One Year

Hi everybody.

Today is the one year anniversary of my friend Karen's death. The days that have gone by that I have not thought of her have surely been in the single digits. I continue to miss her...I miss her intelligence, her kind heart, her quick wit, her creativity, her laugh, the sound of her voice, and her hugs.

But I can at least celebrate the fact that all four of her cats, whom she loved so much, are in good homes. Carolyn & Marie-Lynn visited the girls in Midland this summer and reported that they are happy, well-adjusted, and well-loved. I saw the boys when I visited Sheila in Barrie August and can attest that they too are loved liked crazy.

I want to thank everyone who expressed their sympathy about Karen, their concern for her cats, and who helped put word out when they needed new homes. I want to thank everyone who has emailed me periodically to check on the cats, and I especially want to thank everyone who donated to the Black Kitty. You ensured that the girls were sprung from Toronto Animal Services -- who deserve their own heartfelt thanks for doing the highly unusual and fostering the girls for the first three weeks after Karen's death -- and that Marie-Lynn (our superhero of kitties everywhere)could afford to foster them for another two months until a home was found. The fund is largely intact in a Scotiabank account. I'm happy to report that the cats are healthy and no one has drawn on the fund since everyone was adopted, but I'm grateful for all your donations so that the money is there if it's needed.

Tied with TAS and all of our generous, angelic donors for my thanks are:

Dawn, for setting up and handling all the initial administration for the Black Kitty.
Val, for taking public transit and visiting the cats at TAS several times a week to make sure they got love and attention in a busy shelter environment.
Carolyn, for having the genius idea that led to the girls' adoption.
To the lovely Marie-Lynn, who so kindly fostered Bwai and Gril for two whole months and truly saved them from death row.
Heidi, for adopting Handsome immediately and giving him so much love -- even though her existing cat hated him and in the end it didn't work out.
Sheila, for adopting Peabo just a week and a half after Karen's death...and then taking Handsome as well two months later.
Norma & Larry, for being the extraordinary people who stepped up to adopt two nine-year-old girls, one of whom was a known problem child with a bad tooth. For you and Sheila, my gratitude is endless, because it's Karen's gratitude as well.

Thank you all for honouring Karen by helping her cats, who meant nothing short of the world to her. You people are wonderful and amazing.