Sunday 11 November 2012

remembering

Today is Remembrance Day...  a day for remembering all those who have fought in wars to protect and defend us.  Some have fallen. Others have not.  All are remembered in our hearts. 

I've never fought in a war myself other than an occasional spat with that Nosey Neighbour Cat.  That doesn't really count, though.  Peeps will sometimes say that a cat has been at the wars, if the cat is lookin' ratty and whatnot but still, I really don't think it's the same thing.  But my Peep #1's daddy fought in WWII. 

Before I go any further, I promised the peep that if I blogged about this, I would add the following disclaimer.  Her daddy was super-duper young when in the war and he was kind of older when the peep was born so...  don't be thinkin' the peep is too ancient, okay?  Well, truth be told, she is ancient.  She just doesn't want peeps and cats out there thinkin' she's more ancient than she really is although I kind of think that ancient is one of those absolute terms where you either are or you aren't so...  let's face it...  ancient she is!

Anywho...  the peep's daddy was a signalman on a ship in the Canadian navy during WWII.  He was barely eighteen years old and stuck on that big ol' ship, far far away from all his family, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.  That had to be kind of scary, I think.  Not to mention cold.  Icky.  And wet, too, 'cause of all the icy water that would spray up on deck.  More icky.  He used to tell the peep that his eyelashes would get ice crystals and kind of freeze together from all that icy spray.  Can you imagine what that would do to a cat's fur?  Not nice to think about at all.  Brrrrr...

Her daddy was the youngest peep on board so the Captain kind of took him under his wing and looked out for him.  That was pretty nice, I think.  Yeah...  really nice, actually.  Especially since, he kind of needed looking after.  Now let me tell you why...

I have been told, and have no reason to believe otherwise, that the peep's daddy had a bit of a sleep walking problem.  Yup.  You're getting the picture, aren't you.  A peep wandering about the deck of a ship in the middle of the big ol' ocean in his sleep.  Now, this is not a good thing.  Not a good thing at all.  Luckily for me, he never fell overboard or anything 'cause if he had, there would have been no peep #1 to convince me to come live inside.  No peep #1 to help me come to know the luxuries of life as a kitty with a home.  Thank goodness he didn't walk right over the edge of that ship, huh?

The peep's daddy had another sleep-related issue as well.  He used to be able to sleep standing up.  When you think about it, it makes sense.  If a peep can walk while sleeping, standing should be a piece of cake.  A piece of fish cake.  And they were in the middle of the ocean and everything so I'm sure there were plenty of fish around to make those cakes.  Wonder if that's why he was so good at it?  Hmmm....   

You know...  sleeping on your paws is a talent many of us cats have.  I do it myself on occasion.  Sometimes, after a hard day of supervising the peep, I'll be so mousin' tired that I'll just fall asleep right there on my paws.  It always starts by my closing my eyes for a bit just to rest 'em.  Next thing I know, I'm rudely awakened by a peep laughin' at me and commenting on how I've fallen asleep standing up on my paws.  Peeps can be so rude, you know.  They really shouldn't make fun of a kitty like that.  I mean...  the supervision of peeps is an extremely taxing job.  It's no wonder I get tired!

Hmmm...  now let's think about this...  If cats can fall asleep on their paws and the peep's daddy was able to fall asleep on his, I wonder...  could it be...  Could it be that the peep's daddy had some cat genes in him?  And if her daddy was part cat, then she would be part cat, too.  Right? 

This would explain a great deal 'bout my peep.  This would explain why she pulls her hair back into a tail-like appendage.  I say tail like 'cause it's really not as good as the tails of us cats.  Plus, it's attached to the wrong end of her.  But it's the best she can do, I suppose.  It would also explain 'bout all that caterwauling she does when she goes to her choral society practices although no self-respecting cat has ever made such hideous noises as my peep makes when she's caterwauling.  Again though...  best she can do, I guess.  Oh, and it might even explain why she likes to dig and delve in the garden like she does.  We cats enjoy a good digging and delving in the garden, ourselves.  It's lots of fun and you never know what you might find out there.  All sorts of fun stuff, I think.  No...  I know.  'Cause I've dug up lots of things myself and it was fun!

