LIFE MATTERS

I didn’t know cats could swim

Linda Petersen
Posted 10/1/15

To counter the stress of every day life, I will often take an overnight trip with hubby or the children. It is amazing what one night in a hotel can do for moral! Searching the hotel sites to get the …

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LIFE MATTERS

I didn’t know cats could swim

Posted

To counter the stress of every day life, I will often take an overnight trip with hubby or the children. It is amazing what one night in a hotel can do for moral! Searching the hotel sites to get the biggest bargain, a 4 star hotel guaranteed to have an indoor pool and free breakfast can generally be found for $70 or less. The city is unimportant because we are there for the adventure and the experience itself.

One weekend found my daughter, Dinora, in such a hotel with her two young children and myself. Bringing a small pizza for her and I to share, we let the children order from room service where the children’s meals can be quite inexpensive and delicious, and generally include chocolate cake or some other scrumptious dessert big enough for the four of us to share. The kids got a kick out of meeting the waiter at the door as he rolled in the meal cart, looking as elegant as from a 5 star restaurant, complete with dishes of covered food, real silverware, tiny bottles of condiments, and a small vase with a bright yellow flower in it. They giggled as they shyly walked up to give the waiter his tip. (Of course the tip could just be added to the bill, but what fun is there in that?)

After dinner and the prerequisite 20 minute digestion time, during which the kids jumped on the bed in a naïve effort to “help the food along”, we donned our bathing suits and headed to the pool. What an oasis! Large palm trees littered the landscape, steam from the hot tub hung in the air, a mural of the setting sun was colorfully painted on the wall and the lounge chairs had soft, comfy pillows adorned with bright flowers on which to sit to enhance the tropical effect. Sinking into the chair, I felt relaxed and content, watching my grandchildren and my daughter frolic happily in the water, laughing and splashing each other.

My grandson, Alejandro, came up to me, dripping wet and slightly shivering. “Mimi”, he asked, looking around. “Where is the cat pool?” “CAT pool?” I asked, confused. “Yes, the pool where the cats swim.” “They don’t allow cats in a hotel!” I said with a laugh. “Yes, yes they do!” he argued. “My mom told me they have a CAT pool here.” I looked at him and suddenly realized what he was talking about. “OH! You mean the KIDDY pool”. “YES! The pool where all the kitties swim!” I laughed so hard that the tears streamed down my face. What a joyous weekend it was!

Warwick resident Linda Petersen is the author of “The Apple Tree: Raising Five Kids with Disabilities and Remaining Sane,” which is available on Amazon.

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