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    Packing!

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    Moving day is getting closer and closer; at the end of November we will be relocating to a lovely house in Puerto Marino, about five minutes from where I work. Due to limited time, With us both working, I have started packing boxes now, each day until will move. 

    I am surprised at just how much stuff I brought with me to Spain. Most of my belongings were sold before I left Britain, but we were still left with a van load of memories to bring with us. When you move from one country to another you have to be ruthless and offload items, that you would not otherwise consider disposing of. I was left with the bare minimum, to start a new life in Spain. Luckily and unusually for me, I haven't added to baggage, in fact the opposite is true; yes I have changed that much. I used to be a hoarder of everything and anything, today I live as frugally as possible.

    Trying to pack boxes with Mollie and Wildling around is a nightmare, they are in to absolutely everything, but I am at least making progress. The house we are moving to, is about twice the size of the one we are currently living in, so there is no need to worry about lack of space; in fact we have more room than we really need, but it will make for a more comfortable experience, which is what living in Spain is all about.

    I suppose I better get back to it; I have a lot to do today, before I start work this evening, on top of cooking a bulk load of lentil soup for the freezer. The one thing I hate in life, is the one thing I have done the most of, moving house. One day I will be able to settle long enough, without the spectre of having to move for one reason or another. Settling down has never been my strong point, lets hope this time it is!
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    First Throws Of Winter!

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    Winter came to Gran Alacant yesterday, in a first show of strength before the season really sets in. A storm was brewing off the coast, luckily it mostly passed us by, as often happens in Gran Alacant. However the views from my bedroom balcony of the rolling dark clouds was spectacular, as you can see from the photo.

    Like most people who live here, we are all beginning to plan for the winter ahead, which can be particularly cold. Houses are not insulated; they do not have central heating or double glazing; as one would expect, there are no carpeted floors either, making homes much colder than their British counterparts. We still have our calor gas heater from last year and a rather large rug, carpeting the lounge floor. Of course we are moving in November, to a South facing property, which should also keep the house warmer, compared to our current north facing home on top of a windy ravine.
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    Despite the storm just missing us, it was a pretty dismal day, raining on and off for most of it. Everywhere was quiet, as most people chose to stay in on what seemed like a British winters night. It was a quiet evening in Plaza Mayor, where I work each day, with the odd one or two stalwarts coming out for a drink or two.

    I cooked a stew before work, always good on such days. After posting a photograph on facebook, my Aunty Carol asked me where the dumplings were. Now I was always a big fan of dumplings and the stew my Mother used to make and have the belly to prove it, but since moving to Spain, I haven't been able to buy suet, for making the little fluffy balls, anywhere. Luckily, a friend from GA, suggested I try Kwiksave on Av Escandinavia, who sell a dumpling mix, something I shall buy next time, now I know.

    What a difference a day makes..........
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    Today the weather a more or less back to normal. As I got in bed last night, I could hear thunder and rain again outside, but this morning the sun was out and the sky, blue once more; rain never lasts too long in Spain, unlike the UK. The temperature in Gran Alacant is a rather nice 24 degrees today, although to me, that is a little on the cold side. My body has adjusted to the Spanish climate. With Darrell Just left for work and not finishing his shift until 1.30am tomorrow morning, I shall be walking home from Plaza Mayor tonight. Usually I would wait for him to finish and pick me up on the way home, but having lost two and a half stone, working in the bar, I want to lose more; so walking it is, whatever the weather.
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    In keeping with the winter theme, I am just in the middle of cooking a curry before work; there should be plenty left for the freezer and lunch for Darrell tomorrow. I'm actually looking forward to winter; I am quite a fan of the dark nights and that autumnal feel, my favourite time of year. Wherever you are stay safe and keep warm!
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    Lily - A Lifetime of Videos!

    Normal blogging will resume soon, but as a final tribute to Lily I have included some of the many videos myself and Darrell took of her, during her ten years, living with us as a member of our family. She was a truly special cat, and will remain in our hearts forever.

