Ok Already: Meet the Family

I loved all the comments I received about the post I pulled to protect my image (smile). However, one will stay with me for years. I will print it and keep in front of me for a reminder to be myself, always and fully.
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Before you meet the critters that inhabit my space, take a look at this gift from my friend Pieterbie. It's a huge important message to me, certainly, but maybe to you too....
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Comment from Pieterbie when kj retracted her post:
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Oh come on.Since when does a strong minded woman like you give a s... (sorry 'bout that) about what other people may dare to think of you?Surely you cannot believe that I would take this post serious.Now the one with the furry animals, that one I took seriously.That was real. Feelings, emotions, sharing someting very personal.Wel congrats KJ, I admire you for having the guts do to such a thing.And of course I read it, of course I commented, I thought it was great.Much better than what you have posted here now, making me react in such a manner.So you are scared that people may think that you are excentric. Why does that scare you? What is wrong with excentric?I come here to read real stuff posted from the core, heart, mind, no, soul of the real KJ.So please do not give me any "Have a nice day" stuff.I want the real KJ and I won't settle for less.At least you have some furry animals, a mouse (what was his name again, the one with the rat's tail, was it Cedric?), a boozing witch, hell all sounds like great fun to me. And it all makes perfect sense.And if you are unstable, then I must me completely lost.Your number one fan awaits the next worthwhile post.Not that I want to pressure you, of course, but expectations are expectations.Have a nice day!
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And now the post that was, wasn't, and is again:
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I happen to live with someone who has a vast imagination, including an unusual array of friends and relatives. It took me a while to get use to the many "characters" who inhabit my household and/or immediate surroundings, but I've gotten to know most of them because they have names. And let's face it--once you name something, you have a connection that would not otherwise be there.
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So this Thursday I am introducing some (not all, believe it or not) members of the family. Please treat me kindly if you find yourself shaking your head and/or questioning my sanity. I can only tell you this begins to feel more normal over time:

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1. This is Cecil. When Ces gave Cecil to JB,he did not have a name. She did this because JB and I were battling mice in our kitchen for a while and Ces was unmercifully enjoying our animated reactions to the whole thing. As soon as she handed JB this mouse, he became Cecil. He sits in a prominent spot where guests come in and comment on how cute he is. Except he has a tail that, according to JB, appears to be more the tail of a rat, not a mouse.

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2. This is Frank and Birdie. Frank is a miniature dinosaur who appeared in JB's Christmas stocking one year and has been around ever since. Birdie, probably an illegal immigrant from France, used to chirp like an angel until she lost her voice for unknown reasons. Frank and Birdie are also in prominent locations.

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3. This is a new addition. One morning I found these "bunnies" all tucked into a corner. Soon I am going to discreetly put them away somewhere when JB is not looking. The little yellow one with the white ears, by the way, was JB's childhood Easter bunny.

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4. Esther and her charge Mildred are well known. Despite my complaints, they have sat on our couch in the four places we've lived. Esther hands out Halloween candy to little kids and has been known to drink too much on occasion. I know this because we once found her upside down on the staircase. We have cautioned her not to drink and fly. However, like Emily Rabbit, she doesn't listen to us one bit.

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5. All I can tell you about Picasso is that shortly after his arrival JB put him under the bed covers. When I innocently pulled the covers back to go to bed, he scared the holy hell out of me. I screamed. I thought a real monkey was in my bed. I almost fainted. I was mad at JB for days. She tried to act apologetic but I know she enjoyed the whole mean episode.

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6. and 7. Francine and Dolly are both in our little dining area. I brought Francine home with me from Santa Fe and her fame and popularity increased after she was highlighted in one of Ces' fantastic paintings. Francine is very sweet and I am very fond of her.
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My mother gave me Dolly as a Christmas present one year. She lights up when you plug her in. JB regularly puts seasonal scarfs, bows, and/or hats on her. Sometimes I rub her neck, which is a vivid reminder that I have indeed lost my senses.

8. Little Irene: She is my dearest favorite. I used to take Irene with me to conferences and sometimes keep her in my suit pocket, where her little head would gently peek out. She has traveled with JB and I on dozens of trips. She is now in the Magic Cottage and from this photograph, she looks like she is happy there.

9. I don't know either one of these acquaintances of JB's. They are also in the Magic Cottage and have never given me the time of day, so I just ignored them.

10. This photo does not do justice to Gisselle. She is the sweetest and most fashionable giraffe. She travels with us sometimes also. Once during a very difficult trip to Tucson Arizona, we left her in the bed when we checked out of our motel room. We felt terrible, horrible. When we got back to New England, we phoned the motel and asked housekeeping to look for her. Several days later, a package arrived at our back door with Gisselle lovingly and comfortably tucked into a little bed made of tissue paper. Obviously, whoever found her and sent her back understood the importance of loving relationships.....

11. This is Alfred. I don't know him either but I do know he and JB are very close.

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12. This bird arrived in JB's Christmas stocking this year and is now clipped onto one of the living room table lamps. JB was very surprised that Ces , with her ever enthusiastic and classy eye did not notice it, and another bird on a second matching lamp.

13. Oh dear God: it is my plight in life to have to endure multiple lizards. This very large "family" of lizards is currently on the bench just outside the Magic Cottage. I do not want them in the house, ever. In winter, snow covers their bodies and I have to look at their scaly heads.

And as an extra finale: for some unknown reason, Cecil has made his way off the table to the floor and has turned his back on the comings and goings of the household. I'm sure this is temporary, but I'm wondering what he's thinking about, and why.....

Yes, I know: I'm officially certifiable.