Carving Pumpkins

Sunday afternoon I had quilt group. Picked up Deb H. and drove to Marcia M.'s outside of Martell. I didn't get a lot accomplished. I decided to work on my Turning Twenty pattern and cut up the 20 fat quarters into the required sizes. Turns out my fat quarters are not true fat quarters so I'm short fabric. They should be 18x22 but are around 17x20. So much for getting all my cutting done.

When I returned home I had a quick supper, then we carved our pumpkins. I always carve the basic pumpkin with triangle eyes and nose with a three-toothed smile. Cassie thought my pumpkin wasn't scary enough so she drew a face that had a big, scary mouth. She did a great job and Mark had quite a time trying to carve it. But the pumpkins are done and look terrific.

Pre-Halloween Activities

Saturday morning we went to the Roca Berry Farm. At this time of year they turn it into a fun Halloween event that includes a hayrack ride to the pumpkin patch so you can select your own pumpkin.

Thanks to the Gabapentin I slept through the night and didn't regain consciousness until 8:15am when Cassie woke me. But I was kinda dopey and so dizzy I couldn't get up right away. By the time I finally got dressed and had breakfast we were an hour behind schedule.

We arrived at Roca Berry Farm at 10:30am. My gosh it cost us $18 to get in. But Cassie had fun climbing on the wooden house out back and she jumped in the bouncy houses for 45 minutes!

We toured most of the farm - Cassie got a pony ride, she rode the trike trail, we visited the haunted town, we saw Bunnyville - and we had lunch there. Then we rode to the pumpkin patch and chose our pumpkins.

On our way back to Lincoln, we stopped at three quilt shops on the south side of town. Saturday was the only day for the No-Bus Bus Trip (essentially a Lincoln-only shop hop). I had already purchased my enrollment ticket and now we needed to visit five shops, buy something from each shop and have them punch our card then we'd be eligible for door prizes. Cassie loves doing the Shop Hop and she was looking forward to doing this. Unfortunately, Mark didn't just sit in the van while we went inside the shops; he accompanied us. And at each shop Cassie was greeted by name by the clerks and store owners. Now he knows we hit the quilt shops more often than he realized!

We hit the three south shops, then dropped Mark at home so he could watch the Nebraska-Texas football game (Texas won, 28-25). Cassie and I continued on to The Back Porch and Cosmic Cow. We each got fat quarters at every shop. With luck we'll win something!

We returned home for a light supper, then Cassie changed into her Halloween costume and she and I went to Boo at the Zoo at Lincoln Children's Zoo. Mark stayed home to finish watching the game. We parked at Ideal Grocery, caught the shuttle to the zoo and proceeded to collect lots of candy as we walked through the zoo. We also rode the train around the zoo. This year we were able to get right in (we're members now), and the line for the train wasn't too bad - we had to wait only ten minutes. The longest wait was for the shuttle back to our van. By this time Cassie was tired and her feet hurt so I carried her with both of my arms wrapped around her, but I still hurt my shoulder. Riding the same bus were Peter and Kim J., library coworkers of mine, and their two daughters. We had a nice chat during the ride.

When we got home, Cassie was tired but eager to show her booty to Mark, and she had to sample one candy. But I managed to get her bathed and in bed by 9:00pm and she went right to sleep.

I took my meds and got myself right to bed as well.

A Medical Friday Night

Deb H. called and invited Cassie and me to meet her at Culver's. While there we encountered Ina and her husband. Deb, Ina and I all worked for UNL Housing at one point. Ina had been in a serious auto accident July 30, 2007 and was in critical condition for some time. There were several surgeries (she nearly lost her left arm) and lots of rehab. She is still healing and has a long way to go, but looked good considering what all she's been through. It was good to see Ina and have the chance to talk with her.

Cassie, Deb and I had a good time as usual and enjoyed our chocolate dessert. I was concerned about taking so much ibuprofen but Deb reassured me that four pills are prescription strength and by my doctor prescribing three pills she's giving me a strong enough dose to handle the pain yet save me the cost of a prescription.

