Coffee Flavored Kisses

During the summer, I joined the Adult Reading Program at my public library. I joined primarily because we were talking books, which I love to do, and because I was hoping to meet some new people. I have have done both.

One of the people I have met is this lovely elderly lady (I believe she’s 86) named Helen. Mrs. Helen is quite simply a doll. I don’t know much about her background, but I bet it involved some struggle, but what makes her so delightful is her attitude. She has determined she will see the best in people, and look at things as an adventure, not see the fears and the gloom. I want to follow that example.

Now, Mrs. Helen is probably worlds apart from me in preferred reading material and from others, but she has never failed to show anything but interest and curiosity about the books our varied members have brought up. When we turned ourselves into a book club, she was the first one of us to have finished the book. Not only does she have a wonderful attitude, she’s quite sharp.

I think I want to Mrs. Helen when I grow up! I also want to get to know her story, but I’m not rude enough to ask

In other news, Nor’s tumor is back, and he goes to the vet. He apparently has the worst sort of cancer a cat can have. There is only one result; everything else is to prolong life. However, I know part of my heart will break when I must let go of my first cat baby.

School has started, and things go along as usual, but perhaps if I apply Mrs. Helen’s attitude, I will feel better and thus, cope better. We shall see.

I do know this, the whim of joining that book group is paying off quite nicely.

My cat Nor (he and his brother Nick were my first two cats) has had a rough few weeks and so have I.

A few weeks ago, he started hiding under the bed a lot. So we started looking closely at him, and noticed his cheek was swollen. A week later, there was some blood, and so to the vet he went. So he had a tooth pulled on Sunday (two Sundays back). Doctor pulls tooth mentions cancer. We freak out a bit, but give Nor his medicine. we go back the following Friday (last Friday) for a follow-up. Vet looks at cat for two seconds and says cancer, and starts telling me about it. What I get is scared and a feeling of no hope, and basically “you might as well put him down now.” Vet does mention referral. I barely get home, and then promptly burst into tears. Michael, who has a cooler head at the moment, calls the vet and gets the referral. I cry most of the weekend. So Thursday of this week, Nor went to a specialist vet. He undergoes surgery, the vet tells me it was a nasty tumor and invasive, but they think they got 90% of it. Friday, I bring Nor home, and at the moment, I have a purring sleepy, cat on my lap. I call back this Thursday for biopsy reports, and I guess we’ll work from there. Wish us luck.

Make it wear a party hat!

This is Gracie last seen as a kitten (btw), and she is NOT happy to be wearing her Transformers birthday hat for Hubby’s birthday.

And this is Nor (and me). Nor is not happy either in his party hat. Neither cat, however, wins the most annoyed award. That goes to my husband , who looks very pissed off to be wearing a party hat; my life has been threatened, however, if I publish said picture.