A Little House in the Big(gish) Woods

I returned from my retreat yesterday, refreshed and having written 50 new pages, BUT desperate (DUH!!!!) for the company of a Rabbit.

How can it be that I spent three days and two night in the woods and saw nary a Rabbit?

Zoe must have been punishing me for leaving.

The Punishment

Don’t tell Zoe, but it was a wonderfully refreshing (even if Rabbitless, Mammaless, and Chickless) retreat.

I spent a lot of time going for walks in the woods. It was cold, but not nearly as cold as it was last week. Everyday I was in the woods was at least 20ish degrees. It was like a heat wave compared to what it’s been like here lately!

The place where I went on retreat is on the grounds of Mt. St. Benedict’ Monastery here in Erie. One of the main tenants of the Benedictine’s belief is that of Hospitality, and that is why they have the cabins in the woods in the first place. Of course, you can eat with them, attend Mass and Prayer with them, and all that other stuff.

But I prefer to keep to myself while I’m there.

Zoe was Happy to have me home, I think.

This time, when I arrived, Sister Phyllis, the scheduler of the cabins, took me on an all inclusive tour of the Monastery, on which I got to see their gorgeous new Chapel and Sanctuary. The Benedictine’s are great supporters of the Arts, so their spaces are filled with Beautiful Things, including lots of lovely stained glass everywhere, paintings and photography in every hallway, and the amazing work of ceramic artist Brother Thomas, who lived with the Benedictine’s for 20 years.

A short walk from my cabin is a place called Camp Glinodo, where in the summer the Benedictine’s run summer programs for kids. It is like a park that runs right along Lake Erie, and it was there that I took delightful walks each day a few times a day to clear my head and listen to and enjoy the Outdoor Silence (as opposed to the Indoor Silence in my cabin, Hildegard.)

So, this week’s Flip Friday Feature stars not a Certain Rabbit you know and love, but...little old me. In the woods. Basically talking to myself. Oh, and you have to excuse all the weird faces I make. It was cold, and also, I'm not used to filming myself. Bear with me.

Hope you enjoy the journey!

In A Cabin In The Woods from marcy hall on Vimeo.

Miss Rosie is Still the Boss of Me

Rosie and me.

It was a strange weekend.

For the last month and half, we've been pretty focused on Rosie-- does she need a snack? Is she coughing? Should we get her up and make her walk around a little? Does she need something?

It was hard for us to let her rest. We wanted to squeeze out every possible moment with her that we could. We wanted to do all we could for her and meet her every need, but we also didn't want to miss any time with her.

Each day with her felt precious.

And now, with her gone, I find myself looking in her sleeping spots and simply missing her. Her sweet gray fur suit was in my sight everyday for the last 15 years.

It's just hard to let that go.

But, we're doing our best. We are doing so much better with Rosie.

Ernie was unexpected. Completely.

Jobie was not unexpected, but when he went to Sparkle Pond after so many months of sickness and discomfort, we were lost. When he was gone, it was like our day had no structure left. Each and every day had become about taking care of him. Each day was comprised of the struggle to feed him and to make him as comfortable as we possibly could.

With Rosie, it was as though she gave us a gift. No long, agonizing decline. She was very efficient. And no vet. She made the decision to leave this earth on her own terms.

We are so thankful for that.

On the morning of her death, Rosie meowed at me. I hadn't heard her use her voice in many weeks.

On the morning of her death, Rosie came out to the kitchen for breakfast and tried to climb up on her little red stool. She'd not done that in many weeks, either.

You've seen this before, but it's sooooo cute!!!

All these things were gifts. And if there's anything I want to remember about Rosie, it is this: That She Was a Gift.

That each day with her, each day on this earth, each day we meow and try to get on our stool, these are gifts.

My tribute to Rosie is to live. To live as fully as I can, doing the things I enjoy, and to love the things around me that are a part of my life, both in the Lilypad and out.

This is a reminder to you to LIVE YOUR LIFE.

Or, Rosie's going to kick your butt.

And, she's serious.

It may look like a yawn, but.. LOOK OUT!!!

Dream a Fourth Dream

Hold on to your hat.
This is going to get strange.

Here we are at week number four of my weird dream posts inspired by the Erie County Public Library's own Miss Kitty. (Don't try to get out of this, Miss Kitty. You know you are to blame!)

This dream is from a few years back. After the post on Monday about the imaginary Rabbit named Mr. Rumi who assists me in gift buying duties, I'm a little concerned that after this post you'll say to yourself, "You know, really? I think this is enough. This Marcy person is quite simply just a nutter."

And that's fine. But you have to read to the end of the dream first. Then, and only then, will you be qualified to make that prognosis.

NOT TRUE!! I have not read the dream, and I am already making that prognosis!!

So, here we go. Dream #4:

I'm on the second floor of the Blasco Library (the library where I work). I'm with a lot of other people. I guess you could call it a party of sorts. We're in a big, open space on the second floor of the library, where we normally house exhibits of the artistic variety or sometimes press conferences or receptions.

