Realities and practicalities

The realities of life are sometimes not quite as we would wish and the practicalities even less so. It seems that now and again a situation arises that isn't anything like we would plan it but just cannot be avoided.

I couldn't post this until now but as the week has gone on things have got a little easier where Poppy's death is concerned and so today I can.... and today is the appropriate day to do so.

Those of you who are squeamish might like to abandon this post at this point, I promise there is no 'blood and guts' but it is a little less than a delightful situation and I can be a little direct.

It is a week today since Poppy was put to sleep and as a consequence it is not likely to be the easiest day for us but the anniversary is not the sole reason. It is compounded by another situation that is not one we had ever imagined or anticipate but has made the last week more difficult in a strange way

Poppy it seems died at a very inopportune time, in fact, to be precise about 3 hours too late. Apparently out here in the sticks all services, even those we are not aware of, are affected to some degree by logistics and deliveries to and from anywhere are few and far between in comparison to a town, this also includes pet crematoriums it seems!

Long before last Wednesday we had decided that when the time came Poppy would be cremated individually Yes you have a choice! For those of you who have never had to deal with this, there is a whole business in pet 'funeral' arrangements and that includes everything from oak caskets and marble headstones to burial plots. We don't have a garden to lay her to rest in and so cremation seemed the best solution. I couldn't bear to think of her just 'going off' and not knowing where she had ended up and so, like gemmak, whilst we couldn't consider the 'big hoo ha cat funeral' kind of affair we decide on a single cremation and to receive her remains back to scatter somewhere nice. This is usually completed within a week.

Not in this case, in our case (wouldn't you know it) the pet crematorium had just made their 'pick up' from our local vets, who incidentally are wonderful, three hours before Poppy died....and only visit once a week! This is where it has been particularly difficult for us....for a week we have known that she is still in the vets just a few miles away, still looking like Poppy, still as she was when we last saw her. The temptation to go and see her one last time has been strong though we knew that for reasons that I won't go into here, it would not be wise. Had she been taken away sooner it would have been so much easier but today, finally, she will be moved and I'm kinda dreading it and relieved all at the same time. Knowing she is no longer so physically close will be easier.

It will be another week now at best, until we get her back and can find a nice place to finally say goodbye....damn logistics!

If it wasn't all such a palaver and so sad it could almost be funny!