The Sunshine Factor

where sunshine is a way of life

Tag Archives: loss


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A New Addition To Our Family

English: A cat named Kylie. Español: Una gata ...

Our new cat Rachael has this coloring but not any white. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Dave and I adopted a little female cat for our cat Micah yesterday.  I say “for Micah” because he and I both were inconsolable after losing Tiger…and Dave’s birthday is coming soon so “Rachael” is also a birthday present.Rachael, who is a little wisp of a 3 year old cat, was found at a local rescue place where the cats can roam free and learn how to interact with other cats.   She is half the size of Micah and came with that name.   We are keeping the name because now both cats have Biblical names!  🙂

The shelter had labeled Rachael as “calico tabby”, but I say she is a Torbie (tortoise shell and Tabby mix).   We pick her up Tuesday night at our new vet’s house.

And speaking of new additions….you may remember me saying how I’m grieving over my friend Patti’s moving away this year.  Well, they are having a new house built for them in their new town and cannot take much furniture or their BIG tv…so I am buying most of it from them.   Now our family room will have matched, wonderful furniture, our master bedroom will be very classy now, and we’ll be able to get rid of my mom’s kitchen set that I always hated and have the set that I always loved….when I had my cat and dog care business, I spent many a week or weekend in Patti’s house and got used to their furniture.   Patti and her husband are like family so they (er, their furniture) will be a part of our home now.

The big furniture transfer will hopefully be on March 7th.  I’ve been having fun planning what furniture will go where, and now we’ve got some rearranging to do to help that to happen!  🙂   Oh, which reminds me, our garage’s storage area needs to be cleaned out too.  Never a dull moment in the Stanton household, and for that I am thankful!   🙂

P.S.  Patti is such an amazing lady.  Before I met her, she had her own photography business.  She bequeathed to me her award-winning, huge picture that I already have put up in the family room.   It’s a wonderful remembrance of my dear, precious friend.

 


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Bookends

This poem was inspired by something my husband realized.  Thanks, Honey!

BOOKENDS

Dear Tiger Pants,

Your daddy and I sure miss you.

You’re like the bookends of our life.

You came to us when things were getting rocky,

moved away with me when we divorced,

helped a very frightened cat Micah

to feel loved and safe again,

and got to see Dave and I find each other again.

Now that we are remarried and doing nicely,

you probably felt your job was done.

Well, my dear, sweet cat,

Micah can never take your place.

He doesn’t warm up my lap like you did

and beg at our table like a little dog.

He’s not the sentry you were;

You always did such a nice job keeping watch over everything

and “patrolling” the house.

Oh, yeah –

You were a wonderful little hunter.

You ate all the insects you could find

(except that really huge one on the screen once),

I believe you ate one or two mice,

and I know for sure

(I watched and heard)

you especially loved eating tree frogs

that would jump up the side of the townhouse

and onto our deck over the garage.

They didn’t stand a chance with you around.

Dave and I took you away

from a trailer where the guy was never home

and where you got your fear of storms from

his darn tin roof.

We thought we were doing you a favor,

but now I know that it’s the other way around.

You brought love and comfort to us both,

and I thought it cute when I could see your mouth move to meow

but your words did not come out.

Oh Tiger,

it’s going to be so hard without you,

but maybe writing this poem will help.

Make sure you catch a lot of little miceys

up there in Heaven,

and I and Daddy will be along some day.

Love,

Mama

P.S. Micah misses you very much too.


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A Wonderful Friendship

English: The Queen of Hearts, from a 1901 edit...

English: The Queen of Hearts, from a 1901 edition of Mother Goose, New York: McClure, Phillips, 1901. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

My best friend (second to my husband) is moving out of state.

This news was announced to me lately

and it didn’t make it into the “good news” column.

 

This news jumped between my earlier abandonment issues,

loss, and sadness.

Hope kept trying to pop up amongst the ashes,

but this girl didn’t want to listen.

 

This will be something new that I have to recover from.

The questions pound in my head:

Who will get me like she does?

Who will understand my jokes?

Who will take time out of her busy schedule

to see movies with her favorite movie pal?

Who will provide such awesome wisdom that

I was getting used to receiving from her?

 

The answers will show up later

I don’t need to know them now

I just need to keep using email and phone calls

to stay in touch,

but Skype – no thanks.

 

She and I will survive

in this land of new challenges and dreams and blessings

But thank God,

She is alive

and I never have to forget her.