For a long time he lived in the toy cupboard or on the nursery floor, and no one thought very much about him. He was naturally shy, and being only made of velveteen, some of the more expensive toys quite snubbed him. The mechanical toys were very superior, and looked down upon every one else; they were full of modern ideas, and pretended they were real. The model boat, who had lived through two seasons and lost most of his paint, caught the tone from them and never missed an opportunity of referring to his rigging in technical terms. The Rabbit could not claim to be a model of anything, for he didn't know that real rabbits existed; he thought they were all stuffed with sawdust like himself, and he understood that sawdust was quite out-of-date and should never be mentioned in modern circles. Even Timothy, the jointed wooden lion, who was made by the disabled soldiers, and should have had broader views, put on airs and pretended he was connected with Government. Between them all the poor little Rabbit was made to feel himself very insignificant and commonplace, and the only person who was kind to him at all was the Skin Horse.
The Skin Horse had lived longer in the nursery than any of the others. He was so old that his brown coat was bald in patches and showed the seams underneath, and most of the hairs in his tail had been pulled out to string bead necklaces. He was wise, for he had seen a long succession of mechanical toys arrive to boast and swagger, and by-and-by break their mainsprings and pass away, and he knew that they were only toys, and would never turn into anything else. For nursery magic is very strange and wonderful, and only those playthings that are old and wise and experienced like the Skin Horse understand all about it.
"What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"
"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."
"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.
"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."
"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"
"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."
"I suppose you are real?" said the Rabbit. And then he wished he had not said it, for he thought the Skin Horse might be sensitive. But the Skin Horse only smiled.
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kittenmuffins- August 31st, 2010
- 101 in 1001
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- kittenmuffins
- June 4th, 2010
1. pedicure2. stainless appliances
3. concrete kitchen countertop2. go to drive-in APRIL!!
3. take a class
4. write a book5. go to maine
6. go to Cape7. visit K in NJ
8. meet K at Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun for a concert9. have a party
10. England
11. Mass MOCA
12. MFA Boston
13. ICA14. go to a play16. call Peter
15. art retreat (Squam)
17. comedy show18. whiten teeth
19. ride bike
20.develop/ teach a class
21. new kitchen floor22. Cancel Sirius
23. wallpaper 2 walls in kitchen
24. paint 2 walls in kitchen/hall
25. refinish kitchen cabinets
27. paint bedroom
28. daybed for den
29. sit down to meals at table30. take vitamins and meds everyday31. pay library fine
32. use gift certificates33. open Etsy shop
34. make studio less cluttered / more useable
36. DeCordova museum
37. paint outside38. swim
39. sell elliptical & alvarez acoustic
40. make wedding albums
41. find couple friends
42. Fuller museum
43. Disney
44. sell condo
45. buy house
46. customize one of my Blythes / sell one47. take more photos
48. collage / finish art journal
49. make jewelry51. investigate nonhormonal birthcontrol
52. throw stuff out! sell for donate 3 bags a week *banish clutter *
53. backup laptop
54. walk mall or yoga 3 days a week55. return laptop for service56. bento more
57. pursue showing my art again
58.
59. go to a horseshow
60. ride a horse61. donate money to A Place to Bark62. remarry in catholic church / get confirmed
63. meet protein, vitaminand watergoals
64. clean out car65. cancel Sirius
66. trip with Mom
67. new passport
68. unpack and use sewing machine69. save $50 each week70. have Willow & Emma's teeth cleaned71. see the Dresden Dolls play again
72. snorkel
73. scuba dive
74. Vegas
75. publish a zine
76. teach Glen Dreamweaver
77. teach Glen Photoshop
78. new bedroom furniture
79.
80. convention or The Gathering81. pink hair
82.
83.chemical peel84.caulk all windows
85. drink 2 protein shakes a day
86.take vitamins every day87. save $5000 in emergency fund88. clean living room/put down new rug90. lose 10% of my weight
89. make 25 sales at Etsy
91. photobooth pix
92. sell 3 items a week on ebay
93. make 100 sales at Etsy
94. customize Barbie BJD
95. hooked pillows
96.learn to sleep 8 hrs a night97. blog that makes money
98. blogtv
99.
