Thankfuls Plus A Challenge From Ruby

This marks the first week with no Ruby in the house. It's the start of a new normal that isn't normal at all, and I don't like it one bit, which leads me to my list of thankfuls for this week.

1. Pete and Fletcher would like to express their thankful to be the only cats in the house once again. Harsh, I know, but Pete was actually terrified of her, thinly veiling it as hating her, and Fletcher tolerated her but longed for the days when he was the ONLY cat in the house. They are ALL OVER ME, and it's not because they feel bad for me; they are thrilled to regain lap space. 

2. I got to snuggle a little bitty baby this week. He was maybe two months old, and chubby cheeked and sleepy and smelled delicious. It was good for my soul.

3. At our high school's International Thespian Society banquet, the kids dress in costumes. This year's theme was "decades." (Last year, it was musical theater, and my daughter dressed as a character from Matilda, the Musical.) I am thankful that probably seven or eight years ago, I had the foresight to pick up a vintage 1980s prom dress at a rummage sale and tuck it away, in case Emma ever needed to dress in, well, a 1980s prom dress.

4. Not only did she look DARLING, she came home with the Best Actress award! Pretty nice fete for only a junior!

5. Emma wants me to write about her part in the spring musical, and with Ruby and the A to Z Challenge, I haven't gotten around to it yet, but I'm thankful she actually WANTS to be included in the blog.

6. The A to Z Challenge is OVER. It was fun, but stick a fork in me!

7. Two more Mondays for this school year!

8. My husband would have probably cheerfully strangled me twice this week (twice that I know of, anyway) and didn't. The first time was last Friday evening, when I forgot I had to work Saturday morning at my picture taking side gig, and we were on our way to spend the weekend at the lake house and bury Ruby while we were there. Oops. The second time was yesterday morning when we were almost to the gates at Silver Dollar City and I realized that, while I had my and Emma's season passes, my husband's was still in an envelope in my room at the lake house. He dropped us off (not cheerfully AT ALL), drove back to the house, got the pass, then headed back and got stuck in traffic. What would be a 20 minute trip each way with no traffic turned into a two HOUR round trip. Oops again. Fortunately, by the time he got there, he had cooled off considerably.

Me at Silver Dollar City in 1965. My cousin
Cynthia is behind me.

9. I cannot express how thankful I am for the kindness of so, so many friends during Ruby's sudden illness and death. I have received the sweetest, kindest notes and messages and gestures, and each and every one means the world to me. Ruby was a special kitty; there will never be another like her.  This leads me to...

10. ...a very special note and gesture that I received from my high school friend Ruth. She was a year older than me in school, and she was beautiful and talented (still is) and one of the nicest people I've ever known. Having recently lost a beloved cat herself, she knew exactly what I was going through with the sudden loss of Ruby, so in honor of my Ruby girl, she and her husband made a donation of cat food to their local humane society. I was absolutely overcome by their caring gesture, and it made me want to do something, too.

In remembrance of my sweet Ruby, and for hungry, homeless animals in shelters everywhere, I have personally declared Wednesday, May 11, as For Love of Ruby day, and I would like to encourage you to purchase a bag or two of cat or dog food (we are all about diversity) and donate it to your local animal shelter. Take a picture and post it on Twitter or Facebook, tag me, and also use #ForLoveOfRuby in your post. Help my heart heal by helping other animals waiting for their forever homes. 

Our linky thingy didn't work this week, so link your posts directly to the Ten Things of Thankful Facebook page.