This came in the mail today, sent by my vet's office.  It's a hardened clay imprint of Gracie's footprint and her name.  I thought it was really sweet of them to send this, along with a nice note of condolence.

And here is July's BOM from the Fat Quarter Shop.  Just like last month, there is ample fabric left over to make another block of my own design or choice.  I'll tackle that another day.

It is with great sadness that I post about the passing of my beloved cat and namesake of this blog, Gracie Lee. 

You know how much my cats mean to me..... they are valued members of my family.  I've never really blogged about Gracie's health issues, but she has been a diabetic for the past four years.  She required insulin shots every 12 hours, 365 days a year.  Her personality was such that she took this in complete stride, even coming out to the kitchen (without prompting) to get her shots at the proper time.  She was quite a trooper with a fairly accurate inner timer.  I admired her wonderful attitude and sweet disposition.

Her death was not caused by the diabetes, but by some sort of throat, esophageal, or vocal chord cancer.  She was only 15, but being a senior diabetic did not make her a good candidate for surgery or extensive treatment.  It was in her best interest to let her go.

My life has changed drastically and Gracie is missed terribly.  Oliver is doing his best to carry on, but it is evident that he is also missing Gracie.  They were the best of friends for 15 years and it is going to take some time for both of us to adjust. 

So here's to Gracie, my dear, loyal friend.  May you rest in peace.  I thank God for bringing you into my home.  I am blessed for having you in my life, albeit way too short, and you will always hold a special place in my heart.  Godspeed to you!

As a young girl of babysitting age, two of the girls that I sat for always surprised me with some fresh flowers on my doorstep on May Day.  They would ring the doorbell and run to hide around the side of the house.  I could always hear them giggling, but would act surprised and look around to see who could have left such a nice gift.  Even at my young age, I really appreciated their sweet act of kindness.  (Thank you, Carla and Beth, where ever you may be!)

May 1st is also Gracie's (my sweet cat) birthday.  Not sure this is the actual day, but it was the vet's best guess when she first entered my life and it's the date I have honored for 15 years.  Happy Birthday, Gracie!