Zoo (definition):
Hislop home (reality)
Notice any similarities?
I love in a zoo, literally and figuratively.
Fifteen days ago Grace took custody of a day old lamb, one of a set of triplets whose mother’s milk supply was not sufficient for three. Grace created a lamb space in the basement (wrestling mats doubled as walls and straw covered the cement floor) and put her almost-newborn to bed. Fourteen days ago I awoke early and was concerned by the amount of noise I did not hear in the basement. Shouldn’t the lamb be bleating?
Going downstairs to investigate I found the lamb’s bed had a double occupancy. Grace and lamb were curled up together in the straw, sleeping soundly and silently. They were together than night and have rarely been apart since. Grace has taken her to school twice and to Las Vegas once.
Yes, we took a lamb to Las Vegas for Spring Break. She traveled there and back in a pink, straw-lined bin and, while there, decorated my sister’s lawn, mystified her dogs, and intrigued her neighbors. Twice, while Grace was out walking the lamb, complete strangers stopped their cars and wanted to take pictures. Apparently week-old lambs strolling the streets are not a common site in Las Vegas.
The lamb follows Grace everywhere, including into my kitchen. At some point she is going to have to learn that she is not human but I do not anticipate that happening anytime soon.
We also had day-old chicks in the basement where they stayed, under a heat lamp, until they began roosting on the exercise bike. Now they are safely ensconced in the dog house.
Pigs have come to our place too though I am happy to report (VERY HAPPY!) that they were never housed in my basement. We have two sets of three pigs. (Six total pigs, for those of you who are mathematically challenged.) Grace bought a set of three that she will raise to sell to whomever she can find that wants home-raised pork. The other set of three are the show pigs that Miles, Tanah, and Grace will exhibit at the Weber County Fair.
Friday night the temperatures hovered just above freezing and I thought we’d lost a pig. (Maybe I should have let them into the basement…?). When I checked Saturday morning I could see only two pigs in the show pig pen. I looked at them from all angles but could only see two pigs, cuddled together in the straw. Seeing no pigs in the pasture either, I resigned myself to the fact that I was going to have to go into the pig pen and investigate.
Clad in hiking sandals (of course) I cautiously entered the pen and approached the huddled hogs. Standing over the top of them, I could still see only two. It was not until I bent over that I saw the a third set of butt cheeks. It was a pig pile of three….and I was happy.
Grace has a little lamb and Miles hangs out in the pig pen and Tanah loves Babbs (the ornery cockatiel). Pet fever infected Sara. She adopted Penelope, a fluffy rabbit. Three times I have come home from school to see Sara and Penelope, hanging out on the lawn where Sara tries to study and Penelope succeeds at being cute.
Zorro gets into the act as well. He sacrificed his home to the chicks, his place as primary animal in the kitchen to the lamb, and his heart to the rabbit. When Sara sets Penelope on the grass, Zorro stations himself next to the rabbit and affectionately licks her. Crazy.
Friends who are moving gave us four more chickens and a duck. They offered to give us a couple of turkeys as well but I turned them down. I am not completely crazy.
Not completely crazy (but almost) is a phrase that could have been used to describe the Prom-attending group in our home last night….crowded, loud, and (almost) uncontrolled are descriptions that would apply as well. (Refer to definition of zoo.) Tanah, Sara, and a group of their friends went to Roy High’s Prom last night. We took photos in Sandy’s yard before Prom---lots of stunning girls in beautiful dresses and fewer guys in shirts and ties—and they ate ice cream in my basement afterwards. I know the picture taking was crowded, loud and (almost) uncontrolled. I cannot say what the situation in the basement was because I was (completely) asleep by that time of day (night!).
The Hislops….a place where many kinds of animals are kept that is crowded, loud, and (almost) uncontrolled.
Welcome to our home!!
Love,
Teresa
- a place where many kinds of animals are kept
- a place, situation, or group that is crowded, loud, and uncontrolled
Hislop home (reality)
- a place where many kinds of animals are kept
- a place, situation, or group that is crowded, loud, and uncontrolled
Notice any similarities?
I love in a zoo, literally and figuratively.
