Monday, July 19, 2010

It is a dark and stormy night


The perfume review I planned for today of a Kilian something or other will have to wait. I'm just not in the mood. Today's explosive thunderstorms are good for my soul (except the part where I was driving through the edge of one earlier this evening). It's an oddly calming weather.

I'm not going to rehash the subject of comfort scents. It's been done enough and I'm not feeling any of them at the moment. The perfumes I've been wearing the last week or so had to provide strength and resolve more than comfort and my choices have surprised me. I mentioned earlier today that last week sucked major monkeys. One of my older cats, Thomas, died on Thursday night after a year of living with lymphoma. We knew it was coming and he passed away at home, which is a slightly better option. But the days leading to it were very difficult. If that wasn't enough, on Saturday afternoon we took Giselle for her yearly shots. By that night she developed a high fever. Even though we knew it's a fairly common reaction, the Blond and I have a low threshold for these things right now, so we rushed her to the emergency clinic, where a well-meaning Doogie Howser, DVM wanted to test her for everything under the sun and preferably admit her for at least 24 hours. Seriously. While neither one of us plays a vet on TV, we knew all she needed was an IV of fluids. It's us who could have used some serious medication, but I'm pretty sure young Doogie wasn't authorized to prescribe any.

Giselle is alright, of course. The IV took care of the fever and by the time we brought her home on Sunday afternoon she proceeded to eat her weight in Royal Canine and then chased the other cats around before cuddling with us for the rest of the night.

So what perfumes did I wear throughout the turmoil? Oddly enough, non of my comfort scents. Instead, I turned to classics with a steely backbone. Chanel 5 in every formulation but mostly vintage extrait helped me not just keep going but also keep up appearances. Chanel 22 (current version) at night provided a little more softness and lulled me to sleep without coddling. A fairly recent love, Givenchy Insense, was another good choice (Luca Turin said this one is melancholic and mysterious), despite (or because) its masculinity. Vintage Miss Dior, both EDT and extrait, accompanied me throughout the weekend.

Today I've been in the mood for iris. I played with several of the ones I have, but now that I'm cuddling with my fluffy gray Peter who's purring loudly in my ear (the Blond has Gracie on his lap), I wish for a bell jar of Iris Silver Mist. It just goes well with the mood and the weather. Tomorrow I might go back to my Guerlains or maybe a Tauer that would make me feel like myself again, but tonight it's still dark and stormy, so I'm going to rummage through my vintage bottles and wear something appropriate to bed .

Photo of a thunderstorm over Northern NJ by quintanomedia.com, 2009

21 comments:

  1. I'm sorry to read about your cat; people who don't have pets sometimes don't get how much that relationship can touch people.

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  2. I'm very sorry about your fluffy baby that passed. That is always hard to go through when you love them like family..I hope you feel stronger soon. And good news that your other one is feeling better.

    Yes darlin' steel yourself with olfactory armor.
    It's a cruel, strange world out there.

    We need all the help we can get.

    xoxo~ T

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  3. I'm so sorry for your loss! The down side of being fur parents. But they are such a blessing! Hugs!

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  4. I am sorry to hear it. Best wishes to you and your near ones.

    I can relate, by the way. N°5 is fantastic when you need to feel pulled together, at best it's like an invisible armour that helps you keep calm.

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  5. Dear Gaia,your blog is always a great pleasure without the guilt,you make us smile and laugh out loud and you taught me a lot,so it only seems natural you share your sorrow too,wishing you and your lovely (feline)family strength and love and light in these hard times,
    a mother of a bombay beauty,a burmese king and 3 boys...

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  6. Gaia, I'm really sorry for Thomas, and for that scare Giselle gave you. I've been there. Big hugs and huge whiffs of many lovely-smelling things from across the Atlantic.

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  7. Oh, my condolence!
    And long happy life to Giselle and other your cats. Good vets always are hypercorrect, but their scrupulousness not always is pointful :)

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  8. I am so sorry, Gaia. I know first-hand what it's like to lose a cat love. A piece of "me" goes with each of them. I'm sitting here sobbing as I write, just thinking about it.

