Our Sudden Loss

My dear cousin Rocco was helped to the Rainbow Bridge today.   He was just a pup for heaven's sake, only 7 years old.

I am so sorry I snubbed him and teased him and bared my teeth at him. in later meetings, I tolerated him because he was really very gentle and sweet.  I last saw him looking well in Calistoga on Thanksgiving Day.

They showed great compassion in allowing him to go -- he was in pain and couldn't come home from the veterinary hospital -- they recognized that it would not be a good life for him unless he could be home to run and play.

Mama DiDi came home crying -- she had  been there too.  Auntie Tracey was there as well.  She was the one who met Rocco first and saved him from a lonely life with no companions.

But mostly I felt sad for Uncle Patrick who could not be with Rocco because of his leg injury and for Auntie Teresa whose love for Rocco helped her make the right decision.

Uncle Patrick

     Poor Uncle Patrick can't catch a break.  Actually that is a very poor choice of words -- he caught a very bad break.  He was completely cleared by his cardiologist to resume his normal life.  On Saturday, December 4th, he fell from his motorcycle on a practice course and broke his left leg very badly.

     Surgery on December 7th to drill holes in the leg to bring the broken bones together.  I am not completely clear on this and when I try to visualize the problem, I feel weak and faint.  So, he is wearing some kind of big traction thing on his leg.  More surgery to come after Christmas when they repair the break with some more metal.

     Poor Uncle Patrick.  I have my paws together for him that he was not in too much pain through all this.

California Casualty

This is not a commentary on anything in our great state; it's our insurance company.  Nice people that they are, they called to hire Mama DiDi to do a small video for a new advertising campaign.  She dressed appropriately in royal blue and set off for the studio.

If I had been able to go, they would not have had to put makeup on me or "do" my hair.  I would have looked fabulous.  Alas, I cannot speak from experience and California Casualty is not MY insurance company.

Mama DiDi could barely speak as it was -- the end of her cold has given her a croaky kind of voice.  When she got home she said she was made up within an inch of her life and her little short hair was teased and smoothed into obedience.

She tried very hard to give them some usable sound bite and finally was successful (they told her) with, "We chose California Casualty because of the price, but we have stayed for the fabulous service."  Or something like that.  If you look at my blog about the kitchen flood this past February, you will see that California Casualty was wonderful to us.  So Mama DiDi was completely sincere.