Encouragement

A little encouragement for this Saturday...

Blizzard

We had a blizzard this past Sunday into Monday. We got 32" of snow and the wind was howling! It woke me up in the middle of the night and it continued well into the next day. This was the biggest storm we've had in years. It was very wet and stuck to everything. I was feeling a little claustrophobic in the house. You couldn't see out of any of the windows...

This is my friend's house across the street...

The wind caused it to pile up really high in places...

and then in other places there was hardly any snow...

The back yard looked like waves of snow...

Danny braved the storm and went out several times to use the snow blower...

Call me crazy but I love it!! 

Goodbyes

New England Dance Challenge Regionals

For the 15th year in a row, the dance team has won the New England Regionals! They did an exceptional job yesterday competing their jazz and pom routines flawlessly. We're so proud of Gianna! She's worked so hard again this year and has done a fabulous job in these competitions. 

Until next year : ) 

Pom Routine...

Jazz Routine...

The Superman

Me, Julia & Gianna have been so devastated over the loss of our precious Mikey. I had been working on my last post for Mikey for days and it was literally so hard. I would just cry. I finally was able to finish and post it this morning on Valentine's Day. Very appropriate. 

Four or five days ago, I saw another TikTok about asking a loved one who has passed on to show you something very specific...like a green balloon or a red lego...to indicate they hear you and that there is more after we pass on than this physical world we live in. 

I've done this before with my Mom asking her to show me a horse. You can read that post here because that was crazy. But this? THIS what I'm about to explain is NUTS!! I decided to do it again. I wanted to be sure Mikey was with my Mom. So I asked her to show me something with Superman. 

Why? Because Mikey always did this and I loved it...

It was so cute! I called it The Superman! As I was talking out loud to Mom, I said it couldn't be on TikTok or videos on my phone because phones and iPads listen. I was thinking to myself that it would be hard and wondered how it could even possibly show up. 

Yesterday, after feeling so emotional writing my Mikey post, I went up to take a shower and saw 11:11 on my phone. I described in my previous post how happy I was! My sign with my Mom is always 1:11 or 11:11. As I was getting ready to hop in the shower, I reminded her that I was still waiting for something with Superman and even did the pose joking around with her. I knew if she could see me she would be cracking up! If she showed me something with Superman, it would be a sign that she has Mikey with her. 

Around 4:00, I left the house for the first time to pick up some mail at the PO box for work at a building downtown. As I got back into my car, I got a text from Gianna. It said, "been really sad about Mikey". I still had to run to the post office quickly, so I figured I would answer her when I got back home. I drove to the small branch post office that's in my neighborhood. There was only one person ahead of me at the counter. It was taking a little while so just out of boredom I was looking around. I happened to turn behind me and there was one of those tall spinning racks filled with greeting cards in the corner. I have no clue what made me do that...but look what I saw without touching the rack...

I literally could not believe it!! My mind was blown!! Like how?? What made me turn around? Why was that spinning rack in that position with that card showing? If I had gone straight to the counter, I never would have seen it. I had just reminded my Mom a few hours before so I guess she went to work!

I snapped a picture of it, but then made a quick decision to buy it...and look what it says inside...

"You always come through". I read this as...I always come through...and...she always comes through. I'm going to look at what happened as my Mom showing me, once again, that she is watching and hearing me...and that she does have Mikey. I was already a believer...but now? It just solidifies it even more for me. It makes me feel at peace and that's all that really matters. 

I raced home to tell Danny and Julia. Then I facetimed Gianna because she had just sent that text saying she was sad. Mama pulled through for us!! Gianna was so happy! Then I facetimed my sisters! Everyone was amazed!! Kerry reminded me that Mom loved greeting cards. She loved to browse the card section of stores and would buy all the ones that made her smile and laugh! She had drawers stuffed full of them!! I have kept a lot of the cards she's given me over the years. Now I can add this one to the collection in her memory box! : ) 

Thank you Mama!! Your humor is still there!! And like Kerry said...you must have had so much fun with this one!! 

Mikey Moo Chapter Two

This is going to be a very long post dedicated to our beautiful boy, Mikey. 

Mikey Moo Chapter Two. That's what I used to say when Mikey first came to live with us. Actually, it was his third chapter if you count where he originally came from...a hoarding situation that landed him at a shelter. But Mikey Moo Chapter Three doesn't rhyme so we'll stick with Chapter Two : )))

My Mama got Mikey from the Animal Rescue League of Boston, Dedham Branch. The paperwork I found said his birthday is 2/11/2013. So he would have turned 13 years old this past week : (  That's really not that old for a cat...considering Koko is 17. 

