We have had a series of surprising events lately.

 

Mitzi, much to the family’s astonishment, had a little tom kitten the other morning in the kennel.  That was not supposed to happen.  She was not supposed to have a third litter of kittens.  She was scheduled to be spayed within the first week of October.

 

Oh, but that kitten was the prettiest kitten yet!  He looked just like his mother, yet he happened to have a white cross on his face.  My siblings and I named him "Crusader".

 

We were not quite sure how to explain the surprising event to Dad.  I noticed that Mitzi had gained a suspicious amount of weight within the past few weeks, but I’m not sure that he noticed.  So, when Rachel was at Ballet class and Mom and Joseph were busy at the grocery store, I proposed a solution to our dilemma.  Beth would present the kitten.

 

I handed Crusader to her, and told her to take him to Dad.  She dutifully performed the task, walking from the front door to the sunroom where he was seated watching the news.

 

The little girls and I (who happened to be holding Ben) rushed to the other side of the house and watched the reaction through the windows in the sunroom door.

 

"Daddoo, here’s a cat," she said, placing the helpless creature on his lap (by the way, she likes to pronounce "cat" as "caht" – like the kitten Marie in the Aristocats).  Dad was surprised, not quite knowing what to think.  Abigail, Mary and I burst ourselves through the door and laughter through our mouths at once.

 

"Get this thing off of me!" he ordered, then questioning if it was a rat (with this many cats?  Would that have been possible?).  I quickly explained what I could.  Although Dad likes cats, he was not particularly pleased with further progress in the population boom.

 

Now for the second suprising event. 

 

"Amanda!  Look, another kitten!" Mary exclaimed as she ran up to me holding a similar – yet larger – specimen of a kitten the other afternoon.  It was indeed a different kitten – similar markings, but a different mark on his face – this one resembling a sort of sword or arrow.

My first thought was "How in the world?".  This kitten was discovered outside in the bushes an entire day after the previous one was born, yet it was a good deal larger and more active!  It too was a tom.  He was named "Saber".

Mitzi discovered how to open the kennel door by herself.  It doesn’t close very securely.  The weather has begun to cool down considerably, which we appreciate.  Fall is here.  I am not certain that kittens ought to be born in the cooler months, however.

 

The third, and unfortunately surprising event occured yesterday morning.

 

Mary informed me that Crusader was lying very still and had a purple nose.  Upon investigating further, I confirmed that we had on our hands the first kitten fatality to take place at Fair Hills Farm.  He died before ever opening his eyes.  Mitzi still insisted that the dead kitten stay with her in the basket, but I could not allow that. 

 

The other kitten was alive and warm and well.  What happened?

 

Mom thinks that perhaps some of the shots that Mitzi received a few weeks ago could have contributed to the kitten’s weakness somewhat.  We were unaware that Mitzi was expecting kittens when she received the various feline immunizations which were mandatory for her upcoming spaying procedure (which, of course, now has to be delayed about a month).

 

This still poses a mystery for me.  Mitzi never showed signs of heat, no foreign tom cats were seen on the premise, and the kittens turned out to resemble her more than any of the kittens from her previous litters.  Odd, indeed.

 

Also, some may be interested in seeing a picture of "The Big Fish" that a friend caught at our pond.

 

Mom is working on her blog more.  I took the profile picture for her and uploaded it.  Dad is heading 60 miles out at sea with his uncle to partake of a deep sea fishing experience.  Ben Stevie has learned how to laugh.

 

I began thinking recently about how valuable it would be for me to have a laptop computer – my own personal computer.  I thought about how much easier it would be for me to work and blog if I did have one.  I thought about how impossible it seems for me to get one.  I wondered why I don’t have one.  Then I remembered that never in my life have I once prayed for a laptop computer.

 

I really know how to set myself up for discouragement, do I not?

 

I shall sign off now.

 

PRAYERS FOR THE NATION AND THE WORLD,

 

~Amanda~

 

   

Comments

Saturday, September 30, 2006 – Untitled Comment

Posted by JenIG
holy moly that is a big fish!
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