Yesterday was a perfect solar cooking day, clear blue skies and plenty of sunshine, I think. I really didn't get a chance to pay any attention to the weather and a clear sunny sky is the norm in Arizona. We spent the day at the vet. When we got up we found one of our cats almost unconscious in a pool of vomit. I didn't think she was going to survive the trip to the vet. From the get go the prognosis was dim. Her body temperature was extremely low and she was unresponsive. They managed to stabilize her somewhat but by evening she lost her battle. A seemingly perfectly healthy cat was gone. I am still in shock.
I considered lying. Pretending it was just another day of solar cooking. But even coming up with a fake meal was more than I could muster. I was still thinking about lying today. All I really wanted to do was bury myself under the covers and stay in bed all day. But one thing about eating is it's something you have to do everyday which means someone somewhere has to cook. One thing about cooking is that its repetitive motions and predictable outcome make it an ideal activity for stress relief. Partly because I craved the predictability of a familiar recipe and partly because Martin has been requesting it, I made Pumpkin Chili Mexicana again today. I'm sure it will be good, it's one of those recipes that are enhanced by solar cooking. I don't know how much of it I will eat. I tend to lose my appetite when dealing with stress but the time I spent chopping the vegetables and browning the meat was the most soothing part of this very sad day. Thanks to this blog and a commitment I made to no-one but myself I found the energy to accomplish one small thing, a pot of chili, on this day of mourning.
I'm sorry to hear of your cat's passing. It's tough to go through when you love your creatures and they suddenly die. I'm glad you chose to not lie about it--goals should have some wiggle room for just such occasions. Take care. (Now how do I learn how to NOT eat when stressed?)
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind comments and emails. Squirt was loved and lived a long and happy life with us. She was a second chance kitty that was rescued from the euthanasia list at the pound. We will miss hear dearly but are serene in the knowledge that she had the best life possible.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry about Squirt. It is good that solar cooking can help you at this sad time. RIP Squirt.
ReplyDeleteI'm very sorry to hear about your cat. I am a cat person and we know how it is to lose a member of the household. Working to keep your mind focused on other things definitely helps and I also use cooking, more specifically baking, to deal with stress.
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