The Dog, the Cat, & Einstein

Dear John,

 

Any typos tonight are Jethro's fault. It's storming again - has been for about an hour, with some nasty lightening and lots of rain. I'm in bed with the laptop. The dog can't decide whether to cower between my back and the headboard or try to sit in my lap. Neither is conducive to using a laptop.

 

We had a stormy night last night. Thunder started around 2:00, and I managed to sleep pretty well with him sitting on my head for an hour. Then he started squirming, and I got too hot, and one thing led to another until I gave up, sat up, and worked on the computer until 4:30, when he and the weather settled down enough for me to get another three hours of sleep. The radar looks like there won't be much sleep tonight, either, but I don't work tomorrow. If things dry out enough, I need to mow. But I'll need to do it early since it's going to be near 90 again. We'll see what happens. One thing at a time, and right now it's sleeping.

 

The storm scared the cat tonight. He was sitting on the back of the toilet while I got ready for bed at the sink - our usual morning-&-night routine - when a huge crack of thunder came and he ran for cover. I found him later hiding under the bed. He came out briefly for bedtime treats, and went right back into hiding again.

 

Jethro is worse about storms than he was when you were alive. But he's worse about everything else, too. He's never gotten over you going to work and never coming home again. He's happy and loving, but he's never quite felt secure. I do the best I can as a single dog-parent, but he misses his daddy. I can't fix it for him. But I did get him a kitten, and he's been so much happier with Hunter around. So I suppose I've been able to do something for him. Poor baby - I feel so bad for him. He misses you so much.

 

And so do I. And I'm sure the cat does too - I'm certain that Jethro tells him all kinds of wonderful, heroic tales of the father he never knew, how you went out ever day to do battle and make a living for us, and tamed the yard and the sump hole, and rescued Mommy from villains, and generally made the world safe for puppies and kittens. And did battle with cancer and won, but were finally vanquished by radiation. You're our hero, you know. Hunter is right to admire and revere you.

 

Now I'm embarrassing you, so I'll stop. Just know that we love you, no matter what you think of it. You're worth all the world put together to your little family. Even Einstein always knew that you mattered!

 

Love you more that life,

Joan.