So there you have it.  My peep must be part cat.  I'm pretty sure she is.  And it's all due to her daddy.  He must have passed along those good genes.  Now that I've figured all that out, I'll be sure to remember it forever.  But at eleven minutes past the eleventh hour of this eleventh day of the eleventh month, I will be remembering just her daddy.  I will be thankful he came home from that war, safe and sound.  Let us all remember at least one person who did, okay?  Along with everyone who didn't.  And while you're all remembering, say a little prayer for them and send along some purrs.

25 comments:

  1. That was a wonderful tribute! We love all of our heros and are thankful for each and every one!

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  2. If your Peep's Daddy had not come home from the war safe and sound, then there wouldn't be a Peep #1, and you all would not be living there ............. Yes, there is good reason to be thankful. My Mom's Dad didn't serve militarily in WW 2, but a couple of his brothers did. Fortunately they came home safe and sound too, and amazingly both are still alive and well, at ages 97 and 99. Maybe that has been a special reward for them.

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  3. Thank you for telling this bit of family history and a lovely tribute

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  4. What an interesting story...we'd draw the same conclusions too! How wonderful is THAT to have a part-cat peep?

    13 tails up for your (ancient) peep's Dad!

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  5. That was very interesting to know your peep is part cat. Can she hack a hairball?

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  6. WOW....good thing your peep's Dad made it through the war OK - same with my peep's Dad. If they hadn't - where would WE be today? Where would our peeps be? Weighty thoughts....I'm just glad we have our peeps and that they had such wonderful Dads. Nice tribute post Nissy. And as for the possibility your peep is part cat? Now THAT would be the BEST of both worlds for sure! :D

    Kitty Hugs, Sammy

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  7. I loved reading the family history and to know that your mom has CAT genes...riches. Nothing could be a better gift to her than THAT!

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  8. Happy Veteran's Day! I don't think I've visited you before, but I keep hearing anipals and humans mentioning you so I thought I'd visit.

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  9. You have some interesting thoughts, Nerissa, this Veterans Day!

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  10. Nerissa I am so glad you made it clear about the non-ancientness of your peep, otherwise we would have been wondering!!! What a lovely story, but so young to be fighting a war :( xx

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  11. My Human's Dad was in his mid-twenties during WWII. He was a Marine Corps captain in the South Pacific for three-plus years, and then after the war he got sent to occupy Japan. He was stationed in Nagasaki shortly after the 2nd bomb had been dropped. He died almost thirty years ago, but we honor him every Veteran's Day. The Human still thinks about him all the time--he was a great man.

    And MY Human? Well, she *is* ancient, ha ha meow!

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  12. Nerrisa
    Me is so glad yous sorted that conundrum out about your peep. Happy Remembrance Day!
    Kisses
    Nellie

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  13. Ah Nerissa, wonderful tribute to your peep's Dad...and I am not at all surprised she has cat genes as I suspect all of our peeps who help us with our blogs...well...they gotta have some cat in them...just sayin'...Savannah

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  14. That was a great post on this special day.

    Oink oink,
    Katie and Coccolino the mini pig

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  15. wonderful story...and a superb tribute! Tell your peep not to worry...my peep is waaaaaaaaaay older than she is!

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  16. What a lovely post for Remembrance Day! My Dad served by building bombers, so I'm probably more ancient that your Peep. Thank you so much for your kind words about Herman.

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  17. Purrfect blog- I think my peep is part cat too. She definitely knows what da language. MOL.

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  18. Did you ever get to meet your grandhuman? Pawsome story! Hrm, ya think humans can have some cat in them cuz ours has that sorta-tail thing going too....!

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    1. No, I never got to meet the peep's daddy. I'd watch that mom of yours... does she have other cat-like traits, too?

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  19. What a lovely "Daddycation" tribute for your humom's dad. My mom used to have a Daddycation page about her pop too. He was a 1st LT in WWII for 5 years stationed in Italy.

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  20. P.S. I think my humom is the oldest! Mol!

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  21. GREAT story...and a superb tribute!
    I guess my mom is related to horses , because she is alway´s having her hair in a ponytail *mol*

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  22. We love that your Human has a "tail" (even, as you say, if it is at the wrong end, MOL!) My Human has hair like a freaking baby's and barely has enough to even MAKE a ponytail--more like a RAT-tail if you ask me!

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I love hearin' from my pals. I really, REALLY do. PURRS.