Kitty Celebration of Life Giveaway

As most of you know, I lost my beloved companion Magic the Cat,Queen of the Universe, on January 3rd, one month ago today. And then her brother Mystic nine days later. I can't believe it has been a month, and I still miss them terribly. But I don't just want to focus on mourning.

Magic

Mystic

The truth is, there is much to celebrate too. I had them for almost 16 years (I got them as kittens, and it would have been 16 years this March). They were both amazing cats, loving and sweet, and Magic and I had a relationship that was deeper than I have had with most people--something truly special. She was a part of my magic and my writing career, as well as my constant companion.

And while I lost them both to cancer (2 different kinds), they both hung on longer than could have been reasonably expected, especially in  Magic's case, when we first discovered her cancer when one of the cystic tumors burst and almost killed her. Getting over two months with her after that was nothing short of miraculous, and my vet still can't explain why the tumors kept growing without bursting and killing her. I can. She was magic. (And stubborn as hell.)

I am also incredibly grateful for all of the support I got from my readers, fans, and friends during the terrible months when I was losing them, and in my grief after. Not just the financial support from the folks who signed up for my Patreon (THANK YOU!) although that was so helpful in defraying the costs of keeping them alive and comfortable for as long as I did, but also all those who sent messages of comfort and sympathy. I appreciated it more than you could know.

When my grandmother died at almost 100 (7 years ago this Valentine's Day), she didn't want a funeral. That was all about death. She wanted a Celebration of Life, where people gathered together to celebrate those 100 years.

So I'm having a Celebration of Life for my beloved kittens, and saying thank you to all of you at the same time by giving away a fun pack of goodies: cat themed dish towels, pot holder, and wine glass markers, a "Crazy Cat Lady" kit, and a copy of my latest book, A Year and a Day of Everyday Witchcraft plus a cover flat of the book, since it has a black kitty on the front. One last goody is especially close to my heart--a small glass necklace with a black kitty on it that looks just like Magic in her trademark pose.

Goodies!

glass markers

Look, it's Magic!

As usual, all you have to do to enter is fill out the Rafflecopter form. And you get credit for anything you've already done, like signing up for my newsletter. (You're going to want to do that one if you haven't yet, because there is a BIG announcement coming, and my newsletter and Patreon peeps will hear about it first!)

Thanks again for helping me grieve and now, to celebrate the lives that were so important to me. You all rock.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mystic the Magnificent

It has been a rough week. I lost Mystic yesterday, nine days after his sister. He'd been fighting lymphoma since March and had already been going downhill. Once we lost Magic, he stopped eating almost entirely. When I brought him in on Friday, his weight was down to 9.3 lbs (from 16.8 originally--he was a BIG cat) and my vet said it was time. But it was SO hard to let him go too.

I'll be back with more cheerful news soon, I promise.

For Jerry

Last week I had two uncles. This week I have one.

My Uncle Jerry lived in Stockton (with my mom's sister, my Aunt Sue), and it has been a long time since we were together. But I have fond memories of the entire family gathering at my grandmother's house in Schenectady, where Jerry would lecture and discuss and argue and joke with the rest of us, and let out that huge honking laugh of his.

Jerry with one of his grandchildren a few years back

A rare group family picture from about 20 years ago (the baby in the front is Athena, who is turning 22 next month!)

 That's my sister Sarah holding my niece Bri, my Aunt Susan holding my niece Addy, her husband Ross behind her, then my Aunt Sue with the red hair and glasses in the middle, Jerry, and my dad. In front is my beloved grandmother, and next to her my youngest sister Becky holding Athena. I was taking the picture. (I think my mom was off running errands or something.)

Sue and Jerry on their wedding day, from an old Polaroid

I was brought up Jewish, and Jerry was one of the few members of our family who stayed with the faith. So this is for him; the Kaddish, the Jewish prayer for the dead. My world is a little smaller without you in it, Uncle Jerry. Rest in peace.

