Astrid & Lisbeth

THANK YOU, FILL-INS & GIVEAWAYS

Friendly Fill-Ins: Week #67

It’s Friday again. Funny how that continues to happen each week. The only way I can keep track of what day of the week we are on is by which post we have to write. Even then I occasionally get messed up. Anyhoo, if it is Friday, it must be time for fill-ins. Each week, Annie (McGuffy’s Reader) and Ellen (15 And Meowing) each select two sentences for us to complete.

Kitties Bue let me complete all of them this week, as they have never been to school, like the catio better than any room in the house, and have never visited any place in our area but the vet, and they surely wouldn’t recommend that to anyone.

This is a blog hop. To enter click on the fill-ins badge. You will be whisked away to Annie’s blog, where you can enter the link to your post.

My completions, as they are each week, are in teal italics.

1. If someone were visiting my area, I would recommend a visit to the Mill Mountain Star. You can read more about it on our posts, Sharkie & Blue Visit the Star and Come Fly with Me for Sammy.

2. My favorite room in my home is the kitchen. After waiting more than 25 years, we re-invented it about six years ago. It is where we all spend the most time.

3. Back-to-school time makes me think of how I always wanted to wear new school clothes for the first day of school, but it was always too hot. I would end up roasting in a wool skirt and sweater and regret my decision.

4. My favourite year of school was probably third grade, as that is when I discovered I liked to write. I have been doing it ever since.

Thank You from Astrid & Lisbeth

Astrid and Lisbeth would like to thank everyone who came by yesterday to wish them a happy birthday. They especially want to thank Lisbeth’s boyfriend Charles for the beautiful e-cards he sent (a separate one for each girl). He also sent a box of goodies. The girls will share about that tomorrow.

They received another gorgeous card as well. This one is from one of the Three Gingersnaps, Teddy (aka Butter Bean). It features their favorite colors.

Still Time to Enter our Two Giveaways

In honor of their birthday, Astrid and Lisbeth are having a giveaway to include some items of swag from the BlogPaws Conference as well as some The Cat on My Head goodies. If you’d like an opportunity to win this giveaway, please leave a comment on the girls’ birthday post, Astrid & Lisbeth Are Birthday Girls, prior to 5 p.m. ET on Monday, August 21. The winner will be selected using Random.org and announced the following day.

Our second giveaway is for the gorgeous art book, The Book of The Cat: Cats in Art, by Angus Hyland and Caroline Roberts. For an opportunity to win a copy of The Book of the Cat, please leave a comment on our review post by clicking here. This giveaway also will end on Monday at the same time as the birthday giveaway. This giveaway is open to all readers worldwide. This winner also will be selected using Random.org and announced the following day.

See everyone again tomorrow for Caturday Art.

ASTRID & LISBETH ARE BIRTHDAY GIRLS

Birthday Girls

Where does the time go? Astrid and Lisbeth were just kittens when this blog began. Though Astrid still looks like a kitten (compared to some of the bruisers among Kitties Blue) and can scream like a two-year-old, they are all grown up! Today, they celebrate their sixth birthday. The birthday card from me shows them then and now.

Of course, our resident baker, Mauricio, has whipped up a birthday confection for his sisters. Please join us for a piece of cake in celebration.

The girls received this lovely birthday card from the always thoughtful and kind, Pipo, Angel Minko, Mr. Jack Freckles and Mom Ingrid. Both girls send kitty kisses of appreciation to each of them.

As this is Thoroughly Poetic Thursday, I promised to write them a poem.

Thoroughly Poetic Thursday

Birthday Poem for Astrid & Lisbeth

Nearly six years have come and gone,
Since you became part of Kitties Blue.
Two kittens so devoted to each other,
Side-by-side and stuck like glue.

To see you together now is a treat.
You’ve gone your separate ways—
Personalities divergent and unique.
Never getting together to snuggle or play.

When we see you near each other,
Lounging and snoozing on the cat tree,
We wonder if we are dreaming
Or if sisters again you will decide to be.

No matter what the future brings you,
We pledge our care and love forever.
As members of the Kitties Blue clan,
You are two of our special treasures.

Our poem is part of Angel Sammy and Teddy’s Thoroughly Poetic Thursday. Todays prompt letter is “J” and prompt words are 1) Juicy, 2) Jump, 3) Jungle and 4) Jealous. As you can see, we went our own way this week; though, writing about Astrid and Lisbeth, I could probably have selected jealous.

