Steps, big and little

[lydamorehouse]

Apologies for the long absence. School has started up and I'm getting used to the new schedule and, more emotionally, we've been dealing with a dying cat (details will be under a cut below.) I haven't had a ton of spell slots at the end of the day for anything more than staring blankly at Solitaire.

I did manage to get both of the outside stairs repaired in between the rainy days. There's still more to do to "finish" them--as in make them prettier and fill in the remaining cracks, but they are entirely functional as they stand.



So, that's I project I can check off my "to-do" list that's been there for well over a year.

Yay.

The other thing I did was turn the compost pile, which is something one ought to do regularly, but yeah, no, I tend to do it as much as I weed the garden, which is to say almost never.

My publisher at Wizard Tower Press dropped me an email saying that now would be a great time to put out a press release for Unjust Cause (the sequel to Precinct 13,) which has, understandably, lit a fire under me. I have been working fairly steadily on the book, but now, shall we say, it is time to get serious. My deadline is November 1.

When we had our ladies get together on Friday, everyone there had good news to report, which was very inspiring.

Which was nice because home has been very sad, with Deliah beginning to really fail.When we got the diagnosis of cancer, we made the decision not to do anything heroic. We started palliative care, which amounted to pain medication, a steroid, and an antibiotic. Those worked fairly well for well over a month. As I noted elsewhere, you would not have known Deliah was sick, except for a limp. But in the last week or so, I suspect the cancer spread because all of a sudden when presented with food she gags, throws up the nothing in her stomach, and then drags herself off to hide. It's extremely hard to watch, and, of course, once she stops eating everything becomes... harder. Yesterday, after she spent the night hiding in the far corner of the basement and started vocalizing her pain, we made the call. We have an appointment tonight between 5 and 6 to say goodbye.

I am not ready.

But, I doubt, this year, I will ever be ready to say goodbye to another cat.

THREE.

Will have lost three cats in one year.

So, that sucks. I hope the rest of you are doing better than that.

Comments

[naomikritzer]

God dammit, I'm sorry about Deliah.

[lydamorehouse]

It's been awful, but I'm glad she was mostly fine until she suddenly wasn't, you know? Lap of Love comes highly recommended if you need to do this sort of thing at home, ever. They were gentle (with her and with us).

[pameladean]

I'm so sorry about Delilah. It's so hard, every time, you know it and it doesn't help to know, here it comes again.

P.

[lydamorehouse]

It's so true.

And last night, the two remaining cats, Buttercup and Piggy, were agitated. At one point, Buttercup harassed me so much I got up to see what he wanted. He led me to the door. I think he was trying to tell me that we forgot to let Deliah back in, because he's seen her go out.... and I pretty much started to sob.

UGH.

[pameladean]

For some reason this comment only just came in. I'm so sorry. CATS. When you want them to be smart they just play dumb, and when you maybe hope they won't notice something they are all over it. Poor Buttercup. Poor everyone. I hope things are a bit easier now, but I know it just comes all over one from time to time. In any case, I didn't feel I could just let this comment slide into the past because my email is weird.

P.

[umadoshi]

I'm so sorry about Delilah. ;_; I hope her passing tonight is as smooth as possible, for all of your sakes. *hugs*

[lydamorehouse]

We have a good group, Lap of Love, that we call when it needs to be at home. They have been consistently excellent. They even leave behind grief pamphlets, which is just... I mean, it might seem silly, but I read it last time and it was honestly helpful. So, it's the best of an awful situation.

And thanks for the condolences.

[sraun]

Sorry about Delilah. I've lost two dogs in one year, that was bad enough. We now try to have dogs that are at least three, preferably five, years apart in age, to reduce the chances of that happening again.

[lydamorehouse]

Yeah, all our cats were elderly and we knew it. But, our very oldest cat, Ms. Piggy, who is 19, is still going strong (knock on wood.) We lost everyone in the middle. Now we only have our baby, Buttercup, who is 3, and Piggy.

[bibliofile]

My sympathies for Delilah and all of you, her family. <3

[lydamorehouse]

Thank you. :-(

[xochiquetzl]

I'm so sorry about your kitty. :(

[lydamorehouse]

Deliah was the best kitty. :-( Thanks for your condolences, they really help.

[glaurung]

That’s far too much death and sickness for one year. I am so sorry.

[lydamorehouse]

I really is. It makes me look around the house and wonder what the heck, you know?

But, thanks for your sympathy.

[minnehaha]

So sorry about that cat of yours. I was at a birthday party for my father-in-law yesterday, and someone I don't even know was telling stories about our late cat Maggie, AKA Miss Maggins of the Sackville-Magginses. (She had a part time job.) So remember the good times and the comfortable charm of Deliah, all her quirks and marvelousness and annoying endearing ways. And in that way she will not be all the way gone.

K.

[lydamorehouse]

True enough.

There are cats in my life who have been gone for years that still loom large in the memories. I'm sure Deliah will be the same.

[applenym]

I'm so sorry about your Delilah.

[lydamorehouse]

Thank you so much. It's been a tough year.