Yesterday we buried our much beloved Roscoe (i.e. Roscoe P. Coltrane, ‘Scoe, Dense Nugget of Matter, Little, Mr. Man, Nuggelito, and Scobian Emps). Wow, I guess we never realize how embarrassing our pet nick names are until we try to tell someone. Especially in the case where I used to yodel for my cat Noodle, “Noodle-oodle-oodle oodle”. Embarrassing? Sure, but he’d come running.
To say we will miss him fails to describe the feeling that a huge life force has just been sucked right out of our home. He had a mighty presence for a dog of 23 pounds. He was a comic genius, a most excellent nap buddy, could howl like a wolf on command, and was fearless. Though sometimes the latter bordered on stupidity. He was also an excellent human trainer. For almost 12 years he refused to enter the house until we gave him a cookie. He was steadfast in this discipline up until his last full day on this earth. Like a monk, that Roscoe.
Last night was difficult falling asleep without his little snore. Mostly it was soft and purry like white noise, and other times grandpa loud. Whatever the decibel, it was always a sign of all being good in Roscoe’s world. In the past few weeks I’d been listening to this snore for indications of pain and discomfort, waking with him to go outside so he could relieve himself and then settling on the living room to sleep on the floor in front of the oscillating fan.
Callie has been moping around, occasionally walking though the house, checking each room. Maisy’s energy is always so mellow, it’s hard to tell if she wants to stay in and sleep or is avoiding being dive bombed by a mean mockingbird that seems to be terrorizing us since a baby raccoon got into it’s nest. And Emmett? Lord knows what’s going on in his mind. Why do all kittens seem to be on LSD?
Yesterday we took comfort in all the very kind words we received in person, by phone, text, email and Facebook. Well, kind words and cheeseburgers.
So today I continue to enjoy the company of those that remain living here at Chez Vee…the longtime companions and the new. Roscoe may be gone, but everyone still loves scrambled eggs and cheese for breakfast, cookies, and attention. Today the pudum pudum of scampering kitten paws replaces the clickity clack of terrier toes on our wood floors. And a soft purr, the happy snortles and grunts of our buddy Roscoe.
Though, truth be told, I always felt he was purring.
I have been reading Everything You Ever Wanted by Jillian Lauren. Note to Self: I need to read for pleasure much more…when did I stop? I’m not usually a fan of memoirs, but I was swayed by raves by this blogger. Her book is about adoption, her own and that of her son. She tells her story in a way that is both sweet, fierce and very human… full of emotion without being sappy. I don’t talk much in this space about the years my sister and I spent in foster care (three and a half) and our adoption when I was 8. Not that it’s hard or embarrassing, but at times when I sit down to plink something out it never seems to do justice to the profound sadness and absolute joy that swirl around these events… for everyone touched adoption. I can remember how much I missed our mother once I realized why the nice lady brought us to stay with a British family in the New York countryside, and the excitement I felt when we were shown the photo album of our soon to be new family in Colorado. Like I said, I don’t share much about this here… maybe some day I will.
Bean & Noodle 