If you’d like to see what Sammy selected to write about this week as well as find links to other poems, click on his badge.

Thankful Thursday

For Dad Tom and I, we are grateful that we decided to adopt both Lisbeth and Astrid. I had seen Astrid on PetFinder. We met Lisbeth when we went to meet Astrid in her foster home. Most of you know that Astrid and her brother were abandoned kittens who were integrated with Lisbeth and her littermates. That does explain a lot about their differences. I know both girls are happy to have a forever home with lots of love, care, toys, treats and a catio.

With this, we are joining Brian’s Thankful Thursday Blog Hop. To participate, click on Brian’s badge.

Giveaways

Yes, you read that right! We currently have a giveaway in progress for the gorgeous art book, The Book of The Cat: Cats in Art, by Angus Hyland and Caroline Roberts. For an opportunity to win a copy of The Book of the Cat, please leave a comment on our review post by clicking here prior to 5 p.m. ET on Monday, August 21. The giveaway is open to all readers worldwide. The winner will be selected using Random.org and announced the following day.

Additionally, Astrid and Lisbeth asked if they could giveaway a few more items of swag from the BlogPaws Conference as well as some The Cat on My Head goodies. Of course, I could not turn them down on their birthday. If you’d like an opportunity to win this giveaway, please leave a comment on this post. We will end this giveaway at the same time as the other (5 p.m. ET on Monday, August 21). This winner also will be selected using Random.org and announced the following day.

Black Cat Appreciation Day

Today we give a shout out to all those gorgeous black kitties, especially those waiting in shelters for adoption. Black cats are not unlucky! They are beautiful creatures with all the same wonderful qualities of any cat of any other color. My very first heart cat was Thelma, an all-black, sweet and gentle cat. So, if you are thinking about adopting, please consider a black kitty. You won’t be sorry!

August 17, 2017 by Janet Blue Astrid & Lisbeth Birthday Black Cat Appreciation Day Poetry Thankful Thursday Thoroughly Poetic Thursday 36

MEETINGS, RULES, LEARNING & NIPHEADS

Friendly Fill-Ins: Week #65

We are back with this week’s Friendly Fill-Ins. Mom completed numbers 1, 2 and 4, and we kitties completed number 3. We think she did a pretty good job this time around, and we totally agree with all her completions. As always, we (Mom and us) used teal italics for our portions of the sentences.

Usually, Mom has long, drawn-out explanations along with her filled-in portions, but they really were not necessary today.

1. Meetings are boring unless they are meetings with friends for lunch.

2. Rules suck but are necessary or our lives, those of others, our society and the world would sink into chaos. It already may be there!

3. The best time to get treats and/or nip is when Chris comes to clean the house. She is not stingy like our parents. As soon as she arrives, we all gather around her.

4. I have learned that if I remain open to new information and ideas, I will never stop learning.

Friendly Fill-Ins is a blog hop hosted each Friday by Ellen (15AndMeowing) and Annie (McGuffy’s Reader). Each week Ellen selects the first two incomplete sentences and Annie selects the second two. The hop is on Annie’s blog, which you can get to by clicking on the fill-ins badge.

If you haven’t participated previously in this fun hop, give it a try. It is an excellent way to learn a bit more about your blogging friends.

Coming Up

Mom will be here tomorrow with what is sure to be some wild and crazy art for the Caturday Art blog hop.

We also hope to announce the winner of the $80 rescue/shelter donation from Allie and Mau’s Anniversary Comment-a-thon. An alternate winner was selected using Random.org as the original winner did not respond to our e-mails.

Our Sunday Selfies blog hop this week will be dedicated to a dear friend and new angel, Mitalee HoneyBee, from Critters in the Cottage. Please make a special effort to join us and honor this sweet and beautiful angel.

Until then, we remain your faithful friends.

Purrs and paw-pats, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, angel Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth, Calista Jo and Cooper Murphy

p.s. Will you please continue too send your purrs and POTP and ask your humans to pray for Allie and Raz’s dad, Bill, who remains hospitalized.

August 4, 2017 by Janet Blue Allie and Mauricio Anniversary Astrid & Lisbeth Comment-a-thon Friendly Friday Fill-Ins Kitty Written Blog Prayers Sisters 12

PROOF OF THE TRUCE

Is This a True Truce?

Yesterday Mom plopped me down in front of the laptop and told me I had to write this post. Imagine my shock. We rarely post on Mondays, as we are tying to recover from the flurry of Sunday Selfies. Apparently she feels some urgency in getting this news to you. I don’t see the importance of this myself, but I never turn down an opportunity to tap my toesies on the keyboard. Though, I prefer to write what I want…not what is dictated to me.