Anyway, there I am with a bunch of other people. We are milling about as though we are at a party.

Suddenly, music starts playing and I find myself in a Rockettes-style kick line.

(Here's where you need to brace yourself. If you're not sitting down, Zoe suggests doing so.)

There I am in the kick line, kicking away with the best of them (that's a dream in and of itself!!), and I look down to the end of the line, you know, I guess to get a glimpse of how I'm keeping up with the other kickers.

I look down the line and at the very end, I notice someone else peeking back at me. This someone is also kicking, and from the look on this someone's face, this someone is having a most wonderful time.

This someone would be..... the elephant panda dog.

With the snout of a dog, the black eye circles of a panda, and the trunk of an elephant, the elephant panda dog is completely unmistakable to me. It is as though I have seen him/ her/it a hundred times. While I'm kicking and looking down the line and seeing this most bizarre creature, I think to myself, "Oh, look! The elephant panda dog.!!" It is a simple and comforting thought.

I smile at the elephant panda dog. He winks at me. Just a slight wink, like something you might see Santa Clause do. His eye sparkles (I can only see one, as the far eye is hidden by the protruding bridge of the trunk, of course), and as he winks I hear that distinctive, staccato "PING!" sound of a television wink.

The elephant panda dog assumes his place in line as do I.

And that is the end of the dream.

The interesting part of the dream is that when I woke up, as is the case with so many dreams, it felt so real. It was like I discovered a new animal. That wink will live in my mind's eye forever.

Someone.
Please.
Call 911.
It's an emergency.
I need to get out of here ASAP!

Don't let her fool you. You should hear some of Her dreams!!!

Nevertheless, Zoe and I and the other animals at the Lilypad wish to wish you a
Very Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Flip Friday

Zoe can't even believe this.

It's Friday, (that is Flip Friday) and there's....no....Rabbit Video.

OK. Wait. Don't pick up that rotten tomato yet-- PLEASE!! Put it down!

Miss Zoe is The Star. We all know that. Everyone is clear.

But, there's lots of other animals in the house, plus other things that go on outside of the house. Though it seems impossible, it's true!

So, we (yes, I'm including Miss Zoe in that "We," though she's not sure she wants to be included) have 3 videos for you today.

The first, as I promised on Wednesday, is a short, very short, too short clip of the Heliotropes from my most recent viewing on the Steps of our beautiful Erie Art Museum. This clip stars Katie Chriest and Sheldon Peterson singing the original Heliotrope song, "Instead of Wrong." I wasn't planning on filming, and then I decided to, so it's not a terribly good clip, but it gives an idea of Katie's voice and Sheldon's guitaring. Awesome!!



Visit the Heliotropes' myspace page for more music and upcoming show dates!

Next up are two videos taken by the Blisschick!!

The first is one of a Guy Dancing at Erie's Jazz and Blues Fest, which we attended last weekend. You can't really see his outfit too terribly well, but you can surely see his clunky, gold bike helmet. And the juxtaposition of the formal Mickey Mouse vest with the basketball shorts is nothing but genius. At the point in the video in which he spreads his arms wide (wait for it!) you'll see that he holds a giant ice cream cone in one hand and a Tootsie Pop in the other. This guy's got a lot going on. Most nice days in the Summer, you can catch this same guy in a three piece suit playing the trumpet somewhere in the downtown area. You may want to watch this one more than once. I've watched it many times, and it never seems to get old!



And last, but Most Importantly, is a short clip of Miss Rosie and Miss Lilly, doing whatever it is Cats do when I'm not home and the Blisschick is filming them.



Up next week? MISS ZOE, of course. She won't let me go 2 weeks in a row. No Way!!

3 Things I Learned This Weekend

Happy Monday!

Actually, I may have learned more than 3 things this weekend. In fact, now that I've written that title, I can probably think of at least 4 things I learned, but let's stick with 3, as that seems enough to cover at one time. Here they are (in no particular order):

1. I learned how to wipe down a Dirty Lamb. (I know-- that doesn't sound great, does it? But it's true.)

Miss Zoe and I have spoken of Miss Emmie the Cat (pictured below, squinting in a sunspot) many times here on our blog. What we haven't talked much about is the fact that she's CRAZY.

The Crazy (and beautiful) Miss Emmie

No, seriously. She is crazy.

She doesn't groom herself (who knows why-- Zoe thought cats mostly came knowing how to do such things to extremes-- it's why she allows cats in her house), and besides that, she's a tail biter, which means she's often covered in blood. We LOVE this cat!! But, she can be... challenging, especially when you are having company (see #3). Due to the non-grooming situation, we have Miss Emmie shaved, and because we have her shaved, we affectionately call her "The Lamb."

Are you keeping up?

Due to the problem of non-grooming and frequent bloodiness, we decided to order some wipes
to help keep her cleaner. We affectionately call them "The Lamb Wipes."

So, said Lamb Wipes came in the magic, brown UPS truck a couple of days ago, and on them were these instructions:

O......kay.....

