chessie, 1992 - 2009
chessie, 1992 - 2009
Originally uploaded by sammy babyChessie, Queen of the Kitties, left us to frolic alongside the rivers of gravy in the sky today. Although honestly, she's probably just sitting there licking. Frolicking always seemed beneath her.
Chessie, also known as "Chessie Boo," or occasionally "Chessie-Chessie Pudding Pops Tikka Masla Vindaloo Kitty," was the result of an impulse purchase on the part of Keet's family. When I met Keet, the big sign that I was Mister Right was that Chessie took an immediate liking to me, I suppose more so than her other boyfriends. Chessie's kitty friend and sidekick - named, unsurprisingly, Sidekick - also took a shine to me, and I have fond memories of sitting on the couch in the house in Maryland while the two cats vied for my lap.
Since Keet and I have lived together (that's since 1996, y'all), we've also lived with Chessie, who despite repeated threats (we imagined her with a voice like Peter Lorre, or perhaps Ren Hoek), never once pooped on our pillow. When we got married, Keet illustrated our wedding invitations with images of the three of us.
For the record, Chessie was against us having a child. But Maya loved her very much too, and Chessie tolerated being poked and grabbed by a toddler as best as she could. The reward for her patience was the unqualified love that only a 4 year old can give, for better or for worse. Suffice it to say that she rarely wanted for petting.
Chessie did, however, support two of our creative endeavors without reservation: my attempts to become a better cook, especially where roast chicken was involved; and Keet's quilting. In this picture, Chessie is sitting on a recent quilt of Keet's, on our bed. I think it's my favorite of her work.
Goodnight, kitty. We miss you terribly.