I'll tell you right off that I'm not able to stay here to reply to
anyone. I've been probably the sickest I've been in over two years, the
last time I went to the hospital. It started on Sept. 2nd this year
when I received the news from my vet that Little Bit had only 4-5 days
to live. YES!!!!!! She is still with me almost 4 months later. This
is thanks to my WONDERFUL herbalist who I give credit for keeping me
alive as long as I've been. Once she started treating her, Little Bit
not only turned the corner, but she bounced around it !! Anyway, having
to care for her (which I'd do again in a heartbeat) 24/7, which it took
to keep her alive, started me on the downward path. I've just never
pulled out of it, but instead got steadily worse. I'm so weak now that
just typing this message will take me probably 4-5 sittings.

I wanted to post to tell y'all how much credit I give you for the
wonderful Christmas I've had. Each year since I first began posting and
even since I've been UNABLE TO POST, you sweet, compassionate people
have sent me not just Christmas cards, but have made my entire living
room overflow with Christmas cards, pictures of your sweet cats, even
fur from some of them and even to the limit of some of you sending nice
long letters !!!!!!!!!!! Now the letters are like pure gold to someone
who is more alone each year as friends drop off the list of those
willing to even take the time to call or send a card !!!! But even the
Christmas cards go a long ways to helping me turn what used to be a long
lot of lonely days into a lots of really happy and enjoyable days, with
me looking forward to the mail being brought to me each day. Heck, I
even got presents from about 6 of my online friends !!!!!!!!! For some
unknown..... well, maybe not unknown but maybe the fact that Little Bit
is still with me....... this has been one of the happiest and most
enjoyable Christmas' in my recent memory !!!!!!!!!!!! Even my son not
calling me, but waiting until I called him didn't dampen my joy for the
Holidays !!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you so much for the part you played in
that joy. (Well, yes, Joy played a part in it, too !! LOL) Looking at
close to 100 Christmas cards which were mostly from this caring group,
bring tears to my eyes for real. I can count on two or three fingers
the amount of 'here friends' that I have who have stuck it out with me.
And only one of those is a friend who's stuck it out every single day
since day one of this Fantastic Journey that I started almost 10 years
ago !!!!!!!! A sad commentary on what I thought were many, many good
friends. It still hurts at times to realize that those 'friendships'
withstood only a few short months after I was given my death sentence.
It is replaced most of the time with many, many friendships of online
people who have definitely 'stuck it out' with me for years (6-7 for
some, to be exact). My heart is warmed even during the long year
between New Years and the next Christmas by people from this group
staying in touch both in e-mail and some by that marvelous snail mail
which I covet so much !!!! True, you are not the only people who stay
in touch both during the Holidays and during the year........ but by far
the largest amount come from this precious group of people. I can never
say "Thank You" enough to Joy for bringing me into this group. I know
it's late, but Merry Christmas and also a Happy New Year to each and
every one of you precious people !!!!!!!!!!!! I may not be able to come
here but once in a Blue Moon, but I can promise you that you're in my
thoughts all year long. Thanks more than I can possibly say for being
my REAL friends.

Love,

BlueBird (aka Cheryle)
P.S. Just when you thought you'd gotten rid of me......... I'm not
sure what address I have showing here, but I do have a rather new one.
If you'd like it, I'm sure Joy wouldn't mind giving it out to any of you
who don't have it.
--
Life isn't about how fast you run, or how high you climb,
but how well you bounce !!