We have finally outlasted the dry, hot spell and fall may be just around the corner. I don’t think we will have the brilliant fall colors we usually have; it’s been too dry and a lot of the leaves have already dried up and fallen off the trees. But I will enjoy whatever we get; autumn will always be my favorite time of the year!
I wasn’t enjoying myself the last two weeks, however. I got hit with a double whammy. First I had a stomach virus, with all the running to a certain room in the house that goes with that; then as soon as I recovered and was starting to feel better, I woke up with a sore throat which soon developed into full-blown congestion, hoarseness, sneezing, coughing and just generally feeling miserable. Of course, I did my share of complaining about how unfair it was to get struck with both of these back – to – back. But, on the bright side, maybe I’ve built up my immunity early and will escape these bugs when everyone else gets them later on!
Well, in case you are wondering about the title, I have to relate a somewhat embarrassing but highly amusing story about Jeff and I. Last week, Jeff received an invitation to a VIP Kick-off outdoor dinner for the 13th annual BarBQ on the River (the only reason we could figure for this was that he is on the Tourism Board). After asking me about it, he RSVP’d that we would be attending. A free BarBQ dinner and a chance to walk around and watch them set up for the festival wouldn’t be a bad way to spend a night together. On the night of the dinner, we discussed what we should wear (the invitation didn’t say and of course, being a man, Jeff didn’t think to ask when he called to RSVP)…dressy, casual?? We finally decided on good casual even though there would be big wigs there – after all it was a BarBQ! As we left the house I asked Jeff if he had the tickets and if he knew for sure where the dinner was; both answers were affirmative. We almost didn’t make it to the affair in one piece, since Jeff, not being used to traffic lights on the side of the streets, happened to run a red one as we got downtown, and a truck coming the other way only narrowly missed hitting our van. Boy, this dinner better be worth it! Of course, when we got to the Riverfront, there was no parking for blocks around. They already had the area blocked off to set up the tents and the grills and smokers. It was not a hot night, although it was lightning in the distance, and the walk down to the riverfront was nice. When we got to the place where the invitations had said the dinner was going to be, there wasn’t anything around that looked like food was being served. We started just walking around up and down the street where all the tents were set up and saw one big tent with a line of people standing in front of it; when we got closer we could see that they were in a serving line. We looked at each other and said, “This must be it” and joined the others in line. The tent had a big sign over it that said “The Good Old Boys” and I was glad to see that we were not over dressed; in fact there were some people in camouflage and jean shorts. There were a few people I recognized standing in line, one of whom was our local news anchor, but most of the people I did not know and for once Jeff didn’t either. The wait was long (about 45 minutes) and we made some small talk with people around us. We wondered what was being served; I could smell catfish frying and I remarked to Jeff that they must have been saving the BarBQ for the actual festival. We expected there would be someone at the entrance to the tent that would take our ticket, but no one looked like they were taking up anything! When we finally made it to the food, there was fried catfish and it looked really good. There were also several aluminum pans of other meat that I did not recognize, but upon inspection there were labels under each pan with a funny description of what it contained. A man came out bringing another big pan of some kind of barbeque. I looked at the descriptions under each pan and Jeff and I had to start laughing. One of them looked like it contained meatballs and the sign under it read DEER BALLS. Another one had (Com) Pressed Duck, another one contained quail, one had turtle dove and there was even a pan of smoked salmon. There was such a wide variety of unusual cuisine and wild game, which really surprised us for an event of this kind. We loaded our plates with an assortment of the meats and they also had the usual slaw, potato salad, etc. All of the tables under the tents were taken and after getting our cold drinks (served in the can) we looked for someplace to sit and eat. Since it was starting to sprinkle, we wanted to find a place under cover if we could. We started back down towards the floodwall to find a table and we were talking about how this dinner was nothing like we expected to be. After all it was a shindig put on by the mayor and judge executive. We spotted some tables and headed towards them, going around a brick building next to the floodwall. As we turned the corner and looked over to the side, we saw a low wall built with hay bales and behind it were people sitting at cloth covered tables, some of which were set up with wine and finger foods. There were signs in front, which said VIP DINNER ONLY. I don’t know which one of us started laughing first!!! Immediately we knew what had happened. We had just crashed someone else’s dinner and we hadn’t the foggiest idea of whose it was!!! No wonder no one had asked for our tickets; in fact they were probably nudging each other saying, “Is that someone you invited?!!” In our haste to find the dinner we were invited to, we had overlooked the area because it was hidden on one side by the brick building and one side by the floodwall. As we went to sit at some picnic tables nearby, we thought about going on into the reception, even though we were an hour late. However we decided that it was meant to be that we had crashed the other dinner and I wouldn’t have traded my plate of DEER BALLS for one of their hor dourves!!! We sat down and enjoyed our meal and watched the comings and goings from the VIP dinner, the men in suits and women in nice dresses. We were laughing so hard that I was almost crying. I guess it really is true what they say, “You can take the kids out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the kids!” and we decided that the people whose party we crashed really were “Good Old Boys!”
