Muses and Menageries ~ Valerie Ronald

 

Her golden yellow eyes glow with a million secrets ˗˗ a miniature, furry mystic. Curled up on a cushion by my writing desk, she purrs away like a gently boiling kettle, wreathed in an air of deep contemplation. My tortoiseshell cat, Pansy, is my writing muse. Having her nearby gives me a sentient being with whom I can connect while I create.

The origin of the word muse stems from Greek mythology, the name given to the daughters of Zeus who had powers to inspire poetry, music and drama. The modern definition is a person or personified force who is the source of inspiration for a creative artist. I do not actually believe my cat has the power to telepathically plant ideas in my brain, but somehow, having her near helps me think. There is something about her inscrutable demeanor that conveys empathy with my creative side. When I reach over to stroke her soft fur she will look directly into my eyes and give a slow blink, as if to say, yes, you are on the right track with those words. I approve.

Animals have inspired writers since the beginning of the written word, and literary history is full of lore about authors’ profound relationships with their pets.

Mark Twain had a fondness for his daughter’s black cat, Bambino. When the cat went missing, Twain used his literary skill to write a descriptive ad seeking his return. Bambino was found, perhaps due to the eloquence of Twain’s plea. 

Poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s constant companion was a cocker spaniel named Flush, whom Browning allowed to sprawl on half her manuscript page while she worked on the other half.

C.S. Lewis, British writer, literary scholar and theologian, lived on an acreage occupied by dogs, cats, chickens, badgers, foxes, rabbits, birds, snakes, and frogs. This menagerie may well have inspired Lewis’ inclusion of animals in much of his writing.

I expect there are statistics to support the theory that writers have pets in greater numbers than non-writers. Perhaps it is the presence of a non-judgmental companion that helps the flow of creativity, or the benefits of what I call fur therapy. When I get bogged down in my writing or need a break to mull over my current project, I relax on the couch with a cup of tea where, inevitably, my cat comes to sit on my lap. Stroking her soft coat, hearing her comforting purr, I can feel myself relax. She responds to me with recognition and affection, a connection that helps nurture the inner language of the soul, from where I write.

I haven’t owned a dog for some time, but I remember how beneficial it was to go on long walks with a canine companion. Getting out in the fresh air to enjoy nature, stretching my legs and observing the unfettered joy of my dog exploring the trail ahead definitely aided my creative flow.

I read of an equestrian whose horse would follow her around staring at her until she had the impression to bring pen and paper to the paddock and write. The horse then peacefully grazed close by while an entire poem flowed from its owner’s pen onto the page without interruption. In her re-telling she says, “I knew horses were creative, mystical, and mysterious, but I had never been outright used for my prehensile ability to grip a pencil before.” 1 Believe it or not, there is something to be said for the effect animals have on creativity.

Knowing we are made in the image of our Father God, we can conclude that we have inherited the part of God’s nature that cares for the animals. Jesus tells of five sparrows being worth only two pennies, yet not one of them is forgotten by God. (Luke 12:6 NIV) King David’s early role as a shepherd caring for his father’s sheep provided him with rich imagery for his poetry, the most beloved being Psalm 23, the Shepherd’s Psalm. It is not difficult to imagine David’s connection with his sheep inspiring his creative prose during the long days and nights of watching over them.

Do pets or other animals inspire you in your writing? I would love to hear stories from other pet-owning or animal-loving InScribers about what gentle influence animals have on your writing process. 

"Perhaps it is because cats do not live by human patterns, do not fit themselves into prescribed behavior, that they are so united to creative people." - Andre Norton
 

1https://listentoyourhorse.com/writing-with-horses/

 

 Valerie Ronald writes from an old roll top desk in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, with her tortoiseshell cat for a muse. A graduate of Langara College School of Journalism, she writes devotionals, fiction and inspirational prose. Her purpose in writing is to encourage others to grow in their spiritual walk.

GOD BLESSED ME THROUGH RABBITS - Bruce Atchison

I think God overdid it with bunnies. He gave them far too much sweetness. He also gave them incredibly clever and mischievous minds. Sadly, rabbits are the most under-appreciated and abused pets in North America. This is why I'm a strong advocate of proper house rabbit care.

Many folks don't know that, unlike dogs or cats, bunnies fear being picked up. This is why they instinctively struggle when uneducated people bend down and grab them. It's like being caught by a predator.

Additionally, rabbits play differently than carnivorous pets. Instead of chasing and catching things, they enjoy tossing noise-making objects. Since their teeth keep growing, they need to chew on things to wear their teeth down. This is why they enjoy chewing on cardboard boxes and ripping up papers. When two doors are cut in an empty box and an old phone book is placed inside, rabbits spend hours joyfully ripping and chewing.

Contrary to the Bugs Bunny cartoons, rabbits can die from eating sugary foods like carrots. They need plenty of hay to keep their digestion going and to wear down their teeth. Pure canned pumpkin is also a good treat as it is rich in fibre. A proper diet can help bunnies live to be more than ten years old.
Many people don't realize that house rabbits can be litter-trained. It's in there nature not to soil their burrows. Even those poor bunnies imprisoned in cages end up using only one corner for their toilet. Some folks have used wood pellets for litter but, being a cheapskate, I use junk mail scrounged from the local post office. My long-eared fur friends never minded that.