First thing learned? Besides knowing how to open and close a lid, one must wipe entire pet.

2. I worked on Sunday at the Ol' Public Library. I picked up this tract in the copy room and thought I should pass along this information:

Whew! I still have a couple of years!

Second thing learned? The End is Imminent.

3. We had a house guest here at the Lilypad this weekend!!! We NEVER have house guests!! Lisa of Nerdy Renegade News came to meet us and the cats and Miss Zoe and stayed for a few days. We had GREAT FUN!!

Third thing learned? Having someone whom you don't know (other than through online contact) come to your house and hang out is not as freaky as we thought it would be!! We had such a wonderful time, and it's like we knew Lisa already.

More to come about the weekend on Wednesday.

For now, Miss Zoe would like you to review:

1. Wipe ENTIRE pet.
2. Beware May 21, 2011
3. Invite strangers over often.

"I'm not sure this blog even makes sense.
Please don't associate me with any of this information.
Views and "Information" presented in this blog do not
necessarily represent the views of the Rabbit Council."

OK, so here's 4. Sometimes, there's no pleasing a Rabbit.

Flip Friday

Miss Zoe is stoked for the weekend!

How about you?

Actually, Miss Zoe doesn't care much what day it is. She is just always happy and excited.

Really, it's a nice way to be.

One reason she is always excited is that she is not required to work in a public library where people sometimes feel compelled to wear just their swimsuit or perhaps feel like it's a good idea to bring their cans of beer into the free computer lab.

Miss Zoe prefers to deal solely with her cats. She can decide when they come and go. And, they never wear a swimsuit or bring beer.

Another reason that she's always so very excited is that she is always eating. Like, always. If you have a Rabbit, or even if you just observe Wild Yard Rabbits, you know that they are always munching on something.

In this week's Flip Friday Video, we see this very action: Miss Zoe enjoying some hay. It may not sound enthralling, but I defy you to stop watching!

Muses and Music

On Monday, I told you that I would show you my most recent painting.

Well, we'll get to that in a moment.

Before music comes muse.

And who would that be?

Hmmmmmm......

As you know, we lost Baby Audrey not long ago. We buried her under the Crab Apple Tree in our backyard. A wonderful and fitting place. Her resting place and window to Sparkle Pond is visited daily by Many Outdoor Rabbits and Other Animals.

As a Surprise, the Blisschick ordered me a Saint Francis statue to mark this special spot. He came in the mail on Monday. Before we took him outside, we took him up to see Miss Zoe. Audrey was her special friend, too. And, this Saint Francis is special-- he has a Rabbit at his feet.

Quite fitting.

What follows is a representation in pictures of Miss Zoe's encounter with Francis.

At first, she's not sure, but she warms up to him, as you will see.















Cute, eh?

We've covered the Muse. Now on to the Music. Here is Richard's Guitar:


Today, we're off to Cleveland with Miss Kitty to go to the Art Museum and the West Side Market.

My directive from Miss Zoe?

"Take some interesting video. People must be getting tired of Rabbit videos."

That's the funniest thing she's said all day, don't you agree?

Flip Friday and More Talk of Rabbits?

You may ask yourself this: "Will she ever talk of anything but Rabbits?"

The answer?

Mmmmmmm.... No. Probably not.

Well, I will also talk about Cats.

Zoe reassures me that Constant Talk of Rabbits is good. It is what is Expected of me.

After all, this blog is about Art and Mammals, and, as She most eloquently put it, "What other kind of Mammal is more Important?"

Writing of Rabbits is not just Something We Do, you see. It's a Vocation. A Calling.

In that spirit then, I offer this report.

For a couple of weeks now, we have had many Close Encounters of the Outdoor Rabbit Kind. It seems to me as if a relation (perhaps) of Baby Audrey the Rabbit has been lying about in our yard. My theory is that this Rabbit is Baby Audrey's mother.

That's what I call her, anyway. (Though, how does one prove such a thing? How does one get a warrant to test an Outdoor Rabbit's DNA? Is there some kind of Court of Woodland Creatures?)

I offer the following pictures as evidence:





See how relaxed? How cute? How very precious?

Go ahead. Make the pictures bigger. Look at her sweet feet, all kicked out behind her.

We call this rabbit pose The Cleopatra. It can even be used as a verb as in this sentence. "Look at Miss Zoe! She is so sweetly Cleopatraed after that delicious salad of yard greens!"

And, speaking of Miss Zoe, here's a little something to get you through a perhaps harrowing family picnic on a very loud (American) holiday weekend. Make this your Happy Place. (Special music for you, Emma.)

ENJOY!!

Blog #81, In Which We Learn A Way To Help Rabbits

Miss Zoe enjoys getting mail.

If you remember, Zoe's friend, Kavindra, sent a nice little package not too long ago.

And, more recently, Miss Zoe received this card in the mail:

Miss Zoe sitting proudly with her card.

This card was from the Great Lakes Rabbit Sanctuary. Back in May, they held a Silent Auction and Wine Tasting to help raise money for the 500 + bunnies (and apparently a couple of pigs and some random cats) who call the Sanctuary home.

