me an' lizziegrace went to a Dem house party tonight :D

[Dangerously Amused]

Turns out the party was at the home of nationally known artist whose work I have long admired in galleries and print shops. :wow:


I had no idea she even lived in this part of the country! :dunce:


And there was her original artwork on all the walls! :bounce:


And I got to meet her and she was really nice.


And I made an idiot out of myself telling her and everybody there how much I LOVE her work... :banghead:


zomg I am still kindsa giddy!

[lizziegrace]

1. You weren't an idiot...

:hug:

She lived in this beautiful old amazing house. I wish we'd gotten photos. ;)

[Dangerously Amused]

2. omg,

I know! I forgot my camera in the car and AND I had a bumpersticker for you in the car and I forgot that, too!

x(

[lizziegrace]

4. We'll just have to meet for coffee

soon!

[Dangerously Amused]

6. Yep!

Hey, shouldn't you be in bed young lady? You have a big day tomorrow...

[lizziegrace]

8. Yes ma'am!

:patriot:


Night...

[Dangerously Amused]

10. 'night lizziegrace.

And don't let me catch you reading with a flashlight under the covers! :wags finger:

[lizziegrace]

11. But mom....

x(

[LynzM]

30. Dude...

I totally used to get in trouble for that... :P :hi:

[jobycom]

3. I'm happy for you.

I keep trying to think of something sarcastic and clever to say, but can't. :)

[Dangerously Amused]

5. Thanks jobycom!

I just had to share my amazing luck. And spread the word about how Obama brings people together. :7

How you been?

[jobycom]

7. Meh. Good, but some bad.

My cat is dying, and she's having a bad night tonight. Can barely stand. So I'm depressed. Other than that, things are good.

[Dangerously Amused]

9. omg honey, I am so sorry!

What an awful situation, I know how much you love your babies. :cry:

I will hold both of you close in my thoughts and meditations. Peace and love and all my best.

Are you going to stay up with her?

[jobycom]

12. I dunno.

For the last month or so, each night I've thought "This is it," and she has pulled through. I'm having to force feed her. She can't eat, can barely drink. Very sad to see. So it may not be tonight. But she's definitely bad.

Poor kitty. She was a pain in the butt her whole life, but she was also a sweet cat, and I hate to see her like this. If she were suffering any more, I'd probably have it ended for her. If she's like this another day or so, I will. But each time I've thought she had reached the point were she was too far gone to hang on, or where her quality of life no longer justified the suffering, she's get up and wander around, or lay by me and purr, and I knew it wasn't time yet. But she's been like this all day, can't purr, and couldn't even struggle when I fed her tonight. The few times she's tried to walk she's fallen over within a couple of steps. A couple of times I thought she had already gone, but then she shifted or lifted her head. I almost didn't feed her tonight, thinking maybe I'd just let her go, but I don't know that starving is a good way to go, so I finally did.

Oh well. She's had a wonderful life, and has been a joy to know. I'm ready, and she's almost ready. It's just sad and stressful until it happens. I'm sure I'll suffer more unpleasant things in my life.

Thanks for listening, whether you had a choice or not! :) I guess I needed to let that out, and writing always helps me see things.

I went to a great Impressionists exhibit over the weekend, in Fort Worth. Not quite as exciting as meeting the artist, but I did get to see Van Gogh's Self Portrait and some of Monet's finest works. Not to mention Manet. And I believe Manet would have voted for Obama! (Just to end a cheery note somewhat related to your thread.) :)

[Dangerously Amused]

15. Oh honey, I have been there and it is such a difficult place to be.

You are wonderful to watch over her so closely and take such good care of her. She is lucky to have you. What is her name?

Do you know what is causing her illness?

[jobycom]

16. Minnie. She was a Lounge celeb for a while.

She has thyroid cancer. Here she is in her better days:

[Dangerously Amused]

17. Oh, I remember her! She is gorgeous.

Poor sweetheart. I am glad that she is home, and she knows that you are nearby watching over her, and that you will take the best care of her that anybody ever could. Big hugs to you and gentle hugs to sweet Minnie.

:hug:

How long have you had her?

[jobycom]

19. She'll be fourteen around Christmas. I've had her since she was six weeks old,

so close to fourteen years.

[Dangerously Amused]

21. How did she come to you?

Hope you don't mind all my questions, I just love hearing pet stories.

[jobycom]

22. Adopted from a shelter.

My other cat had just died suddenly, and it was a really tough time in my life, so I got her as a kitten from the shelter to help me over it. My daughter, who was about twenty months old at the time, named her, because she was a very tiny kitten with huge ears. So when kiddo first saw kittie, she said "Minnie!" We realized shortly she meant Minnie Mouse, because of the ears, but the name stuck. She went on to become a 16 pound giant of a cat.

She's a clingy-needy cat, exactly the kind of pet and person I get along with least. And she bonded to me like a child to a parent. I couldn't sit down without her trying to climb on my lap. When I'd push her away, she'd immediately return. Drove me crazy, but it was sweet, too.

