What can be said about a week that starts with putting your cat down on Monday? That was sad but the week got better from there, of course, but it was a tough start.
I woke up at 3:00 am to check on Pixel and she had dragged herself to my favorite chair and was sleeping. But when I woke up in the morning, I found her with her chest and front legs in the tipped over water bowl and sitting in the resulting puddle of water. I don't know how long she was there and felt awful seeing her like that. I cleaned her up and called the vet when they opened, making an appointment for 3:30. I then made arrangements to have her cremated at the Nebraska Humane Society in Omaha. I cried on and off all day.
I tried to give Pixel the best last day ever. She spent the morning mostly on mylap (you can see her wet paws in the first picture) then I took her outside to her favorite sleeping in the sun spot and fed her all kinds of treats. I brought her in and put her back in her Sponge Bob bed to sleep. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to drive in rush hour while in tears so called my friend Lori, who lives right by NHS. She came to my rescue, driving from Omaha to take me to the vet, where I loved on Pixel until the end. She then dropped me back home and took Pixel's body to drop at NHS. She is a wonderful friend. It was hard but I know it had to be done so I was able to pull myself together and go to Monday Night Knitting.
The reason I couldn't take Pixel myself on Tuesday morning was that was my birthday trip to Kansas City with Rene. I was up and out early and Rene and I had fun in KC. We started with a yarn shop in Leavenworth, Kansas and they recommended a coffee shop for lunch whose speciality was cheese cake. Yum! That yarn shop owner had told us about a brand new yarn shop nearby so we went there after lunch and I resisted buying yarn but got a stitch a day perpetual calendar. We then hit Penzey's but had to rush because we parked in a 10 minute space out front. I miss the Penzey's in Omaha, which closed during lockdown. We then hit Yarn Social (the only yarn shop in KC proper) then ended at Ikea. I scored a new non-stick (no forever plastics involved) frying pan. We then headed home, stopping at a gas station for snacks on the way home. I was a fun day and I got lots of car knitting in as the icing on the cake.
Wednesday was supposed to be a birthday lunch with my work friends but Sheila, one of the accountants, had died and her funeral was Wednesday morning. I got dressed in my best clothes (rare these days) and joined everyone for the service. I spent the entire time looking up at stained glass windows and the ceiling trying not to cry because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to stop if I started. The church was packed and there was a nice funeral lunch afterwards. Sheila was only 61 and had been fighting cancer for a few years. Gone too soon. I was home early but did nothing that afternoon and finally slept well that night.
I was back in the car Thursday for the rescheduled birthday lunch at Green Gateau - one of my favorite Lincoln retaurants. I stopped at Petsmart to return all the litter box stuff I'd bought on Sunday and since I'd declined the receipt (stupid!), I only got a store credit. I also went to Sam's for a huge can of tomato paste for Cindy, who would be at lunch. We had a great time and even Lacey was able to come. Odd but I declined getting my fave dessert - Italian lemon cream cake - because I was still working on the cake Lori had sent home with me. Next time. I rushed home because I had a 2:00 Ripples zoom, which always pumps me up. I got pizza from the Johnny Rico's Brooklyn Pizza truck that was in Wahoo that night and had it with a beer. Yum!
I was ready for a day at home on Friday so after I took care of the cats at the shelter (my only time in February), I knitted in the sun all morning and then reclaimed my kitchen. I finished a pair of scrappy socks and it took me 2 hours to weave in all the ends. This leisurely day was just what I needed after such a busy week.
I had asked Andrea if she wanted to hit a garage sale at the Catholic school in David City so I picked her up early on Saturday morning. It was a great sale and I found all kinds of treasures there and when we hit Buresh Meats afterwards. I was home before noon and since it was in the 50's, I puttered outside all afternoon. I redid the pots at my front and side doors for Valentine's, changed the flag and door wreaths and just hung out. It was lovely.
It was even warmer on Sunday so I did one of my favorite chores - doing laundry and hanging it outside. I washed all the cat stuff too to freshen it up post Pixel. I had tea outside on my bench and ended the day in a fresh nightie watching PBS and had fresh sheets when I went to bed.
It was a busy week but that helped me recover from Pixel. It was the right decision but it's still hard so all the activity took my mind off it. The nice weather at the end of the week was lovely too. I'll never take warm weather in the dead of winter for granted because it was a balm for my soul to spend some time outside. Spring is coming and I'm ready for it, even with the mild winter we've had.
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