156 Comments

It's hard to encompass a lot of loss in one essay. I think you did; and you did go forward fighting. Just in case: yes, your pets are waiting for all of you there.

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well said, Iris

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Beautiful prayer Jenna. My heart aches for the victims of these crimes.

I can't imagine how hard it is to want to shield your girls from the awful truth, but also make sure they are awake to the awful truth.

If we strive to remember God's promises, the awful is so much easier to withstand.

Note about hubs and our cats: When we met, I had two. He asked one night, "Do they have to sleep on the bed?" To which I replied, "They were here first". Needless to say he didn't ask that question ever again and sobbed right along with me when we lost our dear Ernie years later. I truly believe that anyone who doesn't like cats, has either never lived with one or never lived with one that had a personality. Be it loving, funny or annoying, they are a joy to be around.

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Excellent response and appreciate you as always. (I don't trust anyone who doesn't like cats once given the chance, TBH.)

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Well I am highly allergic to cats. My sister in law came to visit and innocently brought a blanket into our house that her cat had been on (I had no idea the blanket was even in our house). I started to sneeze incessantly and then my asthma kicked in and I was getting worse and worse. My SIL finally realized she had brought the blanket into our house and took it back to her car. I ended up in the ER that evening. So, I have nothing against cats but they literally make me sick so I kinda naturally don’t like them very much. And I am trustworthy. 🤧🐈😅Edited to add- I had the privilege of holding two baby cougars at our local zoo (my friend is a zookeeper). The wild cats didn’t make me sneeze or wheeze at all! They were amazing!! 😻

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I trust you implicitly lol! Allergies don’t count. And I dream of a holding a baby cougar one day! That will happen.

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FWIW, I am allergic and have never lived without them in my adult life. I did shots and drops for many years (worth it). I love their incredible energy and personalities. I didn't get to HOLD the baby lion but I got to play with it. I understand you. Thanks for verbalizing AGAIN what I have been thinking since hearing of this fire. It's Maui all over again. I had a fire experience that was also very odd... but I'll stop there.

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Oh Jenna.

I could use a hug after reading this. I think I love you -and wonder what I, a 70 yr old "marmi" to 12 grandchildren and 6 grandcats and one lovely grand dog (fighting liver cancer), could possibly offer you... Maybe this... Keeping turning your eyes to Jesus, look full on His wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and Grace... I hope you hummed a little and grabbed the cat guy for a hug.

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Thank you for the kind words, Kathleen. Hugs and much love to you and your brood, too (with an extra prayer for your grand dog).

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This, my darling, is an example of what Our Lord meant by the least being the greatest.

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Bravo. Seriously. Cats, family, the fires, the similarities. I was admonished by my grandson this morning for wondering out loud about the fires, and he said hey, people are losing their homes and dying, and you are thinking about conspiracy theories? The answer is, in this world, this is the absolute best time to think about conspiracy theories. More true than ever - we need new ones because the old ones have been proven to be true. But what to do about it.

I was just reading somewhere else about the firefighters who were let go because of The Jab. That monstrosity has caused hurt and pain in so many different ways. IMO, etc.

Thank you for sharing your family with us. My German Shepherd, Charlotte Moose, is quite elderly and I don't think I will be prepared to lose her. This helps, except I think I may be too old to have another cat or dog, perhaps not fair to them.

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Oh, honey! You could foster if you're seriously worried about that? I do believe we all need an animal (or seven) to love. Sending love to you and Charlotte Moose. XO

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❤️

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People losing their jobs because of the #^#% mandates continues to be my top trigger! Even IF they had been S&E (they are not!), TPTB knew that they didn't stop transmission, making the mandates even more ludicrous. Almost seemed like they didn't want strong and resilient people to remain unscathed.

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Yes. I was lucky. I saw a lot of very non-scientific red flags when this all started, and decided I would wait and see. But - I am retired, and that was an easy decision. And, honestly, it had never occurred to me to think about what others would say, but things in general got very ugly, at least online, and I have never regretted my decision or even wavered. And now I am just relieved. But my livelihood, and my family's livelihood, never depended on a job. IMO, there was so much more to the plandemic than people possibly getting sick. Control, and undermining of society in general. I don't think it worked quite as well as was hoped, and I believe that future episodes will pretty much fall flat. All the trust is gone. Or it should be.

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I don’t think it was planned to be the adulthood and citizenship test it became.

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And don't forget that shelters have MANY older dogs and cats that most people don't want to adopt. That's a wonderful option for those of us who are longer in the tooth.

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Possibly the hardest to read post of yours, Jenna, that I've ever read... but I had to read it... it was necessary. Thank you for sharing it.

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I almost felt bad posting it but I HAD to get it out. It was eating me alive (hence the random Thursday afternoon post). Appreciate you reading and commenting. :)

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❤️

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Understand the compulsion to "unload." Ha!

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Wait, I thought the, how long do cats live, conversation was for the inner circle? Its OK, helped drive the point to your story. I get it.

Love you, and the cats...

I too pray for the many I know and dont know who have lost their homes in this latest round of fires which may have been avoided by some forward-thinking logical local leadership.

