Joys and Woes

Week 1: DAYDREAMING

No matter how beautiful a place could be, no matter how overwhelmed it should leave you, how could a gardener resist not being nostalgic? I get homesick just thinking how flattened my lawn will be after being neglected and scarcely watered while I'm away. And how brilliant the sight of all the new treats nature has planted while you've been away. The first thing that caught my eye was the Pampas grass, which now turned from a seemingly modest lump of grass to a lavish cluster of prideful brooms. Usually lasts until Halloween, when the local garden witches pop up for a new model of their flying gadgets.

Apart from witchcraft, I took some time to wobble around and just delight in the most insignificant treats that nature (and my green thumb) have planted and breathe in the wonderful scents of another few lovely, cozy summer days. The garden monkeys boldly offered their modeling services for yet another photo shoot.






You'd almost think 'What a lovely day'. But then, there's someone up there who will make sure a touch of reality casts a shadow on your daydream ...



Week 2: THE WOES or WHEN A BELOVED PET IS GRAVELY ILL



After a playful day and lots of cunning misdemeanors, Kristy the cat woke up Monday morning, to both her and my shock, with a disfigured expression and a massive edema under her left eye, as if she's just had a stroke. After two days of antibiotic+vitamin+atropine shots, Kristy's condition was not improving, apart from the eye (which nearly popped out due to edema pressure) which was treated with drops. Obviously the vet's therapy was wrong, as she was getting more and more lethargic to the point where her body just collapsed and went stiff. Early Wednesday the poor thing nearly died. Over an hour laying on the vet's table, receiving some IV, she developed a sever hypothermia and I could see on the vet's face, they've had no bloody idea what was wrong with her. I was so distressed with her silent weeping and suffering, I can't even remember all sorts and colors of shots she got. The vet said she has only a glimpse of a chance. When we got home, she was already one foot in the cat heaven. Her eyes went glassy as we were trying to warm her up with a fan, hot water bottles, warm massage chair and tons of blankets. And then, just like that, that poor, agonizing face just looked at us as if saying: 'I've only got about 8 lives left now'. But really, she must have heard our prayers and figured out that our world would definitely be a shattered place without her joyful presence & matchless personality. Anemia and apathy have then taken hostage of her weary body, but who would of thought that such a tender little feline soul was such a fighter. Even in her worst moments, she was desperately trying to get down to her litter box and not make any mess. The vet first suspected it could be a severe reaction to a Cat's Frontline applied 3 days ago to protect her from fleas, but was now sure that rat poison (symptoms) was to blame. How and where she would find any and especially knowing she hasn't been out for days due to this sudden cold and drizzly weather, I have no idea. Whatever it was, it was one hell of a toxin. Only yesterday she finally got some energy to start drinking water, and eating still boils down to licking away her favorite gravy and nothing more. But today, after a night of trying to sleep on my head, a significant boost of spirit. I was never as happy to see my cat grooming and purring away with pleasure.


I'm still in so much shock and utterly afraid to be optimistic. But knowing what she has survived, I really hope she will be back to her usual wonderful, divine, cheeky self.

I'm only a cat,
and I stay in my place...
Up there on your chair,
on your bed or your face!

I'm only a cat,
and I don't finick much...
I'm happy with cream
and anchovies and such!

I'm only a cat,
and we'll get along fine...
As long as you know
I'm not yours... you're all mine!

A FEW GOOD MEN
And one last thing, a final salute to a great hero, IMO perhaps one of the best actors ever, and an extraordinary man in every respect, one whose humbleness, charm, humor, but most of all, humanity could hardly be replaced ...