Retirement Reflections — Luke’s Thank Yous

After hearing about my 2012 thank you list in last week’s blog, Luke, our remaining cat, asked me to post his thank you list this week. Here’s what Luke says he’s thankful for.

1. Mommy’s cushy thighs that make the perfect place to lie on in bed. Her tummy’s nice and cushy, too, but I like her thighs better. Her knobby knees, not so much.

2. The wicker settee that spends the winter up on the third floor, where it’s really quiet. I can see the door from my lounging spot, in case someone scary comes upstairs. I especially like the fake fur throw folded over the seat cushion.

3. The spot where the sun warms the bed in the small guest room every morning. And the poufy quilt folded on the end of the bed in the large guest room, where I can sink in for the afternoon. So many places to curl up, so little time!

4. Water bowls that get magically refreshed whenever Mommy comes into the room, and the way she lets the water run in the sink a long time until it gets really cold and all the lead from our old pipes has flushed through.

5. Tender Beef, Chopped Grill, and Tender Beef and Liver Feasts; that’s the brown, green and fuchsia labels of Fancy Feast Classics, in case anyone is looking for stocking stuffers.

6. Clumping cat litter that makes it fun for me to dig to China. I’m sure I’m only a few hundred miles away. I expect to make it by New Years.

7. Getting to go o-u-t for about an hour every few weeks, when the weather is nice and it’s a quiet weekend in our neighborhood. At my age, I don’t want to go o-u-t when it’s cold or raining or windy or when there are lots of crazy drivers on the streets.

8. Crabgrass, especially when my tummy is upset. We used to have good crabgrass in our yard, but not since Mommy had the lawn care guy treat it. At least our neighbor’s grass is still crabby.

9. The way Mommy kisses the top of my head and pretends she’s grooming me. And that place right in front of my ears that she rubs when she talks quietly to me and calls me Luke the Magnificent and Luke the Lionhearted. Which I am, of course. (Magnificent and lionhearted, that is.)

10. Mostly I’m thankful that Mommy is now retired and spends so much time at home with me, telling me that I’m handsome and brave and strong, and that she loves me very much. She makes me purr, because I love her, too.