Home with Heavy Hearts: Cappy Left Us

Cappy left us yesterday. He didn't want to go. We didn't want him to go, either.

But the little guy, our beautiful white Persian cat for 17-plus years, had to. We had rescued Cappy from abandonment as a kitten. It was not within our power to save him this time. Breast cancer was taking its unrelenting toll. He had a growth removed only six weeks ago. We got the worst news possible...it was cancer of a very agressive nature. At his advanced age, radiation and chemotherapy were out of the question. Cappy bounced back from the surgery with the heart of a champion. Considering what he had endured, he and we enjoyed a few good weeks. Then came the setbacks...diminished appetite, harder and harder to walk, sapped of energy, difficulty breathing. It would not be fair to let Cappy linger on.


With heavy hearts and tears that kept coming no matter how hard you willed against them, Carol and I carefully bundled Cappy up and took him for a solemnly silent ride to the vet's. We had called ahead, so the doctor, a young lady who had migrated to Chicago from Germany, was waiting for us. She had tended to Cappy just 48 hours earlier. Not that she knew Cappy well, but she seemed to genuinely share the sadness of our impending loss. Probably because Cappy had an uncanny way of quickly earning affection from virually anyone whoever met him. And in his final days, under the most dire of circumstances, Cappy gave you reason to love him all the more. He seemed to accept his fate with pride and composure. As beaten down as he might have been, he did not allow the ravages of his disease to diminish his regal disposition. His mellow behavior. His splendid good looks. Somehow he managed to keep it all togther right to the very end. Cappy, you were a Godsend. You will always be in our hearts.

Your pad need a whole-house facelift? Or just a bit of tucking here 'n there?

In the past few weeks, I have become quite familiar with the professionals at Hollender House in Chicago. What they offer when it comes to home improvement is a mixed and very impressive bag of services. From total gut rehab, to spiffying up a hallway, to simply making tired, old flooring regain its shiny glitter. Mainstays Rob, a gifted designer, and Mike, a personable, no-nonsense project manager, have for seven-plus years now been keeping clients happy. And, in the process, earning their accolades and referrals. Business is good, they report. Not suprising when a company lives up to its promises the way Hollender House does.

DINE AT NOOKIES: A RECESSION-SMART MOVE

What with the recession officially upon us, the decision to eat out becomes a more considered decision for many of us. For wife Carol and me, I'm sure we'll be dining more than ever at Nookie's in Chicago's Old Town. It's been favorite of ours, whether breakfast, lunch and dinner,for many years now. The casual fare, for our taste, has always been nothing less than outstanding. And now, the reasonable prices make just that much more sense. To boot, it's BYOB at dinner. Personal favorites: feta cheese omellette in the A.M., whatever soup of the day for lunch, and their incredible linguini with spinach/olive oil for dinner. Bottom-less coffee is standard. Service ambassadorial friendly.

Mortgage Rates Go Down, Down

Just got an e-mail from Lane Sears, an experienced, reliable Chicago lending agent that rate on 30-year fixed had dipped to 5.375%. Even lower if a buyer is ready to close within 30 days. That's more good news for people looking to purchase that first or next home.