Girls Write Out
Thursday, December 15, 2011
It seems that nearly half the world was recently charmed by the photo of a baby seal in New Zealand who slipped in through the cat door and took a nap on someone's sofa. I suppose it's against the law to attempt to keep such an animal for a pet, but I'd be tempted. I wonder if they can be housebroken. Litterbox trained, perhaps? I figure if a seal at the zoo can be trained to balance a stemware glass on her nose, she can be trained to use proper facilities.

Animals fascinate me, sometimes too much for my fellow GWO bloggers. I distinctly remember Kristin's reaction when I posted a picture of a darling little armadillo snuggling against my hiking boot. And Colleen refused to even read one of my posts until I removed the picture of the spider and replaced it with something more innocuous. In fact, she screamed at me online. Honestly, Colleen, I didn't know you were terrified of spiders!

I pretty much overcame my fear of them the day a spider dropped down from the ceiling via web over the bed when Mel and I were retiring for the evening. I screamed at Mel that if that thing made it into the bedding we'd be sleeping on the floor that night, so I jumped up onto the bed and grabbed at the web far above the spider, and started pulling it back up. Mel, meanwhile, panicking as usual when it comes to spiders, ran toward the door--I thought to grab some paper towels to catch the thing. Instead, he turned out all the lights. With me standing on the bed with a spider hanging somewhere between my bare fingers and the bed. Mel, deafened by my screams, turned the lights back on and raced back to the bed with his handy dandy bug zapper. We searched half the night for that spider and never did find it. The next night, when Mel was getting comfortable in bed, I picked up a piece of black, spider-shaped lint and tossed it at him. I'm a mean, vindictive wife.

So, now that we've discussed cute, unusual pets, and even though I'm almost positive we've discussed them before but have forgotten, care to share about any unusual pets you've enjoyed, or funny, maybe even scary, stories about them?

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Hannah Alexander  
posted at 11:10 PM  
  Comments (16)
 
 
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16 Comments:
At 5:27 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

We once owned a miniature hamster (he was all of 2 inches long as an adult!) who would play with DH's hand whenever he put it into the cage. Junior (how could you not name such a little guy anything else?) would nip and nibble the tips of DH's fingers until given the treat for the day.

One day, while his cage was being cleaned, Junior was running around the room in his exercise ball. For some reason the ball came open and Junior was exposed to the big, wide world for the first time. He ran into a corner behind the TV, then under the sofa, then back behind the TV. By the time DH got back there, the poor thing was shaking like a leaf in the wind. DH extended his hand and Junior ran as fast as his little legs would allow up into DH's palm and sat there trembling and looking terribly pathetic. He was so frightened that he wouldn't even take an offered treat. Once the cage was clean and Junior was put back in it, he ran into his little box house and buried himself under the mulch. We didn't see him again until the next day.

What an analogy of us and our relationship to God. The big, bad world is a frightening place and there are many things in it that can do us harm. We frantically search for peace and safety but none can be found until our Father offers us His hand to comfort and protect us. One day, when it's ready, our Father will bring us to our clean, shiny home where we will be safe and loved for eternity. I am so comforted these days by that thought.

As an aside, please pray for me and my family. One brother died in October and the other died just last Saturday. I am now the only living member of my immediate family. No wonder I am so comforted by thoughts of Heaven and Home!

 
At 8:52 AM, Blogger Tracy Ruckman said...

Ruthie - I'm so sorry for your loss. May God comfort and strengthen you as only He can do. (((((((((((HUGS))))))))))))

 
At 8:57 AM, Blogger Colleen Coble said...

We have had all kinds of odd pets. Raccoons and baby lynx for example. But the most, um, interesting was the baby skunk. Things were going fine until our little dachshund got hold of him and he sprayed the house. Oh my gosh, it was so bad you couldn't breathe. We went to Grandma's. LOL

 
At 9:03 AM, Blogger Colleen Coble said...

Oh Ruthie, I just saw your comment. I'm so sorry, honey! Praying for you and your family.

 
At 9:17 AM, Blogger Embrace said...

I have a funny pet story - not that the pet was all that exotic.
When my kids were really little and we lived in a tiny 300 sq ft apartment at Bible school, the dear ones wanted a pet. They wanted a dog or cat or bunny or even a snake was suggested. So we tried a fish instead but that was a disaster. Then one day my son came home with a tiny frog he found outside. We cleaned out the fish tank which had a hinged lid with air slats along the top and made a home for the frog. Every few days he would bring another one home. Soon we had five frogs. We would catch flies and dangle them in front of the frogs for meals. It was fun. Then one day we noticed one less frog and no dead bodies. Then another one and another one. We tried to sidestep the whole 'they must be eating each other' comment my son offered. Then one evening my husband and I were sitting on the couch enjoying the peace and quiet when a tiny little frog jumped his way across our living room floor. I turned to my husband and told him that is why we will never own a snake!

Sorry to hear of your terrible losses Ruthie. Will be praying for peace and comfort, especially through the Christmas season.