Julia nailed it when she said, "Mikey was conscious". Yes!! He was fully aware. That is for sure. He would "talk" to you with his eyes and body language. Our other two cats...well that's a big nope for them. Eli just stares vacantly and is a nervous wreck and Koko...of course he's my baby that I've had for 16 long years...but all he really cares about is food : /  

Mikey (or Mr. Moo or Moo as we affectionally called him) was just so freaking cute and funny and just the perfect cat in every way. Why did this have to happen??? 

We brought Mikey home the end of February 2020. We had him for just shy of six years. Not nearly long enough. I didn't think it would be a big deal taking him from Mama's house the day we brought him home. Danny and I went to get him, packing up all his stuff (beds, scratching post, food, etc.), but ugh...he was so scared that he pooped in his carrier. I felt terrible!! If I could do it over again, I would have sat with him and talked to him the whole way home. Why didn't I do that??? : (  

I made the decision to just introduce him to the other cats right away. It was honestly the best way. It worked out fine. We showed Mikey around the house and he just made himself at home...quickly becoming King of the Castle!! Haha!! He showed the other two who was boss right away by being a bully! That's our Mikey!! 

This was the very first picture after bringing him home and meeting his brothers...

Mikey loved the screened in porch. Here he is checking it out for the first time. (It looks messy because it was February.)

Checking out his new neighborhood...

and quickly making himself at home...

Such a handsome little man...

These are the things I want to always remember about Mr. Moo...and what made him the most loved cat...

I loved how he would do his daily walks around the house...around and around...just to get some exercise. You could call him but he would just ignore you and keep walking. Haha!

I loved how he would scratch at the metal water bowls before drinking...clink clink clink

I loved how he would sit outside Gianna's door and "scream" meow when he wanted to get into her room. His meow was so loud he could wake up the whole house. He knew she may not be able to hear him if she was sleeping. He was super smart!  I would get to the bottom of the stairs and see him looking at me with those eyes begging me to come up and open the door for him : ) 

I loved how he would run...his short little legs going as fast as they could! He looked so cute running! The best was one day (one of the many times) when he got out of the porch. He would always find a way to get under the porch and it was so hard to get him out. I could hear Danny yelling. Then all I could see was Danny's head running after Mikey. It still makes me laugh!

I love how I was "The Alternate". He loved his girls fiercely. He spent most of his time with them...following them around and hanging out and sleeping in their rooms. When the time came when they left for college, I was the only one left so he was my shadow then. I came after them and that's OK. I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. 

I loved how I would walk into Gianna's room and he would be all snuggled up. Then he would look up at me and be like..."What are you doing in here?"...and basically wanted me to leave. Gianna and I thought it was so funny...

I'll miss walking by Gianna's room and seeing him laying on her bed...which was definitely his absolute favorite place to be. He loved it the most because Gianna loves to sleep in and she keeps her room really dark. When she and Julia were away at school, I always felt guilty getting up in the morning because Mikey would come sleep with me in the mornings after eating his breakfast. But I get up early. As soon as I would get up, he'd get up too and make his way down to the basement to sleep in the workshop in his little warm bed where it was nice and dark. Gianna and I used to joke that he loved to rot in bed! 

I loved how he would kick and shake his front legs (like a twitch) when he walked sometimes. He would especially do that when I would open the kitchen slider on super cold days. He'd quickly turn and run away from the cold.  

I loved how he would spread his front paws, wrap his tail around his back legs and his back paws would curl when he was super happy and relaxed...which was honestly all the time : ) 

I've never seen a cat any cuter than Mikey. His body language just showed how happy, comfortable and safe he felt living here with us...

I loved the way he would bury his face when he slept. I honestly don't know how he could breathe!! I loved it so much and would always take a picture...

I loved how he would play with Eli every single night at dinner time. They would have the same nightly routine. Mikey would lay on the floor and paw at Eli's face and Eli would "air" bite Mikey's paws. Then Mikey would get up and charge at Eli who would squeal like a pig and run away! I would sometimes have to tell Mikey to stop because he could get a little rough showing Eli who was boss. 

I swear he would teleport! I would look up and he would just appear out of nowhere! He'd just be sitting there looking at me with that little mouse face. 

