Sep

Anastasia

Thu Sep 22nd 2011 @ 11:55 pm

I never dreamed I could love a cat: I’m a dog person. One Father’s Day, however, my kid’s presented me with this little ball of fur that fit in the palm of my hand. It was love at first sight. That was 14 years ago, and we’ve been joined at the hip ever since.

She’s a Russian Blue; lean and athletic with a beautiful short steel-grayish coat tinged with a light silvery sheen. She is so beautiful and has such a great personality that, over the years, nearly everyone that has met her has tried to buy her…but hey, you don’t sell your buddy. We named her Anastasia because she’s a Russian Blue and that’s the only female Russian name I knew. But to the family she is simply, Stasia.

When I said we’re joined at the hip, I mean it. At bedtime, I pull out my sock drawer from the dresser next to the bed and that’s where she has slept every night for 14 years. Right next to me. When I get up in the morning, Stasia gets up, follows me into the bathroom and sits on the counter watching me shave. She then walks beside me into the kitchen to make coffee and get her breakfast. Then she trots out to my office, looking back over her shoulder to make sure I’m not dawdling, and hops up on top of the desk to watch me work. Promptly at 11:30 every morning she let me know it’s time for lunch…her lunch. How does she let me know? She tells me. Yes, she talks; a lot. And yes, I understand what she’s saying. When I leave the house, she is waiting at the door when I return. Believe it or not, she will actually come when I call her…at least most of the time. In the evening, while I’m watching TV, she climbs up on my lap and strokes my beard with her paw.

I guess most all cats are playful, but Stasia takes it to a whole new level. Making up the bed with her around is pretty much impossible: she loves to jump on the mattress and under the sheets you’re trying to spread. Then, disguised as a large lump, she races all over the bed jumping on your fingers from beneath the sheet as you try to smooth it. It’s like being in a Looney Tunes cartoon where you can see the gopher mound zooming across Elmer Fudd’s yard.

And yet, Stasia has a sensitive side: somehow, she always seems to know when I’m feeling sad or lonely and will become incredibly solicitous. She will manage to get in my face, stare into my eyes and somehow, and I know this sounds silly, silently say, “It’s OK, I’m here and I’ve got your back.” In other words, Stasia is my best friend and I love her dearly.

My best friend died yesterday. Yesterday, I cried all day. Goodbye, old friend.

Epilogue

Billy Graham responded to the question of pets in Heaven as follows:
Over the years, my wife and I have had many pets, and I understand your grief; we are always sad when they die. I believe that God will provide us with everything we need to be happy in Heaven -- and if animals are necessary to make us completely happy there, then you can be confident He will arrange for them to be with us.

Some Bible scholars have pointed out that the Bible suggests that there may be animals in Heaven -- but without the aggressiveness and dangers that are part of their lives now. The prophet Isaiah saw God's coming Kingdom as a place of absolute peace, where even animals that had once been enemies will be friends.   He wrote: "The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them." (Isaiah 11:6)

Thoughts for the Day

Of all God's creatures, there is only one that cannot be made the slave of the leash. That one is the cat. If man could be crossed with a cat it would improve man, but it would deteriorate the cat. - Mark Twain
The smallest feline is a masterpiece. - Leonardo Da Vinci

A semi-interesting fact
All choked up. A toothpick is the object most often choked on by Americans!

Joke Du Jour
A police officer in a small town stopped a motorist speeding down Main Street.
"But, officer," the man began, "I can explain"
"Just be quiet," snapped the officer.
"But, officer, I just wanted to say"
"And I said to keep quiet! You're going to jail! I'm going to let you cool your heels in jail until the chief gets back."
A few hours later the officer looked in on his prisoner and said, "Lucky for you that the chief's at his daughter's wedding. He'll be in a good mood when he gets back."
"Don't count on it," answered the fellow in the cell. "I'm the groom."

New Feature
Cool songs you’ve never heard on radio. Check the player on the upper right, click and brighten your day.

Brain rot
Some scientist has come up with a theory that watching Sponge Bob on TV can weaken your brain. I like Sponge Bob; I watch him with the kids and there’s nothing wrong with my brains…with my brains…with my brains….

Questions I ask myself
If a mute swears, does his mother wash his hands with soap?

Really?? Actual News Stories:

Fresh from the tap-An 18-month-old Cambodian boy, Tha Sophat, made international headlines after his grandfather revealed he had been feeding himself directly from a cow

since July when a storm destroyed his home and his parents left for Thailand to find work. When his mother left and he could no longer breast-feed from her, the boy watched a calf nurse from its mother, and began to do the same thing, feeding directly from the cow each day. When Um Oeung, the boy’s grandfather pulled him away, the boy cried, so he let him continue. Neighbors and local officials in the village say they are not happy about the nursing. “They blame me and have told me not to allow him to suckle from the cow anymore. They say the boy will be ashamed when he grows up and that he will be naughty,” Um Oeung said.

Now that summer is over, they tell us. Kansas State University entomologists say some of us attract more pests than others. "It depends on your unique odors," they say - and how much you breathe and sweat: "Mosquitoes use carbon dioxide and lactic acid in sweat to find us." DEET sprays are your best defense, but when you can't or don't want to use chemicals, these oddball tricks work too.
• Put a dryer sheet in each pocket
• Blend in…bright colors attract bugs. Neutrals work best.
• Sip wine or tea. Beer and soda attract misquotes. These bugs like carbonation.

Ever seen an Amish mug shot?

Nine Amish men were ordered to jail for not paying a fine. They had been fined for refusing to display an orange reflective triangle on their horse-drawn buggies. The men said paying the fines would amount to condoning a Kentucky law which, they believe, violates their religious beliefs against wearing bright colors or trusting in man-made symbols for their safety. The Judge ordered the nine to serve three to 10 days in jail. The Mayfield jail has special-ordered dark-colored jumpsuits out of respect for the men's likely aversion to wearing the usual orange jumpsuits.

Eye opening ads!

A British Columbia cancer patient is eyeballing new ways to raise money for his medical bills. Robert Lee lost his left eye last month because of a cancerous tumor. The 47-year-old now hopes to auction ad space on his prosthetic eye on eBay for $5,000. The winning bidder can submit a logo, no more than ½ inch oval that will be put on the prosthetic eye in place of a pupil. He hasn't received any bids, so far. Kinda adds new meaning to the phrase, :"I've got my eye on you!"

Point to Ponder
Over 200 years ago, Edward Gibbon, author of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, attributed the fall of the Empire to:
1. The rapid increase of divorce; the undermining of the dignity and sanctity of the home, which is the basis of human society.
2. Higher and higher taxes and the spending of public monies for free bread and circuses for the populace.
3. The mad craze for pleasure; sports becoming every year more exciting and more brutal.
4. The building of gigantic armaments when the real enemy was within, the decadence of the people.
5. The decay of religion -- faith fading into mere form, losing touch with life and becoming impotent to warn and guide the people.
Any of that sound familiar or relevant to today’s world? Amazing.

Are you kidding me???
The Bible was first divided into chapters in 1238.
Snicker
Government Philosophy: If it ain't broke, fix it 'till it is.

Forward…Mail!!
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