Company! – We had relatives visiting this week. We spent some quality time eating, drinking and discussing cats. They have six. I only have two. The discussion was very lively. We talked about other things too, but I can’t remember anything but the cats!
More death – In the last week or so we lost two people. Neither one was someone we knew well but they were connected to people we did know. My mother, ever the superstitious one when it came to death, always said what twos it, threes it. Hopefully not this time.
Speaking of death — Obituaries are interesting. They paint a rosy picture of the deceased even when you know it’s not true. The latest trend is to write it yourself (before you die!) so you can reflect on what is important to you. Last year an old friend died, and I could tell that he wrote the obit himself. It was heavy on his career successes and accolades and light on the family part. Despite having a long-term illness there was no “he died with his loving family by his side” notation and the word “beloved” didn’t appear anywhere.
Speaking of obituaries – The beloved husband and I have decided to keep our demise simple. No funeral and more of a notice than a gushy obituary. Nobody cares what our favorite hobbies are/were and unless we win the FIFA Peace Prize, our mile markers are meaningless to anyone else. We will let our loved ones mourn in whatever way they wish, hopefully sharing a margarita and adopting a cat.
No good bag goes unused. Gracie was the original bag lady here. She was a very wise soul.
Also related – We remember and mourn as we do. I still mourn beloved pets from decades ago. I remember their idiosyncrasies and treasure them (mostly, there were a few with bad habits). There are many people who are not remembered or loved as fervently. I read that within two generations our existence is forgotten. I know nothing about my grandparents. Three were gone before I was born and the other died when I was very young. I have no warm memories of baking cookies or being cradled in love. I’m sure they were kind loving people because my parents told me so. I still miss my parents. I often invoke the “what would mom do” when I’m in a weird situation although I’m just as likely to ask “what would Gracie (my late cat) do” too. Gracie knew how to handle situations. I could write a book on her.
So how was your weekend.
Views and Mews by Coffee Kat 
Gracie is still dear to many of us
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Our weekend has been good! We had rain!
No funeral. Three kitties’ ashes with ours. No obituary.
Gracie was a sweetheart♥
I feel very fortunate to have known and spent time with my grandparents. Without my Granddad I would not have had my love of horses and cats. I do miss my Mom, there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think of her. I don’t feel like I ever really bonded with my father. He passed when I was 20.
A book about Gracie? That would be so special.
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Speaking of people unmourned and dying in threes…this is a very prescient post (or at least I hope so).
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I know. I wrote it before I heard. Maybe mom’s right!
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Gracie was a great cat along with all the others you gave a loving home to. Takes a special person Kate, to suffer heartbreak of any kind then jump back in and love again. As far as forgetting. I still mourn those I’ve lost. Whether I’m remembered, who knows.
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Gracie was amazing. As for being remembered. It doesn’t matter as you will be gone. It’s more important to be thought of now.
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True! 🙂
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Too many people I know dying these days. I guess that’s what happens if you make it to this age. I’m with you. No funeral. Cremate me, and spread the ashes somewhere. The ocean would be my first choice.
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I feel like we hit a speed bump and people are croaking all over the place. When the music stops, grab a chair!
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Hello, Gracie – rest in peace. Hardly a day goes by when I don’t mourn our Kitty (who passed away 5 years ago). Her passing was an enormous shock for my wife and myself. When you are as old as we are (88, 87), it is not unusual to become attached to a beloved pet friend. R.I.P. Kitty . . . . .
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I got very attached starting at a young age. We still talk about Jake, gone since 2015. There are others. Each different and each cherished.
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Well now…..I could relate to so many parts of this post I don’t know where to begin! We too have very simple “when our time comes” wishes – we have practically no family and our friends also aren’t fond of “farewell hoopla”. Other than a desire to have our pets’ ashes in with our own…..that’s about it. As for an obituary – we know that those who “need” to know we’re gone will know it without being in the newspaper. Sharing is caring but we will do that while we’re breathing thank you very much and the end will be as WE want it to be. After all most of us lived our lives as we wanted to so the end ought to be what we want it to be as well. Enough of that – now let me say WHERE THE HECK IS THE RAIN EVERYONE ELSE IS GETTING BUT US??? We are as dry as a twig. Anyone who has too much of it – send it to Virginia please! Tee Hee
Big hugs, Pam
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🙂 At the end of this post I thought to myself, I didn’t whine about the weather. We had some rain this week (not near enough to soothe the drought) but mostly it’s been summery days. Warm, some humidity. We are now dry until the end the week. If I had some spare rain I’d send it down!
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Well my friend if you FIND that spare rain we’ll be grateful – I’ll even pay the postage!
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🙂
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