Jordan...

Horray! Jordan is home!!!! I know I am awful...... I mentioned him having surgery but never once mentioned what for.

A few weeks ago, I discovered Jordan's right front paw was a bit bloody and it appeared to me like he had been in a cat fight. I honestly thought that he had pulled two of his claws out of it, so after attempting to clean it, Don and I watched him carefully for the next several days. He seemed to be doing just fine walking on it, it appeared to be healing, and not causing him any problems. I thought we should keep a close eye on him and that they'd grow back. He is an outside cat so we don't see him too often except when it is time to eat and he desires fresh water, then he's on the front porch or found sleeping on the porch, beside it, in the front lawn or wherever. Anyways, a few days ago, Don asked me if I'd seen him lately. That is when it dawn on me that no I hadn't --- not for several days as a matter of fact. So we checked his food bowl and he hadn't eaten any and what little bit was gone could have been eaten by any number of strays and birds, so we began looking and watching for him.

On Tuesday night, we'd taken some tables and chairs from my art studio over to Dennis & Sheila's for a baby shower and cookout and overnight camp out their throwing on Saturday. Upon returning home late in the evening, Jordan was laying beside our front porch..... and in all honesty, I didn't think he was with us anymore. I hollered, "Jordan" and he looked up at me, he'd only been sleeping, and he jumped up on the porch holding his front paw. It was so swollen!
Looking at the clock and realizing we didn't desire to disturb the vet, and not realizing the severity of the situation, Don decided to take Jordan into the vet's in the morning.

Upon arriving the next morning, the Vet's office was so busy that they decided to keep him until Jim could get a look at him and would call us as soon as they knew what was happening. Don informed them that whatever it was, just fix it, if possible. On Wednesday afternoon, we still had not heard anything so Don called them. Jordan was in surgery. His front claws weren't missing as I had originally thought, they had grown into his paw from the underside and it was the swelling from that made them appear to me like they were gone. I felt so horrible! Poor little guy.. how could we not have noticed? Then, it dawned on me just how little we actually do see of him..... either a few minutes here and there........ laying in the sun, on the porch, on the way out to the watergarden where he loves to drink water from even if there is water in his water bowl.

It was then that we both need to slow down more and pay more attention to what is going on in our own lives vs. getting caught up in the day to day drama that our children throw at us. I really do not want to go there....... with the current situation with our so-called "grown" children. Just trust me when I say it is a total mess..... both his son and my daughter's situations; and that the majority of it stems from their greediness and selfishness. Neither we're raised the way they've become and in recent conversations with many, many friends ---- we are not alone by any means.