A Charmed Life

I was at a Christian Women’s Writing Retreat this weekend and came home all excited to tell everyone about it. (They didn’t have very good WiFi at the retreat center, which is why I haven’t blogged since Wednesday.) I’ve also wanted to finish up telling you about our camping trip to Michigan this past July. But as usual, life got in the way, and there is something more pressing that I need to share.

Last Monday, when I got home from work, Hubby asked when I last saw our cat Fred. Just the day before he had been laying in the rocks on the back side of the house. He actually was laying so still, on his side rather stretched out, that I checked to be sure he was breathing. He was, so I didn’t think any more about it.

He didn’t materialize all week. Hubby was sure that he had met his demise, hopefully from old age (though he had only just turned 14), and not from some tragic accident where suffering was involved. I held out hope that he would show up. Fred and two of our other cats stay outside most of the time, and on occasion one of them will go on what we call a “walk-about”. They might wander off for a few days or a week or two and then return home like a gallant warrior.

Eight years ago, I blogged about the death of my favorite cat, Bam-Bam (you can read about that by clicking here). The discovery of Fred’s body last night wasn’t too much different, but I won’t go into detail. I can tell you that he didn’t appear to have suffered.

That’s all I got. Except for these.  

 Fred with Betty and Ches. What a trio of babies.

 I had an adorable picture of him as a kitten, sitting in Hubby's slipper, but I just couldn't find it. I'll share it when it turns up.

 Ches, Fred and Betty, being babies again. So much for being outside cats, right?

 You've seen those videos of cats being afraid of cucumbers? Apparently zucchini is only boring. Yes, Fred is yawning.

 Cats being lazy. I guess that's what they are good at.

 Last picture I have of Fred (with Ches) taken the end of July.

 Just so that you don’t get all, “oh, poor Chris, so sorry for your loss”, Fred was a pain. He was messed up in the head. If I haven’t already told you that, I’m not going to go elaborate here. You just have to trust me. Yes, I will miss him, things will be different without him, but, really, I'm totally fine with this.