Snow!

The year that Greer was born, there were rumblings of snow. As we nested inside the recovery room at Sunnyside KP, the skies fell and blanketed the area with a fine white coat. Thankfully, there was a break in the weather, and we were able to amble home - just before the next wave buried the area in an Antarctic jumble of ice and snow drifts.

Five years later, almost to the date - the big weather has returned. As we placed a plant on top of Schatzi's final resting place, the fat snowflakes began to fall...a harbinger of things to come. For over a week, winter held court in Portland - dumping almost two feet on our home. In true Portland fashion, a little rain fell inbetween snow flurries, turning the whole mess into a skating rink. Streets were sheets of ice and chains were required - just in time for the Christmas rush.

Alex, Greer and I hibernated...much as we did in 2003. Laptops dialed into the office, meetings were held at home, and the afternoons were punctuated with occasional outside visits for a snowball fight with the boy. As Christmas Eve - and our semi-annual family dinner loomed, the subject of the holiday roast came to the fore. The meat was loitering at Safeway, a few miles away across the frozen wasteland.

It was time to shovel the drive.

Wrapped in my green parka and sporting my all-weather boots, I grabbed a shovel and began to dig out. First a layer of powdered snow...then ice....then snow...then another wicked ice coating. The VW was entombed - so much so that it took 15 steaming pots of water to unthaw it enough for me to break apart the ice with a shovel (not good for the paint job BTW). Greer assisted for about 10 minutes, then retreated - as I continued to dig a path to the road. Alexis would peek between the blinds occasionally, to make sure I hadn't expired next to the rose bushes. By far the best workout of the year...or the closest I've been to a heart attack at least.

After high lining the car on an Antarctic snow berm that separated my driveway from the road, I managed to rescue the holiday roast from Safeway. I felt the hunter/gatherer gene surge within, and carefully navigated home - past legions of snowbound vehicles - the car brimming with all manner of sustenance.

An Angel Gets His Wings...

"By associating with the cat, one only risks becoming richer." - Colette

It's been a while since I had a pet pass away.

When I was growing up, we a had a grey tabby named Keylo (I named her, of course) - who followed me around - slept in my bed and was my confidant / furry best friend.

My mom had birds - and I had a cat.

Keylo lived a long life - 17 years years thereabouts....and finally had to be put to sleep after becoming sick and incontinent. My parents had to do the deed - and decided to spare me the heartache by having her euthanized while I was on a church skiing trip. My parents cried in the car after leaving the vet's office.

I mourned that cat for a while. Even though she became distant and crabby near the end, she would always be the one who hid under my covers and purred. The one I had grown up with.

Today, I am my parents.

After 14 years of life, our oldest cat Schatzi had become sick with a tumor on his thyroid. We did what we could to keep him happy and comfortable, but in less than a year he had dropped to only 4 pounds - and had begun to throw up blood this past week.

We made a last ditch effort with the vet to hydrate, medicate and feed him - but he had lost interest in food and was noticeably uncomfortable and sad. The final decision was made this morning - after we found more blood - and came to terms with the fact that he was suffering needlessly.

As Alexis called the vet to make arrangements, we stood together and wept.

Schatzi was the "male of the house" before I made scene - and over time, he had become the "old man" with whom we snuggled, scratched and shared our lives with. When Alexis adopted him from the humane society, he had been hit by a car. The vet who attended to him after the accident couldn't bear to put him down, and put pins his broken back legs pro bono. After Alex picked him up, the vet did all of the post-adoption follow-up work for free. He was blessed from a young age to be surrounded by cat lovers - and eventually found additional affection from me and his adopted cat sister - Pogue.

Before we left for the vet, we all said goodbye. Greer wondered why he was only going to have one cat - and why Schatzi was dying. He touched the old man's head and ears - and gave him one last scratch. Pogue ambled up and sat next to him, somewhat anxious - and wondering if she could get in on the love. I took pictures - and tried to capture this family moment, like I have in the past. Wanting to remember.

I took Greer to school, gave him a hug and then met Alexis at the vet. It was cold, and the roads were covered with melting ice and snow from a week's worth of winter weather.

In the end, it was a quick and peaceful - if deeply saddening moment. The nurse had Alex sign the necessary paperwork and settle the bill, while Schatzi was given a catheter in his front leg. We cried and kissed him goodbye one last time - and then the doctor administered an overdose of anesthetic. The effect was almost immediate. Within moments, he lay down on his side and quietly expired. It was over within a minute.

Outside, snow began to fall in large flakes. Angelic and white.

He was many things to us.

He was the nurse cat when we were sick or sad - and had a loud, purr inside of him.

Once he found his place on you, he was an excellent sleeping or nesting companion.

He was cordial and communicative - and able to "converse" in his own cat language with anyone willing to engage him.

He loved to be pushed to the floor and given a hardy belly scratch. A good push-spin on a linoleum floor was also gladly accepted.

He loved ribbons, wrapping paper and climbed into any open box - especially at Christmas.

He had a beard fetish - and would groom me until I could not longer bear it.

He was Schatzi - our bright-eyed treasure.

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A good friend of mine died today,
I stood at his side - and cried - as he faded away.

A noble beast of apple face

White fur, velvet paws

He lay still - in a quiet grace.

Dear Schatzi, we knew and loved you so,

but we know you're at rest - so we let you go.