two aussie grandies
heads topped with bouncing blonde hair
all settled into their new home in america
go out and rescue
rwo smooth black velvet-covered cats
who were waiting and hoping
to settle into their own new home
and soon
they all share a space
and
it is
very comfortable and warm
for all of them
just in time
for christmas.
—
people who love cats have some of the biggest hearts around. ~susan easterly
where’s nacho?
and what cat
could resist
the sharing
of
fingertips
full of
sweet and magical dots
called
astronaut ice cream?
and we have added to our family once again.
this handsome fellow,
a flyweight
weighing in at just 8 pounds
and 8 years old
has lived a hard life
first on his own
surviving
on the mean streets
with scars, and cuts, and ruffled fur
then with a family
who may not have fully appreciated his charms
and he was sent away
to spend his days in a small cage
with nothing but an uncertain future
and a short timeline ahead
but he has persevered
against all odds.
–
and when we walked into the shelter
and he reached
with
a tiny ginger paw
out of his cell
to wave to us
and called out
with a little voice
we knew
he had been waiting a long time
to meet us
just as
we had been waiting a long time
to meet him.
and when
we carried him into the cottage
he
was instantly transformed
into
the most affectionate and gentle cat
we have ever met
and knew that he was home at last.
(he has been lovingly named nacho, and he is the furry one with the orange hair.)
zucchini joy
i was attending a wedding shower where couples and families had been invited, and the soon-to-be bride and groom each shared true stories about the other growing up. v got up first, and shared a sentimental story about his love, back when she was just a little girl, and it inspired the guests to let out a collective, ‘awwwwww,’ when he was finished.
then c got up and shared her story about him. she told the tale of when v was little, and he desperately wanted a pet. his parents told him that it was absolutely not going to happen. and he cried and he begged and he cried some more, but all to no avail.
he wanted a companion so badly, that one day he adopted a large zucchini that he had found in the garden. he put a rope on it to create a leash, and took it on a walk. he loved his zucchini, took care of it, cleaned the outside of it, and dragged it along with him wherever he went. his mother made him keep it outside to sleep at night, where he left bowls of water for it, and each morning he ran to get it and was reunited with his pet once more. and he was happy.
a couple of re-enactors
before too long, as zucchini are known to do, especially when being dragged around in the dirt, the zucchini began to rot and fall apart. v valiantly tried to patch it up as best he could, but when he took it to walk around with him, little chunks fell off, and then big ones, and then bigger ones, until there was nothing left of it.
he had desperately tried to save his beloved pet, but now all that remained, was a stain on the leash, just hanging limp in his hand with nothing on the other end. and he sat in the dirt and he mourned the loss of his beloved pet zucchini.
and the shower guests responded with a collective silence. and then some laughed until they could not stop laughing, and tears rolled down their faces. and one had tears rolling down his face just remembering his zucchini.
habseligkeiten (German) – things that an adult might find worthless, but that a child regards as treasures.
——
image credits: stephiemccarthy.com, flkr.com, zazzle.com
my daughter and her aussie family, having decided to take on an easy pet, went the “cute little guinea pigs” route. my grandsons enjoyed playing with them, they were cuddly, and loved to run around in the yard, (grandkids and pigs, both). living in the southern hemisphere, and with a very warm climate, it was not unusual and worked out well for everyone.
until one day, when it got just too hot for them, and the little guys, (the pigs, not the grand babies), decided to make a run for it and head for a cooler location, under the house. they haven’t really seen them since, (the pigs not the babies). i suggested to my daughter that she send the littlest guy, (baby, not pig), under the house on a hunting expedition, with a headlamp and a net. he is the only one who would fit under there, has a huge love of hands-on adventure, and would probably find the mission quite exciting.
my daughter and i discussed the possibilities if they didn’t find them:
‘are they vegetarians?’
‘oh they won’t go hungry, they can eat as much grass as they like out there and always be full.’
‘but isn’t everything massive there, you have super races of every animal, who have adapted and are highly developed survivors?’
‘what if they run out of grass? what if they have to eat a bug or something to survive?’
‘yeh, once they have a taste for blood, they could go after bigger things. the neighbor’s cat, a kangaroo, and even us.’
‘we could come home one day and find them to be giants, roaming the yard, looking menacing, making eye-contact with us and hungry!’
‘yes.’
‘it would be like a bad b-movie, with us as the running, shrieking victims.’
‘could you possibly videotape it for me and i could make a fun family movie out of it?’
soon after, i noticed that she had put up an offer to local friends on Facebook – “looking for a good home for cute guinea pigs, our yard will just not accommodate them since we’ve moved.” following is a very real part of that exchange:
a: Are they child friendly??
h: Not really lap guineas, need more handling. I have a leash and everything but don’t think they are quite there yet.
j: be warned everyone !! they are the guinea pigs from hell !!! they would be perfect extras as pets for the dudes of Sons of Anarchy !!!
apparently, people have different perspectives about them, clearly divided between those who’ve met them, and those who haven’t. but really, leashes?!
You can’t create a monster, then whine when it stomps on a few buildings. Yeardley Smith (voice of lisa simpson)
image credits: freeamigurumipatterns, news.bbc.co.uk, theguardian.com
I didn't have my glasses on.... 