love – Dear Liza

Dear Liza,

*This letter is about a sad time. I have included photos from happy times.*

Our sweet cat, Mouse, died July 3rd. Grandpa Nelson and I were away visiting family, and Auntie Bridgett was home caring for her.

Mouse had been sick for a few months, and had gotten a diagnosis of Lymphoma last month. We knew she wasn’t feeling well. She was slower to get around, fussier at her food dish, and less eager for lap time.

And one day while we were gone, Auntie Bridgett knew it was time to let her go. Mouse had been sicker and not able to eat. Out of love and compassion for our dear fur friend, Auntie Bridgett called the Humane Society.

Before they arrived, she called us, and we got to see Mouse one more time. We all cried and said our last goodbyes to Mouse and sent our long-distance love and sympathy to Auntie Bridgett.

Marie was the kind lady they sent out. She met Mouse and saw how sick she was. While Auntie Bridgett held Mouse in her lap, Marie gave Mouse a sedative, and then the medicine that let her slide out of pain and into oblivion.

Marie snipped a bit of fur from Mouse’s back as a keepsake, and gently took her mortal remains away in a box. Auntie Bridgett had some very hard days for a while.

Grandpa Nelson and I got home a week later, and had our own hard time getting used to life without Mouse. No silly kitten waking us up by walking over our tummies; no paw ringing the bell to be let in or out of the balcony; no thieving kitten to hide our toast from. It is a less silly, less fun household, to be sure.

Farewell, sweet, silly Mouse. We will miss you.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Dear Liza,

Believe it or not, your Grandpa Nelson and I started ‘going steady’ fifty years ago!

We met in 1971 at Mira Costa High School. He was in band and I was in choir, and his locker was just across from mine in the music hall. His best friend, Kevin, had a crush on my best friend, Debbie, and they walked around making googly eyes at each other. Nelson and I walked behind them, rolling our eyes. We discovered that we liked each other, too.

I met his family and he met mine, and we started going out. Our regular date spot was the Taco Bell on Sepulveda Boulevard, because it was halfway between our two houses, and it was cheap. We did a certain amount of making googly eyes.

Going out somewhere fancy with my family, 1972

When school was out, we spent most days at the beach. One day when we were laying on the sand, he rolled over and said, “Hey, you want to get married?”

”Sure,” I said. “But let’s finish high school first, okay?” So we did.

And the rest is history! Two kids, three grandkids, nine houses and many cats later, here we are still together. We added dear Auntie Bridgett to our household, and we make a mighty fine trouple.

Life is good. Life is silly. Life can also be dark, sad, and confusing. But the people we love help us hold on to the light.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Tag: love

Farewell Dear Mousie

Fifty Nutty Years!