I got Cassie home and bathed, then got to work on taking my meds. I was warned that Gabapentin would knock me right out and that's why my doc prescribed it for night use. So Friday night I warned Cassie that I was taking a pill that would put me right to sleep and if she needed anything I wouldn't be able to hear her hollering from her bed; that she was to come to me and wake me.

Not being able to swallow pills, I had to use my pill crusher and pour the remains onto a spoon to dissolve with water. This fascinated Cassie to watch. But I must have made too much of an impression on her about my meds knocking me right out for as soon as I swallowed the drugs she was very concerned that I'd go to sleep right then and there. She was very insistent that I get to bed immediately. So she and I both hit the hay right away. And of course 15 min later she needed me.

Turns out Gabapentin doesn't knock me out, for I lied awake for an hour watching TV before I finally went to sleep. But it does make me dizzy. I'm fine as long as I'm supine, but when I got up to help Cassie I had to hold furniture and lean against the walls to get to and from her room. But once I did get to sleep it kept me asleep.

The Bad and The Irritating Revisited, and a Sore Arm

The Bad:

The power steering went out on the van because the power steering belt came off. Apparently on Dodge Grand Caravans this happens when they get very wet. Nice to know...

The Irritating:

I took the laptop in to Schrock Innovations. They reinstalled the wireless card, found 277 Windows issues and 173 spyware problems. The laptop now connects to any wireless network I point it to and it runs faster.

And A Sore Arm:

My left shoulder has been giving me trouble since last Sunday. By night time I'd be in shooting pain at the shoulder, across my left collarbone and down my arm, and have to stop reading to Cassie and huddle on the couch. I figured I was doing something during the day to irritate it and by evening it had reached the point where it really hurt. But I couldn't figure out what I was doing that was different. This continued each evening all week until it occurred Wednesday morning. So following the advice of coworkers I made a doctor appointment.

Saw my internist Friday morning. She also is adopting from China so we had to discuss that for a few minutes. After she examined me, she decided to go with a conservative treatment and assume I did something to injure myself but don't even know it, like pulling a muscle wrong while slamming shut a van door. So for the next 7-10 days I'm taking three ibuprofen three times a day (for the muscle pain) and one Gabapentin at night (for the nerve pain). If I'm still having pain, then we'll progress to an MRI.

Training Troubles

Corey G. and I were to teach an Excel class at Bennett Martin Public Library yesterday. Unfortunately one of the supervisors took the projector with her to the fall conference of the Nebraska Library Association. We didn't discover this until we began to set up for the class. Kinda makes it difficult to teach a group how to work a computer program when the class can’t see what the instructors are talking about. I tell people we ended up using finger puppets to demonstrate.

Actually, there were only three students so Corey and I alternated teaching at a computer while they were gathered around behind us to view the screen. Not too much can be done that way so once we covered the basics the class evolved into just answering basic computing questions. Topics ranged from how to find a document, what's a jump drive and how to use it, how to scan a document, and how to print. I think overall the students got a lot out of class, even if it wasn't the one in which they'd enrolled.

Book Display - Ghosts

Ghosts is this week's theme for my book display at Bennett Martin Public Library.

The Angels of Mons: Phantom Soldiers and Ghostly Guardians by David Clarke. In August 1914, a British Expeditionary Force unexpectedly found themselves confronted by the main thrust of the advancing German army. Although they were vastly outnumbered, this highly-trained force of army regulars held off the attack so effectively that the Germans remained unaware of the tiny size of the force that opposed them. It was in these extreme circumstances that the wounded and dying soldiers were said to have seen strange angelic forms in the sky that protected them from slaughter. In this fascinating investigation David Clarke examines the history of such wartime legends and explores the likely truth behind the myth.