Zoe heard about the event through the Rabbit Grapevine (you know how active that network is!). Being, herself, a Great Lakes Rabbit (and proud of it!), and being a Rabbit of Humble Beginnings, she decided she wanted to try to help Rabbits less fortunate than she.

She drummed up some support around the Lilypad, and pretty soon, we were sending this painting out in the mail:


Anyhow, Zoe and I spent a little time looking at their website recently and realized there are a whole lot of ways you can help out those Rabbits.

For one, you can adopt a Rabbit.

Let me assure you that if you haven't had a Rabbit before, you will find it an unmeasurable joy to have one around. Of course they are demanding, and as you know if you are a fan of Disapproving Rabbits like we are, they can be more than a little judgmental.

But the Joy definitely outweighs the Judgment. At least so far as I can tell.

But, Rabbits a re also adept at mind control.

Of course, many people cannot actually have a Rabbit, due to having other animals in the house already or perhaps having allergies.

"How sad for them," Zoe says from her chalet. "To never know the Joy of a Rabbit. Tsk, tsk."

Well, yes, Zoe, but like I said, not everyone can have a Rabbit for very good reasons.

OK, she's turned her back to me.

Where was I?

Oh, yes. Helping Rabbits.

If you cannot have your own Rabbit, that doesn't mean you can't do anything. There are many options including donations (large and small) and sponsorships.

Miss Zoe mentioned this, too: "Sponsoring a Rabbit is a wonderful gift to the Rabbit Lover in your life. Everybody loves Rabbits."

Good point Miss Zoe.

Of course the Great Lakes Rabbit Sanctuary is in Michigan. So, it may be hard to adopt a Rabbit from there if you live, say, in Australia or Germany. Or, even Pennsylvania.

BUT FEAR NOT!!!

There are unlimited opportunities to help bunnies all over the world. What a relief!!!!

Because you know, there are a lot of Rabbits. They reproduce like, well..... Rabbits.

Check out the Great Lakes Rabbit Sanctuary or a Rabbit Shelter in your area and consider helping a Rabbit in Need.

Can you feel Miss Zoe staring at you? She's waiting for you to take action now. :)

This has been a Rabbit Service Announcement from Miss Zoe.
Thank you, and Have a Nice Day.

Half a Sheep, Reporting

Hello! 1/2 here!

The Rabbit Room is Rockin'! Motown! Painting! Writing!!

Since everyone is kind of busy, I asked if I could report today.

I've been wanting to say some stuff anyhow

For one thing, I've been blaming everything on the boogie, but, Dad says we can learn another lesson from Motown star, Yvonne Elliman, about using double negatives. He told me that in her one song, the line "If I can't have you, I don't want nobody, baby," actually means "If I can't have you, I want someone else."

He said that's called a double negative, and that that Yvonne Elliman is one tricky so-and-so, making people think she means one thing, when she really means something else.

People think sheep are dumb. But, my Dad says we're just tricky, too.

(Does anyone know what a so-and-so is? Dad won't tell me.)

My Dad also says there are 2 Sheep in this so-called Rabbit Room and only 1 Rabbit. We wonder why no one calls it the Sheep Room?

Oh, wait. My Dad wants to say something.

[Stock Photo]

"75, here."

"What my son, 1/2, is trying to say is, well, I mean, we're cute, too. Sure, we don't have long flowing ears like Some Animals, and OK, maybe we don't move at all. And maybe because we don't move we're not great on camera. And maybe we do need plastic Hello Kitty heads underneath us to prop us up, but does that mean we don't deserve the same rights and liberties of Certain Other Animals?"

"OK, son. Back to you."

[Actual Photo]

Fanks, Dad.

"Son, take your hoof out of your mouth"

But, Dad, there's thomething thtuck in my brathes.

"Just take your hoof out of your mouth, 1/2. Do as I say."

OK, OK! Geez! The orthodontist said I'll have to wear these braces forever. That really bummed me out.

Well, I guess I'm at the end of my time. I didn't really get to my report, but maybe next time!

This has been 1/2 a Sheep reporting to you from the Shee--er--well, the Rabbit Room.

Editorial Comment From Miss Zoe:

"I would like to submit this photo of myself to the discussion. This is why it's called the Rabbit Room. Does it get any cuter than a Rabbit in a barrette? Seriously?

"Sheep are going to have to crank it up a notch, if they want the Room. They can bring it. I'll be waiting...."

Flip Friday

Can it possibly be Friday again? Already??

Miss Zoe said that besides it being Friday, she is also hot.

(I'm not sure what those two things have to do with one another. Do you?)

That is actually a bit of drama on her part. She WAS hot. Now, she's the coolest Animal in the house.

While the cats and the Blisschick spent their day dripping off the furniture, barely able to stay in solid form due to the humidity, Miss Zoe kicked back comfy in her air conditioned Rabbit Room.

Rabbits, you know. They like Comfort. They like things to be...well...a Certain Way.