 
At 9:28 AM, Blogger Sandie said...

Ruthie, so sorry for your loss. I have lost two sisters but am blessed to have three more siblings still living.

RE animals: I am not a fan of geckos/lizards (don't even mention snakes). This particular day I was using the hand vac and a baby gecko ran across my path and got sucked up into the vac. I called daughter. She took the vac outside and rescued the wee thing. It was more exciting than it sounds. LOL

I don't really mind spiders, but generally whop them if I happen across one. This particular day we whopped a spider only to learn the thing was pregnant and about a zillion tiny spiders came shooting out heading everywhere. Moral of the story: make sure your spider is not pregnant before sending it to the great beyond.

Daughter and SIL came around the corner of the house (outside) only to be hissed at by a curled up snake. They did not tell me until SIL took care of the snake.

No human injuries reported in any of these incidents other than heart palpitations. :-)

 
At 3:11 PM, Blogger Hannah Alexander said...

Oh, Ruthie I want a miniature hamster! How darling! And yes, what a great comparison to us and our God. Praying for you as you go through Christmas without your siblings. I, too, am avoiding Christmas because my mother is nearing the end. I just remind myself she will truly be out of pain and happier in heaven.

 
At 3:15 PM, Blogger Hannah Alexander said...

Oh, Colleen, you had a pet skunk, too? Ours never used its scent glands. Mel raised two orphan raccoons. What did you do with the Lynx?

 
At 3:17 PM, Blogger Hannah Alexander said...

Jodi, you mean your frogs escaped? Why didn't they enjoy their food being fed to them?

 
At 3:19 PM, Blogger Hannah Alexander said...

Oh, Sandie, the same thing has happened to us twice. I think they were wolf spiders walking across our living room floor when I was a kid living in the country. Twice Mom and Daddy and I had to scramble around swatting tiny spiders who had apparently been riding on their mama's back. Ugh!

 
At 6:59 AM, Blogger jel said...

Ruthie, sorry for your loss, ((huggs))




as for pets, they have all been outdoors pets, like a a donkey ,rooster,and dogs.

cheryl, you bad girl scaring Mel . like that! ;)

 
At 12:05 PM, Blogger Hannah Alexander said...

Yes, jel, you're right, I'm mean scaring Mel like that. I mean, it's nothing like him turning the lights out on me while I'm holding the occupied web! LOL What was your donkey like? We had chickens, but there was this one rooster who chased me out of the barn every time I went in there. Once he spurred me. Man, that hurt! I ran into the house crying, being only six, and Daddy went out, wrung that old rooster's neck, and we had tough rooster for dinner.

 
At 3:12 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Never really had pets (my parents dont like animals and they cant understand , neither can i, why their daughter is such an animal lover), but i was allowed an addorable kitten for a week. after the way she left my moms furniture, my mom made sure that i returned her. my cousins always had pets though (when we were kids) they had a new dog almost every year (&somehow theyd mysteriously disappear therefore producing the need for a new one). so one day one of my cousins found an adorable tabby kitten, no more than 3 weeks old, in the alley. so she took tabitha home (she had two other dogs) and kept her for a while. anytime the husky or the rotweiler would try to get close(both puppies) she'd begin 'barking' or 'growling' at them. she had those big tough boys horrified.it was comical watching such a tiny kitten bully two big dogs (big compared to her)

Ruthie & Cheryl, we'll be praying for u both.

 
At 7:31 PM, Blogger Hannah Alexander said...

Yes, Ruby, cats can often get their bluff in on dogs. They have sharper claws. LOL

 
At 9:25 PM, Blogger jel said...

donkey was dad's , and when dad passed. we took donkey up with us,

donkey was a nice, but you had to watch your back, ;)

 
At 11:15 PM, Blogger Hannah Alexander said...

Oh, yes, donkeys can be tricky. And very stubborn.

 

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The Authors
Kristin Billerbeck
Kristin Billerbeck is a proud Californian, wife, mother of four, and connoisseur of the irrelevant. She writes Christian Chick Lit; where she finds need for most of the useless facts lulling about in her head.

www.KristinBillerbeck.com

Colleen Coble

Colleen Coble writes romantic suspense with a strong atmospheric element. A lovable animal of some kind--usually a dog--always populates her novels. She can be bribed with DeBrand mocha truffles.

www.ColleenCoble.com

Denise Hunter

Denise Hunter writes women's fiction and love stories with a strong emotional element. Her husband says he provides her with all her romantic material, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too.

www.DeniseHunterBooks.com

Diann Hunt

Diann Hunt writes romantic comedy and humorous women's fiction. She has been happily married forever, loves her family, chocolate, her friends, chocolate, her dog, and well, chocolate.

www.DiannHunt.com

Hannah Alexander

Cheryl Hodde writes romantic medical suspense under the pen name of Hannah Alexander, using all the input she can get from her husband, Mel, for the medical expertise. For fun she hikes and reads. Out of guilt, she rescues discarded cats. She and Mel are presently taking orders from four pampered strays.

www.HannahAlexander.com

 
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