The holidays are really upon us. This past week, Jim and I, along with our daughter, Gloria, attended the Lorane Community Thanksgiving Dinner at the Lorane Grange. It’s a tradition hosted by the Lorane Christian Church for many years, but it was put on hold during the pandemic and this was the first one we’ve attended in several years. How nice it was to share such a delicious meal prepared by church members and be able to spend the afternoon with long-time friends and neighbors that we haven’t been in touch with for quite a while. It was a wonderful way to ignite our holiday spirit in preparation for our own family festivities. Thank you to the church and the grange for reinstating such a great tradition.
As I’m beginning to prepare our house for Thanksgiving Day, I’m frequently reminded of the newest member of our household who has taken over our lives these past few months. I’ve been picking up strings, papers or small items that have been knocked off of surfaces. Gigette, a spunky little black and white spotted kitten, was about 8-weeks old when we offered to temporarily keep her for one of our daughters. At the time Gloria was fostering a dog she was afraid might be too rough with her, so, Gigette came to live with Jim and me. She immediately and completely took command of the whole household… pestering our other two house cats despite their hisses, growls and swats, until they eventually relented and began to play with her occasionally. She challenged our dogs, who were curious about her and tempted them to chase her, rising on her haunches with her two little front paws raised to grab their noses. I set up a couple of interactive toys for her in the family room where Jim could watch her play from his recliner. She swatted and chased the balls in the round tracks and then hid from Jo-Jo and Oreo in the kitty-tunnel, hoping to pounce on them as they walked past.
Right from the beginning, she was no different from other babies who need their naps each day, and her favorite spot became the middle of Jim’s chest as he reclined in front of the TV. Within a week’s time, Gloria gave up on the idea of ever taking her back. She had taken over our lives completely. As she got older, she began exploring more and more of the house. Countertops were checked out, of course. We tried using a spray bottle with water to discourage her countertop raids, but the mist was so fine that she actually considered it a game. Our next deterrent was a plastic container with some gravel in it which we shook whenever she’d venture onto the kitchen counter. She has now learned to stay off of them, but my computer desk seems to be a favorite for playtime now. As I work on my computer, she frequently jumps on my lap with the intent of snuggling down for a bit, but then sees the cursor jumping across my monitor screen, so it’s become fun to walk across the keyboard, sending her own little messages onto whatever I happen to working on in order to play with the cursor. And, I won’t even attempt to go into the fun of working on jigsaw puzzles with a kitten in the house…
It’s amazing how much joy one little being can bring into our lives, especially now in our senior years. We have always had cats and dogs and each one is loved and cherished as a family member. Almost all of them have been rescues, even before rescue groups became the norm, and each has taken over a special place in our hearts. As hard as it is to have to say “goodbye” in the end, the companionship, joy and unconditional love that they bring us during their too-short times in our lives make up for the eventual pain in parting.
Thank you Toby, BB, Jo-Jo, Oreo, Xena and Gigette for brightening our lives every day!
There are so many thanks to be offered this Thanksgiving Day. Let’s all dedicate this day to counting our many blessings and being thankful for each and every one. Happy Thanksgiving, all!
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