I loved how he would walk and then just collapse on his side so you would rub his belly. He LOVED belly rubs : ) 

He had the most feminine back feet! So cute!!! 

Stacked feet...

He used to steal Eli's spot. Eli could have been sleeping for hours somewhere and if Mikey decided he wanted that warm spot, he'd take it! Eli would just give it up because he knew Mikey was the boss. Just like this...

It was always a competition between Mikey and Koko as to who would get the chair next to mine at the dining table where I work. I have a heating pad on it. One minute I'd look next to me and it would be Koko...and then I'd look over a few minutes later and Mikey would be there. This would go on and on all day long... 

Koko wanting Mikey's spot...

Mikey wanting Koko's spot...hahaha!!

I loved that little notch in his ear. We think it was done to mark him at the shelter. 

And that beautiful heart (that Mama loved so much) that he had behind his front left leg...

There are only two things I can think of that I didn't like. One was that he used to block the basement door when he first moved in to prevent the other cats from going downstairs. That's where the litter boxes are so that became a big problem with Koko who was afraid of Mikey at first. Eli would just jump over him run down the stairs. It got so bad I finally had to put a litter box on the first floor for Koko. Our little guard cat...

And the other thing was he threw up all the time! And it was always on rugs...of course never on the tile or wood floors.

I loved how he would sleep on my hand...

and he loved to touch you with his paw when he sat with you...like holding hands...

I loved how I would go into Julia or Gianna's room and the wastebasket would be knocked over or the drawers would be open with clothes strewn on the floor. You knew Mikey had been there! I would take a picture of it and send it to the girls because it was so funny...

I called this "The Superman"...

He had dried food on his nose a lot, but he didn't like it when you tried to wipe it off...

He was prone to chronic upper respiratory infections. The vet thought it could have been something he picked up from his time at the shelter. He would get boogers and the congestion would get pretty bad almost like asthma symptoms with wheezing and coughing. He'd have to go on antibiotics every few months and they worked like a charm...

This was taken at the vet last summer for an ear infection. He had the most beautiful eyes that spoke to you...

Oh the way he could communicate...

He loved that couch on the porch so much. He'd sleep there for hours and hours in the beautiful weather living his best life...

Every night, he would patiently wait in my bedroom under my desk until I got into bed. Then he would hop up onto my nightstand and climb on top of me. He would peek over at Danny, who wasn't his favorite human, and then settle down on top of me for about...eh maybe five minutes...then hop off and go sleep somewhere else. I don't think he liked the light from my iPad. Haha! He would only sleep the full night in Julia or Gianna's room. 

He did NOT like to be picked up...

Full body stretches were the cutest thing...

And like most cats, he loved sitting in boxes...

My precious boy...how I love you...

and always will...

forever...

I loved when he crossed his little paws...

How I'll miss my three ring circus...

The cutest sleeper in the world...

I just want him back... 

The sweetest little face...

A closeup of that sweet face I never ever want to forget...

Now here's the really hard part. Writing about what happened. It was a week before we were heading to Florida for Gianna's dance nationals. I'm always so anxious about leaving home and finding someone to responsibly care for the cats while we're away...especially Koko because he's so old. My only worry about Mikey was that he would be lonely. He just loved being by a human's side at all times. 

So exactly one week before we were leaving for Florida, January 7th, I started to notice that Mikey wasn't eating as much and he was looking a little thinner to me. I was a bit worried and decided I should take him to the vet for a quick check up to make sure he was feeling OK before we left. I was wondering if maybe his teeth were bothering him or maybe he was feeling a little nauseous for some reason. I was able to get an appointment for Saturday, but by Friday I really knew there was something wrong. He hadn't eaten anything. Danny said he wouldn't even hop down to get a morning treat with the other cats. Then he was hiding under the chair in the living room. If a cat doesn't eat, looks like they're losing weight and hiding, those are tell-tail signs there is definitely something wrong. My first cat, Lucky, did that too and he ended up with a tumor in his belly. 

I called the vet back and said he had to be seen that day. They were able to fit him in that afternoon. Right before we were leaving the house, Julia made a comment that Mikey's nose looked yellow. I looked and noticed it too. I knew that could be a sign of jaundice. At the vet, he got weighed and was only 8 pounds...down from 10 pounds at his most recent appointment. Oh the guilt and worry I as feeling at that moment. I started to feel sick. The vet noticed right away that his skin looked yellow. They had to sedate him a little to do bloodwork. Danny happened to call me on his way home from work and I asked him to stop at the vet because I was scared. Thank goodness he did. 

