Sadness
Sep. 22nd, 2025 10:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
It's been a rough 72 (or so) hours.
On Saturday, I woke up to the news that the Baroness of Storvik, officially Gracia but known to all as Gracie, died most unexpectedly of an apparent heart attack. I think she was 53.
I was trying to process the shock and sadness, while I was also trying to get my cat Julia to eat food and drink water all weekend.
Then, early this morning, Julia D*****, First of Her Name, Serene Princess of the Household, traveled to the Rainbow Bridge.
Julia's health had been declining in the last few weeks; I took her to the vet for euthanasia just after Labor Day weekend, but she meowed and purred so strongly in my arms that I just couldn't go through with the deed.
Her appetite was slowly declining, and she took in barely any food this weekend. I know that's a bad sign in cats. Last night, after the baronial business meeting, I meant to reread parts of a book on pet loss that I've owned since I had to face the death of my dog in 2001. But I ended up dozing off in front of the football game on TV (just to have some noise in the house). I woke up after midnight and put Julia on my lap (on top of a towel because of her general funkiness) and I brushed her and told her what a pretty kitty she was and repeated her name and felt her weakened purr. (During the Zoom meeting, she had crawled out of her bed and over to my chair for pettings, but she could manage only a few steps at a time.) I kept petting her until about 2:30 a.m., and then I told her I really needed sleep, and I put her in her bed with her head pointing away from me. While I was in the bathroom, she managed to turn around with her head pointing toward me and my bed.
That's how I found her this morning. Already getting cold and stiff.
Herveus and I dug a grave in the backyard and I laid Julia on the old towel and sprinkled a few of Nick's cremains on her still body. She missed her human Daddy so much since he died, and I wanted her to spend eternity with a little part of him.
You probably all know the story about our pets waiting for us at the Rainbow Bridge so they can cross it together with us. I want to think that Nick was waiting for Julia at the Rainbow Bridge, so that they can now enjoy each other's company again.
On Saturday, I woke up to the news that the Baroness of Storvik, officially Gracia but known to all as Gracie, died most unexpectedly of an apparent heart attack. I think she was 53.
I was trying to process the shock and sadness, while I was also trying to get my cat Julia to eat food and drink water all weekend.
Then, early this morning, Julia D*****, First of Her Name, Serene Princess of the Household, traveled to the Rainbow Bridge.
Julia's health had been declining in the last few weeks; I took her to the vet for euthanasia just after Labor Day weekend, but she meowed and purred so strongly in my arms that I just couldn't go through with the deed.
Her appetite was slowly declining, and she took in barely any food this weekend. I know that's a bad sign in cats. Last night, after the baronial business meeting, I meant to reread parts of a book on pet loss that I've owned since I had to face the death of my dog in 2001. But I ended up dozing off in front of the football game on TV (just to have some noise in the house). I woke up after midnight and put Julia on my lap (on top of a towel because of her general funkiness) and I brushed her and told her what a pretty kitty she was and repeated her name and felt her weakened purr. (During the Zoom meeting, she had crawled out of her bed and over to my chair for pettings, but she could manage only a few steps at a time.) I kept petting her until about 2:30 a.m., and then I told her I really needed sleep, and I put her in her bed with her head pointing away from me. While I was in the bathroom, she managed to turn around with her head pointing toward me and my bed.
That's how I found her this morning. Already getting cold and stiff.
Herveus and I dug a grave in the backyard and I laid Julia on the old towel and sprinkled a few of Nick's cremains on her still body. She missed her human Daddy so much since he died, and I wanted her to spend eternity with a little part of him.
You probably all know the story about our pets waiting for us at the Rainbow Bridge so they can cross it together with us. I want to think that Nick was waiting for Julia at the Rainbow Bridge, so that they can now enjoy each other's company again.