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Goodbye to a friend
This week Jeff and I said goodbye to an old friend. Our outside cat, CeCe, is gone. We are pretty sure she won’t be coming back. CeCe was one of five offspring from a cat that Sarah brought home when she was a junior in high school. The cat had wandered onto the football field where the high school band (Sarah played the flute) was practicing. Some of the boys in the band starting teasing the cat and this infuriated Sarah. Of course, she had to rescue it and bring it home and of course, it turned out to be a female cat already pregnant. Soon we had one momma cat and 4 kittens. CeCe was the only one that eventually survived to adulthood. They were officially “Sarah’s cats” and all five of them even made it into one pose of Sarah’s senior pictures.
It’s remarkable how some things become a part of the background of one’s life, day in and day out; almost unnoticeable because of their constant presence. CeCe was there through all the ups and downs of our constantly changing family life; a faithful, if not somewhat ambivalent, companion. For the first half of her life, CeCe was a definite loner. Disdaining any overly affectionate displays, she kept to herself and was often gone for days at a time, but never failed to return to her place of birth. She did not like to be petted much and only accepted our offerings of food if she had not been successful hunting down field mice or young rabbits. In the ensuing years, we acquired an inside cat, Simon. I guess we would have let CeCe come in also, if she had wanted it, but she was way too independent to accept such a life. They often sat and stared at each other, one on each side of the screen door on the porch. It reminded me of the story of the Prince and the Pauper. I wondered if they each longed to live the life of the other; Simon, longing for a taste of the freedom of the open fields and the excitement of the hunt, and CeCe, contemplating the comfort provided by indoor heating and cooling and cozy couches. On one occasion when the door was left ajar, just such an exchange took place. I had noticed the cat lying under the table, but just thought it was Simon, until I noticed Simon going around the corner of the house. They had indeed changed places, each slipping for a time into the place of their fantasies.
The years flew by, each with it’s own joys and sorrows. CeCe was there through it all, sometimes curled up in some strange place, sometimes proudly depositing her latest kill by the front door. The children left home and Sarah decided to become a “dog” person, acquiring Max, who came with her for frequent visits home. CeCe made her displeasure at this turn of events known by disappearing every time Max came, only returning when he was gone. The grandkids came along and a new generation tried to befriend her, usually without much success. In time, Jeff and I moved next door to help take care of mom and Nathan and his family lived in our house for a short while. We took Simon with us and he adapted well to living with mom (which is another story in itself). I thought for sure CeCe would follow us to mom’s house or maybe just leave for good when our house eventually remained empty for a few years. It became part of Jeff’s daily routine to cross the road and give her food and water. She was usually there to greet him, glad, I suppose for some reminder that we had not totally forgotten her. We fixed her a box with blankets on the porch to provide a shelter during the winter. We could not, however, do much about the family of raccoons who often vied with her for a free meal. Jeff finally had to resort to standing nearby while CeCe ate, guarding against the masked marauders.
It was during this time, perhaps because CeCe was getting older and depending more on our offerings and less on her declining strength for hunting, that she started to make friendly advances towards the humans that had been part of her life for so long. Or maybe she was just getting lonely from the lack of activity around our house. Whatever the reason, Jeff noticed she would come up, rub against his leg after she ate, something she had not been prone to do. She would even let him bend down and pet her, rewarding him with her purr. I guess either absence made the heart grow fonder or advancing age brought with it a softening of heart.
