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A Hallmark Moment

The really great thing about Hallmark is that they do produce greeting cards that portray specific identifiable sentiments. These people have the illustrations and the words, and often put them together in a uniquely touching way. They cost more, but are usually worth it.

Since Valentine's Day is tomorrow, actually today (since it's after midnight), the televison has been full of commercials for Hallmark products. Some of the commercials I like, and others have become irritating and feel sticky sweet after too many viewings. I'm glad the commercial season will quickly be behind us. . . with those "special" moments.

This evening I watched a Hallmark production movie on the Hallmark cable TV channel. I don't watch Hallmark movies very often because they often cause me a sentimental tear drizzle before the movie is over. I wanted to see this particular movie, "Hope Rose," because Lou Diamond Phillips plays the lead. Mr. Phillips hasn't made a giant name for himself, but it seems he was in the "Young Guns" series of movies. Lou Diamond Phillips is a friend of a friend from my home town.

In the 1990s I dated a very tall and handsome fellow in Corpus Christi, Texas (where Vice-President Cheney's hunting companion is currently recouperating from an unexpected dose of hunting gunfire/accidental shooting). (I still can't believe that. but that's another blog.)

Brett and I weren't together for very long because I had already decided to move back to Dallas by the time we got together. He was a friend of the boyfriend I had just broken up with. I was sizzling in those days! At any rate, Brett went to high school and was in the drama department classes with Lou at the one Flour Bluff Independent School District high school. It's a small district that services Navy base kids, and the unique population strata that dwells upon the shores of the Laguna Madre water inlet, between Corpus Christi on the bay, and the actual island called Padre Island. The area produces quite an interesting mix of characters, and though I've never met Mr. Phillips, I feel like I know him. It's as close as I'll probably ever get to actually knowing a movie star. He's a pretty good actor too. Very believable in the movie--with Ernest Borgnine and Lee Majors and the guy who played Newley on Gunsmoke.

I recommend the movie. It didn't make me cry, but it was very touching, moving, a movie that draws you in because it feels like real life. Hallmark almost has the market secured in presenting simple, yet so effective, a portrayal of moving emotion.

And somehow related. . .

This is going to be one of those Valentine's Days that I don't have a special fellow for flowers and chocolates, and fancy dinners and diamonds. I've had enough good Valentine's Days that I don't mind this being a year that I'm not able to go whole hog with hot passionate love. I'll make up for it sometime in the future, but still it's a little sad ;-(

I live with two cats and two dogs, who are my whole hearted Valentine's sweeties every day. I got sick last Thursday with a severe sore throat that turned into fever, sinus problems, coughing, not breathing right. . . capable of rest and sleep in bed only. If the pups could only make and fetch me home made chicken soup! Best intentions of pets can only go so far.

Both of the dogs came down with itching the first of last week, and I wasn't healthy enough to get out and get Benadryl and Velveta to take care of their problems. Finally, I did that today, but the sweet little baby girl dog has already broken her skin scratching, and may have to go the the vet for stronger medicine. They'll be fine, and I'm feeling better since I finally got to a doctor today, and he prescribed medicine to get me on my feet. How's 875 mg, two times a day? With pills that size, who needs food?

I did the best I could about seeing to the old kitty's problem. She got to the vet last Friday, before I got to the doctor. Today was her second visit to the vet, and it's finally sinking into my brain that she's in the mid to latter stages of kidney failure, and she won't be my precious number one kitty for too much longer. I only have four-footed children, and the oldest is dying.

"Nellie's" problem at the moment is that she hasn't gone poop in her litter box for over a week, maybe two. She's been active and acting like she feels great. However, no one can feel good with all that poop stuck inside.

So along with the vet's best "doctoring", I've dosed the cat as much as I could over the weekend, being sick myself and spending a lot of time sleeping. And we've been back for the vet to do an enema and x-rays, and received the reports for lab work with blood and urine. I spent this evening re-reading about kidney disease in cats. I finally remembered most of what I learned in my vet technology classes. I'm glad I had that year of vet tech training, and I still have my books as reference.

Because humans have the priviledge of terminating a terminal pet's life via the vet, I'm not going to extreme measures to prolong the inevitable. I'm going to ask the vet to put her to sleep before the toxins which are taking over her little seven pound body begin to cause her to smell bad.

I don't want the time we've spent together since May of 1986 to be overshadowed by a prolonged and uncomfortable end.

She may have a couple of weeks, or a couple of days. I was petting her, and crying during the movie. Then, I made a proactive decision to appreciate her for all she's worth now, instead of being sad with her at the end.

I've always fallen headlong into the overwhelming sadness and grief of death. Instead, I'm going to use this as an opportunity to appreciate the life of a special companion who has been with me for almost 20 years. About the first of March in 1986 is when she was probably born. I hope she makes it till then. However long she makes it, I'm going to have her in my lap or by my side, and brush her, and love her all I can. One should appreciate what they can while they can.

Forever is not a word that applies to animate objects.