY ART

blog hop.

See you all there!

 

Awwwww

r-e-l-a-x