And They are Rabbits. So they get things how They want them.

I always think that the cats will run right up to the Rabbit Room once the window AC unit is turned on.

But, no. Apparently, they prefer the molten lava approach.

"OK. Fine. Those cats can melt all over the couch for all I care," Miss Zoe says as she meticulously trims her toenails. "I just don't want to hear any meow, meow, meowing about the heat is all."

(Don't let Miss Zoe fool you. She loves her cats! She's just mad that they think it's too hot to come upstairs for a visit.)

I know-- you FEEL Miss Zoe's pain, don't you? You FEEL her dinstinct lack of cats?

So, here's a couple videos to help ease your pain a little.

In the first movie, we see Miss Zoe, telling anyone who cares to watch, that, as you can see, her dish is EMPTY!!!




In this second movie, a sequel if you will, you see Miss Zoe feeling pleased that her dish has, indeed, been filled.



And, it is Good.

She's hoping this helped you to feel better.

If she's helped even one of you, it was well worth her time.

Don't you think?

Happy Summer

Happy Summer!!

A Bumblebee in the Great Asparagus Forest

After the last two weeks we've had, we here at the Lilypad are ready for some fun!

And on that topic, I thought I'd share a realization I had over the weekend.

Let me start by saying that I haven't painted in awhile. I shared a couple of weeks ago that I simply realized that I needed to focus on writing, and that fact hasn't really changed. But sometimes, it's good not to follow Rules. Even Rules you've made up yourself.

Maybe especially those Rules.

I got home from work on Friday, and we had a funeral for Baby Audrey Rabbit. We said a few words, wrapped her in her cloth where she had lovingly snuggled her cute and tiny self during her stay in our home, and we committed her body to the ground underneath our crab apple tree. We buried her with a fresh, ripe strawberry picked from our own, little strawberry plants. A bit of something for her trip to Sparkle Pond.

Afterward, I went up to see Zoe, and she, as usual, had a few words for me: "Paint that little rabbit," she encouraged me as we were laying on the Rabbit Room Floor hugging. "Go on," she said. "Get up and do it."

It's Very Important to listen to one's Rabbit. I know this well. I listened.

I got up right then and there and painted that Little Baby Bunny on the Rabbit Room wall.

It was the right thing to do.

Then Saturday started out not so well. I woke up feeling sad. Worn out. Tired. Not like myself.

We did a few things in the morning, and sometime in the late morning, I got this comment from Carla:

Several years ago, a friend of mine lost her mother to cancer. After her burial, we all went to her house, and she sat down on the floor to do shiva (mourning)with her father. Needless to say, it was very devastating. She was an only child and extremely close to her mother ... All the windows were opened, it was a beautiful day .. as she sat there in tears, a little bird flew in, and perched itself on her head; it was surreal. People tried to catch the little creature, but with no luck. The Rabbi urged them to stop but with no explanation why... he simply said to let the bird be, and when it would be ready to go, it would. Well, the bird flew to my friends room, and that's where it stayed, perched on a shelf, for several days. My friend left her window opened, and it finally left after several days ... The Rabbi then explained, that many times when a person dies and leaves his or her body, it will inhabit an animal's so it can be around and comfort the ones they left behind.

Maybe , someone was doing the same thing for you :0)

What?? WOW!!!

This comment changed my whole perspective. Maybe Baby Audrey wasn't supposed to add to our sadness. DUH!!! Maybe she was sent here to help comfort us after our recent losses.

It changed my day. Amazing, how that can happen.

Soon after, the Blisschick said to me, "Frog (as she calls me), I think you need to have some fun. You need to do some painting."

It is Very Important, also, to listen to one's Blisschick. I know this. I listened.

So all day, I painted and we danced and giggled and listened to Motown. And I thought about the comfort Baby Audrey's short presence here could give me if only I would just let it.

And then, late in the day, I found myself yelling down the stairs to the Blisschick, who was sitting in her chair reading:

"I love loving things!!"

And that, Dear Reader, was my realization.

Things can be hard. People and Animals we Love come and go.

But the Loving of them? Always worth it.

Always.

Sadness

A wee note to let you all know that Baby Audrey was not made for this world. We feel honored to have had any time with her, and we hope we made her short life as sweet as possible.

We had a small funeral for her, and she is now resting under the crab apple at the bottom of the yard.

We know she is already having fun at Sparkle Pond with Jobie and Ernie and all sort of special, sparkle animals.

Flip Friday

As I sit here this morning at my writing desk, I am surrounded by something new.

Well, not surrounded, maybe.

But there is something new.

What, you ask? What, you wonder?

Then, you hear Miss Zoe over in the corner. She's munching hay, but she manages to burp out "Baby food. It's baby rabbit formula. Sigh."

Baby rabbit formula, you think? WHAT?

That's right. Don't worry, though-- no one is going to take over Zoe's spot as Rabbit of the House.

You see, we are only the temporary foster parents of... someone new.

It's a Baby Rabbit. (Did you already guess that?)