English Translation

Glorified and hallowed is God's name,
in the world that God created, according to God's will,
and may God's majesty be revealed
in the days of our lifetime
and in the lifetime of all the house of Israel,
speedily and soon. And let us say, amen.
May God's great name be blessed always and forever.
Blessed, praised, glorified, exalted, extolled,
honored, raised up, and acclaimed
be the name of the Holy one, blessed be He
beyond every blessing hymn, praise, and consolation
that is uttered in the world. And let us say, amen.
May abundant peace from heaven, and life
be upon us and upon all Israel. And let us say, amen.
May God who makes peace in high places
make peace upon us and upon all Israel,
and let us say, amen.

Transliteration

Yitgadal v'yitkadash, shemey rabah.
Be'almah di'verah chir'utey
V'yamlich malchutey
Bechai'yeychon u'veyo'meychon
U'vechayey d'chol beit Yisrael
Ba'agalah u'vizman karim v'imru, amein.
Y'hey sh'mey rabah m'vorach le'alam u'le'almey almaya.
Yitbarach ve'yishtabach ve'yitpa'ar ve'yitromam ve'yitnasey
Ve'yit'hadar ve'yit'aleh ve'yit'halal
Sh'mey d'kudesha b'rich hu
L'eyla min kol birchata ve'shirata tush'bechata ve'nechemata
D'amiran b'alma v'imru, amen.
Yehey sh'lama raba min shemaya, ve'chayim
Aleynu ve'al kol yisrael ve'imru, amen.
Oseh shalom bimromav,
Hu ya'aseh shalom. Aleynu ve'al kol yisrael
V'imru, amen.

Saying Goodbye to Minerva

I'm afraid this is a rather sad Feline Friday post. As some of you know (the ones who follow me on Facebook), I had to say goodbye to my beloved cat Minerva this Tuesday. She'd had a bad week back in January I blogged about it here, but it looked like it was just a fluke, and she was fine. Unfortunately, the issue returned after I got back from Coastal Magic on February 7th (I'm still going to put up a blog about that eventually, probably) and we've been fighting the good fight ever since. On Tuesday, we lost the battle.

Minerva 2001-20016

We still don't know for sure what went wrong, but it was likely to be some form of cancer, since all her blood tests and x-rays were fine, but she went downhill incredibly fast. She initially responded well to prednisone, but then even that stopped working and she wouldn't eat. It broke my heart, but we had a good last couple of days on Sunday and Monday (when I was already pretty sure we were at the end) and when I took her in on Tuesday, my vet and the techs and everyone were just wonderful. I miss her terribly, but it was the right thing to do to end her suffering. I put up this altar for her in the last week, and then added her picture once she was gone.

I'm not the only one missing her. I ended up adopting Minerva more or less by accident. I'd gone to the shelter to get one kitten (I swear!) to be company for the final elderly cat I had left at the time, and ended up coming home with Mystic, his sister Magic (she insisted, and that was just the first of many times she twisted me around her little paw) and their scared, sickly mother. The folks at the shelter offered to throw her in as a "bonus," without any of the usual adoption charges, because they could see that she was unadoptable. She was so frightened, it took her two years before she got brave enough to sit on my lap. Of course, then she never wanted to get off. I called her my little bonus cat.

Mystic and Magic are clearly aware that she isn't coming back, although how they know, I'm not sure. (When she was hospitalized for two days back in January, they were just fine.) Mystic isn't finishing his food--that never happens!--and Magic has been a bit clingy. But we'll hang together and get through this.

Magic, Minerva, and Mystic a few years after they got here. Mystic was already huge compared to the others. It made it easier to tell him apart from his look-alike mom.

It is my very great consolation that I was able to give her fourteen years of a good life she wouldn't have had otherwise: a loving home where she could feel safe and stay with two of her kittens (she was a very affectionate and attached mother, which not all cats are). March 8th would have been the anniversary of the day I brought her and the kittens home. It has always been a joyous day in this house, but this year the house will be a little bit emptier.

Minerva always looked so dainty next to her giant son, but she never stopped curling up with her kids.

The family together, in happier days.

This is the tough part about having animal companions, of course, and it hurts like hell. But I can't imagine my life without them and the joy and love they bring to my life.

Thank you, Minerva, for being my little bonus kitty. I miss you.