NOT JUST SCARLETT

A ROUGH RIDE TO A HAPPY ENDING

O Lord, your compassion is great and your mercies are new every morning: We give you thanks for giving Tom both relief from pain and hope of health renewed. Continue in him, we pray, the good work you have begun; that he, daily increasing in bodily strength, and rejoicing in your goodness, may so order his life and conduct that he may always think and do those things that please you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

(Book of Common Prayer)

Tom had surgery this past Wednesday to remove a small malignant tumor from his colon. The section of the colon where the tumor was located was removed and the ends stitched together. All went well with the surgery, and he is making an amazing recovery. Thursday evening, I rejoiced at the good news that the pathology report showed that the lymph nodes removed during surgery are all free of cancer, and he will need no further treatment. He came home Friday morning.  We've had a rough ride to a happy ending.

Thanks be to God, the doctors, the hospital staff, and the wonders of technology of surgery by robot...with a doctor standing by, of course.

Tom's recovery continues apace. Scarlett, the Cat, is a wonderful nurse and sleeps by his side every night. She's glad to have him home. I am, too.

A NEW MEMBER OF THE FAMILY

 

The photos show the newest member of our family. She is a four month old kitten, who is very affectionate and who quickly bonded with both Tom and me. We're a beautiful match.  Scarlett is a lively ball of fire and has explored every nook and cranny downstairs and upstairs.  She peed once on the floor but has since used her litter box.  She was named at the shelter, and we decided to keep the name...wait for it...Scarlett! Get it?

Scarlett is reclining in her bed now. Yesterday afternoon, she went missing for a while. I searched upstairs, downstairs, and all around the house, but no Scarlett. I heard a faint "Meow" in the distance once or twice, but when I got closer - nothing. Then I remembered I had opened the door to the closet where I keep the clothes hamper and closed it after I put clothes in. When I opened the door, there she was lying on the clothes in the hamper, looking not too unhappy.

Our girl likes books, too.  Good thing, because our house is filled with them.  She also wants to share our meals. After searching the internet, I discovered the methods I've been using are not the best and may cause Scarlett to be afraid of me, rather than teach her to stay off the kitchen counter and table.  Yesterday, I used a spray bottle with water, and only after she punished me for my rudeness by staying away for several hours did she jump up on my lap to be cuddled.

Following the sad months of our Diana's decline after being our companion for 17 and a half years, the little kitten has brought joy and liveliness back into our lives.  After Diana died, when I returned home after going out, and Tom wasn't home, I missed having a live creature to greet me when I walked into the house.  Thus the decision to adopt a kitten companion from My Heart's Desire in Houma, Louisiana.