We call her Baby Audrey. Though she may be Baby Felix. We're not sure.

Neighbor Bill's dog, Pilot, found Baby Audrey and brought her to us, unharmed, in his mouth. We searched for a nest that would contain Baby Audrey's relations, but we had no luck. So, the Blisschick got a box and we brought her inside (safe from the stray cat posse he have in the yard lately) and started researching.

We found out that we shouldn't touch her too much (seems obvious-- she's a WILD bunny!), so we are trying VERY HARD not to, though, as you can imagine it's not easy. But, it's for her own good.

[In the video you will see in a moment, I am holding her in my hand, but it's only while she eats. That was my Rabbit Touching Disclaimer.]

Baby Audrey eats Kitten Milk Replacer. So far, she seems to like it well enough.

Today is day 3. She has eaten and... ahem... eliminated, so it seems as though all systems are go. She is resting comfortably in a heated rabbit condo as I write. Today, I will call a wildlife rehabilitation center called Tamarack, which is near us. As much as we enjoy having Baby Audrey in the house, we want her to survive. We want to eventually re-release her to the Great Outdoors. When she's ready.

And, as Miss Zoe would point out, we are in NO WAY Rabbit Professionals.

And so... INTRODUCING (drum roll, please!).... BABY AUDREY!!!



And, of course, no Flip Friday would be complete without an appearance from Miss Zoe. She'll be glad when the Wild Bunny is out of her room! Though, she has to admit, Baby Audrey is kind of cute.

Miss Zoe will now show off her own cuteness in this video:



Enjoy your weekend! Come back next week! Same Rabbit Time! Same Rabbit Channel!

Simple Gifts

This blog is supposed to be about Art and Mammals.

And, usually, I leave the Deep Thoughts to the Blisschick.

But lately, as anyone who reads either this blog or Blisschick's already knows, we have had some Major Things going on that have made my Art, at least, come to a temporary halt. Instead of writing or even painting, I have had to do some... Thinking.

Sigh. I'm not that good at Thinking.

As for the Mammals, well, they are usually in a state of halting. They call it "conserving energy." Otherwise known as laying around, resting, or lounging.

Please observe Exhibit A:


And for further evidence, Exhibit B:

Over the past week, Death has Kindly stopped, as Emily Dickinson would say, for two of our friends. They were in pain and exhausted by their diseases, and so Death was truly Kind in Stopping.

But, it leaves the rest of us here with some emptiness. We are left with trying to Understand the Big Picture of it all.

Earlier in the week, I was at work and I emailed the Blisschick to say this:

I was given the opportunity to spend an evening with Ken (along with the Blisschick, our friend, Miss Kitty, and Ken's wife, Debbie) that was perhaps his last good meal. His last good day where he felt like socializing. Where he felt like Himself.

In addition to that, I was given an opportunity to spend an hour with Susan while she was in the hospital. It, too, was perhaps her last time of feeling good. A time when she asked about others and we laughed and talked as if everything were Normal even though her liver had turned into an alien tumor.

And so I said to the Blisschick, "Why was I given these experiences? What is the Universe trying to teach me?"

She responded by saying the following: "Consider the possibility that the Universe is bestowing an Amazing Gift upon you. Perhaps you should stop thinking about it, and just accept that Gift."

Easier said than done.

But I'm trying.

Perhaps the Universe is trying to tell me to accept. Accept Everything as a Gift.

Life.

Death.

Time.

"And, of course," Miss Zoe piped in while I was Thinking, "Art and Mammals. We are Gifts." Then, she added, "Especially Rabbits. Really, Rabbits are the Best Gift."

What Simple Gifts are you Appreciating today? (And don't forget to put "rabbits" at the top of the list, or someone may.....well.... do something...)

Flip Friday

It's weeks like these that make you extra glad to have Animal Companions in the House.

If you have them.

Which, of course, we do.

It's weeks like these that make you extra glad to be Happy with your Life.

If you are.

Which, of course, we strive to get better at every single day.

At the beginning of the week, our friend Ken passed away, or as we say in this House, he got his Sparkle Suit.

Now, at the end of the week, we are waiting for news of our friend, Susan, who is in the process right this moment of picking out the most Perfect Sparkle Suit she can find.

It's sad, but it's also peaceful in many ways to see suffering end.

When good people like Ken and Susan walk the Earth for however long, it is as Important to remember to Celebrate their lives as it is to mourn the loss of them.

And so, we continue on, Living Life as they would want us to: having fun, finding joy in the simple things, and enjoying Everything We Can.

It is in that Spirit that I offer up today's Flip Friday offerings.

The first of Miss Lilly, enjoying pure, unadulterated Playfulness:



And the second, of Miss Zoe enjoying some hard-earned crunchies.

Actually, they weren't hard-earned. They were given freely solely due to her presence and her X-treme cuteness.

But , I guess that's sort of the same thing.



In any case, enjoy the weekend.

And when I say that, I mean it. ENJOY it thoroughly.

Is there a Dream Interpreter in the House?

Did you ever have one of those dreams?

