Tuesday, December 22, 2009

A get well card for Maurice



The longest night seemed almost to be the darkest, as if the night itself was the blackest cat wrapped around the world. But it was a cold cat. Under paw the grass was brittle with cold, water thickened. Where it was shallow, water turned to glass. The air tasted of ice. In the stillness all sounds were crisp. Across the fields Fred called an then sang a howling song into the long night.
Maurice walked into the night with Her, jumped into Her arms and curled close, to keep the night cat darkness away, to share some warmth from fur and breath, to feel the closeness, love. He was cheered by a beautiful picture, sent by Elora. His trip to the vets and x-rays had shown that it was quite possible that he didn't have cancer, that at some time in his life he had suffered a 'trauma' that had left him with broken ribs, now mended, and a partly collapsed lung, that there was something, a splinter, a shard, an unexplained object in his lung.
She wondered whether he had one of the shards from the Snow Queen's mirror inside him. They were supposed to enter the heart to make people cold. But Maurice is anything but cold, the warmest, most loving and loyal cat.
So now we all have to wait and watch and see what happens, and he could have more tests, and he will have more injections, but time will tell. So meanwhile we make the most of every minute in ginger splendour.
And Maurice says thank you Elora and if you lived closer he would get you a rat of your own. And he says, would you like it with or without the head?

36 comments:

ChrisJ said...

So happy to hear the 'almost 'good news about Maurice. Elora's picture is perfect for the purrers! Give Maurice especially warm hugs from Bailey.

Ikaika said...

Elora has captured the loving gingerness of sweet Maurice ... we will purr and purr and purr for his brave lungs to heal.

'Kaika and the Yosemite cats

Narrative jewelry said...

Thank you to share news from Maurice to us. Happy to read he may haven't any cancer, but what about the shard ? As you say, we have to wait... All my thought are for my little ginger boy.
Wish all your family a merry Christmas and best wishes from France.

MTVA said...

Dear Maurice, and family: How wonderful it is to have the hope that things may not be as bad as first was feared. May this be your Christmas gift, to be free of the burden of worry and to enjoy long life and happiness.
My cats send along their warming purrs and are trying to overcome their jealous feelings about your excellent hunting skills...

Merry Christmas from Marilyn, along with Jonathan, Alvin and Virginia (purrs & more purrs!)

Lydia said...

A fine drawing of Maurice, indeed.
This is good news, is it not? that there may not be cancer? Feather, who is 12 years old and has never had an illness, is sending love kisses from her huge gold eyes. Hold the rat, as she wouldn't know what to do with one!

Sobeit said...

So good to hear that Maurice is not suffering from cancer - Yea! - and I now praying he recovers from his 'injuries'. Maybe someday he will tell us how it happened.

Blessed Yule
Sobeit

Lyn said...

Still wishing Maurice a speedy recovery, I know his life is happy with his family of four legs and two legs all around.
Love
Lyn
xxx

jamjar said...

beautiful card and fingers so tightly crossed for Maurice.

ibcmeir said...

great ginger art... feel better Maurice.

Goldie, Shade and Banshee said...

Lovely card, catches the essence of gingerness.

Quite a turn of events for Maurice. We will purr for him still.

*~tabby~* crooked heart art said...

blessings of recovery and health for maurice~
tabby

petoskystone said...

if nothing else, maurice is a gentlecat. here's to the thing in the lung being benign...

Anonymous said...

A lovely post. Tears and laughter, over a (possibly) changed diagnosis giving more hope, and over the gift for Elora from Maurice. The drawing is priceless and I am quite impressed with the claws.

Griffin said...

If it had been a splinter from the Snow Queen's mirror, Maurice's gingery warmth would have melted it a long time ago. I do hope he can be helped to get better.

You see Jackie, your pictures have inspired another budding illustrator. A lovely picture of Maurice.

BumbleVee said...

Wow.... that is a great picture of Maurice by Elora... it certainly captures his special ginger glow.....his lovely face....his look of love...

Angel Simba said...

What a lovely picture from Elora. Be well, Maurice.

trash said...

Oh Elora have it without the head otherwise the bits of teeth crunch in your own teeth. (Ahem. Apparently, so I have been told...)

Glad to hear there is nothing dark and gloomy on the xrays.

S*Ja Znaju, Scrappar Liv said...

get well soon Maurice
says Milo, Tussi, Fiona and Majja
four cats from Sweden ;-)

Anonymous said...

