Sunday, October 11, 2020

Happy Thanksgiving Once More

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day. As always, I try to be grateful every day for what I have. But the holidays – holy days – focus my feelings. While this year has been bad for me in several ways, I recognize that it has also been good in others.

I am still employed and, if I haven’t had a raise since Pearson was prime minister (or thereabouts), I still make enough money to supply my needs, and those of and my cats. I have a very nice and cosy apartment, and I have no debts.

I have been afflicted by the on-going covid-19 crisis but, to be honest, in only minor ways. I am healthy, for my age. (Yes, I’m at the point at which I must add that phrase; like the Great Pyramid looks good, for something going on four and a half thousand years.) I have not had covid-19, as far as I know, and no one with whom I am acquainted has had it. My local activities and travel have been curtailed no more than they have been in the last few years by a lack of funds; the corona virus has simply given me a more fashionable reason for staying home. In this subject, too, I have been fortunate.

I have been able to trap and sterilise more community cats at my work-place, including the elusive Bauble. She may have kittens to capture now, but if they give me as much trouble as their mother, I will be very surprised.

My cats are doing well, for their ages. Neville’s diabetes is being managed and, if he fears my approach with his twice-daily needle, then that appears his worst problem here. Tucker’s blood-sugar  numbers are consistent: that is to write, they are consistently all over the place, to a maddening extent. Yet the roly poly acts as if quite healthy, so I won’t complain too loudly about his glucometer readings. Renn is his usual strong self and Josie is comfortable as the days pile upon her.




I lost two of my cats this year. Cammie and Raleigh both died on May 15th. I am grateful for the time they were with me, and I am grateful for what they taught me.

Cammie lost her sight a year before her death; almost exactly a year. She had a stroke and, while she recovered to a great extent, she was blinded by the attack. My princess then showed me how well a sightless cat can adapt to her world, and how she can still enjoy it. She learned very swiftly to climb the stairs that were provided for her, and continued to repose on the bed as she had previously. It was there she would lie on my chest and purr. She learned to find the windows in her darkness, and breathed in deeply the scents that the invisible world brought to her. Blind cats can enjoy life, if we help them, and can live fully and happily.

Raleigh had FIV, which, I think, hastened his demise. But cats don’t know about such a sentence of death; if they did, they probably wouldn’t care. Peachy enjoyed his life, too, while he could. I recall him scratching at the corner of wooden furniture when he was hungry. And he would crouch as if still eating when I took his empty bowl away; if he remained hungry, he would quickly sit upright, with a short trill, when I brought his re-charged bowl to him. Raleigh was with me twenty-one months, and I don’t regret giving him a home. No one should be afraid of adopting cats who might not live long: you will very likely give them the best time of their lives – and they may give you yours.

These are my reasons for gratitude this Thanksgiving Day. If I could have more, I could certainly have fewer, so I am well pleased.

25 comments:

  1. As always, your post was wonderful and it reminds us that even though there may be "bumps in the road," we still have a lot to be thankful for -our health, our homes, our friends and family, the food we're able to put on the table, and of course, our cats. Happy Thanksgiving, John!

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    1. Thank you, Roberta, and a happy Thanksgiving to you.

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  2. Happy Thanksgiving, John. Even in the darkest times you are always able to find the lighter side. It is always a pleasure to visit here.

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    1. Thank you. I know that you and Ivar are going through some trials, too, but it is good to know you are also having some good times. I don't stop in at your Holiday Photos blog often enough, but I do enjoy the pictures. New York at dawn may be the best time to enjoy that city.

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  3. God bless ya John..
    After ALL the problems and worries
    you've been through, it's nice to
    see the family all rested and content..
    Hope they've left a little room on the
    bed for you..BIG (((Hugs))) X's all
    round..
    Happy Thanksgiving to one and all..! :o).

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    1. Thanks, Willie. I don't know if you celebrate Thanksgiving where you are, but I know that you are grateful.

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  4. Happy Thanksgiving to you, John. This is a lovely post, a reminder to look for the lessons in challenging times and to appreciate all that we do have. 🙏

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    1. There is always much to appreciate, I think, even in bad times.

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  5. I do pray that you have a Happy Thanksgiving John. You and your cats do you have a good life together, that is the main thing they can get any person through life. Hopefully the covid-19 will not impact you anymore than it has and that all of you continue pretty much the same. We all get older and we all wish we were a little younger, including the cats. Lynn

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    1. May you and Precious have a wonderful weekend, too, the start of a beautiful autumn.

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  6. I'm glad that, despite life's inevitable vicissitudes, you can still find things to be grateful for. I know I don't do that nearly enough. And I was startled to be reminded that you lost Raleigh and Cammie that many months ago. It seems like last week to me.

    Enjoy your Thanksgiving Day, and I hope that by the next holiday you have even more to be thankful about.

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    1. I think about Cammie and Raleigh a great deal; and Tungsten, Bear-Bear and my good friend Parker. They are always with me.

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  7. Happy Thanksgiving!
    Having a job is impawtant, since how else can one feed the cats?

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    1. Yes, I could go without, but not them.

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    2. When my family first came to the US, they were very poor. As in “often going hungry” poor. One of my aunts told me that there were times when they’d literally count their coins and debate, “Do we get food for us, or food for the cat?”

      Naturally, the cat always won.

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  8. I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving with your sweetie kitties. We try to be thankful each and every day as well.

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    1. It's been a very nice weekend so far, a good one for me and the cats. I hope your weekend is as pleasant and contented.

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  9. guyz....a MOST happee thanx giving day two each oh ewe and dad all sew.....on thiz day; we wood like ta say we iz thanx full for yur friendship; letz sell a brate witha pie or 18; noe burd thanx any way N we hope yur day total lee rox !! :) ☺☺♥♥

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    1. Thank you, Tabbies. I won't tell you what we're having for dinner, but it does include pie... Thanks for being our friends.

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  10. Happy Thanksgiving! Very nice post, I like how you found positives even in the sad things.

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  11. Happy Thanksgiving John! Like you, Covid-19 has allowed me to relish in my preference to enjoy my home.

    I'm grateful that Sasha is still here with me and though he's slow and careful he doesn't any other signs that he's ready to go anywhere. Saku, at twelve, continues to be the loveable pest though he seems to understand (at least most of the time) that Sasha is not to be bothered.

    Take care and stay well!

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    1. I hope your Thanksgiving was a good one. It's good to know that Saku is leaving the oldster alone, mostly. Long may Sasha stay with you.

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  12. Happy Thanksgiving John. I have been gone from home into evening, and tired on getting home; and I have missed being able to say Happy Thanksgiving. I enjoyed reading all of your reasons for being thankful. Some of them echo my own. I am grateful each day as are you and many of our friends here. I hope that is pumpkin pie and I won't be able to tell the Tabbies about my Thanksgiving dinner main attraction either. But they may like the pies. I hope.

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  13. We wish a very Happy Thanksgiving if a few days late. We too are thankful for that which we have rather than what could be. I find that living with my family as they age is bittersweet and now it is another milestone tomorrow as Timmy will be with me 13 years. What a wonderful fellow and I am thankful in advance as our day comes next month. Thanks for your visiting us and friendship in the blog world and may your life and your furs have nothing but the best in it

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