You know the ones I mean. Disjointed. Weird.

At first when you wake up, you think, "Wow! That was so, like, meaningful!"

When I have these dreams, I wake up convinced that they make sense.

Like the dream I had about the cat sitting totally enraptured by the different kinds of coffee in the coffee aisle at the grocery store. That makes sense, right?

Or, the dream I had about the Elephant Panda Dog. You know, the one in the kick line that looked right at me and winked. Now that was profound. Wasn't it?

Elephant Panda Dog this!

So, the other night, I had one of those dreams.

In my dream a couple of events took place.

The first thing was that I woke and walked down the hallway to feed Zoe. So far, so good, right?

Mmmmm.... not quite. The gate to her room was open and Zoe was nowhere to be found. There were a few other other rabbits in her room, lined up neatly in their own little Willow Chalets, resting. Also, Zoe's room was not Zoe's actual, current room-- it was my bedroom from when I was little in the house I grew up in.

In lieu of herself and inside her empty Chalet, Miss Zoe had left a handwritten note, a list of sorts for my perusal. The list was labeled at the top: "HOUSEHOLD ENERGY POLICIES," and it continued on to outline the things she did not like. I woke the Blisschick to show her the list. Her response? "Oh, that RABBIT!" (Miss Zoe's handwriting, I am Proud to say, was very neat.)

"And, why shouldn't I be concerned with
Household Energy Policies?"

Then, there was a knock at the door. We went downstairs and opened the door to find Spider-Man standing there in strange, large, thick, squarish glasses. The Blisschick responded to this sight by saying, "Oh, it's YOU!" and promptly shut the door on him.

This is SO the face of someone who would slam the door on Spidey!

Again, the door we opened and closed on Spider-Man was in the kitchen of the house I grew up in, not in our current kitchen.

I must say, Spider-Man looked quite forlorn as the door swung closed in his bespectacled face. Poor Spidey. He kind of made a pouty lip. Not that attractive on a Superhero, I have to say.

And, so I ask: Is there a Dream Interpreter out there? Someone who can tell me why the phrase Household Energy Policies would show up in my dream, when, to me those are not really words? I mean, I would never venture to say those words in real life.

As for Spider-Man? Come on-- help me out here.

I have to say, Blisschick and I had a good laugh about it all. The things she said "Oh, that Rabbit!" and "Oh, it's you!" seem like pretty typical Blisschick statements, actually, which added to the funny.

But seriously, if this dream is supposed to mean something deep about my subconscious, I'm kind of curious as to what.

In the meantime, Miss Zoe is simply hoping that if the Green Goblin or Doctor Octopus show up outside her window, that Spider-Man remembers it was Blisschick and not her who slammed the door on him.

I'm pretty sure he'll remember.

Flip Friday

Miss Zoe can't believe it's Friday again!

I told her, "Look, we need some footage of you doing something. Anything. You're so cute that it doesn't even matter what you do. We just need a movie to post."

She bounced away. Turned her back to me.

I followed her, petted her tail and added, "Think of your fans, you know? They expect it."

This last part perked her up a bit. She turned to look at me.

But here's the thing: Zoe's in the midst of her Summer Preparatory Molt. She's working on growing out the softest and lightest of her seasonal coats.

(For those of you in the crowd who are, shall we say "Rabbit Challenged," every few months, bunnies go through a molting process. Zoe, being a mini rex bunny-- and I've read is the case with all mini rexes-- loses GIANT CHUNKS of hair during her molts.)

During a big molt like this, we lay on the floor together, and I scratch her little rabbit body and pull chunks of hair from her coat. She seems to really dig it. That loose hair probably gets itchy.

Strangely, she does not dig being brushed. I think it tickles.

In this picture, you can see tiny evidence of the molt-- see the ridgey, shadowy looking line near her left eye? We call such spots her "hair craters."

Also, when her body molts, the orange spots on her sides molt differently than the white hair of which she is chiefly comprised.

The way she molts differently for different colors of hair leads to what we call her "crop circles."

Well. That is what they look like.

The point of all of this story of crop circle molting and such is to tell you that Miss Zoe is a little self-conscious about her appearance right now.

She doesn't want her public to think that she is unkempt. Or, that she's depressed because her movie star boyfriend just broke up with her. Or, that she's been abducted by aliens. Or, that... well, she had a million things in mind that others might think.

I told her, "Zoe, this isn't the Star or the Enquirer, you know. No one's even going to notice that your fur isn't perfectly smooth. Now, eat this radish green and show me some cute rabbit lip action!"

Rabbits! So fastidious.

But, she did answer the call.

And so, here is what miss Zoe has for you this week.

First, Miss Zoe in "Radish Greens."

Pay close attention to the way the chlorophyll from the very fresh (straight-from-the-neighbor's-garden-fresh) radish green stains her lips in a way that makes her look as though she's wearing green lip gloss.



And, because you've been so good, here's a special treat. A movie with no soundtrack, so you, too, can hear the beauty of her little, crunching mouth.

