I’ve seen a lot of amazing things over the course of my lifetime, but never really had anything as weird as some of the things I have seen happen to me, that is until today.  I was up early, about 5am, but not totally by my choice.  I had a cortisone shot in my right shoulder about a week and a half ago, and although it is a bit better, it is still quite sore.  Amanda was sleeping and was apparently having some sort of dream.  She put her arm across my chest, which woke me up, but it was nothing that I could not fall back asleep from.  But then, although I didn’t ask her specifically, she must have been playing Family Feud, and the button that she was quickly and sternly pushing was located, you guessed it, on the sore part of my right shoulder.

Now I should say that I conducted a bit of an experiment from that point on, as once someone pushes on an injury like that the amount of adrenaline coursing through your veins is enough to keep you awake for days.  But my wife gets in dreams and they are kind of interesting to watch.  Sometimes she talks, and will even ask me questions.  Yes they are weird and make no sense, but she is asleep.  It is pretty funny.  Other times she moves around and does things, like today……pushing on a button.  And as I spent the next 15 minutes or so in bed, she probably did it 5 more times.  I just hope she won the final round.

But after I decided I had enough I went down to the kitchen and poured a coffee (it is on a timer) and just like always I spilled a bit over the edge.  But I had to laugh, and it is tonight’s picture…….it looks just like my grandma’s old gray long haired cat Lollipop!

Now anyone in my family with any memory can tell you that the general opinion was that Lollipop did not like me, and it is widely speculated that it had something to do with me covering her with Vicks when I was three.  She always seemed to hiss at me, at least publicly, and I teased her a lot with my Uncle Dave, but in all honesty I loved that cat, and I really think that she loved me.  I looked all over for a picture I have of her somewhere and had hoped to post it with this one as it was her hissing.  But if the truth be known, I think it was just a show, as that cat could have taken me any time she wanted.  I was always there and it would have taken little effort on her part.  The could have just discovered me in the morning dead on the davenport where I used to sleep.  I am sure no one would have suspected a thing.

But she never did, nor was she ever the aggressor with me.  In her final years she would even grace me with permission to pat her, and it quite honestly meant a lot.  You see, the Vicks thing to me was just a story, I have no recollection about it at all.  I just knew a cat that my grandma loved and wondered why I couldn’t get on her good side. (most in my family would say that it was because she didn’t have one, but I know better)

Anyway, my coffee spill reminded me of her instantly, and I immediately just laughed and forgot about my sore old shoulder, and missed my (alleged) adversary.  I normally don’t leave spills on the counter, but I left it there, and even took this picture, and showed the original spill to both Amanda and Ben before I wiped it up. (Ben thought it was America with a tail…..he needs some work)  But I couldn’t recreate that if I tried.  It is not exactly Jesus appearing on a piece of toast, but it is about as zany as I have ever gotten.

And I will take it too, and without judgement.  It wasn’t an accident, as I spill coffee like that every morning, but it was no miracle either.  I am just thankful for the memory of that angry old cat that I loved.  I just wish I had a do-over button to push to do it all again, as I would in a heartbeat, but this time sans the Vicks.

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+