    I am sure my babies are waiting in heaven for me, just as Thomas is waiting for you. I know you made his life wonderful.

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  9. I am so very sorry that you had send Thomas over the Rainbow Bridge. I had to do that for my beloved Mischa when his disease made life unbearable for him. Even though I knew it was the kindest thing I could do for him, it broke my heart. As another poster noted, it's the downside we face when we take on when we allow ourselves to be adopted by these wonderful fur balls. Anyway, the furballs and I wish all the best to you and your family.

    Wafting Uncle Serge's best your way,
    Murai, Chandler, Bonkers & Alexia
    ~,,~

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  10. Gaia, I'm sorry about Thomas. I wish I had comforting words, but there are none, really. Just sending hugs...

    xoxo
    *jen

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  11. Dear Gaia, I feel for you deeply, can't even imagine that something can happen with my own two fluffies.
    Take care about yourself and your loved ones.

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  12. Very sorry about your Thomas. I lost my beloved Diva several years ago to cancer and it was just the roughest passage of my life.

    I know what you mean about the perfumes, though. When I need to be brave I pull out my "Big Girl" frags, which for me usually translates to chypres -- 31 rue Cambon, Enlevement au Serail, Caleche. Strong yet beautiful. Sometimes cuddly is not the way to go.

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  13. very sorry to hear about your cat passing away and that the other one was poorly. I know it hits very hard when an animal isn't there anymore and sometimes you forget and expect to see them. Wishing you and the blonde all the best

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  14. I'm so sorry to hear of the death of your friend; watching a beloved animal deal with a terminal illness, and and eventually lose them to it, is one of the most difficult things to go through. I know from experience, and it never gets easier. I'm glad you have the comfort of the rest of your "fur kids" (as my cousin calls them).

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  15. I'm really sorry to hear about Thomas--my best to you during this difficult time.

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  16. I am sorry as well, about Thomas, and glad that Giselle is all right.

    Cats! How I am glad that there are such creatures in the world.


    My current "taking no 'garbage'" scent is a decant of Jicky from The Perfumed Court.


    Lawrence in Ohio.

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  17. Thank you, everyone, for your kindness and lovely words. Knowing that you understand and care means the world to me and provides a lot of comfort.

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  18. Oh, Gaia, I am So Incredibly Sorry.

    I no longer have kitties (used to when I was a younger urban apartment dweller) so I know the enormous bond, attachment and unconditional love they provide. My bf kitty named Audrey (1990-2007) passed away at home, too, so I do think that provides a wealth of comfort. She went (mostly) peacefully. And she even waited for me to come home from work, sit with her on the sofa, stroke her and tell here how much I loved her, and also I told her it was OK "to go" if she needed to let go. And within 5 minutes she did. I'm shedding a few tears thinking of this now. Audrey was a class act, she was a fiesty little thing, totally would have worn Chanel, probably Coco. ;-/ ...so anyway, I am so sorry about Thomas. And thankfully Giselle is doing fine (after an enormous Vet bill from Doogie I assume?!)

    I like your choice of scents that provided you a steely resolve. Smart thing, really. Plus, I personally can't have too few comfort or skin scents. Give me all the steely, assertive and sexy florientals and chypres then I'd be a happy gal.

    Thunderstorms are cool. We've been having some spectacular one's out here in the southwest.

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  19. Gaia,
    My condolences regarding Thomas, words can't fill the void when a beloved friend passes. I am glad Giselle is ok, despite the initial scare. Sending warm and comforting thoughts to you. Peace & light.

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  20. I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of Thomas. They grab your heart and hold on forever, don't they?

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  21. was so sorry to hear about thomas. i know too well how it feels to lose a beloved cat. but the love they give makes it all worthwhile. life is so much richer with them in it. blessings to you and your furry ones.

    minette

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