The Carver Effect by Wolffgang von Bober. Wolffgang’s daughter, Ginger, could not believe her father had bought the old Summerwind house. Ginger had lived in the old house in the Wisconsin woods but only for a few months. Bizarre events drove her, Arnold, and the six children out of Summerwind Mansion – Arnold to a mental institution ranting about spirits. Through a maze of terrifying paranormal experiences the family pieced together the story of a 19-century spirit and his unusual quest.

The Case for Ghosts: An Objective Look at the Paranormal by J. Allan Danelek. Stripping away sensationalism and fraud, J. Allan Danelek presents a well-researched study of a phenomenon that has fascinated mankind for centuries. Analyzing theories that support and debunk these supernatural events, Danelek objectively explores hauntings, the ghost psyche, spirit communication, and spirit guides. He also investigates spirit photography, EVP, ghost-hunting tools, ouija boards, and the darker side of the ghost equation - malevolent spirits and demon possession. Whether you’re a ghost enthusiast or a skeptic "The Case for Ghosts" promises amazing insights into the spirit realm.

Don’t Kiss Them Goodbye by Allison DuBois. Basis for the TV show “Medium.”

The Ghost Hunter’s Handbook: A How-To Guide for Investigating Ghosts and the Paranormal by Troy Taylor. This is the essential guide to conducting paranormal investigations, written by a real ghost hunter with many years of field experience. It will provide you with a step-by-step guide to conducting your own field investigations, plus tell you what to look for in deciding if your location is really haunted.

Ghosts by Time-Life Books. Presents tales and examines varieties of beliefs about death and hauntings, characteristics and habits of ghosts, exorcism rites, and haunted places.

Ghosts of the Golden West by Hans Holzer. Parapsychologist Holzer presents his investigations of Western ghosts of California, Nevada, and Utah. He has painstakingly documented each case he presents and reports the uncanny phenomena that have accompanied many of these amazing hauntings, and presents them with wit and humor.

Ghosts of the Rich and Famous by Arthur Myers. Discusses spectral appearances of Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable and Carol Lombard, Elvis, Einstein, Thomas Wolfe, Judy Garland, and more than thirty other notables.

A Guide to the Ghosts of Lincoln by Alan Boye. Includes the famous story of the ghost at the C.C. White building on the Wesleyan campus, the hauntings at the university’s Temple Theater, the woman at Antelope Park, Lincoln’s haunted bike path, the state capitol building, and many more.

Haunted Places: The National Directory by Dennis William Hauck. Ghostly abodes, sacred sites, UFO landings, and other supernatural locations in more than 2000 sites of paranormal activity across the U.S.

High Hopes: The Amityville Murders by Gerard Sullivan & Harvey Aronson. Sullivan, a “bright young” assistant in the Suffolk County DA’s office didn’t know what Pandora’s Box he would open as he investigated a mass murderer and his victims. The house still stands; there are no demons inside. A true story more chilling and macabre than any account of ghosts and hauntings could ever be.

Yankee Ghosts: Spine-tingling Encounters with the Phantoms of New York and New England by Hans Holzer. The setting is the northeastern United States and the characters are many and absorbing. These are sharp and vivid stories of the author’s encounter with ghosts.

The Good, The Bad, and The Irritating

The Good:

As I've always suspected; Cassie is tops in her class and a near genius.

Well, maybe those weren't the exact words of her teacher, but at tonight's Parent-Teacher Conference Cassie did receive a glowing report. She's at the expected levels in every area and in most cases is a high achiever and one of the top students. She listens well, understands oral instructions, is a good example for other students, is not the follower that I feared she was but instead is often a leader, and participates well. The only issue seems to be one of Cassie trying to achieve perfection. Whenever Cassie felt she'd failed at something the tears would flow. This happens at home too. Mrs. Allen reports that this seems to be easing up somewhat.