Supposedly this whole to-do started yesterday when Lisbeth mentioned something about a possible truce. Supposedly, Lisbeth thinks we are having one. She even claimed to have photographic proof, which seems to be the reason I am here today. I have been tasked with sharing that proof, which surprisingly actually exists.

As you can see by the second photo, I am uncertain about how wise it is to be in such close proximity to Lisbeth. She may have been pretending to ignore me in that first photo, but I can feel her staring at me in the second one. Thus, the grumpy expression and airplane ears. But, once again, no hissing (Lisbeth), screaming (me) or whacky paws.

Is this really a truce? Will it continue? Who knows? I certainly have no idea. It would be nice to have the support of my sisfur, as I am still being bullied by Misty May. Mom says I shouldn’t run from her but turn around and smack her. I don’t think that is going to happen. I see her racing toward me with that big, poofy tail, and I freak!

But, I digress… I suppose Lisbeth and I could be mellowing as we approach our sixth birthdays next month. That would be nice. But I have no intention of holding my breath. I suspect either Lisbeth or I will be giving you updates. But from my side, consider no news good news.

Purrs and paw-pats, Astrid with kisses for my husband Sampy

July 17, 2017 by Janet Blue Astrid & Lisbeth Backstory Sisters 19

BITE ME!

Friendly Fill-Ins: Week 15

As promised, this is our follow-up post from Astrid’s and Lisbeth’s birthdays. Before we share some cards and photos of their birthday gift, the two girls have completed the Friendly Fill-Ins hosted my Ellen at 15 And Meowing and Annie at McGuffy’s Reader. Their completions are in teal italics.

Lisbeth:

1. When I run out of hisses, I use growls instead. I am not very sociable and can warn off my housemates from approaching me with these two defensive methods.

2. My guru is my mom.

Astrid:

3. I am afraid of Misty May. She is a bully and taunts and chases me. Her tail puffs up as big as her body, and I squeal like a little piggy.

4. I feel empowered enough to go to the second floor and visit Mom and Dad in bed. I had not been going to the second floor for a very long time. My marriage to Sampy (Kitty Cat Chronicles) has given me more confidence (except when it comes to Misty May).

To enter the blog hop, visit Annie’s blog. The link is above.

The girls received this very sweet and beautiful card from Pipo and Minko, who are always so thoughtful.

They each received their own e-card from Lisbeth’s boyfriend, Cat Scout Charles, as well.

The Birthday Gift

Dad Tom saw the gift on-line. We both agreed it was too cute to pass up. Unfortunately for Lisbeth, she was not there for the unveiling and so not in the photos. She refused to come in from the catio and even missed her dinner.

So, there it is…a shark bed! Yep…another bed! That’s Calista Jo’s pink kitty cubby bed in the background (her birthday gift) in which she has never shown any interest. As you can see Calista Jo was very interested in Mr. Shark. She even tried chewing on his teeth. Birthday girl Astrid, along with Mauricio and Fiona, happily investigated. Only time will tell if any of the Kitties Blue decide they like Mr. Shark well enough to crawl inside for a nap. Mauricio and Fiona are the main occupants of Calista Jo’s birthday bed.

So that’s it for the most recent birthdays. The next ones to celebrate will be Misty May and Mauricio on September 17.

We’ll be back tomorrow for the Caturday Art Blog Hop. The plan right now is to feature Fiona. It seems only right as the current tropical storm has been named after her.

August 19, 2016 by Janet Blue Astrid & Lisbeth Birthday Friendly Friday Fill-Ins 24

BIRTHDAY WISHES FOR ASTRID & LISBETH

It may be Wordless Wednesday, but we will be a bit wordy today.

Happy 5th Birthday

Two very sweet girls, Astrid and Lisbeth, turn five today. They are not blood siblings, but they are littermates. Unfortunately these once inseparable girls no longer like each other…AT ALL! Nonetheless, we all love them and wish them the happiest of birthdays.

They asked Mauricio to make their cake in his Bake Shop at Cat Scouts. He decided to make a separate cake for each girl. Please join them in a piece.

They received a card from our special and great friend, Sammy (onespoiledcat), that they’d like to share with you.

The girls also each received an animated electronic card from our vet. They send each client a card for their birthday, which we all think is pretty sweet and thoughtful.

