Photo shoot with Gretchen Doodle

Gretchen's days are numbered.  No, she is not dying or suffering from a physical ailment.  She probably has diabetes though, but we're not positive.  We have elected to find Gretchen nice, new parents since we will most likely be leaving the country in the next couple of months.  God willing.  Many of you may (or may not) know that we are wanting to travel nurse to Australia before I start grad school next fall.  Our paper work is in and we are just awaiting our nursing registration numbers so we can apply for visas.  It's a headache, and I just hope all the time we spent collecting proper documents and getting papers notarized will not be in vain.  We're hoping to leave by February, March at the latest.  If for some crazy reason, the laid back Aussies can't process our registrations by March we may have to bag the whole situation.  But we have a back up plan: if we don't travel nurse to Australia, we will backpack Eastern Europe.  Either way, we'll be leaving the country for a while and we can't take Gretchen.  

And I'm sad about this.

We've had Gretchen over two years.  I saved her from kitty death row and gave her to Clark as a birthday present (surprise!!).  Most feral cats can't be tamed that well, but I think Gretchen is an exception.  She has come a looooooooong way.  She has developed quite the personality and loves to play games, follow us from room to room, jump up on the computer chair with me, and purr.  She love to watch movies with us, and whether she's hungry or not, if we are in the kitchen snacking, she will too.

Oh my gosh, I sound like a crazy cat lady.  I feel like we're kind of giving up, like we're not doing all we can to keep her.  But I don't see any other solution as we do not want to place a burden on family and I don't want to bring her back to the Humane Society.  So, we've placed ads on Craigslist.  And we've gotten a few people interested.  At least I know we'll find a safe home for her; I assumed it would take months.  She may be gone tomorrow.  Clark keeps asking if I'll cry, as if that is something to be ashamed of.

Last night I got all sentimental and wanted pictures with Gretchen.  Clark thought I was crazy but I insisted.  So he took pictures of me playing with Gretchen but cut out my face on most of them.  Something an 8 year old or an 80 year old would do.

Family photo.  She did NOT like the sound of the self timer.

Miss Gretchen Doodle, we will miss you.  I might miss you more than Clark will.