    Yesterday we were looking on the internet, trying to find out more about Lily's breed, the Oriental Foreign White; it was interesting to discover what made Lily the cat she was. Her breed is intelligent, kitten like for life, has many human traits and tends to adopt one member of the household as a life long companion. Lily had a special personality, almost talking to you at times. Her neediness was brought about by illness, suffering all her life, but also because of her breed; together, making her the ideal indoor, life long confrère. The close bond formed from an enduring relationship between cat and owner, make it so much harder to bear, when they leave this mortal coil.

    I suggested to Darrell that we could maybe adopt another Foreign White one day; that does sound rather like trying to grasp onto what has been lost, but Lily and her pedigree left a lasting impact on our life which wont easily be extinguished. We will at least think about the concept of taking on another Lily, when we can! At the moment, Darrell is finding the loss harder than I; luckily we have our two foster kittens to keep us company at this time.

    ​I hope you enjoy the short videos!
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    and finally.......

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    a big thank you to Jean Reiterbund, a lady who does sterling work for a cancer support charity here in Gran Alacant, M.A.b.s. She gave me this lovely card, with such heartwarming words. Like me, Jean loves animals and was a great source of support, the day before Lily died!

    ​Thanks Jean!

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    Hospital Veterinario San Vicente - CPVR

    Once again I would like to thank the vets and staff at the Hospital Veterinario San Vincente, for all their dedicated, caring work on Sunday, putting Lily to sleep. The service they offer at this institution, just outside Alicante is second to none. Lily's final minutes were incredibly beautiful. I have included a link to the Hospital above and would highly recommend them, should you require veterinary services in the future!
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    Lily - A Life After Abuse!

    On 15 October 2017 Lily died peacefully at the 'Hospital Veterinario San Vicente.' it was the end of her incredible life with myself and darrell, the closure of a traumatic chapter and the death of a friend and companion! Here is Lily's story!

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    In February 2007, Darrell's Grandmother died, naturally he was deeply upset, more so because he couldn't return home, to be at his Mothers side during this difficult period. I had no idea what to do, to help; I have never been any good in emotional situations, but felt I wanted to do something lasting and enduring. I kept those thoughts in my head, until I saw an advertisement in the Southern Daily Echo, from a woman in Fareham, my home town, not far from where I lived in Southampton. She had rescued a cat and was looking to rehome her. She said Lily was probably about two years old, but as we know now, she was four at the time; an Oriental Foreign White, a siamese without the colour point. There was no picture of this cat, but my instinct told me, I needed to go and see her. I phoned the number on the advertisement and arranged an appointment that same evening, while Darrell was at work. A friend, Silke, who was living with myself and Darrell at the time, took me to the house, where I first met Lily.

    I soon realised this gorgeous cat needed help; Darrell had lost his Gran and Lily could help ease that pain, I was sure of it. She was placed in a pen, in the corner of this small terrace house in a leafy Fareham suburb. There were twenty or so other cats running about, just Lily placed away from the others. She was kept separately, not used to other animals, having been used for most of her life as a breeding cat, kept in a cage full time, unable to move very far. I remember the lady telling me, that she had never walked on a proper floor, often cutting her paws on the bars of the enclosure she lived in. When she received Lily, she was in a sorry state, having just undergone a cesarean section to remove her latest litter. The operation had been botched causing her further pain and she underwent another operation due to a resulting hernia, paid for by the lady I was stood there talking too. Complications had set in and Lily was also left unable to breed anymore; she had reached the end of her useful life and was about to be euthanized, before she was saved.

