Feliz Navidad

As I pulled up to my second to last spot on Central this morning, the woman that lives in the house right next to the empty lot where the tree and chained shelter is was outside sweeping her steps.  She is a tiny older Puerto Rican woman, very petite, very frail looking, and doesn't speak a lick of English - she knows me, has seen me, I have tried to converse with her - we greet each other with a nod of the head and a smile.  This morning I said 'hola' to her.  She looked at me and repeated the word, and then said it again with a laugh.  I must have said it wrong, and she must have been laughing at me.  As I was bending down placing the food and water for the sweet black and white kitty there that comes each morning - but I don't know if he is using the shelters provided there - I was thinking, when I walk past her I will say 'feliz navidad' - that is Spanish for Merry Christmas, right?  But she wasn't there.  She went back into her house.  I will be sure to say it to her again if I see her again before next Wednesday. 

Just yesterday, I got out of the car on Chamberlain to place food and water down for Lucy, the only cat I know of (Casey has not been around) since rescuing Gordie from there, and a young black man was walking by.  I got out, he said "Goodmorning Kind Lady!"  I thought, that is SO SWEET!  I greeted him back with a laugh and a smile.  That made my morning.  Now, if I could just get them to feed and shelter and rescue their own cats!

I want to point out another good deed I noticed this morning.  SOMEONE shoveled paths for the kitties on Baldwin.  Now, I don't know if someone who is reading this now did that for me, or if one of the neighbors there did it.  I am thinking Larry, the kind black man across from this empty corner lot who loves cats, but his wife doesn't.  He has a meticulous property, his large driveway is shoveled perfectly.  It was amazing, how someone saw the paths that were cut by the kitties in several directions, and someone shoveled those perfectly for the little furballs to get around better in the knee high snow.  Amazing.  I am reminded that there really are good people left in this world.

Charlie Sr. is doing well at his foster mom Sue's house.  Sue is Kristin's mom, who after getting her arm twisted by her two daughters, was able to take in Charlie, who couldn't stop shaking he was so cold the other morning.  I got a call last night that someone wanted to adopt Charlie.  I was thrilled at this news.  I also got word yesterday that someone wants to adopt Abby!  I am 98% sure of this, and she will go to her new home after the Christmas holiday.  These are two very lucky kitties!!  Now to get Gordie fostered and adopted, or adopted period!  Gordie goes to get snipped tomorrow morning, but tested for Leukemia first.  Fingers crossed!

"When all seems lost, and there is no hope left, remember that this time will pass, and you will look back and see how it made you stronger"