I am never sure how to tell you sad news. But I promised I would. Tell you. 
There are three promises I make for the The Kitchen’s Garden Weblog.
1. (Unless I tell you) All the shots you see are from the last 24 hours so you will see what I have seen each day.
2. (Unless I tell you) All the shots will be from my own eight acres. 
3. Although this is a slow-moving soapless soap opera, it is the truth and I will not hide any uncomfortable part of the truth from you. I will try to be gentle but you are here for the good and the sad. 
Mary’s Cat has gone AWOL. He has disappeared. He was in the barn for his milk and breakfast five mornings ago twining himself through Daisy’s legs as I milked her. Chasing Kupa just to be naughty. Mary’s Cat and Kupa waited together for their morning milk.
We have not seen him since. The above shot was taken last week.
I know many of you have followed the progress of this wee moggy, who appeared on the bottom step leading to the verandah in the first few days of the Kitchens Garden pages. So as I promised, I must tell you that he is nowhere to be found. But don’t be sad. Do not be sad.
I have always thought that the length of a relationship and it’s ending should not determine how we remember it. Sometimes we meet someone and love them for the shortest time. Sometimes we have a friend or companion who is with us for years and years. Sometimes we love someone without the promise of ever meeting them. Sometimes we have a little ball of fluff run about our feet and lay about in the gardens for only a year while the others last twenty. This is just as great a love. One year is as good as twenty, if we are wide awake. We cannot judge a whole relationship by its ending. So I am determined not to be sad.
Our lives are built on memories. Every moment is instantly a memory. It is how we stack that memory that counts. No, that is the wrong word. OK. The folder we store that memory in, is as important as the memory. The label we put on that folder determines its recollection. I prefer to store my life with this little cat in a positive folder. Not a sad folder. He was a good cat and a great mouser. He hated to be inside the house. He would only sit on John’s knee. He chased the peacocks. And slept laid along fence rails. We loved him and now he is gone but I can still love the memory of him. I will not focus on his loss. Short does not mean less.
He might come back you know. It has only been five breakfasts, including this morning. He could very well be on an extended walkabout. He has been known to wander. But he is usually always home for breakfast.
There now. I promised I would tell you the good and the bad. I could not hide our missing crew member. And now we must get on with the day. All of us.
Have a good day.
celi
PS. I know many of you were interested in the little bag Viv made for me. She has posted a tutorial showing us how to make the French Baggie . It is very handy and already covered in hay and dust of the day. So pop over if you want to make one too. She makes it look so simple.
On this day a year ago I posted how to make meringues . My mother always made meringues on our birthdays.
c
The Kitchen's Garden 
100 responses to “Our smallest crew member is M.I.A.”
You are too young to remember: ‘Que sera, sera, Whatever will be, will be: the future is not ours to see, que sera, sera’! I’m glad your glass is half-full! And may Mary’s Cat have a happy presence and future! [Hate to tell you I too am an avid knitter and that crocheting needle . . . umm, now where did I put it?]
Knitting is so clever, i am useless at knitting.. c
Rumi says, ‘Don’t grieve.
Everything you lose comes
around in another form.’
The beautiful way you have told this news, and your wise embracing of the loss, filing it in a ‘positive’ folder, really touches me.
I love that idea and you know what.. last night as we sat on the verandah watching nothing a stray cat came out of the bushes and ran fast as a cat, straight into the barn.. nature hates a vacuum, So I guess the mice will be kept down at least. c
That’s amazing. the ‘situation vacant’ notice must have been out there. And Mary’s cat was originally a stray, I believe?
yes she was, appeared at the verandah steps as big as my hand.. hmm
Very reflective post. I like it.
I hope Mary’s Cat is OK – perhaps he’s just visiting with someone else for a holiday 😉
maybe a family reunion.. c
I’m so sorry to hear this, Celi…that cat became part of the family, just as Daisy or Kupa. But I think you are right, and he still might come home, maybe he’s just in love…
Good day to you too 🙂
I do hope that he returns home. We had a cat that had adopted us, and stayed aroudn for 4 years. Each year, she would go walkabout for about 2 weeks and then return. Hopefully, yours will too! 🙂
Oh maybe ted, that would be lovely.. c
I wish he returns home, Ive lost a cat as well before but came back after a week after falling from a live old style chimney. She was badly hurt so had to recuperate first before going home. I hope yours is fine.
Cat’s like to roam. I do hope he returns.
“One year is as good as twenty, if we are wide awake. ” What an excellent reminder to treasure what is “now”
And “short does not mean less” is also a plain truth.
His work was done there – and he has somewhere else to be –
We had a grey cat we offered shelter, too and fed- and he stayed for a while, but walked off. While we did look, somehow I think he found another place where he was needed more – as we were well managed by other animals here.
You just have to think positively and hope for the best. You can offer, but they decide.
Sometimes cats just walk off – sometimes they come back. But they are true to themselves.
Mary’s Cat: thanks for the visit and friendship you offered!
(Oh, love the barn picture and the one just below with the hat – now that hat one is really holding the soul of a farmer)
that is my wedding hat on top of the dryzabone.. keeps the rain out of my eyes!! Oh that glorious rain.. c
I love your philosophy 🙂