The girls have a gift from their dad and me, but I would not let them open it early, so they will share it with you in an upcoming post.

In other news…

Black Cat Appreciation Day

Though neither Astrid nor Lisbeth are black cats, they do have black furs. And two of our angels, Thelma and Twinkle, were black. We love black panfurs at our house. If we had room at the inn, I would definitely add a black kitty to our gang. Black cats are the last to be adopted, which we think is crazypants. So as Kitties Blue honor black cats today, we ask that the next time you think of adopting consider a black beauty. To read more about this special day, visit the ASPCA’s website here.

Black Cats Rock and Rule!

Though we have used a lot of words today, we are still linking up with the following two blog hops.

August 17, 2016 by Janet Blue Astrid & Lisbeth Birthday Black Cat Appreciation Day Sisters Wordless Wednesday 38

TOO, TOO CUTE BABY PHOTOS

We are having a Flashback Friday this week, but it’s not of a long ago post. It is a flashback to some baby photos. We just got our paws on them after our foster mom, Xan, posted them on Facebook. These are just three of the bunch.

Did you recognize us? We were pretty cute, don’tcha think? Mom’s fairly certain the Astrid photo is the one she fell in love with on PetFinder. It was those little kissable lips that grabbed at her heart.

As y’all know, we are no longer friends. It makes our mom so sad. She’d like all of us Kitties Blue to like each other and be a nice little family. It ain’t gonna happen…EVER! She and Dad will have to content themselves with us loving them.

As Mom types this, six of us are hunkered down in bed with both Dad and her. By the time you read this, the snow that is coming probably will have started to bury our little city. We are in the center of the area where power is most likely to be lost. That means no heated floors or any other heat for that matter. That’s why we’ve staked out our places on the bed and only plan to get up for meals.

If you are in the path of Jonas (That’s the name of this monster storm.) we hope you have hunkered down as well. Tell your humans to stay indoors where they can remain safe and warm. It’s going to be a great day or two to curl up and cuddle with you.

Purrs and paw-pats, Astrid and Lisbeth

p.s. Fiona asked us to thank everyone for the continued purrs, prayers, POTP and good wishes. This is the most wonderful community of caring and loving individuals.

January 22, 2016 by Janet Blue Astrid & Lisbeth Barn Cat Buddies Flashback Friday Kitty Written Blog Sisters 28

THE INCREDIBLE BARKING CAT & HER DOG-LIKE HOUSEMATE

Meow Variations

All of Kitties Blue have a variety of meows, depending on how insistent they want to be in demanding our attention. Most of the time I know who is complaining even when I’m in a different room. Fiona, Giulietta and Astrid are pretty good at imitating each other, however, and fool me on ocassion.

Feeding time and demands to go outside bring the loudest and most persistent meowing or “meyowling” as I like to call it.

Barking Out Demands

Barking calico cat keeping an eye on fresh catnip and two kitten underlings (a tuxie and a tortie) thinking of challenging her.

A potential barking incident in the making as Angel kittens, Astrid and Lisbeth, consider challenging Lily for the catnip.

Lily Olivia, however, possesses a unique ability to let us know when she has lost patience with our lolly-gagging and wants her demand met NOW! She barks! We don’t know where she learned this trick, but it is effective. I jump when I hear this. It is her final warning prior to a complete meltdown with growling, hissing, biting and scratching. The human body part attacked depends on if she is at the door demanding to go outside, on the kitchen counter waiting for breakfast or dinner or ticked off at a human or feline for trying to usurp her nice warm spot in bed. If another kitty is hovering, she will be the recipient of Lily Olivia’s wrath.

Dog-Like Mauricio

Mauricio began posing when still a kitten.

Lily, however, is not the only kitty with dog-like qualities. Though he cannot bark, Mauricio does possess other dog mannerisms (his signature talent is playing fetch) according to Mary Jane, his best human friend and mommy to a Jack Russell Terrier. Now Mary Jane has been my friend for more than 25 years (now 36 years in 2023), but when she comes to visit, I am forced to compete with Mauricio for her attention. He comes running the minute he sees her. Though, he does not greet her with his tongue hanging out or his tail wagging, he bugs her the entire time she is here. He’s nudging with his head to get petted, rolling around and exposing his tummy for rubbing and generally making a nuisance of himself.

Tuxie cat lying on his back showing his belly with dilute tortoise shell kitten looking on.

Mauricio shamelessly begs for my attention. Kitten, Calista Jo, comes to my rescue.

