Humble Beginnings

This morning I was able to trap two kitties for neutering.  One from Short Street, the other from Vetter Street, who is part of a woman who lives on that street's 'clan.'  She reached out for help from me and I couldn't turn her down, despite my own desperateness to get all the cats I feed spayed and neutered (and rescued!).  I started to trap for the 'pregnant' cat I saw yesterday on Webster, and when I went to check on it, sure enough, what looked like the cat I saw was in the trap, but it also looked like its ear was already tipped.  So, I let it go.  It was either a very fat cat, or it was the just a looked a lot like it.  Laura was there for the pick up and transport, and again, I couldn't do it without her. 

Yesterday, after getting home from an exhausting day of work, and after many phone calls about the trapping to be done this morning, and Butters, I sat there and thought about something.

I have spent my life trying to be more than I was.  When I was little I pretended that I was a little rich girl.  When I got a little older, I pretended that I came from a sort of wealthy family, mainly because I had an uncle who owned a marina, and we 'summered' on Conesus Lake, and my grandfather was a chauffeur for movie stars and vice presidents who came into Rochester back in the 60s and drove a limo for them, sometimes dropping us kids off at Longpoint Park for the evening in it,  My father passed when I was around 11 and I eluded a false mystery about him that he was an antique gun dealer (which he was) and left a lot of money for me and my sister (which he didn't), but most of that was true in my head because I never really knew him.  He and my mother had separated when I was around two and my father became very sick for several years after that until his death.  My father, by the way, had horses, and a pet skunk!  A dog and cat were always there too on his farm in Spencerport, but I remember that skunk well.

I say all this because I was sitting there last evening, and thinking about all the people who have left me bags of food, or shelters, or donated money to me.  I thought what wonderful, selfless people to do that for a complete stranger, such as I am to them.  Most of these people have only ever read my blog, and never even met me.  I thought to myself, if they only knew how much it was appreciated that people go out of their way to remember me by giving of themselves like they do to help to encourage what I do each and every day.  I could never express how grateful I am to each person who has done this for me over the years.  I can hug, I can say thank you, but you will never really know the depth of my thanks.  I go week to week spending inexhorbitant amounts of money on cat food and wondering if all my bills will be paid, just to feed these homeless/feral cats.

So to each and every one of you that has contributed anything to me, thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you!

Quick Update!  Butters has been adopted, and has gone from Butters Wagner to Thurston Young!  Here he is with his new sister, Lovey!