Unconditional

This is said at the end of the movie Bride Wars...

"Sometimes in life, there really are bonds formed that can never be broken. Sometimes you really can find that one person who will stand by you no matter what. Maybe you'll find it in a spouse & celebrate it with your dream wedding, but there's also the chance that the one person you can count on for a lifetime, the one person that knows you sometimes better than you know yourself is the same person who's been standing beside you all along."

It's cheesy & from a chic flick, but I love it! The first time I saw this movie, I felt very strongly that this was said about best girl friends. It made me think of my best friend of 17 years. That friendship has since dissolved. When I watched this movie again tonight & listened to these words again, I thought of my boyfriend of 4 years. I may have lost my best friend of over a decade, but I do have a best friend & soul mate. He has stood beside me through so much, both good & bad. And I have stood by him. He never gives up on me & I never give up on him.

I miss my old best friend & am sad for this loss, however, when I think of all I do have in my life, I am so happy & so blessed. Mostly, I am so grateful for the unconditional love that surrounds me.

Unemployment Frustration

I want to start out by saying that I am grateful Unemployment pay exists. I am, however, not so grateful that a month ago my Unemployment was extended through 4/2011 yet today I received a letter in the mail that my benefits end in 9 days. Merry Christmas to me! I have truthfully applied to 8-10 employers a week since I've been unemployed, have had 2 interviews & no job offers (well I had one that fell through). This is so frustrating!

So what do I want for Christmas this year? A JOB! I never dreamed I'd be unemployed -EVER- let alone for this long. I have never had an issue finding a job. I just pray every night that something will come my way...SOON!

The Adventures of Midnight

On a Friday my daughter saw a cat while walking home from school. On the following Monday my daughter & I saw the cat while driving to the grocery store. I saw this terribly skinny cat & pulled over. I tried to get him to come to me but he took off. I was able to get a live trap from a good friend the next day. Once the trap was set, the cat was caught by midnight. I was checking the trap every hour because it was so cold out. When I brought him in the house I could see immediately that he was not a feral cat. He was very sweet, but so cold & so hungry. I warmed him up & fed him. Then he curled up in a kennel & slept. When he woke I gave him a warm bath, cut his nails, cleaned his ears, dewormed him & fed him some more. We began to call him Midnight because a) he is a black cat & b) we caught him around midnight.

The next day Glen & I took Midnight to All Creatures Vet so they could scan for a micro chip. Thankfully he was chipped & lived on our block. His name is actually Rusty, but I will keep calling him Midnight. We returned Midnight to his home because we felt it was the right thing to do. In my mind anyone who micro chips their pet & pays the annual fee for that service must love their pet.

3 days later, a neighbor informed me he is outside roaming the neighborhood again. So, I set the live trap again in hopes of catching him again. It's colder now than the day I caught him...around 20 degrees. I fear the worst, but hope & pray some kind soul found him & took him in.

I don't understand why people do this & how they can sleep at night. It's not my cat & I can't sleep at night because I am worried about him. Not only am I an animal lover but I did bond with Midnight while he was at my house. Please, I beg of cat owners to not let them outside. I realize accidents happen & they sneak out occasionally. In this situation, the cat was out for months, returned to his family & back out on the streets in a few days. Not only can cats get hit by a car, but they can catch illnesses such as FIV & Feluk. In Midnight's case he starved, lost a ton of fur & was dehydrated. I did the right thing at that time by having him scanned & then returned him to his family, but now the only thing I'm sure of is that he shouldn't have went back home just to be tossed out again. I've found out that his family is missing another cat that "got out" a few weeks ago. Who is giving these people cats?

If you are unable to care for your cat, please don't toss it out on the streets to fend for itself. Find a home for the pet (use Facebook, newspapers, Craigs List, or at least find a rescue that can take it in). To put your cat out on the street in winter IS animal cruelty!

Here are a few pictures of Midnight. You can see how skinny he is & what rough shape he was in when I found him. Would you do this to your cat? I am a very passionate person & love to help animals in need. I pray that Midnight comes back to the trap I've set for him. I will protect him & keep him safe. This is a promise I make every day to my pets & I make it for those that need me as well.

So Frustrated...

I just don't understand some people...

Last week we caught a cat in my yard that was in rough shape. We took him to the Vet & he had a micro chip. We returned him to his family & now there are reports of sightings of this cat outside AGAIN! Not only is this bad because he was just outside for months, terribly skinny & major hair loss, but it's like 20 degrees outside! Please don't get a pet if you can't provide basic care for them.

Facebook is a social network that most people use to keep in touch with family & friends. Some on the other hand use it to post nasty things/lies about others. If you have nothing nice to say, then don't speak. It is simply childish & it only makes you look bad. So, I ask this of you...when you are reading facebook posts & you notice someone specifically spreading lies, saying nasty things, slandering someone's name/reputation in their posts, please ask them to stop. It's not cool, it's not funny. It just shouldn't happen. You should want to do the right thing & be kind to others.