    Lily's story wasn't uncommon in the breeding World, despite the shock and anger I was feeling, there were many Lily's, discarded and thrown away, without a second thought! She opened the cage door and I put my hand in, she immediately walked towards it, jumping out of the cage and into my arms, purring away, happy and content. I was the first person she had done that too; mostly cowering in the corner of her cage, not wanting to go anywhere near people. Lily had chose me, not the other way around, I could not walk away from her, she didn't want to leave me and I didn't want her to go!
    Lily began her life with us very nervously, after the experiences she had been through, you can understand her reluctance to trust anyone. On top of her ill treatment, she also had a number of health issues that would continue to effect her, right up until her death, cat flu being one; it would always reoccur at times of stress and anxiety. She was a very fragile little girl who just wanted to be loved. It didn't take too long for her to gingerly come out of her shell and begin investigating our home and of course her companion Precious, our other cat, who died in March of this year.

    Precious and Lily had a love hate relationship, they were two female cats after all and would often fight for one upmanship, but they endured some difficult times together. In September 2009, both Lily and Precious went down with cat flu and became extremely ill. In was touch and go for a while, whether either of them would survive. They both would not eat at all, so we had to force feed them through a tube, for several weeks. This was a harrowing time for all of us; watching your pets suffer is something none of us want to see, but with due diligence, both Lily and Precious pulled through. Lily suffered long term damage and from then on, she would gradually get worse, year after year, deteriorating as each winter season came into focus. She had most of her teeth removed, leaving her with just three and she slowly started to look her age.

    Everyone who met Lily were initially shocked by her appearance. She did have very pointy features, some even called her ugly, but to myself and Darrell, she was the child in our life. She loved cuddly toys; we only discovered her strange addiction, shortly after we adopted her. On waking up one morning, walking down  stairs, I came across twenty or thirty toys, strewn across the lounge floor. Lily had gone upstairs, jumped on top of a wardrobe in the spare room and removed each toy, to play with. She loved to fetch and carry; if you threw one of the stuffed animals, she would always run and bring it back to you, throwing it in the air as she went. In a lot of respects, she had many doggy traits; an individual cat who never ceased to amaze me!

    Lily was probably the most loving cat you could imagine; she would lay on her back in your arms, as you stroked her stomach, paws and face; she loved people and once they got passed her characterful looks they loved her too. Lily was special and distinctive in every possible way, but all the while one was conscious of her past and illnesses, that could resurface at anytime. The longer she lived, the more attached we became and the harder it was to watch her grow old.

    She was needy, very needy and we had to look after her 24/7. She was an indoor cat with no sense of direction, so couldn't go outside on her own. Her pure white colour always stopped her laying in the sun for too long. We would have to put sun cream on her ears, even for the shortest length of time; yet she loved the warmth  on her face; in fact she always craved it. Out in the intense light, Lily was also blind, always keeping hers eyes shut. On returning to the house she would bump and crash into furniture, until she once again could see her way around. We always had a heated electric blanket, which she loved. In the depth of winter, she would insist on sleeping inside the bed, curled up under mine or Darrell's arm, She was also known to sleep on our heads at night, just to feel the heat; always a small framed cat, feeling any temperature drop more than most.

    Lily had a calming affect on myself and Darrell. During my illness before we came to Spain, she was a great comfort to Darrell, especially when he was feeling low. Equally she was there for me, when Precious died, on the day Darrell returned to Britain. Without her, life would have been very difficult indeed. She always knew when I needed a hug and would instinctively jump up on my lap, I will miss her with all my heart!
    When Darrell and I left for Spain, driving across the continent with a van load of belongings and two cats, Lily it has to be said was a nightmare. She hated being confined, probably because of her past but like Precious made it in one piece to our new home in Gran Alacant, where we have lived since. Adjusting to our new life was difficult for both of them but at least  Lily still went out on the balcony and solarium as much as she could. The sun was too much for her here, more so than the UK, as was the Spanish winter, but she managed to cope for nearly two years.

