Jonah Hatch June 3, 2007 - June 21, 2018

I am still bereft.

But I will be back at the end of the month with walks I went on, books I read, and whatever else comes to mind.

Stay well.

Bring it on 2017

Well. I can’t say I’m too sorry to see 2016 go. It was not the worst year (any year between 1346-1353 would better qualify) but we lost a lot of great people—Alan Rickman, David Bowie, Prince, Leonard Cohen, and Carrie Fisher, to name a few. I saw a nice tweet on FB from Prince William, I think, that said, ‘Condolences from the House of Windsor to House Organa.’ That’s how much she was loved. Then of course there was the awful election, and no matter how you voted you can’t tell me it wasn’t awful. Not to mention my own personal woes (*sigh* still waiting for my house to sell).

The good news is I’m not going to talk about any of that stuff. Instead I’m going to tell you something good. I completed my WIP, BELL, BLACK & BRIAR (a paranormal murder mystery…) and am now revising. This means in the future I may also talk to you about how much fun it isn’t moving scenes about and then revising because you moved some scenes about. I might also tell you how important it is to keep track of all your clues and leads and discoveries when you’re writing a mystery (trust me, it's really important). Or, I might deviate and tell you about Buffy (yes, I am re-watching for the third time, don’t judge), and am I the only one who thinks that Angel is a bit of a wuss and Spike is awesome?

Lastly I am going to publicly state a few goals, which shouldn’t be too hard for me to reach:

1. Finish revisions on BB&B, send out to readers, and have it ready to go on submission by summer
2. Read more books – I was a crappy reader last year; I need to do better this year - currently reading The Girl from Everywhere
3. Make better health choices (less sugar, more vegetables and fruits, more walking, blah blah blah) cuz I ain't no spring chicken anymore!

Bring it on 2017!

A - Z Theme Reveal - DEATH

I already posted this once (on the wrong day, duh), but here it is again for anyone who missed it: My theme for this year's A- Z Blogfest is DEATH (who I really hope is like DEATH in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series), and all things surrounding the subject. It's an uncomfortable subject because I don't any of us are all that keen on dying, but it's good sometimes to talk about uncomfortable things I think.

"I meant," said Ipslore bitterly," What is there in this world that truly makes living worthwhile?" DEATH thought about it. CATS, He said eventually, CATS ARE NICE

So, what's your theme for A-Z, or are you taking the month off to avoid the madness?

The Burial

 

We buried our very old Jasper cat today, my son and I. He was a few months shy of nineteen years old (the cat, not the son). We were hoping he’d get one more summer. He spent so much of the last happily curled up in a chair on the deck in the sun.

The spot we chose to bury him sat between two small willow trees and my son dug the hole, found some big rocks to mark the grave. I wrapped Jasper in an old sweatshirt with a plush lining, hood over his face.

At some point my son said, “I’ve hit clay. That’s good.” And I wondered, was it? Was it good? Why? Because the clay made a better bed or because the clay indicated an end to digging? I wanted there to be an end. And Jasper didn’t need a very big hole. There wasn’t much left of the sleek black cat he had been.

Hard to believe it in light of the time he was gone for ten days in the dead of winter. No lie. He came home smelling like oil and I decided he must’ve gotten shut up in a garage but, really who knows what happened? It was one of his adventures.

Like the other time he was gone for three whole weeks one summer – no doubt off hunting or basking in some meadow while I called his name frantically every night. I was sure he was gone for good. Three weeks is a long time for a cat to be gone.

But then he came sauntering home, over the stone wall like always, a little leaner maybe, but otherwise in prime shape. Other adventures did not end well like the time he came home without part of his tongue. No clue what happened but he was fortunate he didn’t lose more otherwise he might not have been able to eat properly. Or that awful New Years eve. I was supposed to go out to a party when something horrific happened on the deck. And Jasper was out.

Outside I found blood and tracks that were too big to be a cat. I searched in the dark and the snow, but I did not find Jasper. And I did not go to the party.

I forget when he came home, hours later or maybe even the next morning, but once again, he’d survived another adventure - unscathed.

He probably had all kinds of adventures I knew nothing of, nights beneath the stars, running, chasing, climbing, all the things cats do out in the wild.

He was a lucky cat, I think as my son shovels dirt into the grave. 

I’ll tell you one more thing, about another black cat I had named Jader. After he died (too young, I might add) I had three dreams about him. In the first dream he was alive and well and it was good. In the second dream he was sick or badly injured. And in the final dream he was dead, but his ghost remained to comfort me briefly, telling me it was okay, he was fine.