The Day My Life Changed

 

Adopting a cat is not generally considered to be a life-altering event. Fifteen years ago today I drove down to Springfield MA to pick up a feral rescue kitten and bring her to live with me.

Millie had been living in New Haven CT as a feral kitty when she was hit by a car and left for dead in the middle of a busy street. One of her back legs had been broken in two places and dislocated at the hip. A passerby rescued her and brought her to a nearby animal hospital. Then he wrote about her on his blog, because she needed expensive surgery ($3,000 at the time) to put a pin in her leg. The Animal Hospital would help because he was a good samaritan, and the surgeon would donate his fees, but there were some costs that they couldn't make go away. The final cost would be about $1,000. He asked cat lovers if they could help foot the bill. He put pictures of the X-rays and the invoice on his blog to show this was all real. 

Cat lovers around the world did not let him down. Within three days, he had collected enough money to pay the big bill. He had a contest to find a name for the little kit. MILLIE, from "mil" the Spanish word for thousand, won by a landslide. Millie was an internet sensation for the next seven weeks as the word of Millie's story spread all over the world. Finally, she needed a home.

I had heard about the story on the second day, read everything I could find, and then donated twenty bucks to the guy who was doing a good thing. I had voted for the name MILLIE. But I had two cats of my own. I hoped she'd find a good home.

My mother often says that "Timing is everything in life." So it was, that a week before Millie found her forever home I brought my two (elderly) cats to the vet for their annual checkups. Gizzy was fine, but Jasmine had a tumor in her eye. As she had already had a cancerous tumor removed a few years prior, this was the end of the road for her. My sister told my not to wait until the end. "Adopt another cat!" was her advice. "Well, that cat in Connecticut is available..."

A few days later I had made arrangement with the owner to pick up Millie and bring her home. I also agreed to do the unthinkable - start a cat blog for Millie so her vast network of followers could see how she was doing. I figured I'd do it for a couple of weeks, just about as long as it would take for the novelty to wear off and everyone to lose interest, and then I could go back to my normal life.

Famous. Last. Words. 

"Millie" posted on her blog regularly for twelve years, then she semi-retired. I started this blog in 2008 and have been going ever since.

Because of Millie I met Tracey and Monty Q, and later, Violette.

Because of Millie I got back into making quilts. I started making free pieced letters, and I started this blog.

I met Julie and Chris, online AND in Real Life!

Because of Millie I met Megan, from Sydney Australia!

Because of Millie I spoke to a group of quilters at Quintessential Quilts 2013 in St Louis, MO, and got to see something I had always wanted to see - The Gateway Arch!

Because of Millie I have had quilts exhibited in many AQS shows all over the US. I've met hundreds of quilters, taught dozens of students, and met so many readers through this blog.

 Darling Millie, whose life really started the day she almost died, changed mine forever.

If it wasn't for Millie, NONE of this would have happened. She's now fifteen, and while she still doesn't come when I call her, she won't sleep next to me at night, she still won't let me pick her up, she does nap beside me when I sit on the couch and write my blogs (or tutorials, or whatever). She lets me know when it's time for treats, and when I need to sit down and chill. SOMETIMES, she even sits on my lap.

If you've seen my quilts on exhibit, if you were a student in my classes, if you have bought one of my tutorials, if you have read this blog once or every single time, you can thank Millie. I know I do, every day.

At fifteen, I know she is aging, and I won't have her forever. Every day with her is a gift, but what she has brought to me, what she has helped me to do, is the real gift.

If you had told me fifteen years ago that adopting a feral cat would change the trajectory of my life I would have laughed in your face.

Yeah, you couldn't make this up!!!