ReadLarryPowell.com

CATCHING UP WITH IVY JOY, FORMERLY A HOUSTON FREE-ROAMING KITTEN

This weekend’s edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie and Napping Cats Nap is a visit with old friends of readlarrypowell. com — people and animals we first wrote about a decade ago.
[LARRY ASIDE: We so frequently write about dogs and cats who  are in shelters because they've lost their homes to human folly. But in this case, we are celebrating an enduring family unit. And that is a wonderful pleasure.]
In late 2010 or early 2011, we started writing about a kitten named Ivy who had been rescued from a desperately solitary life in a Houston field by Frank and Edna Taylor.  [We opened this edition with a photo of grown-up Ivy Joy curled up in the bed that belonged to her canine pal Luna Rose -- more on that in a moment. The photo of the cat in the trashbin is the first we ever published of little Ivy.]
Ivy's rescue by Frank and Edna was the first act of kindness for that cat. And that glorious act, plus her "Dallas family life," have earned the spotlight for this beautiful all-grown-up cat in our weekend edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap.

Connections were made and made and Ivy was adopted by Lezli and Michael Ragland in Dallas. Frank and Edna drove the cat up to Dallas to make everyone’s acquaintance. The Raglands kept Ivy’s name and added “Joy” because she was. Consider the photo of Ivy Joy caught in a moment of reflection.
She has, in fact lived up to the name Ivy Joy.
In 2016, we did an update on Ivy Joy and reported that she was enjoying life with the beautiful Boston, Luna Rose, and a Chi-Pug mix named Honey Bun. (Yes, all 3 are in that nose-to-nose-to-nose photo.) 
Earlier this summer, Luna Rose moved on to the next stop for all dogs — our readlarrypowell.com theological stance is “All dogs go BACK to Heaven.” We figure they’re angels sent here to help us learn patience and how to love with our hearts.
Lezli says, "Princess Ivy Joy will be about 10-11 years old in August.” [LARRY ASIDE: FYI. Last week Ivy Joy was diagnosed with a bone spur at the base of her spine and, as Lezli says, “So, that is why she is not as active as in her early older years.” The hope is her meds will help her keep up her usual Ivy Joe pace.]

Lezli continues, “She picked us for her family on August 27, 2011. She has grown into an amazing cat full of personality and love. She still has her feral moments and can be spirited at times (like going to the vet) , but her love for her people has truly grown...and our love for her is immense.
“She has brought so much joy to our lives. Her spirit is amazing and her ability to trust and adapt has proven successful. Ivy Joy has had a lot of adjustments recently since her best friend went to the Rainbow Bridge a couple of months ago....
She has never been without Luna Rose, until now. We see her grief and yet, she knew what was happening and sat with Luna Rose in her final hours. It was her way of saying ‘Good-bye and I love you.’
"We all miss Luna Rose so much. Ivy Joy [She sleeps in Luna Rose’s bed now and then] is learning to find friendship with Honey Bun, our Chug rescue.” 
Honey Bun, for a while, after Luna Rose went on, refused to leave her pal’s kennel.
Lezli says, “Honey Bun has been a member of the family for 8 years. She was not in good shape when we got her and love does wonderful things. She is a ‘Chipug’ or a a ‘Chug’.”
Luna Rose, Lezli says, “was the glue on the family — everyone is … adjusting.’ In the near future, Ivy Joy will have to adjust yet again when we combine households with my mom (AKA ‘Meemaw.’) …Mom has a senior cat, Louie Blue. He, too, is one of our rescues. This should prove interesting to say the least....and yet, we have faith, it will work out. We plan to keep them separated so neither is greatly stressed. Ivy Joy loves the sunshine and napping....she is our hearts and the Princess of our family...always. Our hearts are connected by paws.”
[LARRY NOTE: What a tribute to Ivy Joy, Luna Rose, Honey Bun and their humans! Write a tribute about your sleeping dog or napping cat and send it and photos to dallrp@aol.com and we'll feature
your beloved friends in Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. You’ll be inspiring people to give their love and their homes to wonderful animals. And you’ll be inspiring insomniacs to believe they, too, can get some sleep if they can just figure out how to curl up without becoming frozen in an oval!]
—- Offer happy thoughts and appreciations for animals by clicking on ‘comments’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com (I’ll probably be wide awake no matter what hour of the day it arrives. I can’t curl up.) —

CELEBRATING WITH FRIENDS! (AT THE LAKE)

Here's a little newsy note we got Friday morning from Sydney Busch and it contains a significant notice about the Friends of the Animals Spay/Neuter Clinic, the world's most successful spay/neuter clinic at Gun Barrel City, Texas. 
The first email I opened today came from Sydney and it reads:
"18 years ago today, Friends of the Animals Spay/Neuter Clinic opened its doors with the goal of providing affordable spay/neuter surgery for those families wanting to be responsible pet owners.
"Dr. Glen Campbell has been our surgical veterinarian since we opened those doors - along with a wonderful group of volunteers who have been with us from the beginning.  Today, around 35-40 volunteers come in every Tuesday and make the day run smoothly.
"In these 18 years we have spayed/neutered over 45,000 animals which translates into literally millions of little lives prevented/saved.  AND it's improved our community with fewer packs of stray dogs, feral cats and fewer animals being turned into local shelters.

"So:  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US!"

[LARRY ASIDE: Congratu- lations to this enduring legend of the Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake and its Spay/Neuter Clinic. They also do "shots" there and that opening photo, from 2016, is of "patients in post-op" -- the photo was titled: "The Burritos."]

Sydney always has a handle on the needs of the clinic, so she also included this passage in the birthday notice. She writes, "Oh, and by the way, we could use the following:
bleach
distilled water
Q-tips
39 gallon trash bags
13 gallon kitchen bags
cotton balls
cases of drinking water for our hard-working volunteers
$$$ to help subsidize surgery costs for feral cat communities
these items can be brought by the clinic in GBC any Tuesday from 6am-4pm!"
Call 903-451-4701or 214-808-4701 to offer to help or arrange to bring supplies to the clinic. Click on the website friendsoftheanimals.org to donate. The U.S. Mail address is P.O. Box 5455, Mabank, TX, 75147. And you can read about Friends and the clinic on Facebook HERE.
--- Offer Friday thoughts by clicking on 'comments' below. ---