So, tonight I set a trap for the cat & continue to check it. I pray he will come back to me. This time I promise to protect him better. As for the other issue, I will NOT let it bother me any more. All I can do is pray people like this will grow up. It's frustrating to have this in my life, but it's only in my life as much as I let it be.

I Am Thankful For...

Well, every year on Thanksgiving I reflect on the good things in life & remember what I am thankful for. This year I will share what I am thankful for with you...

1. Nate - such a smart, wonderful, responsible kid. He never complains & is always helpful.
2. Hannah - smart, beautiful, kind to all. Her love for animals is amazing & she takes very good care of her guinea pig & our cats.
3. Glen -  intelligent, gorgeous, kind hearted, selfless man. His strength inspires me. He makes me want to be a better person. I couldn't get through a single day without my best friend!
4. Cats - Ashley, Sarah, Sam. Ashley is healthy & happy. Sarah has had some minor health issues this year, but is turning the corner & over the last week seems healthier & happier. Sam is our new addition to our cat family this year. He is everything I ever wanted in a cat & has fit into our family unit purrfectly!
5. Puppy - Riley has changed our lives in so many ways (all of them for the better). He brings so much laughter & happiness to us all. I share my life more with him than anyone else (animal or person). We are together pretty much 24/7.
6. Parents & Step Parents - I have so much support & guidance from them all. I know I will never go a day in my life without love because of these four amazing parents.
7. Friends - I can count on one hand my true friends. That sounds like a bad thing, but it's not. I have some rather remarkable people in my life that I am so incredibly thankful to call my friends. If there is one thing I've learned this past year, it's that quality trumps quantity EVERY time. Thank you Emily for always being there for me (night or day) & sometimes chatting for hours. Thank you Christine for bringing my family Brian, making every moment I spend with you happy and for being a true friend in every sense of the word. Thank you Danielle for always cheering me up & for your unconditional support. Thank you Brandee for decades of unconditional love, friendship, support & fun times.

With all I've been through this past year, it could be real easy to focus on the negative forces that be. I WILL look at the positive though because of all the family & friends I have sitting next to me, giving me unconditional love & support. I am so very grateful to each & every one of you. Thank you for being so wonderful!

Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving & many blessing to come!

Love,
Jaime

Dogs 2009-2010

Whether these dogs stayed in my home for just one night or for months, each of these dogs will always hold a special place in my heart.

My Cats

Ashley is our gray tabby cat that we adopted in 2002 at 6 weeks old from Domestic Cat Rescue. The name Ashley was picked by my friend's daughter. She was born at the Greenville Co-op. Ashley spends all her time upstairs with my son, Nate. Ashley's birthday is 4/20/02. 

Brian a Mainecoon cat, whose name was originally Bry Bry, joined our family in either 2003 or 2004. We got him from a friend of a very good friend of mine, who was moving & could not take him along. Brian was such a handsome cat, from his long hair to his mustache & toupee! Brian was not a lap cat, but he slept with me every night. Brian loved baths so much he would stand on the edge of the tub & use his head to turn the bath water on. There were many occasions when I would hear the tub water running & find him rolling around in the water in the bath tub. When he arrived at our home he was 21 pounds. We got him down to a healthy 14.4 pounds. On 4/16/10 we had to say goodbye to our wonderful boy. Although he was given a clean bill of health at his annual Vet visit on 3/09/10, shortly after developed a large mass in his stomach. We didn't know about it until 4/16/10 when we took him in to his Vet because he was very ill & lost a lot of weight in just a few days. Brian had Lymphoma. The cancer spread very quickly & there was nothing that could be done for our poor boy. We miss him terribly. He was 8 years old & just under 9 pounds when he passed.

Sarah was adopted from Saving Paws in 2006 when she was 3-4 years old. My kids & I went to the rescue to adopt a 6 week old Calico kitten, but Sarah chose us. The rescue said Sarah never interacts with people, but she came right to my kids & rolled around on the floor between them. She is considered a special needs kitty because she had some head trauma due to an accident. The rescue thinks she was a feral cat & may have been hit by a tractor.She has a bald & scarred spot behind her right ear from this. She has a cataract in her right eye, leaving her blind in that eye. Aside from occasionally walking into a wall, she has been a very healthy cat. She has primarily bonded with my boyfriend. Sarah always has to be by him, she even sleeps on his pillow!

Sammy, a 3 year old long haired gray & white Mainecoon/Tortie Calico mix, came into my family in June 2010. We got him from a friend of a very good friend. His family was moving & couldn't take him along. To all of our surprise, he looks & acts quite a lot like our beloved cat, Brian. He is a lap cat, as long as it's my lap! Sam is definitely my cat. He likes baths, is very vocal, has to be the center of attention and LOVES dogs! Sam has helped many of the dogs we fostered learn how to socialize with cats. He has been a wonderful addition to our family.