This was supposed to be a success story

"This was supposed to be a success story" said my sister in an email to me on Monday. That's what makes this story so heartbreaking.

Those of you who have been reading my blog know that my sister and I had been feeding a stray cat who had 5 kittens under the porch at my sister's art studio. We know 3 of her kittens survived and were rescued.  But 2 of them are missing.  Maybe someone took them in or maybe they did not survive.  That's Miss Marble in the photo above.

We rescued Miss Marble a week ago Sunday night. She was spayed that next Monday and Tuesday she was returned to us.  We were hopeful she would bond with us so she could find a forever home. My sister would have taken her to her home but my father who lives with my sister does not want pets in the home.

I could not take in a 4th cat.  But I would have let her stay in my office in the basement if we didn't find a home for her by Winter.  The office has central air and heat and two windows. It would have been adequate temporary housing for her. Not the most ideal but adequate.

My sister's landlord at the studio was captivated by Miss Marble.  He thought perhaps he would like to give her a home but we thought he was not suitable because he travels a lot for business.  Anyway, he allowed us to use the second commercial space in the building for housing for Miss Marble. Rent free.  The tenant had moved out on July 31st so the space was vacant and the timing was perfect!

We thought Miss Marble was recovering nicely and she was looking good and eating well after her surgery. My sister and I were taking turns feeding her and keeping her company. And when we weren't there we had the radio on for her. It's funny, the first time my sister turned on the radio the song was Don't Stand So Close To Me by the Police.  And the first song I heard when I saw Miss Marble after her surgery was I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends by The Beatles.

Last weekend, on Saturday morning Miss Marble didn't look so good.  And she wasn't eating or using her litterbox. My sister was concerned. Saturday night she had not eaten her morning food.  Sunday morning the food was untouched. And by Sunday night still no food was eaten. 

I told my sister we needed to take her to the vet. I thought I heard her wheezing. She was lethargic. We put her in the car and drove to the animal hospital for emergencies. I sat in the back seat with her, reassuring her that it was all ok.

Evidently, she was petrified.  At the hospital, she bit the animal tech and escaped from the staff's reach.  She ran the length of the hospital before she was caught.  The animal tech was going to be put on workmen's compensation. 

After examination, it was determined she was quite sick.  She might have pneumonia and her pupils were not the same size at all indicating a neurological problem.  It was possibly FIP, a fatal brain disease for cats.  The vet expressed concern for our well being and did not think we would be able to administer antibiotics to Miss Marble twice a day for 14 days.  A positive confirmation for FIP would mean an MRI which cost minimally $3,000.

The vet suggested euthanasia as an option.  We did not want to consider this.  We wanted to get her well but it was not looking good.  We were blown away by this diagnosis. I thought she had the sniffles. The vet said she wasn't eating because cats are driven by a sense of smell and Miss Marble was congested and with upper respiratory problems she probably couldn't smell anything.

While at the vet's office my sister placed a call to the Cat Society lady who had helped us rescue Miss Marble.  She said if FIP was mentioned Miss Marble could suffer.  After that we made the painful decision to end her life.

I think she must be in heaven. Perhaps with her two kittens.  She was a sweet cat, a kitten really. We noticed about two weeks a look on her face that told us she wanted to be rescued. Perhaps she knew she was sick and she knew we could help end her suffering.  If we had known she was sick, we would never have put her through the surgery.  I feel terrible that she went through an unnecessary surgery.
At least she must have felt safe and loved after her rescue.  She actually let me stroke her ear the other day.  It was the first time I touched her.

But she touched us right from the start when we first met her nearly two months ago.  And we will miss her terribly. 

My sister said she was wishing for a forever home for Miss Marble but she did not think her forever home would be heaven. She thinks we should be careful what we wish for.

                                                       Rest in Peace Miss Marble.

Cool antique store find

You might remember I visited the city of Gloucester last week. Well after my friend Lori Lee and I had breakfast we checked out a few antique stores.

I found a wonderful old photo album that I just had to have.  Here it is on display in my hallway.

Here's a closer look. I liked the color of the album and noticed it had some of the colors of the lamp.

The album is hand painted and the paint is chipping.  But I don't mind.  It adds character.

Here's an extreme closeup.  It's so cheery. I just love it!

 It must have locked at one time. The fact that it won't lock now doesn't bother me.  My life is an open book, right?

And speaking of open books, when I opened the album I was pleasantly surprised by the condition of the interior.  Also, the book was filled with pristine vintage photographs.

Don't you love the painting around the photos? So gorgeous!

This page is my favorite.  Love the little girl and the embellishment around the photo. It is just so charming.

 Here's a closer view.

And an even closer view of the artwork. Magnificent!

I love this little boy's outfit.  I am not sure what era this is from but I sure am curious. Their names are Fred and Ethel!

For a second, I thought I had an original Abe Lincoln photo and I thought I might be able to retire early. But it turns out this is Gramp Hill, a Lincoln lookalike.  I guess I will have to keep my day job! So perhaps this is a Civil War war album? That would be so cool!

This photo was made of a different material.  Lori Lee thinks it's silver gelatin. Really?

And another stylish toddler.  When I brought this to the shop owner I asked if the price was firm and he discounted it quite a bit.  Then he when he opened the album he asked if I would like to sell the photos back to him.  I said no way.  They're part of it's charm!

I'm joining Cindy from My Romantic Home's Show and Tell Friday. Click here to see more posts.

I am happy to report that Miss Marble was rescued last night.  We started feeding her in the carrier /trap a few days ago and she took right to it.

