It's amazing how much has changed since April 15! My geraniums were still wintering inside, sheltered from the unpredictable Chicago weather. Jeff was commuting weekly to his consulting position in Dallas. Katie was still away at college in Arizona. And, I was relishing my newfound freedom after 13 years of weekly deadlines for our community newspaper.
Then - the Swine flu epidemic put a hold on Jeff's commuting. Katie and her roommate Meghan were back in Hinsdale, happy to be home. I was so happy to have Katie home, I helped unpack her well stuffed suitcases and stocked her favorite foods. Soon, high school friends came knocking, glad to be reunited as a group, but forever changed by their freshman experiences.
But the biggest change is not having my husband and daughter home. The biggest change is a gray kitten named Ozzie.
Katie and I chose Ozzie at the humane society in May - one day after my birthday and one year after our beloved Smokey died. When we first brought Smokey home, Katie was in second grade Nick was in sixth grade and I was more focused on them than the kitten. He had a whole neighborhood of kids to play with and quickly adapted to life inside and out.
Not so this time. I'm like the new mother of a toddler who has transformed my formerly "emptynester" home into a space where balls roll free, empty toilet paper rolls litter the floor and fleece blankets cover sofas and chairs. He jumps on countertops, scratches upholstery and pounces on anything that moves.
Lucky for Ozzie, a few weeks into our relationship when I felt like we'd made a mistake taking on a kitten, I fell in love.
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