One of my favourite aspects of landing in a new country is the opportunity to start fresh, planting new seeds that will hopefully generate new roots.
While Penfold works furiously to get the house finished, I spend my mornings working on a horrific practice audit and my afternoons painting, grouting and feeding gummi bears to the work crew. As I become intimate with every beam and wall in the house I’m starting to understand the immense satisfaction of creating a home from the ground up. The roots are so much stronger.
Unfortunately, roots also require paperwork. Last week I experienced Portuguese administration when I applied for my tax ID number, opened a bank account and ordered a new mobile phone. This is the land of amanhã bureaucracy, where patience is learned and the pace is anything but fast.
I’m surprised to discover how quickly my roots in Vancouver have begun to dissolve. The SNAAB (my beloved car) has been sold, my mailing address has changed, my favourite restaurants no longer remember me. Sadly, one of my strongest ties to Canada disappeared last week when Toby, my constant companion of thirteen years, went to sleep for the last time. It’s a huge loss that only a pet owner can understand, I still cry when I think about him.
But the best way to grieve is to nurture these fragile, new roots. So I’m off to grout some tiles …
.
PS: Thanks for all the loverly comments on my last post from DaddyP, Lo TG, Penfold, Somnambulist, Daisyfae, 70steen, Wendy, Stinkypaw, Sylvied, and Surftwin
I see that the art of the pun is taking hold ….. oh dear …… and also, the tile spacers could be little crosses for the all recent lost pets associated with the Papersurfer family [with some to spare - another 'oh dear'] ……
you’ve got a crew that works for gummi bears? sweet…
so sorry about toby… they are family…
Sorry to hear about Toby
I’ll have a glass of vinho tinto this evening in his honour…
makes me weepy everytime i read about toby. sweetest mean fat black cat there ever was.
i soooooo wish we were coming soon! will you be done by christmas?
DaddyP: oh dear, I thought I was the only one who would clue into the little crosses …
Daisyfae: Gummi bears and a little flattery go a long way
Somnam: Just poured a glass myself, cheers!
Mommabeat: I wish you were coming soon too! We’d better be done by Christmas although news from the window man today was slightly less than optimistic …
sorry to hear about your cat – you are right only people with pet can understand, just as we left England our cat was run over by a car…very sad, we since adopted two sisters. I don’t think I could ever be without a cat – there might be a wild cat in the hills of Portugal longing for nurturing when you are ready x
Soooo sorry to read about your Toby… Those fur balls take up so much space in our lives… Sorry for your loss.
If you want, I’d be happy to showcase your Toby on my other blog “Love is a Four-Legged Word” (http://fourleggedlove.wordpress.com), dedicated to our beloved pets. Check it out, and let me know if you want… I’d be honoured.
Sylvie: I’ve often thought that two cats are better than one, they always have each other for company. Unfortunately, Penfold is allergic so I may have to look for some goldfish …
Stinky: Thx for the kind words, I’ll have to dig up some photos of Toby …
Didn’t you know? Puns R Us.
That Penfold and his allergies; I don’t know where he gets it from! Never mind, we’re digging a pond in the garden – when the goldfish start multiplying you can have some of ours. I wonder what Ryanair would charge? I’d better not let them get too fat…… –
Budget airline Ryanair considers ‘fat tax’ for overweight passengers
From the Daily Mail on-line
By Jenny Stocks
Last updated at 5:51 PM on 22nd April 2009
Overweight passengers may soon have to pay a ‘fat tax’ or even purchase a second ticket to fly with budget airline Ryanair.
Oh dear….so very sorry to hear about Toby!!!
It was one year yesterday….for Tug. (i still miss him terribly)
TG: I’m halfway through reading the fine print and there’s no mention of overweight goldfish anywhere … x
Surftwin: Yep, it came as a bit of a shock, in hindsight it’s good that I didn’t transport him over the border. It’s bittersweet how how these little creatures find their way into our hearts – let’s hope Toby and Tug have found catnip nirvana … x
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