Saturday, March 19, 2022

Love Is Love 😻


Always in need of tech support, this baby boomer has never lacked for love and affection from my sweet cat, Ethel. When the pandemic hit and I began to work from home, I swear Ethel would follow me around the house and wait longingly for me to sit down somewhere so that she could grace my cozy lap.

It’s a rainy day today in California and I just lit some incense, poured myself some hot tea, and grabbed my latest read: The Seekers Guide- Making Your Life a Spiritual Adventure by Elizabeth Lesser. A perfect rainy day scenario. Except for my little lap blanket.

Last week, after I found Ethel hiding under my desk in my office, I knew it was her time. The large tumor on her hind leg had become a nuisance for her and she was determines to take care of it herself. I will spare you the details.

I picked Ethel up in a soft blanket and put her in bed with me where we cuddled and kissed (I know! I know!) until the morning. I told her I loved her and that I would always take care of her. 17 years is not long enough when you’ve been partners in crime 24/7 since the day we chose each other from the litter. “She looks worried! I’ll take this one!” And away we went to begin our journey together.

Ethel, being that she was a feral cat, was a lover and a fighter. She disliked other cats especially “Toby” who used to come over and try to make friends with her. Once afternoon when she was growling at Toby and thinking about tearing him limb from limb, I made the mistake of picking her up and asking her to try to be sweet to other animals.

One kaiser visit and 14 stitches later, Ethel and I made our peace and she was truly remorseful. That Monday at work my students thought I had had “some work done”.

I sold my house and purchased a townhome that was being built at the time. In the interim Ethel and I moved in with my man friend, Dale. Dale’s two 80 pound dogs tried their best to be friends with Ethel but when she walked past them in the house they hugged the walls to allow her to pass.

Being that Dale lives out in the country, I kept Ethel inside so as not to be eaten by the local coyotes. One morning as I was preparing emails for work and having my coffee, Ethel decided to jump up on the kitchen counter and leap out of the second story window! (Secretly, I felt sorry for those coyotes! ????) Ethel managed to fen for herself that day until I got home from work at which time I had to throw a blanket over her in order to get her into the house (and save myself from another trip to Kaiser)!

Finally home in my new townhouse, Ethel roamed the new neighborhood and made it clear to all of the resident cats that she had now arrived. Poor Chunk next door wasn’t allowed out of the house so Ethel would sit on my neighbor’s front porch and torment him through the window where he sat envious on the back of their couch looking out at her.

There were other fun facts about Ethel. Opening a can of garbanzo beans could rouse her from a deep sleep from anywhere in the house. I would pour a little bit of the bean juice on her food before I began making my hummus. Truly a Lebanese cat she was.

Ethel understood requests of “lay down” and “give me kisses”. She loved to sleep on my head at night and run her claws through my tangled curly hair. Sometimes she would drool in my ear. (ew!)

But you know…

Love is love. Some of us love chocolate. Some love horror movies. Some love rainy days

I loved my Ethel.


14 Responses

  1. So beautiful. You gave Ethel a good life with a loving home. You were both lucky that you chose her. I’m so sorry for your loss.


    • Thank you, Sandra. Yes. I felt so lucky to have such an intuitive and feisty cat. Not unlike her owner.


  2. Another beautiful post! I’m so glad I got to spend some time with Ethel last Christmas. She was a beautiful cat.


  3. Dear Rosemarie, I’m so sorry for the loss of your precious Ethel. I would say that she is playing at the Rainbow Bridge with my cat, Socks, but Socks was very shy and sweet. Ethel might be a bit too feisty for her. She will be waiting for you there, though. I guess the more beings God gives us to love, the more we have to lose. Treasure the memories.


    • Ah.. I love that. I do treasure every minute we had together. Especially that last night when we cozied up and had our last chat. ❤️


  4. Rosemarie,

    What a lovely and poignant reflection! The memories of our beloved fur babies curl up in the corners of our hearts and stubbornly refuse to leave, even after their tired bodies give out. Somewhere Ethel is mischievously nudging tears off the edge of clouds with the back of her paw, only to watch them cascade to earth and wonder, “How did THAT happen?” May they gently wash over your aching heart as you grieve your loss.

    Ed


    • Thank you, Ed. I do wonder if she misses me. So much wondering. Lots of mystery in our lives. I think it keeps things interesting. I see her in my peripheral vision all day but when I look she is gone. Her little spirit.. ❤️


  5. Didn̢۪t Ethel follow Lucy? You are blessed to have had Ethyl by your side for 17 years.


    • Yes. I like to think that Ethel and Lucy are together again. ❤️


  6. Oh Rosemarie,
    Such a perfect expression of love and a tribute to wonderful Ethel. She was a very special cat.


  7. Condolences, Rosemarie! I also love Elizabeth Lesser – we read a lot of similar books! Xo. Melissa


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