Cats and Plants and Books

I lived in an Austin duplex on Rainey Street from 1991 to 1994, which I paid $310 a month for. (The street is now an uber-developed condo/bar area, but at the time, it was a low-key strip of old 1930s family homes and duplexes.)

At the time, I had just broken up with my first girlfriend, and I was emotionally miserable. But one thing I also wrote in my journal then, and prayed for then: "I want to be surrounded by cats and plants and books..."

I didn't get what I wished then. In fact, I lost many cats during that 3-year time period: My black cat "Frances" disappeared. Her daughter "Toonces" got run over in front of me. A Christmas gift kitty "Katie Scarlett" was also run over (found her dead in my yard when I got home from work). Another gift-kitty died of leukemia a few weeks after I got her.

A miserable time in my life.

But today, RE "I want to be surrounded by cats and plants and books": I've got all of this: A mama cat who bore 3 kittens in my neighbor's backyard, plus a little niece hanging around---all mine now. And I've got all the books I want. And I have all the plants I want.

The girlfriend that I also prayed to have at the time, I did NOT get---thank you, God! :)  But the cats and plants and books---I'm glad to have received 25 years later.