The Unexpected

Life is always a give and take, and much of it is dealing with things we don't expect. This is both a challenge and a blessing. Some of the biggest delights happen unexpectedly, and also some of the biggest disappointments happen the same way. To try to mitigate them completely is impossible, and just like the roses along the path, if we could mitigate them we would miss out on some pretty wonderful things. We also would miss out on some pretty painful things that can teach us and make us grow. We experienced this in the last week with the passing of our cat, Nisi (short for Anisette). My wife, Jen, found her little lifeless but still beautiful furry black body Saturday morning after she was absent most of the day Friday and then overnight into Saturday. It appeared she had been attacked by a bigger animal. She loved being outside to frolic and hunt, and we knew this fact since we had gotten her from friends who had lived in Gardner with her for her first 4 or so years. Pueblo West can be a dangerous place for outside cats with our rural setting and frequent wildlife sightings, but we accepted that this was how she wanted to live, and we got used to her sometime forays lasting all night. It was still unexpected to find she had been caught while doing what she loved to do - like a daredevil in a way. But she taught us a lot about living in the moment and enjoying life, and so we are sad but pleased that she came into our life unexpectedly and exited unexpectedly as well. Cherish the unexpected, my friends. It can be the best parts of life. And in her spirit I'll include the blog post I wrote about her three years ago entitled, "My Cat Understands".

My Cat Understands

I've been writing about pretty heady subjects of late. I guess I’m trying to be wise and learn from all the reading and living I’ve been doing. Funny thing is, my cat seems to have more wisdom than I do sometimes - especially in the morning. She waits until she knows I’m rushing to get something done, and then she comes to me for affection. I usually try to pick her up and cuddle her for a while, and of course this has a wonderful calming and loving effect on both of us. It also reminds me that there are more important things in life - giving and receiving love and caring. The most interesting thing she shows me is when I’m not totally present there for her. She gets annoyed and will bite me. At first I thought she was wanting to play or was being mean, but I more realize that she is actually teaching me to be in the moment and to let other things go. When I do that and talk to her, then she doesn’t bite or get annoyed by me.  Now I suppose I could see this as a cat being selfish, but I don’t think so. I think that she is more in touch with the meaning of living here on earth - wanting to enjoy each moment and putting the passion in everything that life is really about. So I say, “Thank you.” to her, and I hope you get these moments, however brief, in your life to enjoy.

What have I been up to?

Last week was full of wonderful Irish spirit with St. Patrick's Day even with our loss.

Friday was an all-Irish evening at Magpies with several guitars and lots of good friends celebrating the Irish with all the Irish tunes I could muster.

Saturday was another all-Irish evening at the Bell Tower Cultural Center in Florence opening with young Celtic women dancers from Castle Rock and then me singing Irish songs and leading the wonderful audience in old favorites. It was quite a night!

What's up this week?

Saturday night 7-10 I'm back at PDub Brewery in Pueblo West for a night of great beer and music. I'm really enjoying the beer and camaraderie at PDubs, and they've made some adjustments so that the service should be outstanding this time out. I'm even expecting Brad Schoolland to sit in on a tune or two. He's the founder of the brewery and the fellow who had the accident last fall you may have read about in October. He's recovering well and ready to join me on stage. I'm looking forward to it all. Please come out if you can for a porter or cream ale and some live music.

What's on the horizon?

I just booked the Feed Store in Westcliffe for another concert this summer on August 20. This is always a highlight of the summer for me, and you just can't beat the setting in the park in the shade of the beautiful Sangres.

There's lots more coming, so stay tuned.

I guess that's it for this week. Many of you have offered condolences on Facebook about our little Nisi, and I thank you for that from the bottom of my heart.

Best always,

Tom

Details this week:

Who: Tom Munch
What: singing and playing
Where: PDub Brewing Company Taproom, 181 S Purcell Blvd, Pueblo West, 719-647-8864
When: Saturday, March 25, 7-10 pm