Miracle Kitten

Teeny Esther with her brother right after we adopted her.

Do you believe in miracles? I have a miracle living at my house. More than one actually, but that’s a story for another day. This one is Esther. I adopted her on the way home from the ACFW conference. She was teeny – less than a pound. When I held her it felt like I was holding a baby bird. She was extremely underweight and looked at me with such sad eyes. When she nestled into my elbow, I was helpless. She needed me – and I needed to help her.

Her littermate was adopted by our youngest son who just graduated from high school this summer. We’d had him for three weeks. He was twice her size – but otherwise identical.

I thought good food would put her to rights. I called the vet the next day though. I was worried. She almost never moved and didn’t play. They told me to be patient – that she needed to adjust. A day later she was at the vet again. She had an upper respiratory infection. That’s not unusual for rescue kittens. We got some meds and I had to start feeding her watered down food with a syringe every two hours (even at night). 

After a couple days she was still lethargic and I noticed her breathing was labored.

That was when I first heard her diagnosis – congenital heart failure. My vet said there was nothing he could do. He suggested we see a specialist from the college in a neighboring town. He didn’t expect her to live. 

The specialist ran some tests and told me hers was the worst case of heart failure they’d seen in such a young cat. She had fluid around her heart and in her lungs, none of her valves were operating normally and she had at least one blood clot in her heart. 

 After her visit to the specialist. You can see all her shaved spots.

I was crying constantly. I think they took pity on me. They gave her some meds and told me to come back in five days, unless she got much worse or died. They didn’t expect her to live. Even if the meds helped her heart, she was still underweight and the blood clot could kill her instantly.

I continued my syringe feedings and watched the clock to make sure she got her meds on time.One day later it was as if we had a new kitten. She played with anything from her tail to a spot on the carpet. She was curious about everything and started eating on her own. They wanted me to keep her quiet and in a kennel – but she would run circles chasing her tail and climbed all over inside the kennel. 

She wanted to be around the other cats so I let her.At her checkup she had gained a pound and her heart was functioning almost normally. They were stunned. A week later she gained yet another pound and now raced up and down the halls. She has gone from under a pound to almost five – in 6 weeks. Her vet can’t hear any problems in her heart and she is the sweetest thing. 

 Esther (looking at camera), her brother, and one of our older cats snuggling.

She is a reminder not only to take joy in every day, but that God is in charge of everything. Whether it’s the orbit of the earth, the money we need for bills, or the life of a tiny kitten that nobody but God could see having a future.

Review of Barefoot Summer

Summary: Madison’s heart closed the day her twin brother died.

Since losing her twin, Michael, in a drowning incident, Madison has rejected the faith he lived by. Instead, she’s devoted her life to fulfilling Michael’s dream—winning the River Sail Regatta in their small Indiana town, Chapel Springs.

As she trains for the regatta, Beckett O’Reilly is teaching Madison to swim. But he’s keeping a painful secret from her—and as they grow closer, that secret threatens to upend their lives . . . and the lives of both their families.

My Take:

Denise Hunter has a special gift for making a setting and characters come alive and burrow into your heart. I've been a bug fan of hers for a while, but this has got to be one of her very best.

Beckett is one of my favorite heroes ever. He's strong, handsome, and flawed enough to make sure we see him as human and not a superhero. I think one of the greatest ways to show love is through our time. He spent a lot of it patiently teaching Madison to not be afraid of the water and how to sail. From his point of view, none of that could benefit him. His chances with her were non-existent. She was competition in a race that he needed the winnings from. He did it because he wanted the best for her. What better example of love is there?

Madison is overwhelmed with guilt. It is blinding her to the truth about her brother, her needs and who Beckett is. She has nightmares and thinks the "fix" for her sleep problems and guilt is to fulfill the dream of her brother.

Both characters grow over the course of the book and have a very real relationship and romance. I find myself still wishing them the best as if they were people I knew. I bet they'll stay with you as well.

I got this book from the publisher in exchange for sharing my honest opinion.

Update - Conference, Computers & Kittens

So, picture me hanging my head in shame. I am so sorry I haven't posted in a while - a lot has been going on.

These are pics from my hotel room in Indianapolis. I went to the American Christian Fiction Writers Conference. I was overwhelmed, but it was a wonderful trip and everyone was so nice.

Then my computer died. I had just bought it to replace one that died of old age. Thankfully it was replaced for free - but it was hard to be without it. :o(

I also picked up another responsibility - the cutest, and fluffiest one ever.

These are our two rescue kittens - Desmund and Esther.

Desmund is twice as big and heavy - he was rescued 3 weeks earlier than she was. Other than size, they are identical. Their mother was killed and Esther was starving and sick when we got her. I had to feed her every two hours - all day & night. She also has a heart condition. When she got the proper meds, she changed completely --

You can see where they shaved her -- but she is so playful and curious about everything now. She has gained over a pound and keeps up with her brother. She'll play with everything from my Bible - to a spot on the carpet. :o)

She also loves to snuggle and sunbathe on the couch.

On the health front, I have been pretty good and I am seeing results. I've lost 15 pounds. :o)

I have lots of books to write about, so I'll post again soon. I hope you all are doing well and enjoyed the pics.