The Bad:

I had a near-miss with the van. Today as I was driving to work, the power steering suddenly went out. I managed to get the van around the next four turns over the next two blocks to make it to my parking spot but it was difficult to control. I called AAA who towed it to Metzger's Auto Service. They report that the power steering belt broke and are trying to figure out how it happened. Anyway, I've driven less than 10 miles since we've returned from Retreat outside of Gretna. Imagine if we had driven into Gretna to visit the local quilt shop - we would have used up that spare 10 miles and been barreling down the highway at the time the belt broke. Whew.

The Irritating:

My laptop will not access a wireless connection. Yesterday morning it worked fine at home. I took it to work to use over my lunch hour and it wouldn't connect to anything for love nor money. When I brought it home again it still didn't work. I can access my software programs but forget doing anything on the internet. There's probably some stupid little toggle I have to click or unclick for something to work but who knows why it suddenly quit working and where that toggle is. I'm off work tomorrow so one of my many errands now includes a trip to the computer shop. Until now, I hadn't realized how often I really use the laptop.

Quilt Retreat

The Lincoln Quilters Guild and Omaha Quilters Guild held their combined retreat this past weekend at the 4-H camp outside of Gretna, Nebraska.

As usual my small group, The Red Hot Quilters, sat with The Pigs. That’s not a comment about their personal lives or hygiene – they all like pigs and, among other pig-themed items, have Olivia pillowcases. Marcia M. was absent due to her son’s wedding and she was missed. We all were tired to begin with, and all weekend we remained subdued and less active than normal. I managed to complete a pillowcase, a denim quilt top, and get halfway through a flag wall hanging for my secret sister.

We were able to spend all of our time quilting - no side-trips to quilt shops this time. Rather we visited the Plattsmouth quilt shop ON OUR WAY to retreat, and lunched at The Chocolate Moose. We arrived at the retreat in time for the 3:00pm check-in at the cabins and the 3:30pm start-time for unloading our sewing gear.

The food was delicious. Friday night was a Baked Potato Bar that really hit the spot. We had a full breakfast Saturday morning, a yummy lunch of Soup/Salad Bar/Sandwiches and a spectacular Fiesta Night for Saturday’s supper. That was a Taco Bar with hard shells, flour tortillas, fajita meat, seasoned taco meat, refried beans, chips, nacho cheese, and all the toppings you can imagine. We even had frozen, strawberry margaritas. I’m not a margarita fan and don’t even like the taste of alcohol but, gotta tell ‘ya, my drink was so smooth and excellent! (I’ve decided it was drunken quilters who developed stippling.) Soft, chewy chocolate chip cookies were available for dessert and I commented on how yummy those were, so for the rest of the evening cookies kept mysteriously appearing at my spot.

I returned home Sunday at 4:30pm to a little girl who threw herself at me, and a sick hubby sprawled on the couch. Cassie (and Eli, the cat) followed me all around as I unpacked, sorted laundry, showered, and put away my gear. But Cassie began to fail very early and by 7:30pm she was bathed, in bed, and sound asleep.
I sent Mark to bed as well and I spent the remainder of the evening watching my timer tape with Eli curled on my lap. I had a terrific time at retreat but it was good to be home.

School Pictures

Today the children at Cassie's school had their photos taken. We ordered prints of her individual photo and a class composite. The composite is a collection of the individual photos of her classmates, her teacher, and the principal. We won't get the composite until Spring. I don't remember now when we get her photo but it will be before Thanksgiving (which if you think about it is about a month away). I'm eager to see the composite and have faces to put to the names I hear about.

Cassie and I had a nice evening together. We had supper, I worked on the laptop, she colored, I did some laundry, she and Eli followed me to the basement, and while I did dishes, she and Eli sprawled on the kitchen floor and Cassie practiced writing her numbers.

After her bath we read Tacky the Penguin and Tackylocks and the Three Bears. She liked them so well she plans to pack them for Grma's tomorrow night.

Another Day Flew By...

Ran into another person who sees Cassie not as a person but as A-Chinese-Girl-Adopted-Into-An-American-Family-And-Therefore-Not-Quite-A-Real-Family-But-She-Certainly-Is-Cute. I'm not sure if this woman's issue was with adoption in general or with international adoption (or FOREIGN as she put it).

