have stood by me through the good times and the bad… I Love You!

Went to the Zoo the other day (ya know…family reunion thing) and I snapped this random shot of a Hummingbird over by the Baboons. (gosh seems like just yesterday they were just babies) Anyways I had to share, for being such a quick, last minute shot, I loved the way it turned out!

Seven years. Living, fighting, surviving, and sometimes falling. It’s me…it’s who I am, take it or leave it. I pray, I plead, I cry each and every day but I will not surrender. I deserve it and I will continue to fight for, The Gift of Life….My Life!

It happened again. It’s just plain ol’ embarrassing. My cat is beautiful, I know it, she knows it…. everybody that sees her falls in love.. They oooh and awww over her, she bats her eyes. They pet her, she licks her lips.
We are at the Vet’s. It’s a busy day. We sit patiently awaiting our turn. Lacey is called. Next is Luke and Roxie. Our turn is coming.
I am becoming quite nervous. Not the ‘oh no it’s gonna hurt’ nervousness but more of a ‘shameful, how could you’ nervousness.
Mittens is called.
We are next.
I am contemplating walking out, sure my Princess needs medical attention but she also needs to embrace what dignity she has left. I decide to move close to the door we will be called in to…. I start to gather my belongings. Before I was able to get to my feet, the door opens. A young man comes out; he has a smirk on his face. He knows.
The cavity my heart once lay peaceful in is empty. My heart is racing, I don’t know where it is but I feel it in every part of my body.
He (the man with the smirk) walks to the center of the waiting room. I make eye contact with him, I give him a little wave to let him know we’re coming. He wasn’t buying into it. He had a job to do.
Lacey, Luke, Roxie and Mittens had their turns now it was our turn. There was that smirk, a professional smirk but it was a smirk. My ears were ringing at this point but I knew, I had read his lips. He called her name, “Filthy,” we are ready to see you.
Now I have learned from the past that at that point you put your blinders on. People give you looks. Not the kind you want to receive either. They laugh behind your back, they shake their heads as you walk by them. At this point I am not even sure where my heart ended up. I have no pulse, that I can feel.
We are losing focus here folks. After all, my cat (Filthy) is here for a reason. She needs medical attention. I am sure she will get it once this young man Dr. dude can quit laughing. This is where I buckle up and get tough…O.k. yes, laugh all you want but there is a reason behind this name and IF I told you and all those other peons in the waiting room you would be bowing to my feet. You would be helping me find my misplaced heart. You would be ashamed of yourselves. I give him a quick run down on what is going on, with out missing a beat Mr. young man Dr dude wants to know the story behind her name. I humor him briefly.
Weren’t there famous, meaningful people that shared this name with my princess? What about Filthy McNasty’s…wasn’t that an establishment in Hollywood? I think so. It was a bar.
So she has had this name for 6 years….would it be morally wrong to change it now? Would I confuse her? Am I giving in to societies “standards?” Philthee, Filthee, Fil-Fil, Phylthie. My family thinks I’m nuts. It’s a damn cat. So I have compromised.
As of today, November 28th, 2007, I hereby change my cats name to Filthea. She will go by Tea (pronounced Tia)
Without further ado meet my Princess,

I love birds.
I love to take pictures.
I love to take pictures of birds.
I love to take pictures of birds with a really nice camera.