Yesterday, Margaret was startled to see what looked to be her mother walking in through the door of the florist.  The surprise factor was that Margaret's mother died back in 2001 of a stroke brought on by the 9/11 tragedy.  (Our daughter was in New York City at the time and "Ganny" thought her grandchild was in the World Trade Center when it collapsed).  This customer was a generation younger, but of uncanny likeness.  Entirely taken by the lady Margaret engaged her in conversation and learned that she was an artist who enjoyed painting cats.  Well, Margaret is very fond of cats and we have housed (you never "own" a cat) as many as seven at a time.   The lady also expressed an interest in reincarnation which was all the more remarkable given the nature of her resemblance. 
Margaret was now thoroughly intrigued and hooked into a lengthy discourse. 
Among the other details that emerged was that the lady's favorite cat  had recently died - an eccentric black cat who was entirely self possessed, calm of nature and very sure of himself.  Far from hating or fearing dogs, he used to play and sleep with them.  A friend phoned her a few weeks later to say she had come upon a kitten and asked if she might like a new little friend to help fill the gap left behind.  Our artist customer said she knew right away this was her beloved cat come back to her and shocked her friend by telling her she knew it was black, and it turned she was right.  The little kitten had appeared in the strangest way, having been washed out of a drainpipe by the recent rains, tumbling out right at the friend's feet - a gift from heaven. 

As if to further confirm the new kitten's origins, it has taken to all the habits of its predecessor including the places it likes to sit or pee, and fell right into friendship with the dogs like it had known them for years.