Mikey's bloodwork showed his liver numbers were super high. The vet really scared me when he said I couldn't take him home because he wouldn't survive. He made us an appointment at the Weymouth Animal Hospital for an ultrasound and we drove right there. Unfortunately, they couldn't do it until the next morning, which was Saturday. Sadly we had to leave him there and I had to go home and stress and cry all night long. After an agonizingly long anxious night, I finally spoke to a vet who gave us the devastating news. They saw growths in his pancreas, around his small intestine and gallbladder. His liver was already a mess too. She said the words pancreatic cancer. I hung up the phone and talked it over with Julia and Danny about what the best thing was to do. My initial thought was to put him down at the hospital as soon as possible. But Julia was level headed and said no. We needed to bring him back home where he would feel safe and loved and we could do it at home. 

Danny called and made an appointment for a vet to come to the house on Monday. Julia and I picked him up on Saturday afternoon with some medicine to keep him as comfortable as possible. He was so out of it due to being sedated for the ultrasound. He slowly started to come out of it after being at home for a while. We took such good loving care of him that night. Gianna was able to come home from school for the night. Mikey, Julia and Gianna had a sleepover in Julia's bed that night. The three of them cuddled up all night long and late into the next morning. He was so loved on by his favorite humans. We knew even though he wasn't feeling good he felt loved and safe at home. Sadly, that Sunday afternoon, Gianna had to go back to school. She said her sad goodbyes. Then Julia had to work the night shift that night. So it was just me and Mikey on that last night. I snuggled up with him all night long, safe and cozy in Julia's bed. 

I feel such guilt over not knowing that he was sick. How did I miss the signs??? Then I was angry at God's timing. Why was it happening just before we were to leave for Florida??? But you know what? It was simply God's timing...and honestly His timing was just right. We got to be with Mikey and care for him in the right way before we had to leave for Florida. Can you imagine if this happened while we were away? It was a blessing for Gianna that she was able to come home that one night to be with him. It was also a blessing for all of us that we had that trip which was a huge distraction instead of sitting around the house crying, being angry and missing his presence. 

I had been telling my Mama for months (intuition maybe?) that if something ever happened to him, she had to take him right away. The second he crossed over. I know she did just that. I had been asking her to show me a sign those last few days that she was going to take him. On that last morning as I was just waking up with Mikey in Julia's bed, I immediately reached for Mikey to pat him and be sure he was OK. In that very moment, behind my closed eyes, I saw it. 1:11. Bright as could be...lit up by what looked like thousands of glowing lights!!! That is our sign...1:11 and 11:11...so I knew it immediately. I said thank you to Mama. 

So on that Monday morning, January 12th, we had a lovely compassionate vet come to our house. She was so gentle and kind. Julia and I took a few last pictures of our precious boy. He had barely made any eye contact since he'd been home from the hospital. Only perking up a little bit for Gianna when she walked through the door. 

But just like my Mama did on the day she passed, Mikey all of a sudden got more alert and actually looked up at both me and Julia! It was such a gift!!!

Mikey passed on the living room couch with Julia snuggled right up beside him. The sadness was simply unbearable. I was bawling like a baby. That last physical connection with my Mama...and he was gone now too...just like her. We snipped a little bit of his hair to keep and I took one last picture. His tail wrapped around his leg...

The vet put him in a little bed and covered him up to his neck in a blanket. He looked like he was just sleeping. And that was it. 

Now I picture them together again. A beautiful reunion. Mama with her beloved Mikey. She was so worried about who would take care of him when she was gone. So I did that for her...and now she's doing that for me. Full circle. 

I love you Mikey. I love you Mama. Until I see you both again...and I will. That I know for sure. 

His Heart 

Epilogue...

As I was wrapping up working on this blog post...that has literally taken me days to write...I was crying my eyes out. I decided to take a break and go take a shower. I had not looked at my phone in quite a while. But as I was just about to head upstairs, my foot on the first step, I turned my phone over...and what did I see??? 

I yelled out..."I don't believe it"!!! Then there were happy tears! I ran to the kitchen to look at Mama's picture on the fridge and I showed her the time...and looked at the reflection of 11:11 on Mama's face in the picture! 

Thank you, Mama!! Time and time again you have shown me that heaven is real! 

Oh but just you wait!! There's more!! 

To be continued....