Here's Miss Zoe in "(An Almost) Silent Movie:"




ENJOY!!

Decisions, decisions

One of the things I find most difficult in life is making decisions.

I am usually pretty OK with whatever happens in my world.

That's probably a good thing when you live with these two monsters:

MONSTERS!!

OK, I guess they're not really monsters.

They are actually pretty sweet...

...as long as you keep them fed.
And, you don't poke them!

Having two creative Animals in one house, plus five other (rather nappy) Animals, who expect constant entertainment from the first two, can be a lot.

Blisschick and I are, of course, both writers. Blisschick is working on various fiction and non-fiction projects, her blog, and her poetry. I am concentrating on writing novels and my blog. We meet weekly with our writing group. We are expected to produce.

In addition, I also fancy myself a visual artist, concentrating effort on painting Animals. I absolutely love to paint and draw. Especially Animals.

Besides that, I still have my full time job at the Library, and the Blisschick has her own full time job at home, taking care of all of our business ventures, as well as doing all the mundane tasks like running to the post office and the Food Co-Op, or doing the laundry to name just a few.

Meanwhile...

Mr. Scottie naps.

Miss Rosie basks.

Miss Lilly snores.

Miss Emmie crouches.

And, together, they form sleepy nests that emit
sleep inducing Cat Breath Traps in to our lovely home.

Of course, Miss Zoe spends her time
convincing herself that those cats are not real.

I know-- if only we could get them to clean their own litter boxes or mow the lawn or something.

Zoe claims that she hired a team of minion rabbits to help with the lawn, but they don't seem to get too far, usually. Though they have done a pretty good job on keeping the baby chard plants "mowed." Hmmmm... perhaps Zoe gave them faulty instructions?

The point is that, recently, the Blisschick and I had to have a talk. I sometimes feel as though I'm not really getting anywhere. (Of course, I know I really am, since it's the process that's important, blah, blah, blah.)

But that doesn't stop me (or us) from placing expectations on our Arts. We both think to ourselves, "If only I could become FAMOUS!"

Of course, famosity is not our goal. We live a pretty simple and modest life, and would just like to be able to support ourselves with our Art. Whatever that may be-- writing, painting, whatever.

So, in the talk Blisschick had with me, she explained the Importance of Making Decisions.

Because I have a full time job, because I enjoy yard work, because when I am home I want to spend time with all my Mammals having fun, which includes, sometimes, spontaneous trips to the beach or sitting in the sun all day reading and watching birdies, or sometimes laying on the Rabbit Room floor, because of all that... it means I won't have time all the time to do EVERYTHING.

That is a difficult concept for me. I want to do EVERYTHING. But unless I magically become a robot like the character Cameron on Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles, I still also need to sleep and eat and stuff.

Hence the can't do EVERYTHING bit.

Here comes the hard part: We had to make some decisions about some things.

What I decided for now, is to try concentrating for awhile on writing. I have some painting projects to finish up, and I will certainly still sketch and draw and paint here and there.

But for now, I'm going to concentrate on trying to find an agent for my first completed novel and work on finishing my second.

I do like to do EVERYTHING. And, eventually, I want to get back to doing at least a little more of EVERYTHING. But, for now, I just need to put my full energy into SOMETHING!!

So, writing it is. At least for the Summer.

Writing and waiting on Miss Zoe, that is.

One can't forget that second part, can one?

Flip Friday

It's been a wonderful week. It began with a holiday, and it contained, for me, a couple of extra days of vacation. YIPEE!

Due to the extra days of vacation, I got quite a lot more rabbit time in my week, which is always delightful. Because it was rather warm, Zoe was a little more melty than usual and was more interested than usual in sitting for a few portraits.

She wanted me to show the following pictures especially. She very much enjoys the sepia tone effect on our iPhoto, which she thinks, makes her look as though she is a Rabbit of the 1800's.

You know, like a Wild West Wabbit:

Notice how she doesn't smile for the
photos-- just like in the Olden Days.

She's a Tough Bunny. You watch your mouth, y'hear?

"What did you just say?

Shall we duel at High Noon? Pistols? Or, Carrots?"

OK, then. Back away slowly and you won't get hurt.

But, don't hold me to that.

On to this week's videos.

First, we have a special video starring Emily Dickinson-- a.k.a. Miss Emmie-- as she tries desperately to follow in the bunny's tiny footprints and eat some yard food:



In the meantime, we also had a car this week-- my parents' mini van while they are out of town-- which was perfect for going to the garden center, running a few errands, and of course, hitting the beach.

For those of you who don't know it, Erie is Pennsylvania's port city, located right on Lake Erie, and privy to some pretty awesome beaches. The water was still a little cold for swimming, but we sat in the sand and soaked in some sun.

In this video, you can see the Tom Ridge Environmental Center (TREC), which is the complex with the observation tower at the beginning of the video. Next, you see the roller coaster that spans the road at Waldameer Park. Next, we drive past local summer hot spot, Sara's Diner. And finally, we enter Presque Isle State Park:



Have a great Weekend!!