I might be crazy, but...

Today the place called, and Dmitri's ashes are ready. :(

I'll pick them up tomorrow, and then next week I'm going to sprinkle
them in the wildflower garden and hold a little Buddhist/Feng Shui
ceremony. (I'm not Buddhist, but I do practice Feng Shui and have found
great things in it)

Before they called, I went outside to take care of the trash and Jack
wasn't letting me out of his sight, so I let him go with me. He likes
to roll in the catnip in the garden. (But he stays very close to me and
doesn't try to run away...this isn't a habit I want to get into,
though, letting him go out with me.)

So later, I was feeling pretty sad, and needed to go out and pick
tomatoes and water everything. As soon as I walked out the back, I saw
these two huge, beautiful monarch butterflies in the wildflower patch.
It's about fifty feet away, and as I walked down the stairs, they flew
over to me and circled around me, then flew around me a minute, then
back to the flowers. Then, a hummingbird flew right past me and went to
the sweet peas. I've never seen that hummingbird out back, only in
front, where he likes to sip at a hanging basket. Dmitri loved to sit
in the front window and wait for that hummingbird's daily appearance.

And the butterflies only started appearing after Dmitri died. He loved
butterflies and used to love to chase them when we lived in the
country. Now, every time I'm out back, that patch is filled with these
stunning monarchs. And they almost seem to say hello to me.

So I'm taking the butterflies and hummingbird as little messages from
him, telling me he's okay and he's happy, chasing butterflies with
Sharik. (But the butterflies swirling around me did send me into
tears...)

Juls

p.s. To that nimrod "Howedy" guy, I've killfiled your stupid a.s, so
don't waste your breath.