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Hahaha honey, this IS the inner circle now! :) Love you, too (now that you're Cat Guy). XOXO

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[*chest swelling, tears welling*]

Yaythanks.

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Yah - I learned a long time ago nothing I say or do is private. Love that about being married to you. It keeps me in line - somewhat.

OK but. You know I want another dog though, right?

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This is one of the most beautiful, human things I've ever read, Jenna. You moved hearts and informed minds, all without crossing the line into stridency or sloppy sentimentality. Never worry about needing to provide more expected on a perceived schedule. Keep writing what you think and feel as you think and feel it. It's your gift!

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Nancy! If I could frame this comment I would (even though I'm sobbing reading it). I appreciate your words more than you will ever know.

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Just as I appreciate your words more than you will know! (Now I'm tearing up.)

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Truth!

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Heartbreaking about your driveway incident. I too had a similar incident years ago and was apoplectic for 2 days, lots of sobbing. My Amber was such a love. I’ve had other cats, strays that I’ve taken in, the last one stayed for 19 years. Never vaxxed her. Healthy and faded over the rainbow bridge one day. My dogs have recently passed as well, so no animals at the moment. Miss them terribly and wonder if I’m too old to adopt. I do take neighborhood dogs when asked. I call it Rent a Pet.

So tragic and unnecessary fires in CA. The incompetence is astounding. I pray for the people and the animals. Thank you for the post and reminding us of our humanity.

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Appreciate you being here and taking the time to share. I love this community so much *cue fresh round of tears for real

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"Never vaxxed her".

Smart.

I always had cats when I was single.

In the 80's my cat Koshka, was vaxxed, and I spent $2,000 on cancer surgeries, but she still passed away.

Evidently she had received vaccinations in the exact same place in her back.

Hence the carcinoma.

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Sarcomas sometimes form at vaccination sites. I think kitten shots are important--distemper, rabies, etc--but I don't vax my adult cats and they have lived 17 to 18 years.

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I'm sorry :(

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You're never too old to adopt unless you're physically unable to care for an animal. Besides fostering, you could adopt an elderly dog or cat which many people are not interested in (but shelters do have them). Something to think about. :-)

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Thanks, Jenna,

I wish I had a single argument with today's post; however, you are spot on, as usual. I can only pray and hope I am proved wrong. I also had a kitten driveway disaster circa 1958.

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Thanks Jeff, and I'm sorry. I don't think those wounds ever fully heal. XO

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Ok I found the video & it's less than 4 minutes. This lady takes excerpts from Klaus Schwab's book "The Great Reset" so you cannot call it a conspriacy theory! Here you go: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eirm9mapQyY

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She was spot on!

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Great link. I have watched What'sHerFace before, but subscribed and upvoted. Thank you for sharing this.

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You're welcome! She had a baby over a year ago so she's taking a break. Fortunately she's made a lot of videos you can watch until she returns.

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I agree 100%, on the cats AND the wild conspiracy theories that will be revealed as truth in 3-5 years.

Our first 3 as kids were brown and white siblings named Cinnamon and Scaredy Cat, and mine was all white named Snowball. 5 year olds are not very good at clever cat names, I agree.

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I thought conspiracy theories evolved into conspiracy facts in about one and a half years. Am I wrong?

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in ~6 months these days.

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"Thank you, Internet." (Bet they wish they could take THAT back...)

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❤️

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We got an all-black dog I named "Java" when my oldest son was three. Then I heard my son calling for him, "Jabba! Jabba!" And I decided I didn't want a dog to end up with a name that made people think of Jabba the Hutt. So I asked my 3 year old what he wanted to name the dog, and that's how we ended up with "Bingo." It was probably a better name than what I called our beagle when I was 4-5 years old. Apparently I really liked George Washington, so our beagle was named "George."

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Lol! I love George for a dog!! 😊

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Thank You for this fine piece that is both poignant in many respects, illuminating how parents' hearts break when their children's hearts break, and angering when one thinks of the evil machinations we witness far too often in these modern-day catastrophes.

Keep fighting the good fight.

Btw ... Your two girls were purely adorable when they were little -- BEAUTIFUL. Dredged up memories of my own two when they were my Lil Princesses.

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Thank you for the comment, Justin. It helps sharing the agony, that's for sure. ;)

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Kind've a kick-to-the-solar-plexus kind of column, donchathink? Jeepers.

What follows was the Best Joke my departed father ever told me. And it involves pantomime. And you have to imagine the mime being a nearly nonagenarian. And it wasn't a cat. In fact, it was the kind of pet that most people think "Ewww" when they hear it's somebody's pet. That kind. I'm thinking it might have been a feral boar. And so the driver had to be driving something big. And hard to steer anyway.