After mom died and we moved back into our house, I definitely noticed CeCe’s friendlier attitude. When Sarah brought Max with her to visit, CeCe even let him sniff at her and would rub against him. This was quite a change from the days when Max’s presence meant CeCe’s absence. Every time we went outdoors, CeCe was there by our side, rubbing and purring and wanting to be petted. Sometimes, when I would sit in the porch swing, she would jump into my lap. Every morning, as I made my way groggily to the coffee pot, I would notice her little head bobbing back and forth in the French door window. She knew we were up and was demanding her breakfast and morning attention. One of us would still have to stand guard every night while she ate. The raccoons were still around and they were very bold, coming within a few inches of us before deciding to turn tail and run.
CeCe spent most of her time on the porch now, running to greet us each time we left or came home. Every time that Sarah came to visit, she would point out how thin CeCe was looking. She convinced us that CeCe was probably having a hard time eating the dry cat food we fed her and that we should start feeding her soft food. So began the quest for a soft food that was not messy and smelly. I remembered long ago when we had Midnight and Tushie (our previous indoor cats) that we fed them Tender Vittles, which came in a pouch and was soft but not smelly. However, trips to Wal-mart and even Pet Smart failed to turn up any of this food. Sarah could not even find it in Owensboro. So we settled on some little cups of meat and gravy made by Meow Mix. It had a tinfoil top that could be pulled off and the contents of the cup could be dumped all at one time with little mess. This simple switch in food provided us with some of the most funny and satisfying moments in our relationship with any pet we’ve had. The way CeCe gulped down each cup of Meow Mix was so funny to watch. She became obsessed with it and each time we walked out the door, her loud, insistent meowing often got her an extra cup, just so we could see her enjoy it so much.
Even though we mentioned it often, I guess it was just hard to believe how old CeCe was. Sarah and Jeff figured out that CeCe was fifteen years old, which would make her 105 (if a cat year counts the same as a dog’s - 7 human years). We doubted she would make it through last winter, but she did. She rarely left the porch for very long and as this summer’s heat took its toll, we would leave the porch fan on to provide her with some relief. It was obvious how much she enjoyed both our company and her new feeding routine, but even though she was eating well, she didn’t seem to be putting on any weight. And then two days ago, when I came in to get my coffee, her little head was not bobbing in the window and I knew something was amiss. I walked down the road and along the line of trees, calling her name and listening for any answering meow. When she still wasn’t there after we got back from work, Jeff and I both knew that her time had surely come. I have often heard that animals go off by themselves when they sense they are dying and I believe this is what CeCe did. And so one of the backdrops of our lives is gone, leaving behind pleasant memories.
It is amazing how strong the relationship is between humans and their pets; but I believe this is one of God’s gifts to give us pleasure in life. I really didn’t mean for this post to be so long, but it seemed to help me to write down all my thoughts about CeCe. Jeff also made a slide show of our favorite pictures of CeCe to remember and I have included it here.
It’s remarkable how some things become a part of the background of one’s life, day in and day out; almost unnoticeable because of their constant presence. CeCe was there through all the ups and downs of our constantly changing family life; a faithful, if not somewhat ambivalent, companion. For the first half of her life, CeCe was a definite loner. Disdaining any overly affectionate displays, she kept to herself and was often gone for days at a time, but never failed to return to her place of birth. She did not like to be petted much and only accepted our offerings of food if she had not been successful hunting down field mice or young rabbits. In the ensuing years, we acquired an inside cat, Simon. I guess we would have let CeCe come in also, if she had wanted it, but she was way too independent to accept such a life. They often sat and stared at each other, one on each side of the screen door on the porch. It reminded me of the story of the Prince and the Pauper. I wondered if they each longed to live the life of the other; Simon, longing for a taste of the freedom of the open fields and the excitement of the hunt, and CeCe, contemplating the comfort provided by indoor heating and cooling and cozy couches. On one occasion when the door was left ajar, just such an exchange took place. I had noticed the cat lying under the table, but just thought it was Simon, until I noticed Simon going around the corner of the house. They had indeed changed places, each slipping for a time into the place of their fantasies.