Mauricio is an overly friendly guy who loves to show off, beg unceasingly for attention and pose for photos. His fondness for Mary Jane, however, goes well beyond the childlike “look-at-me” demand. She is just as devoted to him. If he is engaged outside in cat activities, he will sometimes miss Mary Jane’s visit, which is always a disappointment to her. A couple of days ago when she dropped me off after having lunch together, he came trotting across the neighbor’s yard just in time for her to see him before she drove off. Such an accommodating guy!

Acting Like Cats

All the other kitties, besides some of the head-under-the-hand nudging activity, act like cats…indifferent at times, pesky and demanding at others or asleep for the better part of each day and night.

November 4, 2012 by Janet Blue Angel Cat Astrid & Lisbeth Backstory Kittens Kitties Blue Looking Back 11

LISBETH & ASTRID TURN ONE

Kittens

Babies, Misty May and Mauricio, were once inseparable.

I adore kittens. They are cute, cuddly, rambunctious and full of surprises. They have boundless energy that constantly gets them into trouble. And they are precious little lumps of fur when they are sleeping. But I love kittens most when they get to the one-year mark. Each develops his or her own special purrsonality totally separate from that of kitten-hood. Yet, they still maintain the spunk and playfulness of that first year.

During the first year, they greet my announcements of “breakfast” and “dinner” with squeals and leaps into the air, shoving their elders out of the way in order to be the first two to each get their 1/7 of a can of wet food. Mauricio and Misty May, Giulietta and Fiona and Astrid and Lisbeth have all displayed this identical behavior.

Canned cat food had never been served to any of our kids. It was added to their diet when Steamer, in her senior years, lost her sense of smell and stopped eating. It is impossible to serve canned food to one out of seven cats and live to tell the tale. When Steamer passed, the remaining Kitties Blue not only wanted, but also demanded, their canned food. So, serving it still takes place morning and evening.

Growing Up

One of the first clues that kittens are growing out of their baby-stage is the inevitability that at least one of them will dismiss the wet food as inedible. It happened with Misty May, then Fiona and now Lisbeth. Misty May at most will nibble at her spoonful of food. Fiona will occasionally take a few small bites, but in the end, she always tries to bury it. In the last week, Lisbeth has been sniffing at it and then walking away as often as not. Of the two (Astrid and Lisbeth), Lisbeth was always the first to finish her portion so she could shove her head into the bowls of Giulietta, Fiona or Mauricio. So, she has surprised me with her recent refusals.

At one time we alternated among several flavors but now only serve one, Friskies Ocean White Fish and Tuna Classic Paté, as this seems to please the majority. If we still had other flavors to offer, maybe those who now shun this concoction would partake but then one or more of the others would not. And we refuse to dole out different flavors to different cats. Around here the only options are to take it or leave it for one of the others to gladly gobble up.

Mauricio & Misty May

But back on topic…around the time of their first birthday, even siblings who have been inseparable, always bathing each other and sleeping together, start to go their own ways. The good-hearted kitten wrestling can become a little violent with growling, hissing and hair pulling. Mauricio has his own particular technique. He lulls Misty May into a stupor by giving her a long and soothing bath and then attacks by biting her ear or neck. Then it is no-holds-barred, full-on war.

Fiona & Giulietta

kitten purrsonalities: one-year-old short-haired grey cat bathing a long-haired, grey cat.

Fiona bathes her sister Giulietta.

kitten purrsonalities: two six-week old grey kittens, one with long hair and one with short.

Who wouldn’t fall in love with this adorable six-week-old twosome?

Fiona and Giulietta, for some reason, have missed this stage and still remain snuggle buddies. On most days, they can be found spooning and bathing each other. (Update: These two remained close their entire lives. After Fiona passed, Giulietta never stopped grieving and missing her.)

Birthday Girls: Astrid & Lisbeth

Astrid and Lisbeth have shared as much snuggle and play time as the previous pairs; though, they are not biological sisters. But as most of the others, they usually go their separate ways now. As I write, Astrid is sleeping in Lily’s wooden dough bowl on the kitchen counter. (Lily is outside.) Lisbeth is in her favorite place: She’s sprawled on the deck railing behind the screen and adjacent to the bird feeder. The days of sleeping curled together seem to have officially ended.

kitten purrsonalities: a tuxie kitten and a tortie kitten snuggling.

Lisbeth and Astrid now only fit one-at-a-time in this bed.

