When we went in, the house was a mess, boxes piled up in the living room, in the bathroom. My parents' bedroom set was sold a few weeks back so beside the matresses there wasn't much left in their room, the curtains have been taken down, the house looked very untidy, a big disorderly heap... quite a sad sight. My mother is very unnerved about this move of hers. She's scared and it shows every so often.
We had a very good dinner - fondue bourguignone with moose meat, so tender it's unreal - despite the fact that most of her dishes and glasses were already packed. G's son was there as well. He will be helping them on moving day, as well as 2 of his grand sons. I told my mom I would help her unpack at their new place.
I'll have to get use to that, saying their place, instead of mom's. For the last seven years, it has been mom's, and the nine years before it was my parents'. Now I'll be going to mom & G.'s place... weird!
In 3 weeks they will be moving. My mother told me tonight that she wants to see this move as a new begining and that she would do her best to leave behind all her bad memories and sorrow. I think that the fact that they will have all new furniture (except for the dining room set) will greatly help her to move on.
On a sadder note, tonight I was faced with a tough choice. As I wrote in this previous post, mom can not take her little pooch at their new place. I really wanted to take Cathy in. Last time we were at my mom's (in mid-April) you could see that Cathy was old, but she had some good times in her still.
This afternoon when we arrived at the house I was shocked to see how much the poor little dog had aged. Her eyes were covered with this film or something and her hearing is gone. My mom was saying that the last week or so she had been acting very strange. She started to vomit her food, you can't pick her up without her complaining about it, she walks around endlessly with her tail between her legs and she NEVER did that before. The dog surely feels that something big is happening, half the furniture has been sold and there's boxes everywhere....and maybe my dad heard me and will take her away before this move. I'm hoping that is what will happen.
When came time to leave I felt like taking her home with us. My mom said that she would most likely bring her in to be put down this coming week. She really doesn't want to see her suffer, and she feels that she's in pain, since she walks funny (her hind legs are not right) and that she can't be picked up without her gulping in pain. It is not the same dog, that's for sure. Plus mom is anticipating the loss and she kept on repeating that she didn't want to loose everything at once: her dog and her house one after the other. That is why she wants to deal with the dog before the move, to spread the pain a little...
On our way home, dog less, I choked up when hubby said that he had said his farewell to Cathy. While I was upstairs with my mother, he picked up her up, sat her on his lap and petted her. The whole time she trembled, but didn't complain. When he told me this I felt like such an ass... I didn't even think to say goodbye to her! I wanted to turn back and bring her home with us.
I'm sitting here tonight, crying and thinking that just like my father I'm letting her go without having said the proper goodbye and that breaks my heart. I know she is just a little dog, who had a good life, but she was also a dog that loved and was loved by both my parents. She had her caracter and was quite fiesty despite her size. And what an attitude. She was the last real thread beween what was my parents and now, and it is hard to let her go. I wanted to hold on a little longer to one last thing of my dad...
* This picture of Cathy was taken last Christmas.
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