Return to the Cozy Cocoon

The last time I posted I had just lost my two little girls.  Did not want to write, did not want to post.  The Cozy Cocoon had lost its two angels and I was ... deflated.  A very dear, good friend kept emailing me, calling, saying I needed a new love.  I refused.  The idea of different furry footsteps was just not bearable.  Days went by, the holidays were approaching, they just didn't feel right.  My friend kept emailing me about little ones needing a home.  All sweet, all wonderful, but none captured my heart.  Then the week before Christmas, she emailed me about a little cat who had been at her vet's since February. Her parents had left her there while they went on vacation and, sadly, they lost their lives.  She had been waiting for someone to take her home ever since.  Only no one would take her because she was 10 years old and, as in children, people want babies, not older pets.  Which I think is truly awful, because everyone deserves a home, no matter how old they are.  At least in my book.  I emailed my friend and said, I felt bad for the little one, but no thanks.  But that little face just stuck in my mind, my heart.  I didn't like coming home to an empty house.  I missed their furry welcomes, turning over at night and bumping into a warm body butting their head against my hand, asking for a midnight snack.  I missed my girls, oh, so very much.  Christmas was almost here, the thought of that little girl spending a long holiday weekend alone, in her little kennel, waiting for someone to take her home and love her, well, it just broke my heart.

So ... the day before Christmas Eve, December 23, she came home with me.  I had called the vet and arranged to meet her, to see if we would get along, but 1/2 way there I decided she was coming home with me.  I stopped at one of those chain stores for pets, bought everything new because after my beloved Cata's transition I had gotten rid of everything feline.  The vet's assistants were all so happy she was getting a chance to be adopted, they brought her out to meet me, cautioning me she was not a "lap cat," and had a most defined personality, meaning she could be a bit cranky, hmmm, remind you of anyone?  They brought out this rotund tabby with huge eyes and put her on my lap, saying she probably would not warm up to me right away.  Well, I spoke to her, she butted her head against my hand and started to purr!  Right then and there, we bonded.  The vet's assistants were wonderful.  They were so happy for her.  They really were attached to her, even had me sign a form stating that if I decided I did not want her, I would take her back to them.  But she was mine, the little chubster stole my heart from the second I laid eyes on her.  They asked if I was going to give her a new name and I said no, she was used to Smokey, Smokey she would stay, only I was going to add Noelle since she was coming home at Christmas.  They truly were lovely, gave me a big bag of food, saying "Oh, she really likes her food!"  And so, Miss Smokey Noelle came home.

In the days that followed, I fell even more in love with her.  She has been my little heart healer and, yes, she most certainly has a most defined personality.  I was glad I had three days off to spend with her.  The first morning she was nowhere to be found, nearly killed myself hanging upside down from my bed trying to see if she was under there.  Which, of course, she was, but nowhere I could reach her.  Deciding that breaking my neck was not an option, I hauled myself back up, got an ice pack from the freezer and took two Advil tablets, figuring she would come out when she was good and ready.  Eventually she sauntered out to the living room, plunked herself next to me and we watched NCIS in companionable silence.  In the days that followed I discovered she prefers salmon to tuna (no fool, she), loves chasing feathery toys and does NOT like having her tummy rubbed, prefers her head scratched instead.  It took her a while, but the day she finally flopped over on her back and gave me belly, well, she just gave me the warm fuzzies, because when a cat does that it means they really trust you.  She purrs like a little machine and loves sleeping late.  In fact, she loves snoozing and is a champion napper, see the very first photo.  That's her on the sofa.  Is quite an accomplished thief, having stolen an entire grilled cheese sandwich in 2 seconds when I turned my back and makes little smacky noises when eating something particularly tasty.

My Little Grilled Cheese Thief Wishing For Another Sandwich to Appear

She has a tendency to fall asleep while grooming herself, see below:

Thunderstorms send her under the bed or behind the toilet.  Not even her favorite Temptations snacks, the salmon flavor, will entice her to leave her hideout until the storm has passed.  She loves poking into any door left slightly ajar and empty brown paper bags are a favorite snoozing spot.  If I type too long on my computer, she will walk right over the keyboard, much as she is trying to do as I write this.  I call her my Little Heart Healer, she has brought joy into the Cocoon again.  I wrote to the same friend that emailed her photo to me, saying my girls' leaving made the way for Smokey Noelle to come home with me.  Full circle, they left me, but at the same time they opened the door for her to come home.  They had their time with me, now it's Smokey's time to once more have a home.  Slowly the Cozy Cocoon has come full circle and it is, once more, home.  These past few months, it's been five months and four days since she came home, have been a journey for both of us.  We have both been blessed to be sharing this journey.  Somewhere I know there are two little feline girls looking down with love, happy that Smokey Noelle and I have found each other.  They are with their siblings and with all my loved ones that have gone on before me and I know they are happy Smokey and I have each other.

It has taken a while, but I feel happy.  As I like to say, I am blessed, I am blessed, I am blessed.  I have my friemily, my job with a pretty darn nifty boss and some truly lovely co-workers, my wee cocoon.  My truly marvelous Fairy GodMothers who continue to inspire, love and guide me.  Life is a most marvelous, mystifying, puzzling, joyous gift.  As the saying goes, that is why they call it The Present.  I have discovered some marvelous blogs, one being the Silver Linings blog, what an inspiration that lady is.  The other is Frances Schultz' blog.  They are truly wonderful.  My beloved Whimbles, full of whimsy and love, always make my day a little brighter, a little sweeter.  Conversations with my Most Marvelous Fairy GodMothers always make my heart sing.  And I have my Little Heart Healer who works her magic every day, even when she wakes me up by gnawing on my hand, demanding breakfast.  Life is, indeed, sweet.

Until my next post, be safe, be happy, find that silver lining, I promise you, it most definitely is there.