This week, I found a quote by T.S. Eliot that I thought nicely accompanied the photos that I captured of the Smith felines: When a cat
adopts you there is nothing to be done about it except to put up with it until
the wind changes.
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| Zoie as a kitten |
While all of our furry family are rescues, Zoie Joy and Halo are the two who seemed to "adopt" us. As Eliot suggests, when cats decide where they want to make a forever home, little can be done but submit to their desires. After all, how can you turn away a one and a half pound kitten crying in a bush outside your back door?
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| A spindly young Zoie |
Four years ago, my husband was working in the garden when he heard the first meows and tried to ignore the cries until they remained persistent and he had no choice but to check who was sending out "adoption" signals. Just holding the dehydrated and hungry little black ball of fur in my hands the first time was all I needed to know that the wind would never change and that Zoie Joy had chosen the right "forever" home. Now fourteen pounds later, she is my companion, bed mate and truly the "Joy" of my life.
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| Zoie Joy today |
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| Halo on our patio |
On Mother's Day two years ago, Halo suddenly appeared on our patio while my husband and I were looking at the spring flowers that were bursting into bloom. Again, I immediately knew that we had been adopted. It took a little while to gain her trust enough to scoop her up for a visit to the vet and an FIV check to determine if we could bring her inside. In the course of the exam, the vet informed us that Halo was pregnant. She also had a colitis issue, but it was obvious we had been "adopted."
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| Halo's kitten Miss Paddington |
The wind has not changed since the day we brought her in, nursed her back to health and supported her through a pregnancy that produced three beautiful kittens, one of which we adopted. Halo's road to good health was a long and rocky one, but today she is a sweet and constant companion. She knows when I need comfort and spends most of her day next to me as I work.
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| Paddy and Halo today |
So, T.S. Eliot wisely captured the essence of being a cat owner. But whether our furry friends adopt us or we adopt them, it is more than obvious that the wind will never change while they are members of our furry family.
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The first book in my Caprice De Luca mystery series
--my sleuth takes in stray animals and finds them homes--is on sale. It's the Kindle Monthly Deal at $1.99. You can find the whole series on its own page at Amazon. Link below.
Staged To Death
Deadly Decor
Gilt By Association
Drape Expectations
Silence of the Lamps
Shades of Wrath--December 2016
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| Karen and Paddy |
USA TODAY Bestselling Author Karen Rose Smith is an only child who delved into books at an early age. She learned about kindred spirits from Anne of Green Gables, solved mysteries with Nancy Drew and wished she could have been the rider on The Black Stallion. Yet even though she escaped often into story worlds, she had many aunts, uncles and cousins around her on weekends. Her sense of family and relationships began there. Maybe that's why families are a strong theme in her novels, whether mysteries or romances. Her 95th novel will be released in 2016.
Readers often ask her about her pastimes. She has herb, flowers and vegetable gardens that help her relax. In the winter, she cooks rather than gardens. And year round she spends most of her time with her husband, as well as her four rescued cats who are her constant companions. They chase rainbows from sun catchers, reminding her life isn't all about work, awards and bestseller lists. Everyone needs that rainbow to chase.
Karen looks forward to interacting with readers. They can find her at the links below.
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©2016 Karen Rose Smith
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