Today, Freya and Fiona would have been 17 years old. It has been 18 weeks since Freya passed away. I miss them both so much. Looking at their photos and videos over the past months has brought back happy memories, but it has also made me feel their loss more. They seem so close and yet so very far away. I feel that I need to honour them by remembering them.
This week, we had some feline visitors in our garden. I heard a cat meowing plaintively, probably because she was in heat, and I went outside to see if I could find her. She was a small ginger and white cat, and was sitting behind a bush. I tried to coax her out by playing with her.
She was very focused and tempted by my little string of yarn, but did not really dare to move out of the bushes. I was trying to see what she was wearing around her neck. A GPS, perhaps? Then I heard the faint sound of a bell behind me. I looked and saw another ginger and white cat walking into the house as if he lived there!
I followed him inside and he was just looking around, browsing, thank you very much. His tail was up and he rubbed up against my legs, begging for some pets. Then he walked to the front door to see if I would open it for him. I petted him some more and he walked back outside. I realised that it had been months since I last petted a cat, and it felt so familiar and at the same time so alien somehow. Being able to cuddle with a loving cat had seemed so normal, and I miss it.
It was nice to have visitors. They obviously knew each other and were following each other around.
My neighbours have a beautiful camellia in their garden, and they allowed me to cut off some flowers for in the house. I put one branch in our living room. So beautiful! Even though I don’t have a proper vase for it, so I used an empty oil bottle.
I have a nice little corner in the attic now. I set up an open cupboard where I can showcase my treasures. Freya and Fiona’s portraits are there too. So I added the other camellia branch to that little corner.
I’d love to paint a better portrait of Fiona one day. But right now, it’s nice to at least have paintings of both of them.
Today I went through my pictures again and I selected some of my favourite portraits of Freya and Fiona.
This is the last weekly Freya and Fiona Friday. I might do an occasional Freya an Fiona Friday in the future, but not weekly anymore. I don’t want it to become a chore.