The years flew by, each with it’s own joys and sorrows. CeCe was there through it all, sometimes curled up in some strange place, sometimes proudly depositing her latest kill by the front door. The children left home and Sarah decided to become a “dog” person, acquiring Max, who came with her for frequent visits home. CeCe made her displeasure at this turn of events known by disappearing every time Max came, only returning when he was gone. The grandkids came along and a new generation tried to befriend her, usually without much success. In time, Jeff and I moved next door to help take care of mom and Nathan and his family lived in our house for a short while. We took Simon with us and he adapted well to living with mom (which is another story in itself). I thought for sure CeCe would follow us to mom’s house or maybe just leave for good when our house eventually remained empty for a few years. It became part of Jeff’s daily routine to cross the road and give her food and water. She was usually there to greet him, glad, I suppose for some reminder that we had not totally forgotten her. We fixed her a box with blankets on the porch to provide a shelter during the winter. We could not, however, do much about the family of raccoons who often vied with her for a free meal. Jeff finally had to resort to standing nearby while CeCe ate, guarding against the masked marauders.
It was during this time, perhaps because CeCe was getting older and depending more on our offerings and less on her declining strength for hunting, that she started to make friendly advances towards the humans that had been part of her life for so long. Or maybe she was just getting lonely from the lack of activity around our house. Whatever the reason, Jeff noticed she would come up, rub against his leg after she ate, something she had not been prone to do. She would even let him bend down and pet her, rewarding him with her purr. I guess either absence made the heart grow fonder or advancing age brought with it a softening of heart.
After mom died and we moved back into our house, I definitely noticed CeCe’s friendlier attitude. When Sarah brought Max with her to visit, CeCe even let him sniff at her and would rub against him. This was quite a change from the days when Max’s presence meant CeCe’s absence. Every time we went outdoors, CeCe was there by our side, rubbing and purring and wanting to be petted. Sometimes, when I would sit in the porch swing, she would jump into my lap. Every morning, as I made my way groggily to the coffee pot, I would notice her little head bobbing back and forth in the French door window. She knew we were up and was demanding her breakfast and morning attention. One of us would still have to stand guard every night while she ate. The raccoons were still around and they were very bold, coming within a few inches of us before deciding to turn tail and run.
CeCe spent most of her time on the porch now, running to greet us each time we left or came home. Every time that Sarah came to visit, she would point out how thin CeCe was looking. She convinced us that CeCe was probably having a hard time eating the dry cat food we fed her and that we should start feeding her soft food. So began the quest for a soft food that was not messy and smelly. I remembered long ago when we had Midnight and Tushie (our previous indoor cats) that we fed them Tender Vittles, which came in a pouch and was soft but not smelly. However, trips to Wal-mart and even Pet Smart failed to turn up any of this food. Sarah could not even find it in Owensboro. So we settled on some little cups of meat and gravy made by Meow Mix. It had a tinfoil top that could be pulled off and the contents of the cup could be dumped all at one time with little mess. This simple switch in food provided us with some of the most funny and satisfying moments in our relationship with any pet we’ve had. The way CeCe gulped down each cup of Meow Mix was so funny to watch. She became obsessed with it and each time we walked out the door, her loud, insistent meowing often got her an extra cup, just so we could see her enjoy it so much.
Even though we mentioned it often, I guess it was just hard to believe how old CeCe was. Sarah and Jeff figured out that CeCe was fifteen years old, which would make her 105 (if a cat year counts the same as a dog’s - 7 human years). We doubted she would make it through last winter, but she did. She rarely left the porch for very long and as this summer’s heat took its toll, we would leave the porch fan on to provide her with some relief. It was obvious how much she enjoyed both our company and her new feeding routine, but even though she was eating well, she didn’t seem to be putting on any weight. And then two days ago, when I came in to get my coffee, her little head was not bobbing in the window and I knew something was amiss. I walked down the road and along the line of trees, calling her name and listening for any answering meow. When she still wasn’t there after we got back from work, Jeff and I both knew that her time had surely come. I have often heard that animals go off by themselves when they sense they are dying and I believe this is what CeCe did. And so one of the backdrops of our lives is gone, leaving behind pleasant memories.
It is amazing how strong the relationship is between humans and their pets; but I believe this is one of God’s gifts to give us pleasure in life. I really didn’t mean for this post to be so long, but it seemed to help me to write down all my thoughts about CeCe. Jeff also made a slide show of our favorite pictures of CeCe to remember and I have included it here.
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