I had just dropped Cassie off to Sunday School and was heading out to run errands. With my work schedule I'm home each evening at 6:30, yet get to spend only an hour or so with Cassie before we have to begin bedtime rituals. Factor in my working one evening a week and every-other weekend, and I don't have much time to be with her. I don't want to be spending what little time we have together always running around town taking care of chores. I use that hour of Sunday School to handle a few quick errands while listening to the sermon on the radio then I pick her up again and we get to spend some quality time together. Granted, she's usually following me around the house while I do chores, but at least she's not strapped into a car seat behind me. At home we get to interact, I teach her how to do the chores, or she's sprawled on the kitchen floor coloring, talking to me and singing while I step over her as I cook and do dishes. Or if I'm doing work on the laptop, she pulls out her "laptop" and works right alongside me.

But as I was exiting church, this woman called me back and asked if I was with That Asian Girl. I expected the usual questions of How Much, Why China, And Wow Chinese Girls Are Cute and several other inappropriate and stereotypical comments. Instead she bombarded me with a story of blind cousins who'd had no business being approved for adoption (her statement), 20 years ago they'd adopted a five-year-old Vietnamese girl who caused them no end of trouble while growing up but she finally turned out okay and now the father's dead and she's lost touch with the mother and the girl and she knows we go through tons of paperwork to adopt and she knows a couple where she's Asian and he's Anglo and their baby is so cute and you can actually see both races in him (imagine that) and boy Cassie is cute...

I have no clue what she wanted from me, other than Cassie apparently represented all adoptees, all Asian girls, and maybe she was hoping I'd share some horror stories. Sorry, there are none. I said I had errands to run and I left.

Fortunately the day picked up from there. Cassie and I had an early, light lunch and she asked to take a nap! She loves naps on the weekend now that she doesn't get a nap each weekday. She was asleep by noon. So while Cassie napped beneath the dining room table (her tent) I quietly worked on the laptop. By this time Mark returned from his part-time job and he napped in the recliner.

Deb S. called to say my Tupperware was in. Cassie and I picked that up at 3pm and Deb and Charlie showed me the trick for opening my Tupperware hoagie container! When we got home I headed directly downstairs and gave it a shot. Worked like a charm and I've pulled both containers out of my Ebay pile. And I've learned there's something called Body Glue. Might have to check that out since I'm really tired of my knee socks falling.

Cassie fed Eli (that's her responsibility and she loves doing it) and we picked up Mom for dinner at Old Country Buffet. That was delicious! I had mashed potatoes, sliced turkey, turkey gravy, corn on the cob, a little bit of potato salad, a little bit of pasta salad, a taste of pea and cheese salad, and cheesecake. Cassie ate so much I thought she'd pop, Mark had three desserts, and Mom finished last as usual. :-) We decided never to eat at KFC again. For about the same price we get a much larger buffet with many more choices.

After eating we spent a couple of hours at Mom's, I downloaded photos to her pc from my flashdrive, Mom and Cassie played, Mark and Scott watched football, then we headed home. I got Cassie bathed and read to by 8:10. Mark and I watched Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer while I worked on the laptop. The movie was okay; it was entertaining, no big Wow Factor but Ioan Gruffudd is always good.

In all, I got lots of laundry done, several chores completed, errands accomplished, and had an excellent meal at Old Country Buffet. But still have tons more to do around the house. Unfortunately the weekend is now over and I can't stay home to focus solely on personal tasks.

Running on Saturday

Cassie participated in the Great Pumpkin Run Saturday morning at Pioneers Park, very proudly wearing her participant tee shirt and number. She alternately walked and ran the one-mile course with Mark, completing it in 15 min. According to Mark and Cassie those weren't "gently rolling hills" but she did a good job and even out-did many of the older kids. Her stamina shouldn't surprise me since she doesn't know how to walk - she runs, skips and jumps everywhere.

