Life gets in the way, but still

I’m sure I’m not alone when I break promises to myself. Particularly writing promises.

I haven’t posted in the last two weeks and didn’t write for an entire week but I can explain:  My mothers cat died.

Yes, I know what you’re thinking, the dog ate my homework, the house needed to be cleaned, blah blah blah . . .

And maybe it’s true, maybe I needed a break but I can say that I haven’t abandoned my novel.  Promising these blog posts really help keep me accountable. This is about FINISHING a first novel, seeing it through and understanding that everything in me wants to sabotage this. It’s so much work, so much actual thinking needs to be done! Planning, even, for the novel to work.

So here’s what happened after writing 38,000 words.

I called my mom as is my habit every morning and an aide answered and told me that my mom just found her cat dead in the closet.

When I spoke to my mom she was in such distress that I knew I had to go and see her. Sometimes a voice on a phone is simply not good enough. First step was to call Lucy, the head nurse and request that she make good on a promise extracted when my mom entered the facility in 2009. Lucy remembered that she promised my mom would be allowed to have another cat if Max died upon the condition that my mom was still able to care for an animal. She was ready for me when I asked. And to my immense relief, she said yes! I am so grateful to the entire staff of Villa Orleans for helping my mom care for her cats, this one, and Max before her.

If you are reading this, Lucy I wish you your own Lucy when you get old and hope to grab ahold of one for myself!

So, earlier this month I flew out to Ottawa and sister Katie drove from Toronto and together we went to the local Humane Society.

This place is extremely clean and spacious.

Well-funded.

With lots of these . . .Kittenz!!!!

Being a self-admitted control freak I was going to pick out my mom’s cat and present it to her as a fait accompli. But husband convinced me that my mom deserved to find her own cat. So here they are – a natural pair. This is the first meeting between Trixie and my mom.

This cat cost $170 plus $90 for a scratching post. The entire process took 3 hours because of a number of glitches but we ended up with a well groomed, micro-chipped cat, with all shots and boosters administered – and spayed, of course.

Here she is – Trixie the cat being fussed over at my mom’s apartment.

Trixie on the carpet.

And me returning to my secret family, the world of my novel and happy to be back. Thanks guys, thanks for waiting. See? I promised I wouldn’t let you down.

I have set a loose deadline of first week in September to have the first draft completed.  And the great relief of proving that if you really, really want something, and are willing to work for it, it is possible. So far . . .

Another 10,000 words which brings my total to 48,283.