Look Toward or Turn Away

When we arrived in the Netherlands almost 3 years ago, I was immediately taken aback when people spoke directly to my son, B. when we were out in public.  Almost no one assumed that just because he had a disability he couldn’t speak for himself.  There was no detectable nervousness or hesitation to deal directly with him. He … Continue reading Look Toward or Turn Away

Market Herons

I have a history with herons. We often walk past the Albert Cuyp market in the evenings when it’s closing. A cacophony of clanging metal and clashing boards, workers shout in unknown languages, hurriedly disassembling the stalls. Squeaking and rumbling luggage handling carts turned market carts careen down the street, moving products and materials to their … Continue reading Market Herons

Sid the Great

When we first chose Sid, we knew that he had the potential to be a large cat.  All you had to do was to look at his feet. When we went to visit him at the breeder, a huge, black, lumbering Maine Coon made his way toward the sofa as I sat holding Sid.  His name was … Continue reading Sid the Great

Introducing Sid

Sid is our 17 pound black classic tabby Maine Coon. He’s polydactyl, with 50% more toes than a normal cat– 7 toes on each front foot and 5 on each back foot. I’ve been an animal lover my entire life.  I’ve owned dozens of cats of all kinds, either adopted from friends with too many kittens or from local … Continue reading Introducing Sid