So this guy's driving at night and he hears the dreaded bu-bump and stops the car immediately. He looks and sure enough finds what was possibly someone's dear pet. But not a cat because all the cats had been evacuated because of the escape of a pack of hyenas from the local zoo. They were in NYC taking in some shows. (But not "Cats" because that would be ridiculous.) Approaching the nearest house the driver knocks on the door. An elderly woman answers, "WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" with more than a hint of irritation. He asks, the driver that is, "Pardon me, but do you have a not-a-cat?" She wants to know why the [blazes] he wants to know. (A little surly maybe, but the joke doesn't say what she might have been doing before being interrupted by an unexpected knock at the front door, which they hardly ever used--most acquaintances and even the mailman typically using the kitchen door at the side of the house.) He then says, "Well, I was driving and I ran over one-of-those and I'm terribly, terribly, terribly sorry. (I added an extra 'terribly' to add pathos to the joke, which I added.) The old woman then wants to know--and here's where the joke gets interesting: "What did it look like?" And the man--but hold on, you have to imagine my wasting elderly father at his age drawing himself to full height to give the lady his pantomime impression of a run-over ewww-pet... The lady, first irritated but now exasperated by this fool of a driver, interrupts to demand, "No, no! Not NOW! I mean BEFOREHAND!!" My 89-year-old pop, for his part, now fully in character as the hapless driver, stands on his tiptoes, raises his hands over his head, and pantomimes a face with a look of sheer surprise...

I am sorry for this joke. But it was my father's, and you can't really blame him. I mean, not now you can't.

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Oh, David, you KILL ME. Thanks for bringing the levity this post needed (I tried; I really did). OXOX

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After reading this through about 3 times, to make sure I got the full picture, I read this to my husband (changing voices as appropriate) We were both laughing by the end. Thanks!

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(Thanks, Mom, but you don't have to read my comments.) If you, "P. Kelley," really are not related to me, then I'm counting this as my first successful gig as a sit-down comedian.

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Oh, that is absolutely awesome! Thank you! I will be stealing it.

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I try to teach it to every elderly person I meet: especially prim little old ladies who I can picture inducing near hearts-attack in their, completely, unsuspecting offspring, fellow diners, and pastors.

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P.S. I am sorry for all animal fatalities in jokes. (The feral boar in this particular joke actually stood up, shook it off, and disappeared in the brush before my dad even got to the first pantomime part.)

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The last house I lived in, a neighbor three doors down had a huge boar (Sir Boaris, sorry) as a pet. Looked quite prehistoric when it would get out of the yard and chew on shrubbery. And this was a mildly upscale subdivision. So I can now picture the circumstances. Oh, and the folks who owned it told their recently moved-in parents they could move right out again if they really hated the boar. So they moved out.

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"...it had previously been unqualified upscale..."

I am, terribly, sorry my dad brought up an unpleasant memory. However he couldn't have predicted what I'd be up to these years later.

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Oh, no! I loved that a huge boar lived three doors down and wandered through their house and up and down the street! And I loved that they were inflexible about keeping Sir Boaris. When any of us saw him loose, we would just sort of herd him home. We also had lots of roaming peacocks and cranes. The street was sort of a circle arrangement, and everyone drove carefully; no through traffic. That's funny, too, "previously upscale". The important part was - we did not have an HOA.

Honestly, I am stealing that story.

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My professional opinion is that you should try it on the road a few times before trying to pull it off in front of people who know your face. As I look back over it, it occurs a few relatively modest edits might be made. Do people still have "pet rocks?"

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Great post, as always. ❤️

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The parenting never stops, just changes. I know how you feel, both times. My son and I took our dog to be put down together. He was my rock at 15 when 3 grandparents all died within 5 months of each other and Hubs was on The Bering Sea and could not make it home for any of it. My son had to read what his dad had written for his dad's funeral and then again for his mom's funeral. While we were in MI for that funeral, my mom called and told me that my dad had died in Cali. So we flew from one death to another....my kids and I. But, I just came home from stopping at my son's house. He and his family live 8 miles from me and he works from home. We spent and hour together talking...and talking about the fires and the tunnels and how he shit-posts on X and I told him I have recently became addicted because it is literally the only place I can get any news....from my fellow people. Life changes, the tribe positions shift, but we always have each other. And the cat. ♥

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Life is so hard and so beautiful at the same time, isn’t it? Grateful that you are here.💕

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Jenna, I love how you take the time to reply and like so many of the commenter's offerings here. My wife and I were recommending you and your Substack to a friend yesterday and this last post is a great one for her to start with. We also recommended Jeff Childers Coffee & Covid. Both you and he have become as important in our morning routines as coffee and a warm good morning embrace.

Keep up the Great Work and together we have a decent chance at outmanuevering the Evil of the NWO.

DJ

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Mighty kind of you to say so, Darrin! I do try to keep up with comments, but it's not always easy (great problem to have). I love how this community always steps in to help one another even when I can't--that's where the power is here. I'm just the comic relief. :)

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This! I appreciate it also. And C&C as well. Because everyone has my back, I feel like. I have been reading Jeff for about 4 years, so there are names on there that I absolutely trust and I have also been a part of actually meeting some of those great people who comment and I have come away with 2 actual friends that I would trust with my life. And Jenna?She is the friend who just says it when everyone else just sits around the room and shifts in their seats. I absolutely love it.

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Wow, your words expressing my intuition gut communication completely 👏

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