Thankful Thursday in the Garden with Jonesie

Happy Thanksgiving! I am thankful for so many things. I am thankful for my wonderful family that loves me. I am thankful for all of my wonderful friends. I am thankful little squirt Cory got the idea to start this blog so I could realize my dream of sharing my garden with the world. It didn't start out easy for me.

In February of 2002 when my mom and dad think I was about 2 years old, I was near the end. I was abandoned and hungry and cold and I had given up on living. I wandered from the nearby apartments and ended up in the bushes of what is now my backyard. I didn't come out on my own. There were 2 other cats playing in the yard near the bushes. That's why my mom and dad came down to look to see those other cats. Then when mom and dad were focused on the others...I came out. They tried to feed me but I didn't want to eat. They were able to catch me and bring me in the house. They were patient and I slowly started to eat again. My fur was all patchy. I decided I did want to live. Mom and dad never saw those other 2 cats again.

Once I regained my strength and my beautiful fur I wanted to go out in the yard. At the time, Maxfield and Jonathan were the Kings of the yard. They were really good to me and showed me the ropes. It took awhile for me to really understand it was mine. I was a cat with real estate. After Maxfield and Jonathan got too old and ill to go outside anymore, it was up to me to carry on their legacy. I take it very seriously. Since I started out in life with nothing, I am thankful everyday for what I have.

So when it gets a little damp outside, and the leaves are everywhere, I am thankful.

When I get to snoopervise the clearing out of the garden beds, I am thankful.

When I get to sharpen my claws on mom's leg, I am thankful.

When mom and dad do all the hard work and I get to watch and approve, I am thankful.

Mom and dad will not be cooking today, they will visit family, but they always bring back slices of turkey to share with us. And for that I am thankful. Please leave a link and tell me what's going on in your garden or if you just want to share your Thanksgiving wishes.

Remembering Maxfield

Today, November 1st is the Day of the Dead. It's a day to remember those who came before. I was thinking that we might post a bit about all of our guardian angels, but because it's American Diabetes month, today I'm going to honor Maxfield. Maxfield passed away in February of 2004, before I was even born. All I know is what my mom tells me of him. He was an amazingly handsome buff furred boy. He moved in on my mom and dad within months after Roger Ramjet ::bows head in honor:: passed away in 1990. Max "traded up" from a neighbor person who did not care for him...and when they found out where he was living several months after the fact...didn't even want him back. Max was a smart boy. Since mom and dad told me that Roger Ramjet was President of the local cat union...it was well known in the neighborhood there was an opening at our house. Maxfield stepped up to the job. He was originally named after the food that fed him (Nutromax)... but later mom and dad expanded on that because he was so handsome. Maxfield Parrish seemed to suit him.

Max was best buddies with my mentor, guardian angel Jonathan. That's why I was chosen to write this post today. Max was 14 years old when mom and dad noticed he was drinking lots of water and he ate a lot but was losing weight. He was diagnosed with feline diabetes. It was a rough few months. Mom and dad had to give Max insulin injections 2 times a day. Even then, controlling a Max's blood sugar levels was almost impossible. Mom searched every website and read everything she could. The scary part was that too little insulin would be harmful, but too much could kill him. It was a daily struggle and panic attack according to my mom. They had to be brave. Some cats do ok for a long time, but mom and dad could not get Max's blood sugar under control. One day, Max got an injection and it was too much. He was rushed to the vet, but they could not save him. He passed away 4 months after he was diagnosed.

Max will always be remembered as amazingly handsome and a loyal friend. He helped heal mom and dad's heart when Roger Ramjet had to leave, and he left a large hole in our family when he left. Jonathan had a hard time adjusting to Max's passing, but he grew closer to my mom during that time. When my momma Ellie and I moved in, we helped mend Jonathan's broken heart. Maxfield loved his yard as much as Jonesie does, and in a way Jonesie carries on the work that Maxfield started in the garden. Before Jonesie arrived in 2002, it was always "black and tan"...meaning Jonathan and Maxfield, helping my dad in the garden. It was Maxfield who helped mom plant her original herb garden.

Maxfield, we miss you and love you always!