In Memory of Charlie

This morning we are mourning the loss of Charlie who died unexpectedly at the vet's. He was being treated for a respiratory infection, and we thought he might be able to come home today. Everyone, including his doctor, is shocked.

Charlie let me hold him like a newborn baby. He loved to sleep on the wicker chair in the kitchen where he could hear lots of things going on while he dreamed. He also liked to cuddle up on beds next to pillows and stuffed animals. He would sit on my lap when I worked at the computer, but he never wanted to sit in my lap other times. Instead, he snuggled next to my legs on the sofa in the evenings while I read, knitted, talked, or watched a movie. He seemed so content and happy just to be a part of our family.

Charlie loved to be in the middle of my sewing or knitting. He often slept in my sewing room in a shelf on a stash of fabric. I frequently found balls of yarn tangled around the legs of the dining room table. I had to be careful about putting my knitting up away from his little sock feet. I still have a ball of green, cotton yarn that I need to untangle. Yes, he was a typical cat, and he was more.

Charlie was such a wonderful kitty. He came to us a few months before the April tornado. He was outside when the tornado happened, and we missed him for several days until he came running back one day with a half purr, half meow. He didn't seem to hunt too many animals-- moles, anoles, and geckos mostly. I don't think he ever caught a bird. He didn't like dogs, but he grew to like Bailey. They greeted each other with a nose kiss each morning, and Charlie rubbed up against Bailey's legs. He purred for everyone in the family-- even Bailey. He purred when you looked at him. We will miss him dearly.

Charlie, make sure Nellie is o.k. and tell her that we miss her, too. Maybe she will be nicer to you in your new world.