What in the World?! A post-Puff update.

It’s happened.  Again.  I have not forgotten ya’ll. It’s just that every time I think to post… something dramatic happens and I am left crippled for days.  Not really, but that sounds much more entertaining than I’ve been plumb lazy.  In a nutshell, the city life has been a whirlwind these past few months.  My sweet Puff has been gone now for almost 3 months but it feels like eternity. I literally just had to count on my fingers how long it’s been since he passed and I couldn’t believe it. Only 3 months? No… it’s been longer than that…Funny thing how a cat could have such an impact on your daily life and just how easily life continues when they leave.  That is the saddest part for me.  I want to miss him everyday and I do…just not the way my heart wants to.  Good job brain, thanks for looking out for me.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to spiral into a deep depression or listen to Carly Simon on repeat for the rest of my life just because my cat died…  It’s just that I want my life to seem empty without him.  But the truth is, life goes on.  Boo. 

So we all just keep on truckin’

I’ve still managed to find Puff hair all around the house in little tiny crevasses.  I found a tuft behind the bathroom door.  Silly Puff! I still haven’t searched under the bed…   The other day, my husband pulled a jacket out from the back of his closet and let out a sigh, “Oh, it’s covered in Puff hair.”  I sighed too.  I also found a perfume bottle knocked over.  I left it.  I am not sure who is the culprit.  Myself or the black kitty but I am kindly reminded that Puff matters. 

In the meanwhile, I am preparing for my first Northeast summer. What’s that?  Oh, it means there is no beach shore within 30 minutes of my house.  What a strange new world this is.  Even though the beach shore isn’t too far per say…. Just imagine if the entire metropolis and neighboring suburbs also thought this and for all intents and purposes there was only one way to get to the beach shore.  Uh, huh.  You guessed it.   You’ve now entered  a ticking traffic time bomb.

Boom!  There goes my beach shore days.

No need to fret.  I will enjoy my days walking down the sidewalks miles upon miles without a bead of sweat.  I will savor Rita’s Water Ice.  Oh, you poor Floridians don’t even know!  I will water my plants maybe 3 times a week.  I will bask in the cooler evenings.  I will still miss the beach shore.

Moving on.

I do plan to share some recipes soon.  What are you currently cooking?  I am excited to try lots of grill recipes this summer (We just bought a Weber Charcoal Grill)  I am also currently obsessed with ginger.  I’ve been using it with everything lately!  Meat marinades, veggies, vinaigrettes, you name it!

Also, Philly Beer week starts this Friday. I don’t know what that means, but I will be sure to find out!

Until next time,

~Ashley

To everyone who has ever loved a pet

I had no idea just how much I loved my Cotten Puff.  My piddle poof, my puff daddy, my puff puff, puffball,  puff the magic kitty, puffy wuffy, puffers, puff-a-lump. I know…the list can go on.  That’s why everyone loved him!  You could call him anything… really he didn’t mind.

“Hey Puff bunny, what’s hoppin?”

As pet owners, we live a dangerously pleasurable life.  Our pets comfort us at our weakest moments, make us laugh amidst our angriest, and they offer us the simplest gift of unconditional companionship.  But the kicker is they tend to leave this earth before we do.  My Puff died peacefully in his sleep; his kitty heart gave its last beat sometime early Tuesday morning and it was heartbreaking and completely unexpected.  I am dealing with my loss the best I can.  The best any of us can…  I cried my heart out Tuesday, you know that cry where your entire face begins to throb because it’s unnatural for your tear ducts to be in use for hours on end.  And then you cry some more because it’s now a physical AND emotional pain.. Oh it hurts…  Wednesday was sad, I woke up hoping I had dreamed a terrible dream and then cried.  I managed to pull it together but somehow cried some more on my way to work.  And later that evening when we came home to our empty Puff house…   We both cried together.  We put aside our “what ifs”  What if we had woke up in time? What if we had seen the signs and ignored them?   The truth is: when it’s our time, it’s our time. 

I know it will get easier…and soon I will smile and laugh at all the Puff reminders.

But still my heart is heavy

Who will help me practice?

Who will warm my sinks?

Day in and day out…

Who will validate my online shopping addiction?

Who will I take to Halloween parties? 

And just who will help me win “Most Disturbing” costume aka the crazy cat lady

Who will chase the t.v squirrels? 

Who will beg for food?  And yes, maybe sometimes overindulge.

Who will comfort me when I am sick as a dog? (Excuse me, I mean kitty cat!)

Who will motivate me to “Puffercise?”

Who will be the apple of Pocahontas’ eye?

And who will keep her bed warm?

Who will Buddha hug now?

Oh how he loved Puff… how we all loved Puff

Here’s the last picture I took of my sweet Puff.  February 17, 2013.   A little more than 2 weeks before he left us.  He’s fluff, he’s Puff, he’s…just so darn cute.

No longer will he knock over my perfume bottles in the morning, or meow when I raise my voice. No longer will he fish for feathers or engage in a game of hide & seek.  No longer will he bask in the sun or prance around our house in his kitty pantaloons.  No longer will my lint brush be covered in luxurious white hair.  Nor will our guests be promptly greeted at the front door. (He was such the gentleman!)  And most of all, no longer will he be the center of attention in our lives and also his sweet little Buddha’s.

 I asked my husband what we should do this weekend in honor of Puff and his reply was, ” We could prance around the house, eat till we are stuffed, and then pass out on our backs with our belly showing.”

I smiled and laughed. (Oh did it feel good to laugh!)  He’s right.  Our little zoo lost its favorite member but we are blessed to have spent the best darn 10 Puff years of our life.  And trust me, Puff matters 😉

To everyone who has lost their pet.  You are with me now.   Our pets are more than four legs and fur.  They are our salvation.   It’s true.  “You don’t rescue your pet, your pet rescues you.”   Thank you Puff for loving me and everyone you ever met.

RIP Puff May 2004-March 5, 2013