She's tried to die twice before. Once she got an absess on her back that required a few weeks of grotesque and painful treatment--basically I had to pry her skin loose and shoot an anti-biotic wash under it twice a day. She lived through that. Three years ago she wound up with fatty liver syndrome after going on a hunger strike because she didn't like the food I got her. For a couple of months I had to force feed her three times a day--this was after vet treatments that ran up to several thousand dollars I didn't have. This was right around Katrina, too, which made it all rougher. She survived that, too, and lived another three years.

Interesting cat. Never dull.

[Dangerously Amused]

26. Your understanding of and kindness toward animals has always impressed me.

A lot of people truly love animals, and that's wonderful (I'm one of them). But you go beyond that, you really "get" them. It's like you have a native intelligence for them, like you understand them on some higher level that other people can't reach.

I wish there were more people like you in the world.

How is the rest of the family dealing with Minnie's situation? Are there other pets, too?

[jobycom]

27. Funny you should say that. I was just telling someone that the other day.

I don't relate to animals the way others do. I didn't realize that until recently, listening to people I know are animal lovers telling me to put Minnie to sleep, that it would be kinder to her. There is still a consciousness there, still a being that deserves to live as long as she can, not to have me decide to end her life because I can't stand it anymore. Others don't seem to see it that way.

I can't explain it, because I can't see any other way to act, I guess. People have always said I talk to animals, and I've always just thought they meant I had an empathy with them, and a way of getting them to do things. But now I think I really do talk to them. Not like a human, not on that level. But I respond to them as beings, not as animated things, and I can understand, to some degree, their response to me. And I'm starting to realize others don't do that. Even animals that aren't pets. I remember once coaxing a wild deer--and not even a suburban deer, but one out in the woods--to come to me. It was near a public ranch, so the deer were used to people, but still kept their distance. But for some reason I coaxed the deer over. I didn't pet it, I just got it to eat out of my hands, with eye contact, and words. Others tried it, and couldn't get close. There was this little boy, probably six or seven, and he was trying, so I went over to him and helped him, and the deer came over and ate out of his hand, too. I think I may have influenced that kid for life. :)

But yeah, my pets really are part of the family, not just things I love. They have their own lives. My kids are pretty upset over Minnie--my oldest one, I think, is like me with pets, while my youngest loves animals, but I can't tell yet how she relates. She chases her favorite cat around to pet him, rather than waiting for him to come to her, so I think he's just a possession to her. But they are both upset now. We lost a dog last year that my oldest had known her whole life, too, and they are still sensitive about that.

My spouse and I are separated, have been for three years, so I've got two cats in my apartment, and she's got the rest of the pets--three cats, two dogs. My other cat is upset watching Minnie, but she's younger, and didn't get along with Minnie. She's also the most "cat" of any cat I've had. Most cats tend to think they are people after a while, but Amber doesn't act like a person. If you play with my other cats, they will watch your eyes to see what you are going to do. Amber watches your hands, and rarely looks in your eyes. She was feral as a kitten, and it shows. But she's upset, and keeps crawling to me for reassurances.

Anyway, Minnie's still here, but it won't be long. Her breathing is shallow, and she hasn't moved much in hours. :( I'm not sure she's even conscious of me now. She's fooled me before, but I've never seen her this far gone before.

[Dangerously Amused]

29. How are you and Minnie and the family holding up?

It is true, and I can "see" it even through your writing, that you have a connection to animals that is on a higher plane than most. What a rare and beautiful gift.

I am so sorry for the sadness you and your family are experiencing. I hope Minnie is free from pain and at peace (although I think most animals are far more at peace with the dying process than we are).


:hug:

:cry:

[auntAgonist]

18. It's SO hard watching them fade.

I'm sorry your pet is dying. :cry:

We lost our dog to bone cancer just over a year ago.

:hug: for you and your cat.

aA
kesha

[jobycom]

20. Thanks.

Sorry for yours, too.

[Heidi]

25. Minnie??????

I'm sooooo sorry, Joby. :hug: :loveya:

[jobycom]

28. Thanks.

Our beautiful Lounge kittie. She's had a good life, and cheated death twice, at least. Mourn her passing, but not her life.

[ghostsofgiants]

13. Who's the artist?

[Dangerously Amused]

14. I PMd you.

:hi:

[crim son]

23. I envy you both.

For the event, and the company!

[Dangerously Amused]

24. Aw, thanks. We had fun and met some very cool people.

AND there was free beer and wine and snacks! w00t! :7

Actually we kind of crashed the party, lol. But it was an open invite thingie, well open to Dems and undecideds anyway. I found it when I was poking around on my.barackobama.com under the "events" listing for my State.

They really have a bunch of cool stuff you can do/attend/volunteer for there. I'll bet they have cool stuff in your area, too. You should check it out!