stories

she still wanted a pet cat.

it was explained to her many times how when she was really little they had adopted too kittens. Her dad called them Biff and Bam. They were sweet, but they made her dad sneeze. A lot. And they were sweet, but not as sweet as another furry creature could be, like a dog. So the sweet B&B were sent to live with a friend. She still wanted a cat.

so instead, a few years down the road, they got the sweetest basset hound pup. Maggie was born solid black. Her ears were so big they looked more like adult dog ears, than puppy ears. She would trip on them when she tried to run, and her saggy skin would shift in the most adorable way. And then she'd park her little bum down, and throw back her head and howl. She was better than a cat, but she still wanted a cat.

Maggie got bigger, and faster, and hated to be kept inside or on a leash. She had a crazy desire to play tag with ANY animal she saw. She was hard to handle on walks, and now she wanted a pet she could hold in her hands.

Dad said, "not a good idea right now."
Mom said, "we have a dog right now."
she still wanted a cat.

they went to visit their friends in California, and all along the sides of houses they found snails. All afternoon she would play with the snails with her friends, and at the end of the trip, Mom agreed to let her and her sister each bring one snail home, for a pet. It was smaller than a basset hound. It was easier to handle on a walk. So she decided to give her snail a try. (But she still wanted a cat.)

the snails lived in a plastic aquarium. They weren't sure what exactly snails liked to eat, and from what they read in the books at the library, the bugs and grass didn't seem to be what they wanted. But the snails lived. They also stank. They went from sitting in the girls room on their dresser, to sitting in the office on the desk, to sitting in the far corner in the office on the highest bookshelf. They still caught them crickets and ants and sprinkled in grass and filled a bottle cap of water in case they got thirsty. They lived so long, that when it was time to move, and it was agreed they shouldn't join them to the East Coast, they were released into the wild (the backyard park) where maybe they would be able to find the bugs and grass they actually wanted to eat.
And besides, she still wanted a cat.

a few years later, they were introduced to hamsters.
and to gerbils.
bunnies and guinea pigs...
...they were really fun at first, soft and fun to set up their homes and feed them. But soon they were just another chore, and they didn't really have personalities or like to cuddle back.
and she still wanted a cat.

under construction

under construction

“Let’s get our Christmas tree!”

It’s a little cold out, because that’s what happens when it’s December. But not snowing cold.
I wish it would snow.

We walk on that not-snowing kind-of-cold ground. Mom told us to bring a jacket, but we left them in the car.
It’s not that cold.

The drive to the nursery doesn’t take long.
We walk up and down the pre-cut trees.

And up and down.
And down and up.
And in between. because the branches tickle and that’s fun.

And still no tree.

So we get back in the car.
Mom said something about the prices this year.
Dad said something about not being swindled.
I’ll ask him what that means later.

Everyone feels a little hot.
A little disappointed.

And still no tree.

Mom whispers something to dad. His bushy eye brows go up, and he smiles.
“GET ON YOUR BOOTS!” Mom likes to remind us not to yell in the house, so when she does it’s really fun.

We lollop around the back woods. Lucky us, we have a forest of trees right in our backyard.
But none of them kept their leaves.

“There’s one!” We squint into the distance.
Nope. It’s a holly bush.

Every time we see a blob of green, as we get closer we are disappointed to be fooled again by another holly bush! They’re very sneaky. Mom reminds us to NOT eat the berries. They are pretty but very poisonous.

Well. Just like the nursery, we walk towards home, disappointed.
Because, still no tree.

As we get closer to the house, we see a little green around the bend. It’s an evergreen tree!
I say it’s the littlest tree.
Mom says it has the skinniest trunk.
Dad says it’s the most Charlie Browniest tree.

We’re in love.
“It’s PERFECT!”

It’s so light that even Mom can carry it into the house. We set it up with a nice big tree stand of water, and cozy it in with our traditional tree skirt. The lights barely stay on, and only the straw ornaments are light enough for it’s frail branches.

But we found a tree.
It’s ours.
It’s our perfect, far from normal, scrawny Christmas tree!

under construction

under construction