January 26

Abby and I did as we often do on lazy weekend afternoons: we went shopping. When we got home, I opened the garage door to plug in my car, and shortly thereafter, a fluffy gray cat ran inside. (We don't own a fluffy gray cat so this was a surprising occurrence.) Since I'm near-deathly allergic (which I realized after owning cats for 38 years), I dispatched Abby to retrieve Fluffy, and she complied.

Although I don't love being near cats at this juncture, I do love how happy my girl was to hold this one. She grinned like a fool, and afterward, declared that she wanted a cat of her own. (Which is not happening.) She even looked up hypoallergenic cats. (Which is also not happening.)

Anyway, it was a blessing to just be with her out and about, and it was a blessing to watch her happily hold this feline. Small things, but good things nonetheless.