Where's Petunia?

Ole and I don't usually exchange Valentines gifts - never have. It's just not something we started so many years ago. There's always a warm wish, a hug and a smooch or two, but the gift giving just never developed. And I'm just fine with that. I don't need to have a gift to know that he loves me because he's so thoughtful in so many other ways.

But every once in a while he surprises me - like he did this Valentine's Day. He presented me with a package this morning - not wrapped in paper of any kind, but placed in a plastic bag from a local drug store. As he handed it to me he told me it was going to make me cry, but that when he found it he couldn't leave it in the store. It had to come home with him because he knew I needed it.

He was right. I pulled it out of the sack and the tears started immediately. It was a book - and it was entitled "Where's Petunia?"

Those of you who have read me for awhile will remember that I had a kitty named Petunia that traveled with us in the RV. I raised her and her two brothers from kittenhood. She was appropriately named Petunia because she and her brothers were born in a tub of potting soil in a flower nursery that's a couple miles down the road from me. I lost her two years ago at the age of 9 in Sturgis because someone (Jane) was standing with the screen door of our RV open even after I reminded her to keep the door closed, and Petunia slipped through the door and out into the night never to be seen again. We stayed several days after the bike rally was over looking for her and hoping she would show up but she didn't.

Petunia in my kitchen window

It was horribly hot in Sturgis that year. Daytime temperatures were ranging in the 107 to 110 range. I'm sure she was terrified from all the noise of the bikes, and completely disoriented being in a strange place that was full of campers and tents. My greatest fear is that she hid in someone's open compartment on their motorhome, got shut in and suffocated from the heat. I will never know. And that, my friends, is the worst part of the whole thing - not knowing.

The book is a wonderful, beautiful memorial to my Petunia. It's written by a local woman who is also an artist and is deep into flower gardening so the pages are full of her water color illustrations of her gardens and her two cats, Art and Petunia. There is a web site listed on the back page so I intend to contact her and tell her what a beautiful, wonderful book she has written. Her Petunia even looks like my Petunia did.

I will cherish this book forever. Not only because of Petunia, but because it came from someone who loves me very much.

On another note I'm kind of bummed out today. I don't know how much I'll be writing or reading for awhile - I've got some family issues that have been laying in wait in the background that I need to deal with. Somehow I need to put some closure to these issues and I haven't been able to do that. I was hurt very deeply by this person and the wound has never healed. Some of these issues have finally come to a head and I have to make some decisions which may take all of my energy and concentration for a time.

I love you all and please have a Happy Valentine's Day.