Remembering....

This Monday has had a rather tough beginning for us.

We learned over the week-end of the passing of a friend and former colleague of The Husband.  We are remembering trips to the beach, dinners shared, brunches before football games, company Christmas parties, celebrating New Year's Eve, good golfing excursions for The Husband, and attending the weddings of his daughters.  We rejoiced with him and his wife at their 50th wedding anniversary, then shared his sorrow at her passing several years ago.  As The Husband made a career change, so did some of the occasions for us to spend time together.  He had not been in good health for a few years, though he lived to celebrate his 87th birthday!  He will be missed, not only by his family, but by his many friends.

************************************************************************************

It was a bit over 28 years ago when we added a kitten as a pet for our family.

Shadow and Ashes

He came to us at three weeks old as his mother passed unexpectedly.  He was so tiny that he was able to curl up on the toe of my shoe as I was working/standing in the kitchen.  We named him Ashes, inspired by the gray of his coat.  Ashes lived a long life until 18 1/2 when we had to make that fateful trip to the vet. 

Shadow is the black cat in the picture.  Ashes was 7 years old when Shadow arrived on the scene.  Shadow was one of four in a litter belonging to the neighbor's cat, but born in our doghouse, long abandoned by our aging dachshund.  Never intending to keep any of the kittens, this one just sort of seemed to "insist" on becoming a member of the family.:-)  We mentioned many times that he was the factor in keeping Ashes young, as he would attack Ashes in a playful mood for quite a number of years!

There are many other memories we have of Shadow, and they will be all we have, as today he made that final trip to the vet.:-(  Though he had ventured out following The Husband to the garden one time this season, and though he had made a few afternoon visits to the patio, we knew the time would more than likely come very soon when he would no longer be able to manage moving about.  That time came late Sunday afternoon. 

**********************************************************************************

So, The Husband and I are both in rather somber moods, spending a lot of "remembering time," and we are thankful that we have many happy memories.

Thank you for reading.  I really appreciate your comments.