Etta

Etta being adorable

Etta being suspicious

Today I want to introduce the world to Etta. She is named after Etta James, of course. At Last is one of my favorite songs, it is beautiful, heart tugging, so soulful and beautiful, just like Etta. If Etta were a human, she would be a Marilyn Monroe, or Jennifer Lopez, or someone who scrams femininity, vulnerability and beauty. When she was an itty bitty kitten, she and Scrappy who we'll meet later LOVED to get in my way when I am doing yoga. Even to this day, when I do yoga Etta will get out of a deep sleep to come and be in my way.

Look at that face!

She's the most mild mannered of the group. She never gets mad at anyone, and if someone is getting on her nerves, she just ignores them, or walks away instead of arguing. I like to believe we have that in common. Etta is that friend who will never judge you, and come over when you are at your worst with some vegan ice cream, and an understanding ear, and a warm hug. She's that friend who will just sit with you if you're lonely. She's also somewhat of a princess. She would stay on her cat tree, or wherever she had been napping, and demand to be served her dinner, as opposed to joining the rest in the kitchen. And she's a terrible tipper! But she loves treats, she will come running when I pull out the treats! She's the easiest to please with food also. Like I said, she's just super easy going.
She LOVED Dylan. And she made him love her. By the time these guys came into my life, Dylan was a senior kitty, and a little grumpier than when he was younger. So, he had little patience for all these little kittens running around. Etta would wait for him to lay down, and she would cuddle up to him. No matter how pissed he got, she wouldn't leave. Even if he did that ear biting thing he liked to do. (Dylan Tyson?) She eventually won him over, and he just accepted that he had a cuddle bunny for life. And whether he would admit it or not, he came to love her, and even seek her out for cuddles.
She's also a bit more independent than the other kitties, and I assumed it was because she was kind of the odd kitty out. She is the only black cat, and the only solid colored one of the bunch.
Her nickname is Yeti, or more often Yeti Spaghetti. And since I've already totally exposed my nicknaming side, I also have songs that I sing to them with their nicknames being the main lyrics. I'll spare everyone, but my cats and I love the songs.
I feel like Etta is wise beyond her years. Like she would be that wise woman in the village that we all go to, and she serves you tea, and explains everything to you. She's an observer, and she really takes in what she sees. I lover her and miss her so much.
She's an amazing friend, and I can't wait to see her again!
When I woke up this morning, I was so happy to see that I've raised a little over half of my goal on my GoFundMe page. The donations are amazing enough, and then all the kind words of understanding and support are what is keeping me going.So I will never stop being overwhelmingly grateful, and I will never be able to say enough Thank Yous. I just want my family back. It's a confusing time emotionally, on one hand I feel so happy and grateful, and on the other hand I have an ache and a void that makes it hard to function. I cry on the bus, as I'm walking down the street, just always. And I don't care! I'm too sad to care if I look like a raving lunatic!
So, Thanks for all the support. I never knew how much I was missing and needing kindness.