Oh, Maurice, I do so hope that this is good news and that it's true. You should have many, many long years of splendid gingerness ahead of you - remember, She needs you.

Stacy Hurt said...

well with a card like that you simply MUST be better. How adorable! Thank you for the smiles!

If fellow felines from across the pond wished to send something; where could it be sent? Please email if appropriate corvus93@gmail.com. Thanks!

Carrie said...

Oh poor old Maurice - sounds like he's had a rough time in the past, but he has a wonderful loving home now.
I will show this to Elora in the morning (she's tucked up in bed now) and ask her how she'd prefer her rat!
Our cats once left a present in the kitchen - two rabbit ears (detached), two eyeballs and a tail. Elora who was three at the time said "shall we take it to the vet mummy?"
Can't beat a country childhood!

Jackie Morris said...

Thing is, Carrie, Maurice has lived here since he was 6 weeks old. The only time he has been missing was when he fell down a big hole, but I don't think he was injured then so the breaks are a mystery to me.
He seems to be doing better this time after his injection but I do worry. It is so uncertain about what is wrong with him. But maybe he will live well like this for a long time. He seems very happy now anyway.

Love Elora's drawings. beautiful.

Anonymous said...

So glad to hear the happy news about Maurice. We finally have added an orange tabby cat to our family after being without one for several years. His name is Benjamin Kitten, he's 14 weeks old and beautiful. His brothers, Frodo the Manx, Hazel and Hansel, the dark tabbies and Torti sister Lucia are welcoming him to the family. Wish all good holiday wishes from peggy from lenox

Ann said...

Believe-may this be the gift of Christmas-Maurice, I do believe that you are blessed-you have repeatedly touched my being with your words and images-Angie

Anonymous said...

I love the comments from your readers/fans just about as much as the original post by you, Jackie. What lovely, eloquent, warm and compassionate people.

Vicky aka Stichr said...

So happy to hear the change in ailments...good news M.

Deb Morse said...

This is encouraging, and I mean that: en COUR aging, strong hearted Maurice, fierce ginger of love. Like many a broken heart, these things can be sealed off with love and rendered harmless. Or at least assimilated. Thank the Cat God it is not a growing, living tumor, but instead an insult, a battle wound,a finite thing.

Elora said...

I hope your lungs will get better Maurice,I would like a rat with its head on, but it would get eaten by my other cats in the night!
I wish I lived closer so you could give me a rat and so I could give you a big cuddle and stroke you...
Love from Elora xxx >^^<

The Curious Cat said...

oh! I do hope Maurice will be okay...winter time is a mean time for cats...I should know from the last two years...sending you good thoughts and prayers. xxx

Anonymous said...

(Elora- you are a superb artist.) What a splendid love-gift for Maurice and Her. I know it will help because it even helps me! Add my wishes for wellness to everyone else's..... we all want Maurice to thrive in his ginger wonderfulness.

Sandies' Patch said...

So glad to hear the news about Maurice!
From all at our house to all at your house, We, (2 legs and fours) wish you the merriest of Christmases and the happiest of all New Years!
As Tiny Tim would say,,"God bless us all, each and everyone!"
Apologies for any mis-quoted bits,I call it artistic unlicenced LOL! xxxxxxxxxxxx

Dougie Donk said...

Encouraging news for Xmas.

We don't have rats, but Theo cat will be happy to donate a mole, which he says are fun to catch but don't taste nice!

Elizabeth said...

Greetings to the Ginger tribe with lots of purrs and kitty kiss eyeblinks from the tiger sisters and momcat (Eliz). We will continue to pray for healing for Maurice. Best wishes for warm holidays by a pleasant fireside!

Eliz, Lily and Cricket

quiltcat said...

The card from Elora is wonderful and sweet...and the news about Maurice, while mysterious, sounds "pretty good." I wonder if at some point he might have been kicked by one of the horses, and while he seemd young and resilient, really sustained some damage? or actually fell off the roof during one of his explorations? We all hope that he continues to heal and thrive!

my croft said...

so glad. just so, so glad.

fondly,
melanie
&
halloween & co.

annie said...

What a wonderful get well card, Elora. See? it made Maurice feel purringly better-- what good news about him.

Now, what did you tell him about the rat he will get you....Oh, I just read your comment, Elora-- Head On, by all means.

And Paws Up for good luck, Maurice.
annie