A Pet Subject. . .

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I’ve adopted a lot of cats- on one trip to the shelter, I saw a tag that looked like it read, “Mange.” It really said, “Marge” but my cartoonist brain grabbed that moment and filed it away for later use. . . fast forward about 12 years. . .

The Green’s cat’s name is Mange. When we started to create the cast of the Green House, we thought this young couple would have gone to a shelter and rescued a cat for their first pet. It’s what I did when I got my first apartment. To be exact, a friend brought a kitten that she’d rescued, and I took her in and named her Mandy. I love dogs and cats, but cats are an easier “starter” pet when you’re first learning how to live on your own.

As we begin our comic, we’re introducing you to the characters and their personalities. We’re also providing a setting: a home, their surroundings, their likes and dislikes, their jobs, their neighbors, family- all the things that create their world. Todd is a cartoonist and works from home, which, as we begin, is a modest apartment. Pam is a special ed teacher and part-time yoga instructor. When deciding on the first pet for them, I drew inspiration from another cat I helped rescue back around 2006 named Maggie.

My sister owned an apartment that she was subletting, and when a tenant moved out, the tenant left behind a cat in a crate. . . a sad looking old cat that appeared to be malnourished, sick and neglected. My sister had two cats of her own and 2 dogs and couldn’t manage another pet at the time.  I had two cats and a dog, but I also had a studio where I could keep this cat until another home could be found for her. She was long-haired calico and her voice sounded more like a “croak” than a meow. When I got her to trust me and let me hold her, I started petting her and rubbing her neck, where I  found that a tiny collar was embedded in the fur deep under the mats on her neck. After carefully cutting away the hair and removing a collar that must have been her kitty collar, I found that her croaking was caused by choking. A trip to the vet was next in order and this brought the discovery of diabetes and parasites. With the help of my wonderful veterinarian, we got Maggie back to reasonable help and began insulin injections. Long story short, she only lived about 5-6 months with me before passing on. Her diabetes was in very advanced stages and other parts of her digestive health were failing, but she waited by the door for me to come in and out of the studio- sat on my lap and then on my shoulder while I worked, and when I laid down to write, she’d lay on me and purr more deeply than any cat I’d ever known.  She was a true blessing to me and I suppose, I to her. She was a special cat. Well, every pet I’ve ever had was special, but she was here so short a time, it was just different.

So, in thinking of a pet for the Greens, she seemed like the perfect choice- a studio cat, with a little bit of attitude and a lot of love. . .  but love isn’t always funny- so we gave her an attitude drawn from another cat of mine, Snickers. . . a Garfield clone.

It’s Monday, the coffee’s kicking in and my brain’s starting to thaw. I should start doing some stretches, and perhaps I will after I finish typing this. . . but I’d just like to suggest that you all join me and take a minute or two to remember your past pets and perhaps think about your current ones and what they mean to you. I can’t think about Maggie without feeling a deep calm and re-connection to her. Her spirit seems to stay with me and bring me comfort. Seeing her in the comic makes me happy. I hope she makes you smile a little too.

Do you have a story about a special pet or pet rescue?  A deep connection you made with an animal in a short period of time?  Comment here or on our Facebook page, we’d love to hear your stories.

 

That new Playstation game will have to wait a few more months. . .

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We’ve all been there. . . when life is like a Country song and there’s “too much month at the end of the money.” What I like about this strip is the priorities. . . charity before “mad money. . . ” others before self. Todd may be upset at the balance in his “mad money” account. . . but it’s inspiration and motivation to do more as we’ll see very soon in The Green House.

My favorite writings about money- and self-value are in Dan Millman’s “Everyday Enlightenment- The Twelve Gateways to Personal Growth.” I remember reading the book back in 2007 and loving every bit of it and making an internal pact that I would follow these writings and embrace the Twelve Gateways. . . except for the Fourth one- because I didn’t have much money and was just “getting by.” I obviously needed a kick in the “gateways,” because it’s all there, even for those who have nothing financially. . . I just wasn’t in a place to align with these teachings. Millman opens the chapter with this:

The Fourth Gateway~ Manage Your Money

“Money is neither god nor devil, but a form of energy. Like love or fear, it can serve you or bind you, depending how you manage it.

