Monday Musings

Photo from Free Radio, courtesy of BennyBlog
Happy Monday! The first Monday in February.

My nephew turns 14 tomorrow and Edward turns 7 on Valentine's Day next week. Wow! Time certainly flies by!

Good news on the writers' strike. A tentative deal has been reached which could lead to a formal deal being announced sometime this week. Fingers crossed that maybe we'll get our 24 back? I know I'm not alone in hoping for this. I saw a funny Kiefer tidbit on YouTube with him doing a cameo on a new show called Free Radio. I'll try to post it for my Friday Funnies.

We spent Super Bowl Sunday with a group of friends from church. Lots of good food and fun was had by all. And while Stuart and I aren't football fans in the slightest, he said it was an excellent game...made more fun by being with other guys. We were both glad to see the Giants win -- sorry to any Patriots fans out there. *wink*

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A page from our Mensa Puzzle calendar for you today:

The Great Detective was grilling a woman who had produced a second will that cut the detective's client out of a large inheritance.

"And how did you find this will?" he asked.

"I looked in his Bible," said the woman, "and there was this small paper stuck between pages 111 and 112."

"Aha," said the Great Detective. "You are lying."

How did he know?

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And another (especially for any Pennsylvania readers or Phil fans out there) from our Cranium page-a-day calendar:

True or False?

Legend has it that there will be six more weeks of winter if Punxsutawney Phil (the groundhog) doesn't see his shadow on Groundhog Day.

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Speaking of Groundhog Day... Phil saw his shadow on Saturday. *sigh*

Emily has a friend coming to 4-H with us tomorrow. She's so excited to introduce her to the world of 4-H. And tomorrow night officially starts the new year for the club since it's New Member Night, which also means that Earl Grey gets to makes an appearance. Emily is doing her presentation, as well, on Himalayan Dwarfs rabbits.

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5 THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT

• winter break from school

• ham studded with cloves

• finding good stocking stuffers

• the bottom of rabbits’ feet

• crocheted snowflakes

* * *

There's something wonderful and "warm and fuzzy" (pun intended) about rabbits. I've had one (or two or three) since I was 11.

Mittens, Willowby, Thumper, Bashful Bitsy, Bootsy, Pipsqueak, Peepers, Nutmeg, Sooty, Wellington, Lulu, Bonny, Clyde, Bubble, Squeak, Clementine, Jack, and Tony.

And that's not including any babies I didn't keep that happened along the way. *wink* (Flopsy, Jellybean, Scruffy, Dandelion, Griz, Wallowby, Blossom, Rosebud, and Blackberry.)

I've loved them each so much....from their wiggling noses to their sweet furry tails to their soft rabbits' feet, which are much "luckier" on the actual rabbit. *grin*

When I lived in England, I owed a "furry angel" named Peepers, named for her large red eyes and her propensity to "peep" at me around the wall in her cage. We bonded from the moment we "met." (There is truth in the saying: "Love at first sight.") I've never had a rabbit quite like her before or since.

She traveled all around England with me, riding in an "African bag" -- a colorful, open purse made with woven straw-like fibers. I always kidded that if she'd had an odometer on her, she would have hit 25,000 miles at least. She was always so trusting and never tried to get away from me. In fact, I walked nearly 2 miles from the pet store where I bought her to my home, carrying her without a box or leash.

What was most amazing about her was how much encouragement she brought to others. (Hence, the furry angel part of her.)

In Brighton, England, we spent a lot of time sitting in the park, me reading or writing, and her (on her leash) nibbling grass or jumping around. People would stop and ask me about her. They were often surprised to see a small white rabbit on a leash in the park and loved being able to pet her. Children who'd never touched a rabbit would wiggle their fingers through her white fuzziness, giggling as she sniffed them or gave them a "kiss." One woman who was being abused by her boyfriend found comfort in stroking her, telling me about her woes. A group of touring Germans even asked to get a photo with her.

I had her for almost six years, bringing her back to the States (an adventure and story of its own) when I started college. We were inseparable.

But, as with all little furry creatures, we did eventually have to separate. It was a heartbreaking day for me. She had developed cancer, and it was time to bid her farewell.

I knew I would love other bunnies...that another would capture my heart in some way, too...but none was ever the same as Peepers, the little furry angel from England.