something slightly wild

I'm terrible about anthropomorphising, everything from machines to animals. My car has a name (Bleeker), my mp3 player has a name (Captain Apollo), my elliptical has a name (Zoe). With animals, of course, it's even worse, because not only do I name the ones in my care, I also absolutely believe we share with them what we - selfish, ego-maniacal creatures that we are - tend to think of as "human" characteristics, specifically emotions, needs, desires... 

You know as well as I do that dogs love, cats get bored, elephants mourn. (You do know that, don't you?) But even without looking into it that deeply, it's easy, and fun, to think of them as being like us, isn't it?  I know I did my fair share of dressing kittens in doll clothes and parading them up and down Deerbrook Rd when I was little. 

These are postcards by an artist named Eugen Hartung (or Hurtong), who lived from 1897-1973. These cards, known as the Humorous Dressed Cats postcards or Mainzer Dressed Cats postcards, were originally published from the 1940's through the 1960's by Alfred Mainzer Inc. in New York City, known worldwide for their postcards and greeting cards.  The Mainzer company was founded by brothers Renate and Alfred Mainzer, who started the business in their New York City home in 1938. The early postcards had a rough finish, brilliant colors, and scalloped ("deckled") edges.  The cards were printed in Switzerland, Belgium, Turkey, Thailand, and Spain. An additional series of Mainzer dressed cats were published as the "Kunzli edition" - these appear to be set in older European environments, and are typically not as brightly colored as the American editions.  (source) 


I think they're absolutely charming, despite the fact - or maybe because of it - that for the most part the kittens seem to be completely wild.  If you've ever known a litter of kittens, or even one really worth its salt,  you know that in that respect, at least, they've been portrayed  true to their nature. 

    When you invite a kitten into your home,

you bring indoors something slightly wild,

often unpredictable,

and always entertaining.

~ Barbara L. Diamond

never thought you'd lose

This is supposed to be a recipe for success:

This is supposed to be what you get when a door closes:

This is how I'm feeling:

This is what I hope is true:

This is what I'm allowed to say about it:

I loved my job more than any work I've ever done in my life, and I was really good at it. That's not always enough, though. Sometimes that' not what it's about at all.

The door slammed shut behind me. There's no going back. 

I'm on the lookout for an open window. Let me know if you hear of any that might be meant for me. 

http://confessionsofasineater.blogspot.com/

if someone wants a sheep...

I've always, for as long as I can remember, liked sheep. They're cute - is there really anything cuter than lambs?! - they're a pleasure to watch, and there's something infinitely peaceful about them. I even like the way they smell.

I've also always "wanted" sheep, although I've never really known much about them, besides that they're cute, and a pleasure to watch. In other words, nothing.Trips to Scotland have only made the wanting stronger, but have done nothing to educate me on the realities. A dangerous combination, surely.

I've met a flock or two in the past, and met another flock yesterday, only these girls were different: they're not wool-producing sheep, they're hair sheep. No shearing, no tail-docking, fewer parasites. And still cute. One latte coated ewe came up and nuzzled my hand through the fence. When I scratched her furry forehead she leaned into me, and wagged her tail. Like a dog. I was smitten. I asked if she had a name, and when I discovered she didn't, I proposed "Puppy." Connor, the 8 yr old boy who lives there, agreed wholeheartedly. So that's me smitten twice in one day, once by a tail-wagging ewe named Puppy, and again by a blue-eyed boy named Connor, who told me his barn cat Hissy "has a crooked voice." 

I'm not heading out to build a sheep shed and a paddock just yet, but with 8 acres to do with as we wish, I'm not ruling it out, either.

Katahdin Hair Sheep 

 mouse over images for source

If someone wants a sheep, then that means that he exists. 

~  Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince

http://confessionsofasineater.blogspot.com/