Astrid is a little more physical and likes to instigate trouble. She enjoys swatting the tails of the others, springing from behind the shower curtain to frighten both cats and humans, running up behind Lisbeth and jumping on her back to start a chase and game of tag. Of course, her favorite pass-time is trying and managing to escape from the house.

Lisbeth prefers more individual pursuits. She enjoys getting into trouble by shredding mail and newspapers and shoving them off the counter to the floor; turning on I-Tunes while I’m typing; stealing pens, pencils, silverware, coins, rubber bands, bottle tops, etc. and pushing them beneath the kitchen rugs.

But, as of now, they both continue to be sweet and loving kitties with easy-going dispositions. I am anxious to see how their individual purrsonalities develop in the future.

Update 10/10/2023

Astrid and Lisbeth are the only two remaining Kitties Blue from this post. They really have nothing to do with each other anymore. Lisbeth spends the majority of her time in the dining room cat tree. Astrid enjoys the second level of the catio and our old upstairs bedroom. Unlike Lisbeth, she often comes in to our current bedroom to spend time with Dad Tom and me.

We also now serve a variety of flavors of of stinky goodness and both Astrid and Lisbeth gobble theirs up as long as they are of the paté variety.

August 13, 2012 by Janet Blue Astrid & Lisbeth Birthday Kittens Kitties Blue Looking Back 7

YOU
For Fiona

It seems like only yesterday…
You were just a kitten.
When I saw your pleading look,
I was completely smitten.

Now at only six years old,
You are getting ready to leave,
Soon you will have your wings.
I’ve already started to grieve.

You’ve fought hard for the past year,
And I’m not ready to say good-bye.
I can’t imagine you not in my life
I am so sad…today I had to cry.

I am grateful and blessed
For my six years with you.
You’ll live in my heart forever.
You’re one of the best ever Kitties Blue.

YESTERDAY

Many yesterdays have passed since
You gained your angel wings. Today
Is six months since you left us behind
To remember and mourn. Our hearts
Continue to hurt, and we miss
You as much as the day you left.
Giulietta whined from the catio
Yesterday as I worked in the yard.
I know you put her up to it. That
Was your way of getting me to,
Allow you to join me as I
Gardened. You were there with me
In spirit. With every meow
I thought of you and how much I miss
Your sweet face and disposition.
In these past few months, many friends
Have traveled your same path in your
paw-steps. I am certain you were
Waiting to greet them with purrs and hugs.
I pray you and your friends are laughing,
Frolicking and having fun together.
Picturing that makes me smile, but
Does not lessen my sadness at your
No longer being here to snuggle
And receive our love, care and kisses.
Fiona, please do not ever forget
You are still and always will be loved.

ONE YEAR MISSING YOU

One year has passed since you flew away,
And I still think of you everyday.
I see your sweet face in my mind’s eye
And wish we’d never had to say good-bye.
It’s nice you’ve sent us kitties needing a family,
But my dearest love, we are now at capacity.
You thought it would take more than one cat
To take your place in our habitat.
We love Cooper Murphy and baby Sawyer dearly
But thinking either could replace you makes me teary.
You were one-of-a-kind and will stay in my heart
Until the day I join you and we’re no longer apart.
When once again I can hold you in my arms
And revel in all your love and feline charms.
Together with you and all who have passed.
I will spend eternity contemplating how blessed
I was to share my life with my furry children,
Each and every one of you one-in-a billion.

UNTIL

I miss you each day.
Until we meet in heaven,
The pain will remain.

ONE OF A KIND

I don’t know how to say good-bye.
I thought you were invincible; though,
You used up many of your nine lives.
You ruled us all with an iron paw;
Never took “no” for an answer
And always got your way.
If not, you’d bark to signal your
Displeasure and sometimes raise a paw.
I always joked that you were bi-polar.
When I told people you were a calico
They immediately understood what I meant.
Today was unnaturally quiet in the house.
Can a home seem empty with eight cats?
I will miss waking up at night to find you
Sitting next to me and staring at me.
I will miss you yelling at us as you did
When you wanted breakfast and dinner.
I will miss watching you lounging and snoozing
On the porch settee on a warm afternoon.
But most of all I will miss your kisses!
When kitten Sawyer befriended you,
We suspect you were imparting your
Wisdom and secrets for controlling us.
Time will tell if he was a good listener.
But whatever he may have learned,
Neither Sawyer nor any other cat
Can or will replace you in our hearts.
Lily Olivia, you were one-of-a-kind.