Babylon Revisited and The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe

Babylon Revisited and Other Stories F Scott Fitzgerald
The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe C.S. Lewis
The publication years are unknown because the books are in shreds.
Weight: 12oz-ish?
Method of Disposal : Recycling

Another two books are gone to the strays.  I guess I should count myself as lucky that they are both classics and easy to find at the library.  Strelka/Charlotte is such a fun and playful girl, but it is time that she goes back to her mama.  She is staying with me indefinitely--both of us just hoping that mom actually comes back.  We are in some sort of strange in between place and the outcome does not look promising, but we have limited options and so we hope anyway.

My first introduction to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was when I was in elementary school.  My brother was reading it.  We were going to sleep on a mattress on the floor of his bedroom, and I wanted to read it too.

I was introduced to Fitzgerald in high school with The Great Gatsby and then I started reading his other work from there.

I will be recycling the remnants of both of these books and trying to hoover up the slivers that are too small to pick up.  Poor Charlotte.  She needs attention, love, and stability.  I have never been able to give it to her, and I have not been able to find anyone else who could either.  She showed up as a stray, went home with a girl that returned her due to allergies, and then went home with two women who broke up, and then came back to me yet again.  I'm trying, Baby Girl, I really am.

A Rage to Kill

A Rage to Kill  by Ann Rule

1999

Weight: 12 oz

Method of Disposal: Recycling the remains

Does she choose them by title? 

 Leda went home on Sunday, and it was a beautiful thing.  The woman that adopted her is perfect for her and will love her so much.  I will never have to worry and Leda will never have to want for anything.  If only it could be this way every time.

That being said, I miss that little dog a lot.  I think about her before I go to bed at night AND when I wake up in the morning AND about a hundred times in between.  She is an adorable little spitfire.  I am now caring for Strelka, a pit bull puppy that showed up in my driveway a month and a half ago, until she can find a loving home.  She is the complete opposite of Leda.  She likes to sit or curl up in a ball to nap beside me while I do other things.  She is playful, but also very gentle and mellow.  Instead of peeing in ten places all over the yard, it takes me at least 30 minutes to convince her that it is time to go to the bathroom (though the time gets shorter and shorter each day).  She is only a few months younger than Leda, but their energy levels and attitude on life could not be more different.  Strelka is excited but cautious.  Sweet despite being a little scared.  Leda is fearless and her excitement knows no boundaries.  I am filled with so much love for them both.  I miss Leda’s eager little face, but I love Strelka’s loving gaze as she rests her head on my chest.  I cannot wait for the day when she too finds a permanent home and a loving family.

The Great Penguin Rescue

The Great Penguin Rescue: 40,000 Penguins, a Devastating Oil Spill, and the Inspiring Story of the World’s Largest Animal Rescue  by Dyan deNapoli

2010

Weight: 10.4 oz

Method of Disposal: Leaving Somewhere

Is there anything about this title and this book as a whole that does not scream at me to pick it up and read it right away?  No.  As if the words were in bold, my eyes see “penguin” and “world’s largest animal rescue.”  It is irresistible.  I dream of penguin rescue and here is someone who lived it.  This was one of those slip-ups where I bought a book after I had already started this project.  It happens sometimes.  I buy electronic books from time to time, and I also buy real books, though very very rarely.   Confession complete.  I simply NEED the feeling of walking into a bookstore, smelling the pages, and picking out some books at random.  Not looking for anything in particular except something new to read.  

I do not want penguins to be in need of rescue, but I know that they frequently are.  I do not believe in interfering too much with wild animals and their lives, except in the case of rescue, and so here is how I imagine my dream realized.  If I am ever to be around penguins, it will probably be in a rescue scenario.  I have worked with animals enough to know that rescue isn’t all glamour, and it isn’t full of cute and cuddly moments of joy all the time.  deNapoli talks about the stench, the razor sharp penguin bites, the sadness, and the sheer exhaustion of rescuing penguins after a massive oil spill.  She also talks about the strength of people, their overwhelming ability to come together and express love.  She has an amazing story to tell.

I am going to need someone to help me realize this dream.  Here is how you can make it happen.  Hook me up with one of these groups:

www.earthwatch.org

www.aviva-sa.com

www.enkosiniecoexperience.com

It will be a minimum of $2,000.  You have that laying around, collecting dust, right?  Okay okay.  I am joking, but I have realized that this is a dream I can make happen.  Eventually.  I can save the money and by the time my dogs pass away (which will be never if I have it my way) I will have it all, and I will go make a difference in some “ungrateful penguin’s” lives.  I cannot wait.  I CANNOT wait.