The rescue was scheduled for yesterday morning with the help of two ladies from the cat society.  Little did we know that the landlord of the building had scheduled lawn mowing and cleanup for the morning. There was so much noise that our little feral did not show up.  The rescue was postponed until last night.

My sister was there.  I couldn't bear to watch.  She reported that Miss Marble did not freak out too much after being trapped.  We had noticed that lately she seemed to want to be caught.

She had lived a hard life. Living outside near a busy street, becoming a mother of 5 kittens, foraging for food, all that at such a young age.

Today she had her surgery. She came through it fine and will be released tomorrow. My sister and I will work together to care for her as she recuperates. Just as we worked as a team when we took turns feeding her.

My sister's landlord at her art studio has offered an empty retail space for Miss Marble.  Seems Miss Marble has won his heart too.  She has a lot of people pulling for her as she transitions from stray semi-feral kitty to indoor kitty and house pet.

We have a few leads for a forever home for her.  My hope is that someone will take her in and love and care for her and spend time with her so she will learn how to trust and show affection.  She is safe from all outdoor dangers now and that is a reward in itself.

A daytrip to Cape Ann

 Thursday I took the day off from work.  The weather was just perfect, not too hot or cold with a nice breeze. My friend Lori Lee came down from New Hampshire.

We decided to go for breakfast first. I suggested Sugar Magnolias in Gloucester.  Sugar Mags was on the way to Rockport, our final destination.

Lori Lee had not been to this restaurant.  She loved the menu and decided to go with the decadent Georgia French Toast.  That's marshmallow and chocolate chips atop the toast.

The Motif No 1 was looking good. The harbor was quiet. Just a few pleasure craft.

The water color was such a gorgeous blue.

And yes, of course, we went to Helmut's Strudel shop.  This is the view from the deck.

And another view from the deck. How fun would it be to take out a sailboat on a day like this?

Our table was right here, behind the railing. We had coffee and studel. So good, we each got a box to go home.

Everyone who sits on this deck does not want to leave.  It is possibly the best spot to view the goings on in the harbor.

Mini sailboats on the water.  We watched as sailing school went by us.

We found some interesting shops in Rockport. In Gloucester, we hit two antique stores and a consignment shop.  I'll post about my finds in a few days.

Hope you're having a great weekend.

My cat is gifted

Which cat you may ask? Well Oscar of course!  I always knew he was smart but he's smarter than smart. He's gifted!

Right now, Oscar has a small vocabulary.  He can say why, no, and Mum. But lately he's been talking in complete sentences. It's just a matter of time before he speaks fluent English.

And then could talk shows be far behind? I can see him on Letterman, maybe Regis and Kelly, definitely Animal Planet.  We'll do the talk show circuit.  Maybe some commercials, by the way, he eats Wellness Cat Food.

Of course, we''ll need him to drop his Boston accent. I'll have to teach him to say his R's.

Don't worry, his brother and sister will keep him grounded.  As I write this post, Percy is biting Oscar's neck and then I am sure they will chase each other around the condo.

We have to make sure he stays as sweet and loving as he is today.

Weekend Wedding

This weekend I attended a wedding of my friend Deborah's daughter.  Heidi looked lovely in her dress. Here's the closeup of the gorgeous back of the dress.

The beading was on the bottom of the dress as well.

The reception was on the Spirit of Boston.  It was a 3 1/2 hour sunset cruise.

I love cobalt blue! In fact I was looking for dress the very same color.  I never found it. I ended up wearing white linen pants and a navy blue top with a glitzy necklace and bracelet.

Here are the wedding cakes.  Yes, I did say cakes! There were six of them! I can't remember all the flavors but there was a red velvet cake, a mocha, a dark chocolate, and a white cake with strawberries.

Red velvet cake was by far the most popular although I had to go with the mocha.
The bride's aunt decorated the cakes. Don't you love the butterflies?

And real monarch butterflies were released at the wedding ceremony earlier in the day. One of the butterflies landed on the bride's father's shoulder.

The Minuteman cake, an ode to the region the bride's family lives.  Surely, you've heard of historic Lexington and Concord.

My friend Deborah looked gorgeous in her blue gown.

Her son Landon was one of the ushers.

Heidi and Luis were introduced.

And they were ready for the spotlight that would shine on them all night.

Heidi and her father danced to a beautiful country song. Not sure what it was called

but maybe it was I saw her first.  I probably should have researched this for you.  Anyway, it made everyone misty, it was so beautiful.

Roger, her father, hangs on tight for his last dance with his daughter.

And then granddaughter Olivia joined in.

The couple's first dance with bridesmaids looking on.

The cruise took us past Boston's Zakim Bridge.

We had a wonderful buffet. 

And then it was up on the deck to watch the sunset.  It had been another 90 plus degree day so it was nice to feel the ocean breeze.

The clouds and colors of the sky were everchanging.

To the right in the photo is the Logan Airport tower.

Here are the girls from the tea group.  The bride's mother is our tea group friend.

 More pink clouds as the sun sets over the Harbor.

The wake from the boat made interesting ripples in the water.

Must be great to sail on Summer nights like this.

Heather was content to stay out on the deck all night.  Me too!

From orange to pink, such an interesting sky.

Have I bored you yet with my sunset shots?

As I said earlier, I went for the mocha cake.  I didn't regret it.

The going away dance for Heidi and Luis.  Not sure where they are honeymooning.

And one last look at the Boston skyline.  It was a magical night.