Fifteen days ago Grace took custody of a day old lamb, one of a set of triplets whose mother’s milk supply was not sufficient for three. Grace created a lamb space in the basement (wrestling mats doubled as walls and straw covered the cement floor) and put her almost-newborn to bed. Fourteen days ago I awoke early and was concerned by the amount of noise I did not hear in the basement. Shouldn’t the lamb be bleating?
Going downstairs to investigate I found the lamb’s bed had a double occupancy. Grace and lamb were curled up together in the straw, sleeping soundly and silently. They were together than night and have rarely been apart since. Grace has taken her to school twice and to Las Vegas once.
Yes, we took a lamb to Las Vegas for Spring Break. She traveled there and back in a pink, straw-lined bin and, while there, decorated my sister’s lawn, mystified her dogs, and intrigued her neighbors. Twice, while Grace was out walking the lamb, complete strangers stopped their cars and wanted to take pictures. Apparently week-old lambs strolling the streets are not a common site in Las Vegas.
The lamb follows Grace everywhere, including into my kitchen. At some point she is going to have to learn that she is not human but I do not anticipate that happening anytime soon.
We also had day-old chicks in the basement where they stayed, under a heat lamp, until they began roosting on the exercise bike. Now they are safely ensconced in the dog house.
Pigs have come to our place too though I am happy to report (VERY HAPPY!) that they were never housed in my basement. We have two sets of three pigs. (Six total pigs, for those of you who are mathematically challenged.) Grace bought a set of three that she will raise to sell to whomever she can find that wants home-raised pork. The other set of three are the show pigs that Miles, Tanah, and Grace will exhibit at the Weber County Fair.
Friday night the temperatures hovered just above freezing and I thought we’d lost a pig. (Maybe I should have let them into the basement…?). When I checked Saturday morning I could see only two pigs in the show pig pen. I looked at them from all angles but could only see two pigs, cuddled together in the straw. Seeing no pigs in the pasture either, I resigned myself to the fact that I was going to have to go into the pig pen and investigate.
Clad in hiking sandals (of course) I cautiously entered the pen and approached the huddled hogs. Standing over the top of them, I could still see only two. It was not until I bent over that I saw the a third set of butt cheeks. It was a pig pile of three….and I was happy.
Grace has a little lamb and Miles hangs out in the pig pen and Tanah loves Babbs (the ornery cockatiel). Pet fever infected Sara. She adopted Penelope, a fluffy rabbit. Three times I have come home from school to see Sara and Penelope, hanging out on the lawn where Sara tries to study and Penelope succeeds at being cute.
Zorro gets into the act as well. He sacrificed his home to the chicks, his place as primary animal in the kitchen to the lamb, and his heart to the rabbit. When Sara sets Penelope on the grass, Zorro stations himself next to the rabbit and affectionately licks her. Crazy.
Friends who are moving gave us four more chickens and a duck. They offered to give us a couple of turkeys as well but I turned them down. I am not completely crazy.
Not completely crazy (but almost) is a phrase that could have been used to describe the Prom-attending group in our home last night….crowded, loud, and (almost) uncontrolled are descriptions that would apply as well. (Refer to definition of zoo.) Tanah, Sara, and a group of their friends went to Roy High’s Prom last night. We took photos in Sandy’s yard before Prom---lots of stunning girls in beautiful dresses and fewer guys in shirts and ties—and they ate ice cream in my basement afterwards. I know the picture taking was crowded, loud and (almost) uncontrolled. I cannot say what the situation in the basement was because I was (completely) asleep by that time of day (night!).
The Hislops….a place where many kinds of animals are kept that is crowded, loud, and (almost) uncontrolled.
Welcome to our home!!
Love,
Teresa
Grace and her girl
 Miles picks up a chick |  Bacon on the hoof |
The lamb enjoys lunch in Las Vegas
 Some girls have pet lambs.... |  ...other girls have pet dogs. |
This little piggie went to market......
 Where is the third pig? |  Can you see her now? |
Sharing the house with all those other animals is exhausting.
 Sara gets ready |  Babbs supervises |
Tanah is ready!
Lucky man!
 |  |
007???
 The "Domestics"?? |  The "Foreigners" |
"Crowded, loud and (almost) uncontrolled"
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