By clarifying your goals and using your gifts, you can make good money, doing what you enjoy while serving the highest calling of your soul.

Using money wisely, and well, you increase the material and spiritual wealth with your world.”

Pam obviously has learned these lessons well. . .  I’m still in “Todd-ville.”  Yes, I’m re-reading
“Everyday Enlightenment” this month! :0)

Do you recall a moment in your life where you had that revelation that you could be doing more, not necessarily working harder, but working smarter and opening yourself to be more. . . to receive more? Share your thoughts and stories. . . someone at the Green House is waiting to be inspired today! As always, the conversation is always happening on our Facebook page. . .

Worm Holes and Carbon Footprints

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Today we meet two of the critters at The Green House, Link and Wormy. Link is a liberal blogger who is trying to introduce his new friend, Wormy to the world of environmentalism. Tomorrow, Link checks in with Wormy to see how he’s enjoying reading “An Inconvenient Truth.”

As much as we seek knowledge and “the truth,” we’re all  reading the latest news, reports and studies to see what “those in the know” want us to know. It’s also clear that those who are “experts” can sway us to their side by great speeches, writing or story-telling through movies. However, seemingly minutes after we form an opinion or answer a call to action, we can dismiss and distrust if we hear “facts” well told from the other side of the debate.

I really wanted to believe Al Gore and the message of “An Inconvenient Truth.” I recall taking my Mother to the movie and seeing how moved she was by all the facts about the melting glaciers and endangered polar bears. . . which I knew were facts “skewed” a bit to make a point (and sell a movie). My Mom and I had a great discussion about the movie on the way home, which proved one point that put Al’s movie into a “plus” column for me. . .

It was clear from the discussion that my Mom hadn’t really been following environmental news much, even though she knew how big a “Greenie” I am- and she was now excited to start reading more and to start living a cleaner, more organic life. After dropping her off, I came to the conclusion that as much as Al Gore may have propped up certain info and dramatized events to make a more compelling movie, my Mom was moved into a more positive direction for having seen “An Inconvenient Truth.”

I don’t condone lying to the world to make a more impactful movie-  I like to see balance- but in this case, I’ll give a nod in the affirmative to Al.

So, for my part,  I’ll  do what I can to show how thoughtful, informed, conscious people (and critters) relate to the same information, in my own writing. Maybe my presentation of debatable subject matter will open discussion that is balanced and discussed with open minds. In any event, finding any moment to open a person’s mind to thinking about their planet is a good thing. Do it with humor and cute characters and it’s a big round ball slam dunk!

More on the subject over the next few days.

What were your thoughts and experiences after reading or seeing “An Inconvenient Truth?”  Start a conversation here or on our Facebook page. We love fresh insights and honest experiences.

My very fiber. . .

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Yes, I’m a tree hugger. I feel at home in the woods. I feel the connection to all creation. It’s here I feel my spirituality and my sense of soul. Some people get it from church. . . The forest is my temple. It’s the high reaching branches that stretch for the sun. . . the nutrient seeking roots that anchor us in the past and connect us in the heart of the earth. . . the moss and lichen that feeds from us and teaches us to share of ourselves . . . and the constant humbling organic smell of composting that tells us we are all part of a great purpose.

I respect trees and all of life. Perhaps they notice us too.

Who Wrote Jimi Hendrix’s Favorite Song?

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From a “Star Spangled Banner” to an “American Trilogy” . .  Happy 4th (and 5th) of July! It wouldn’t be July 4th without hearing Jimi Hendrix’s “Star Spangled Banner” . . . and having recently heard an interview with Jimi, he once told Kenny Rogers that “Just Dropped In” was his favorite song. . . The First Edition’s recording of a song by Mickey Newbury was doing okay on the Pop Charts- until they appeared on the Smothers Brothers Show, lip-synced to a psychedelic production, and the song went that era’s (1968) version of “viral.”

And who was the “mechanic” behind the hit? “Outlaw” Country singer-songwriter, Mickey Newbury.