Also, bunnies need to be spayed and neutered so that they will be friendlier and cleaner pets. Once their drive to reproduce is gone, they become more affectionate to their humans. Neither do they spray and hump everything in sight. Additionally, female rabbits develop uterine cancer after five years when they're not spayed.

The reason I love rabbits is that it's a special blessing to earn their trust. Neither are they clingy like dogs or aloof like cats. To me, they're friends who like to hang around me, yet they don't mind if I leave for the post office. I also love the way they get all worked up and excited when they know a treat is coming. My current rabbit, Deborah, has a white tail which flashes like a beacon when she hops. Just seeing her excitement and flashing tail at feeding time puts a smile on my face.

I've written so much more about the wonderful facts I've learned, and the fun I've had, with bunnies in a book called When a Man Loves a Rabbit: Learning and Living With Bunnies. You can read more about this memoir of my life with these misunderstood creatures at my Bruce Atchison's books page.

A Little Guy Who Made A Big Impact - Bruce Atchison

Of all the noble characters in Scripture, Gideon is my favourite. I can relate to him since He wasn't strong like Samson, brave like joshua, or highly educated like the Apostle Paul. As he admitted to the angel who appeared to him, "O Lord, how may I be the saviour of Israel? See, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house." I love the fact that once this unassuming man knew what he had to do, he went forth and liberated his nation from the Midianite invaders.

Since the biblical Gideon was a timid person who nevertheless caused his enemies to be defeated, I named one of my house rabbits in honour of him. He certainly was worthy of his name. He was a Himalayan bunny who behaved like a fur-clad Dennis the Menace.

Like that comic strip character, Gideon had the knack of getting into trouble. He once found his way past the boards that I placed around my bed and chewed up a leather suitcase, along with assorted cardboard boxes and papers. He snipped my phone line one morning, even though I wrapped it in aluminum foil and tucked it under the baseboards. To this day, I have blankets, sheets, and pillow cases that bear his dental autographs.

Even with all the mischief he caused, I loved that pint-sized rascal. I fondly remember the many pleasant evening hours we spent together as I lay on the floor and petted him. Whenever I sat down on the rug, he came bounding over for pets. He often loafed next to my desk for hours like a faithful dog as I wrote freelance articles.

Gideon also entertained me with his playful antics. During many mornings, he raced up and down the hallway in an attitude of pure enjoyment of being alive. I also let him shred cardboard boxes and phone books so he wouldn't ruin my furniture. He even learned how to hurl rolled up socks between his hind legs like a football quarterback. I loved watching him clearing them out from under the desk and pushing them with his forelegs as if he was digging a burrow.

I wrote a book about Gideon as well as the other loveable rogues that I adopted over an eight-year period. Through hilarious and poignant vignettes, When a Man Loves a Rabbit (Learning and Living With Bunnies) describes how I discovered the true nature of these misunderstood animals by treating them like house pets rather than furry amusements. For more information regarding this memoir, as well as Deliverance From Jericho (Six Years in a Blind School), please visit my InScribe page.

Will We Meet Our Pets in Heaven? - Bruce Atchison

As much as I wish I could hug and stroke my beloved departed rabbits again, we won't be reunited with our pets. Why? The Bible doesn't teach that animals will be resurrected. Nor do they have the capability of sinning. Because of that, they aren't rewarded with heaven or punished with hell. As John MacArthur once explained, they're conscious but not self-conscious. God will populate the new earth with animals but none of our beloved companions will be raised from the dead.

Scripture has proven its veracity through historical evidence, the cohesiveness of its message, and corroborating archeological discoveries. Therefore, fanciful notions of eternity, such as the Rainbow Bridge, aren't real and only those who have surrendered their lives to Christ will be with him forever. The belief in animals being resurrected is based on wishful thinking and not biblical proof, as I point out in this excerpt from my upcoming How I Was Razed memoir.

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Brother H's notion of being reunited with our pets is also unbiblical. Ecclesiastes 3:21 says, "Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?" Solomon wasn't doubting the assertion of human spirits and the descent of animal spirits but was pointing out that we can't see where they go. Ecclesiastes is based on a view of life from a physical standpoint. Even so, he did make a distinction between the two kinds of spirits and their final destinations. Since Christ died exclusively for humans, the only species on Earth created in God's image and capable of sinning, we are the only ones destined for resurrection. As much as I'd love to be reunited with my long-eared companions that I wrote about in When a Man Loves a Rabbit (Learning and Living With Bunnies), Scripture indirectly precludes that possibility.

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I also wrote in Deliverance From Jericho (Six Years in a Blind School) about the time I foolishly gave our pet rabbit, Samantha, a cold bath and inadvertently killed her when I was twelve years old. Please click here for more information about these memoirs from my web page.