They returned home just as I was preparing to go to work. Cassie requested a bath so I tossed her in the tub and got her cleaned up and cooled down while Mark took a shower. She told me all about the race and who she saw. She was thrilled when I said it was going to be hot enough that day for her to wear a skort, a spaghetti-strap top, and her flip-flops.

I'd spent the morning cleaning up the kitchen and doing several loads of laundry. I didn't accompany them to the Great Pumpkin Run since I was due to work at noon and I anticipated the Run and the accompany crowds wouldn't let me get to the library on time. After getting Cassie dressed, Mark and Cassie ran me to work. And I ran at work.

Later, Mark and Cassie picked me up from the library and we went to KFC for an early supper. Then we stopped at Blockbuster so I could trade in my movie.

When we got home, Mark spent the rest of the evening watching football on TV. Cassie and Eli followed me all over the house as I ran around doing laundry (my own personal parade), cleaning out dresser drawers, sorting through the closet and collecting clothes for Goodwill. As the photo shows, Eli was kind enough to test out the sweater drawer for me.

Cassie and I had an ice cream snack, then it was bathtime for her and we read two books (Curious George Goes Camping and Danny the Dinosaur). I did more laundry, then settled for the evening in front of the TV with my timer tape (Ghost Whisperer and Numb3rs).

Saturday just ran by. I got a lot accomplished, and Cassie, Eli and I had a good time together in the evening, but the day was over in no time. I need three of me: one to work, one to stay home and one to sleep.

Girl Party

Cassie and I had a Girl Party tonight. This means we each are bathed/showered and in our jammies early in the evening, we make Oreo Cookie drinks, and we hop onto Cassie's bed and read lots of books. But tonight was slightly different. I was too tired to mess with a blender to make cookie drinks so instead we had chocolate ice cream topped with chow mein noodles. And Cassie preferred to practice her handwriting instead of reading 10 books or so. (But we still read three books at bedtime: nursery rhymes, Day Out with Daddy, and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.) Eli kept us company the entire time, and as usual he slept at the foot of her bed.

Cassie is very proud that she can spell some words. She recites for me, "Mommy! I can spell cat, c-a-t;, Mom, m-o-m;, Dad, a-d-a." ?!

I also measured Cassie tonight. Two nights ago when I returned home from work I swear she was taller. Sure enough, she's sprouted another half an inch for a total height of 45.50 inches. Which now begs the question, will she still fit in all the school clothes I just bought three weeks ago?

Busy Tuesday

Yesterday morning it didn't just rain, it poured. And of course right at the time children had to get to school. Cassie and I were soaked to the skin running from the van to the school even though we both had umbrellas. She always has a change of clothes in her backpack so I took her to the nurse's office and helped her change into dry clothes and socks. Initially Cassie was reluctant to take off her beloved leggings and skort, but once she realized just how wet she was the ick-factor kicked in and she couldn't get them off fast enough.

That day was Cassie's first school field trip. All of the kindergarteners from her school were riding the big yellow buses and going to the Nature Center at Pioneers Park. I heard about owls and frogs and other creatures, but the most exciting part to her was riding the school bus.

Yesterday I put Eli's collar on him. He's never worn a collar in his entire 11 years and I thought he would put up a tremendous fight. It turned out to be more like a tremendous yawn. You'd think he'd worn a collar since birth. I'll be taking him to the vet soon to update his shots so now he'll be able to wear his rabies and license tags. He's an indoor-only cat but I believe all animals should be licensed and wear their tags. Right now I worry about him getting outside without identification.

In the mail we received a sympathy card from our vet about Hayley's death. They did the same thing when Clyde passed away. It's a nice gesture, but actually I'd rather they waived the fee.

Tuesday is my night to work and usually Cassie's already in bed by the time I get home. If she's still awake (and she usually is) she gives me a detailed accounting of her day at school and all about her evening at Grma's. Anything to put off going to sleep. But last night Mark and Cassie were late getting home from Grma's and I was home first. As usual Eli was in attendance while I gave Cassie her bath.