I had just a minimal knowledge of Newbury before researching this strip, knowing that he wrote “Just Dropped In” and was referenced in “Luckenbach, Texas” by Waylon & Willie, with the line “Newbury’s train songs.” And as is so often the case in delving deeper into a subject, you find some amazing talent and an tremendous artist. Mickey Newbury created the concept and arrangement for Elvis’ “American Trilogy”- the soulful blend of a civil war “Northern song” , a Southern Song and a Jamaican slave song. . . that is one for the ages.  The most incredible part of this research into Mickey Newbury was actually hearing him sing and watch him perform, via YouTube.  Below you’ll find Mickey’s soulful, bluesy version of “Just Dropped In” and a live performance of “American Trilogy.”  There is also a live version of “Just Dropped In” by Kenny Rogers and the First Edition. . . and if you have some time, treat yourself to a few other performances by Mickey on YouTube, you won’t regret it.

But first, here’s a bit of Mickey’s 2002 Obituary by Dave Laing from: The Guardian : http://www.theguardian.com/news/2002/oct/03/guardianobituaries.arts

The best-known composition of American songwriter and singer Mickey Newbury, who has died aged 62, is An American Trilogy, with which Elvis Presley frequently closed his concerts. But Newbury wrote more than 500 other songs, and with such colleagues as Kris Kristofferson and Tom T Hall brought a more literate and thoughtful dimension to country music in the 1960s. On hearing of Newbury’s death, Kristofferson said: “When he got it just right, simple lyrics and simple melodies worked in a way to break your heart.”He was born in Houston, Texas, one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States. His parents were country music fans from farming families, but as a teenager he absorbed the sounds of rhythm & blues, and Mexican music, too. He performed and recorded with a vocal group, the Embers, which toured with black artists, often as the only white act on the bill. At 18, Newbury joined the US air force, spending three years at RAF Croughton in Oxfordshire. Weekend leave was spent at parties in London, an experience Newbury was to draw on for his song Swiss Cottage Place.He turned decisively to songwriting after leaving the service in 1963. Following a spell on the shrimp boats of south-east Texas, he moved to Nashville to try to sell his songs. There he met Kristofferson, another would-be writer, who became a life-long friend. Newbury’s work caught the ear of the doyen of Nashville music publishers, Wesley Rose. Consequently, the country star Don Gibson made the first recording of a Newbury song.With its languorous melody and melancholic lyrics, Funny, Familiar, Forgotten Feelings set the pattern for much of Newbury’s oeuvre. Commenting on the sad tone of many of his songs, he once said: “Music has never been anything but an escape from depression for me. I write my sadness. I call it robbing the dragon.”Read the rest here:   http://www.theguardian.com/news/2002/oct/03/guardianobituaries.arts

 

 

From Mickey’s Website: Mickey Newbury is a songwriter most famous for a song he arranged, but did not write. One night in Los Angeles, at a time of national distress over war and race issues in the U.S.A., Newbury spontaneously combined a southern anthem (written by a northerner, D.D. Emmett), a northern anthem (written by a southerner, William Steffe), and a third song that was originally a Jamaican slave song (All My Sorrows). In the audience that night were many celebrities, Odetta, Kristofferson and Streisand among them. The trio of songs brought tears to Odetta’s eyes. It came to be called An American Trilogy, and would be adopted by Elvis Presley as the centerpiece of his later concerts. This clip is an extra from LIVE AT THE HERMITAGE, the new Mickey Newbury DVD, and features Marie Rhines on violin. The clip is uploaded with the permission of the Newbury family, and the DVD is available in the cd store at: www.mickeynewbury.com

“Little Know Hippie Facts” . . .

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Peter and I were working together one day and talking about music. . . Naturally, when old guys start talking music, it usually leads to Bruce Springsteen and works backwards from there. And then somehow, we started coming up with these silly ideas about comically denoting great moments in the ’60’s- which led to “Little Known Hippie Facts.”

For some of these you have to really know your “hippie trivia.” We lived it, so it’s kind of second nature. . .  We came up with a dozen or so of these and sprinkled them into the Green House every once in a while just to keep it weird.

Hearing about two young girls in Texas who had their lemonade stand shut down last week reminded me of this . . . and so we’ll start with this one.  Let us know if you get it or have your own Kool Aid or lemonade stand story.

Ken’s was successful, and it looks like the hippy philosophy is still alive and well!