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3 cats, 2 dogs, 2 humans

 On the heels of losing Charlie, Gracie crossed the Rainbow Bridge as well.  At least Charlie was there to show her the ropes, and with any luck, she might see her littermate, Dave, my once cat that disappeared when I got Charlie. Gracie was a sweet and beautiful kitty.  I didn't realize that I had grown accustomed to her presence in the kitchen - on the counters, tables, and even the chairs.   This was a quieter grief, but profound nonetheless.  I was more prepared for Gracie.  I wasn't surprised - she had Feline Kidney Disease stage II, and had dropped so much weight she looked like a skeleton kitty wearing a fur coat. Poor thing.  She was Angela's cat.  Angela, my sister, apparently got Gracie and Dave together as a package deal, and rather than keep both kitties, she gave me one.  To take the place of the one I lost to the dog, I watched for her.  That's a much longer story than is needed for this post.  Letting go of Graci...
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4 cats, 2 dogs, and 2 humans

 We lost my dog, Charlie, yesterday.  Even though we helped him cross the rainbow bridge - I am broken.  Charlie was the best dog ever, my sunshine, and my lovebug.  He was a 15-year-old black lab -- I was fortunate to have him in my life for so long, and I know I made the right choice - he was suffering with arthritis and barely able to walk the last few days of his life.  Mark and I were coaxing him outside on trips to relieve himself with treats -- he was walking only a few steps at a time. It's always a surprise to lose someone you love, because the void is cavernous, and this loss has hit me particularly hard.  Charlie was a sweet, goofy black lab.  As labs go, he was a pretty typical maniac until he was about 5.  As he matured, he became an excellent companion who went on many car rides with me. Charlie, like his namesake, my grandpa Charlie, took his time with everything but food.  My Grandpa was always so cool and calm because he'd be...
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4 cats, 3 dogs, 2 humans

 I was chatting with a middle school friend of mine this morning and I summarized my life with the phrase, "4 cats, 3 dogs, and 2 humans," because that's really where I spend my time since my dad had back surgery in Dec. 2024.   I love my petpalozza, and wouldn't change them for anything - except maybe the occasional fluid leak and bark festival.    I've toyed with the idea of writing about these furry friends before, but I was hung up on the idea that I needed to purge myself emotionally by writing to my mom and my sister before I attempted this.  With my usual efficency, I have combined my tasks.  So, first, I'll explain the letter to my mom and my sister.  I listened to a book (that's what I do these days rather than read.  I used to do it because it was hard to see, but now I do it because I can listen to a book and do other things at the same time.)  The book was by Tommy Orange and one of the characters looses his brother and sudde...
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