Cassie's New Clothes

A coworker gave us some hand-me-downs for Cassie. Someone else said there should be a nicer word for it. Recycling? Regardless, the clothes are very welcome. Here's Cassie modeling one of the tops, now her favorite. Where did she learn these moves?

More Mourning

Last Saturday would have been my parents' 50th wedding anniversary (September 29, 1957).

Generally these milestones involve family, friends, food, and fun to celebrate the occasion. Instead, Mom was at the cemetery putting flowers on Dad’s grave accompanied by only one daughter, a son-in-law and the youngest granddaughter.

We also brought flowers for Grpa and Grma Soflin's gravesite. The flower arrangements were in very pretty fall colors, and we included a ribbon on Dad's that read, "50th Anniversary."

We left the cemetery and did the food part anyway - we went to Culver's. I hadn't eaten supper yet since I'd worked all day and we had to rush to the cemetery to get there before it closed at dusk. As it was, we were the last ones to leave and the guard had to escort us out. He probably hates to see a white van because we're only able to get there close to closing time and he always has to usher us out.

After eating our frozen custard Cassie and Grandma colored. But it was getting late so I dropped Mark and Cassie at the house so she could get her bath and get to bed while I took Mom home. We always have a nice time together, but, two years ago, this was not the way we'd anticipated spending this day.

Mourning a Pet

Last Friday morning we lost Hayley.

She's the dark cat in the photo, Eli is the tabby and of course that's Cassie with them. Due to the angle I was at the camera flash made the cats' eyes look unreal.

We adopted both cats on August 11. Initially, they hid in the basement but gradually worked their way upstairs. Eli was first to come up; Hayley needed more encouragement.

We'd been catless for three years and somehow I managed to forget all the details of living with a cat. Things like how much of the bed they hog; cat fur in the laptop, on the clothes, and generally all over. We can no longer leave our snacks unattended for a quick run to the kitchen without returning to find the snack gone and a cat licking its lips.

Cassie didn't remember having pets. We'd had Clyde, our previous cat, for 12 years and he was 15 when he passed away - Cassie was only two. I dug his grave out front and Cassie helped. She had no idea why we were digging a hole, she only knew she was having a grand time. She kept saying she wanted a cat but would scream and run anytime one of the neighbor cats got close to her. As it turns out, the tentative way the cats would appear then disappear, when they first arrived at our house, was the best way for her to adjust to them.

And adjusting we all were. We had a routine now. They knew the noises of the house and what each noise indicated, they were getting used to a rambunctious five-year-old who jumped and skipped everywhere she went but who always paused by a cat to pet it before moving on. We were getting settled - until Wednesday evening.

Hayley suddenly looked thin and weak. By Thursday evening she was deteriorating so rapidly I was afraid she was in pain and would be dead by morning, and I didn't want her to suffer. So at midnight Thursday I ran her to an after-hours vet emergency clinic. The vet suspected liver disease and the blood tests confirmed liver malfunction. I brought Hayley back home at 3am so Cassie could say goodbye.

When Cassie got up that morning she went straight to Hayley to see how she was doing. I told her the vet said Hayley would not get better, we didn't want her to be in pain, and we were going to take Hayley in that morning to be put to sleep. Cassie bawled for the next half an hour, saying Hayley had barely had the chance to get to know us, and she loved Hayley, and what would Eli do without her, and other comments along that line. We talked about kitty heaven, and that Hayley could now play with Clyde and Grandpa (my dad), and they all could run and play and eat whatever they wanted and as much as they wanted. I also emailed Cassie's teacher to give her a heads-up and sure enough Cassie told her teacher about it later that morning.

Eli is no longer walking the house meowing for Hayley, and Cassie hasn't cried since Friday though she mentions Hayley each day. Overall we're getting along, but it's so sad to see only one food bowl in the kitchen now.