100.
101.
- (no subject)
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- kittenmuffins
- December 14th, 2:08
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both. I prefer the "look" of wrapped boxes under the tree, but will go with gift bags for large/strangely shaped items. I am also a notorious OVERBUYER, therefore most people get many small gifts in addition to their "main" gift. This means I HAVE TO use gift bags or else sort through every present under the tree.
2. Real tree or Artificial? Hmm... Currently artificial, was real for a few years and was artificial as a child. I do love having the tree up for a long time so artificial works. Plus, my asthma has gotten so bad in recent years i don't know if I could handle breathing the scent :(
3. When do you put up the tree? I aim for the weekend after Thanksgiving but it seems to get later and later each year.
4. When do you take the tree down? Soon after New Years
5. Do you like eggnog? ICK!
6. Favorite gift received as a child? CD player - I was OBSESSED wuth music
7. Hardest person to buy for? my Dad
8. Easiest person to buy for? Glen or my niece.
9. Do You have a nativity scene? Yes, but haven't put it out for 2 years. Will look for it later today. I do like having it displayed.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Elaborately decorated then dropped in the mail
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? a turtleneck - during a "grab" in Brownies
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Currently loving ELF. Also, A Christmas Story, Miracle on 34th, Wonderful Life... many, many great films
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? October
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I think so
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? cheesecake - I always get one for our Christmas party
16. Lights on the tree? white and not blinking. I have blinking lights all overm just dont want to mess with the tree now that its up and decorated.
17. Favorite Christmas song? Hark the Herald Angels Sing
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Usually travel, think we're staying home this year
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? but of course
the tree top or a star? rustic tin star
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? morning
22. Most annoying about this time of the year? no parking!
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? tiny bears - mostly Boyds Bears and most of them are angels
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? turkey
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Glen to find a job
26. Who is most likely to respond to this? I dunno
27. Who is least likely to respond to this? I dunno
- (no subject)
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- kittenmuffins
- November 22nd, 18:02
- (no subject)
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- kittenmuffins
- November 19th, 1:58
drank absinthe with marie and glen tonight whilst watching Coraline. really liked it AND it didn't make me sick!! i really haven't been able to drink since the operation so I was very careful. will try to upload pix of us "cooking" the sugarcubes over the absinthe. was really hoping the whole thing would flame up but it was much tamer than usual.
- have I posted a picture of Emma lately?
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- kittenmuffins
- November 14th, 21:41
- sugar free chocolate syrup is the DEVIL!
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- kittenmuffins
- November 11th, 22:09
I need to do something about my internet addiction. Maybe it wouldn't be considered an addiction to some, but I know i pick up my laptop when I'm bored. What I SHOULD do when I'm bored is pick up a pain brush or my jewelry tools. It just seems to take extra energy to think about what to make, whereas the net is always *there*. And, with my shopping addiction, well... the net is a very dangerous place. I just put a wishlist together over at Sephora. I'm going to put it in my email signature. Maybe my Dad or inlaws will notice it ;)
Criminal Minds was really good tonight! Gavin played a great disenchanted rockstar. LOL! Anyway, that has become one of my favorite shows. One night in Maine this summer we caught a marathon and now I'm hooked. I love when I find a show like that and there are a ton of episodes I can go back to watch. I'm afraid i might be all caught up now, though. BUT, I don't know why Spencer is on crutches? I think I may have missed an episode a couple weeks back. Maybe something happened then?
All day I ate nothing but carbs, so I just had 2 SF puddings (for the protein). Blargh! I am not doing well with dairy lately!! But, i don't really like meat either. life is hard...
Tomorrow we are going to the movies and then to the mall for me to get some of the MAC holiday collection (I have a gift card)!! Woot! Good day!!
