Thank you. I don't really have words for it and haven't much since it happened. I'm not sleeping very well, nor coping particularly well and I just didn't know what to put either. I guess with it being my birthday last Monday, I just couldn't feel any lower and a bit of 'now or never' took over. I miss them. I kind of ran away to Oz and pretended it hadn't happened for a bit, did a lot of once in a lifetime things and then threw myself into work when I returned. Grief catches up. Losing two of my beloved ferrets was hard but then losing Neil was just one step too far. I'm on the list for counselling and think it will do me a lot of good to help me piece everything back together and move forward. I'm hoping that joining in the none-sense (and the occasional sensible post) in the rest of the forum will be a good distraction at times.
I miss them rough housing each other and the screams from the kitchen when they'd got one of Neil's ankles or heel, then him marching past me with the offender in hand for time out... usually Sharkey (or Smudge). To think Neil took so long to convince me to get the ferrets! I was adamant for years we would not have them and become some kind of northern stereotype caricatures. Then he got them on the back of me saying "maybe" instead of the usual "no" once he'd shown me ferret videos on YouTube for the fourth consecutive Sunday running! He said that was as close to a yes as he was ever going to get on the ferrets and took his chance while there was an opening.
So true... many good and happy memories.
Flash was his favourite (and my baby boy that I chose) so he rarely ended up on disciplinary because he was soft as putty and would just lay around his neck licking his earlobe as he cooked dinner. Apart from when he would get one on him and doing a flying fox impression with no fear whatsoever! We had to move the sofas nearer because no mater how far apart we'd put them Flash would still think he was a superhero and launch himself into the air. He had a penchant for dog rope toys, a particular yellow one being his favourite to claim and drag back behind the TV unit. With his little chutchie face, slightly crooked tail and a cute lollopy run, he was a delight.
We had so much laughter at them bouncing around, them stealing things to stash to the point where Sharkey loved stripy socks so much, he would steal them right off your feet! Sharkey was named because of his stealth ability to hide right by the inner edge of the sofa, running up and down the carpet until you placed you feet back down so he could attack. It was OK while you were playing the game, however not quite so when you forgot, and Neil nearly always forgot! I'd find it amusing and he'd get so mad that he'd 'been got' again. Sharkpants loved this! He was always the instigator of hide and seek in the plastic carrier bags, towels or the tunnels Neil would make from the wind breaks but was easily distracted by a sock, stinkier the better, the stripy-er the better!
I miss their little characters so much, and Neil's big personality. He really was like he was online in his posts here. We'd chatter away about nothing or something, we'd sing, share our thoughts, laugh, cry, shout, giggle, joke and cuddle together.... my best friend.
Just hoping things get better and that our little monster angels are being nice to him for a change!