It is time for Dr Grey to remove the staples from my neck. Mom has been very worried about me. She even redesigned my harness. I now have a V on either side of my shoulders that connects with the band around my tummy. I love it because as my weight fluctuates, I can easily step out of my harness. Mom calls that being naked and she asks me not to do it when I’m outside. I always let her pick me up to bring me back inside – at least when I’m ready to come in. I am always faster than she is!

The staples pop out easily. Dr Grey listens to my heart and lungs. She carefully pokes my throat. I know she wants what is best for me, so I let her do what she feels is important. I did let her know that I do not like that thing she pokes in my butt. She also confirms that I have lost weight. I like to think I’m just shaping up. Mom holds me tight when they both read the report from the pathologist. It is not what any of us wanted to hear. The report said I had a adenocarcinoma – cancer and that Dr Grey may not have gotten all of the tumor during my surgery. The report also said that this type of tumor is an uncommon malignancy but those cats are almost all male and my age of 9 years old. So I could be a poster cat for a tumor – great. The pathologist also suggested going to a veterinary oncologist for additional treatment. Mom decided she wouldn’t put me through such a thing. I will continue with the addition of that nasty wet food with the powder stirred in. Wish me luck.

In case you have questioned if I’m really the one telling my story, here I am ready to dictate to Mom. She says it is fine as long as I don’t sit on the keyboard. What fun is that?

I’ve shared that I don’t like canned cat food. Poor Mom has tried dozens of flavors. I usually try a bite and leave the rest of Sophia or Missy when the bowl gets pushed to the floor. I really don’t know how that happens. I just know that like my litter box, it needs to be buried. She is still stirring that medicine into that gravy “chowder” stuff she orders. Some days I’ll eat it and some days I won’t. She even bought special plastic bowls with lids so that when I don’t eat it, she can put it in the refrigerator for later. Sometimes it does taste better later. She talks to me about my weight loss. She is afraid that the cancer has spread. That powder in my food is to stop that. I have decided to take the broader view – the tumor was a slow grower. Any new cancer will also be a slow grower. I’ll eat what appeals. If I am not hungry, I won’t eat. Pretty simple really.

Last week Mom stopped at the grocery and bought their fried chicken for dinner. She had a meeting at the election office and didn’t feel like cooking. She has done that before, but this time, the chicken smelled so good. I couldn’t help myself. When she got up to get a glass of water, I took a bite of the chicken on her plate. Mom and Dad had told stories about dogs they had who took the chicken off their plates, but I never did anything like that before. Mom was not pleased. She pushed me off the table, but I came right back. I needed to let her know that I wanted more of the chicken! She took a knife, cut off the piece I had eaten from and then, chopped more chicken into small pieces. She pushed those pieces and me to the far side of the table. Wow! It was great. Once I ate that, she did the same thing with more chicken. When I finished, I looked at her plate. It was empty with only a few bones left. I wonder if she got any of the chicken for herself.

This next week is Thanksgiving. Mom always set the dinning room table with nice dishes even if it is just for her and Dad like it will be this week. She keeps the door closed because she knows that I like to smell all of the dishes and drink the water straight from the glasses with the ice. She will also fix a turkey. I know that turkey is related to chicken. I wonder if it will taste as good as that grocery store chicken? If she doesn’t close the door, maybe I can grab a bite or two when she isn’t looking. I’ll need to work on my stealth skills. Better yet would be if she set a place for me.

Thanksgiving from years past.

My Mom is weird. She cooks and serves the Thanksgiving dinner on Wednesday rather than on Thursday. Even I know that Thursday is Thanksgiving, but not in our house. Mom said that she started the tradition the year after Brother Doug fell asleep as he drove home over the mountain pass after eating lots of turkey. Because he was off on Wednesday, he could drive over on Wednesday for the turkey dinner. He could eat as much as he wanted, spend the night, and then drive home rested on Thanksgiving with leftovers in his ice chest ready for work on Friday. Even though he won’t be joining us, Mom likes the tradition.

On Thanksgiving day, Mom and Dad will eat leftovers. He will watch football games and she will put her feet up and watch sappy holiday movies. How can she still cry over a movie she has watched for over 20 years? Her favorite is One Special Night. She says she likes to watch James Garner – the actor I was named after. I mentioned that way back at the beginning of these posts. Then she will watch Home for the Holidays before moving on the Miracle on 34th Street.

She also said that back in the days when she shopped Black Friday sales, she could be up and out the door at 5 AM to buy the good stuff. If she spent Thursday cooking, she would have been tired on Friday morning. Now she will be up, make coffee and settle in at the computer to write on her current mystery novel. I guess being weird is something to be thankful for. I’m thankful that I get to share it with her again this year.