    With the death of her sister Precious, I suppose I knew it would only be a matter of time before she also passed away. She and Precious had been companions for ten years; the loss of one part of that relationship, was bound to cause difficulties and sadly she began to decline and wane, almost immediately. Luckily at the time, I wasn't working and managed to spend as much time with her as I could. She had good and bad days, but spent night after night, sat at the bottom of the stairs to the solarium, crying for her lost friend, making the same sound Precious used to make, when she wanted to go out, a sound she only adopted on her death; haunting and mournful. Lily had no idea what was going on, she had not only lost her companion, but Darrell was also gone, working in the UK. Her response was heartbreaking to watch, but I did at least get her through this dark period, until Darrell returned, when she seemed to perk up again; she remembered who he was!
    During the last few months before her death Lily's health was a roller coaster. She once again suffered another bout of cat flu and was given a lot of antibiotics to combat her illness, She did seem to recover but once again began to decline when our new foster kittens, Mollie and Wildling were introduced, After the initial slump she again picked up and spent a fantastic few weeks with our two new babies, looking after them, like the Mother she was born to be; It was great to observe. Mollie and Wildling had now picked up many of Lily's traits, eating as she did, stroking the broom with their faces, copying Lily's daily ritual and many more practices we have yet to see I am sure.

    As adorable as Lily was,  her days were coming to an end. She stopped eating a week ago. For the first few days we weren't too concerned, she had done this before, but as two became three, we realised there was something wrong; old age had caught up with her. I spent every day, along with Darrell force feeding Lily and making sure she was comfortable. We both understood this was her last shout, so helped her as best we could, live a full life. She had lost most of the use in her legs, so we carried her up to the solarium just so she could feel the sun on her face once more, to her litter tray,  food and water bowl as and when she needed it; she didn't suffer in any way.

    Her last day was particularly upsetting, she kept falling from the sofa where she laid, as she tried to make her way upstairs. She was looking for a dark corner to be alone, probably for her final hours. On the Saturday before work I took her upstairs, made a bed for her, so she could be on her own, as cats want in these circumstances. I left her food and water and went to work, not expecting to see her alive when I returned. Darrell wanted to Spend the Sunday with her; he had been working twelve hour shifts, so just wanted a brief period with her, before she passed away. When we got home from work, although worse than before I left, she was still alive to my surprise.

    Darrell spent the whole night sleeping with her on the floor of the spare bedroom, she laid in his arms as she always used to, purring faintly, not in pain, happy to be comforted in her final hours. By Sunday morning, she was barely alive and we both made the decision to take her to be put to sleep. A friend took Darrell and Lily to the Hospital Veterinario San Vicente, a beautiful animal hospital just outside Alicante, where she was finally laid to rest. She drifted peacefully away and her ashes will be released in the grounds of the  pet cemetery, where we will continue to visit, to pay our respects to this grand old lady, who made our life complete.
    Lily came into our life at an arduous point in time. She had her own difficulties also, which is why I needed her in my World. She was a cat so unique that we could never hope to have another like her again; the way it should be. She will always be in my heart, for the rest of my time on Earth; I can only hope I see her one day. Finally she will rest in peace, sadly missed and never forgotten. Thank you to everyone for their kind messages at this time, a few of which I include below.

    ​Thanks for the memories Lily, without you our story would have been all the poorer. Life threw us together and took you away when you needed to go, finally reunited with your companion Precious, gonna miss you girl!
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    Lily's Final Days!

    When I woke up this morning, I didn't expect Lily to still be with us. Last night when I got in from work, she was particularly bad; not suffering, non responsive would be the phrase to use. Darrell stayed up until the early hours with her and was also the first up this morning, looking after her, before he went to work.

    Lily is still just about able to get up and make it to her litter tray, but I am trying to make her as comfortable as I can, by syringing water into her mouth. 

    As I lay in bed this morning, thinking, Lily tried to make her way upstairs; she made it to the second marble step, when Darrell lifted her up and took her to our bedroom, where she sat for a short while. Briefly we took her up to the solarium to breath some fresh air. She used to go up there regularly, more so after Precious died, looking for her companion. It was fitting we took her to the top of her World  one last time.

    Lily is comfortable at the moment, cuddling her stuffed tiger toy, that she used to fetch and carry during her younger days. If she makes another day, I will be surprised. Hopefully she will and Darrell will get to spend a final day with her, before we take her to be put to sleep on Monday!
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