Gracie Goes to Anthrocon

Gracie has always loved stuffed animals.  As a child she had dozens of them, including Beulah, a doll so big that she could wear Gracie’s clothes.   Gracie crowned her queen of all her stuffed animals in a ceremony one New Year’s Eve.   That night, Gracie’s sister was babysitting and she wouldn’t come into the living room where the animal conclave was assembled, because she was kissing her date in the kitchen.  His last name was Divine but Gracie didn’t think it was very applicable. Her sister liked him just because he was taller than she was, which was a rare treat for a 5’11’ high school girl.  Gracie remembers being told that she received her first stuffed animal at 18 months, and when she turned 16 she received a newer, larger model of the same stuffed dog. Its nose squeaked and it came with a beautiful red ribbon.  She would dress it in girl’s and boy’s outfits and you could tell by the wear and tear that it was absolutely her favorite toy.  She called her dog Morgan or Morgana depending on the outfit.  Apparently the dog was copied from the Jackie Cooper Show (1955-1958) and though that may be true, that dog was called Cleo not Morgan.  Gracie bought her Grandmother her first stuffed animal for her 90^th birthday, and Belly-Button Bear stayed on her bed until she crossed over to the other side.  Now Belly-Button lives with Morgan. 

The First  Encounter

Gracie meets up with a girlfriend, who tells her they are going to  visit an international convention of anthropomorphic animal enthusiasts – nicknamed the Furries – where they will mingle with hundreds and hundreds of people in furry animal suits .  Her girlfriend keeps an eye on Gracie, which gives Gracie enough confidence to totally relax and let go.  They say that when the student is ready the teacher appears and so the lesson on “Furry” etiquette begins with the rules of engagement:

“They don’t have a wide field of vision so don’t come up behind them or on their sides. Ask and they will pose with you! Give high fives.  Ask and they will let you hug them and sometimes even pet them.  These suits are expensive and not everyone wants to be petted.  Please don’t pull their tails as that is inappropriate, if not just down right rude.”

Gracie is a birder and naturally gravitates to those furries. Some of the suits have expensive details such as hand painted eyes and real feathers, which explains why they can cost thousands of dollars. Some suits look like illustrations of animals from fairy tale books of the early nineteenth century, that Gracie found and read in the attic of her childhood home. Everywhere she looks, Gracie sees unicorns, reptiles, mammals (mostly dogs), and birds, (owls and eagles). From Japan, there are kitsune some with as many as nine tails, who giggle with delight when they hear Gracie say  “konichiwa”. One thing is absolutely certain: they are all individuals with their own fursonas!  

You don’t have to suit up to come, as there are artists, animators, writers, costumers, and puppeteers.  They met a radio announcer from Texas who is affiliated with a Furry radio station.  He shares his expertise and recounts how he once had to make the hard choice between rent, car and food, or a Furry suit.  Hopefully, he will suit up someday soon.  Gracie spots an owl, who was on the other side of the street during the parade.   Later, she manages to get  her picture with Owl in the hotel lobby taking birding to a whole new level.  

The purpose of Anthrocon is to have fun and have fun they did.  Gracie and her friend were even on the nightly news and squealed out loud at their few seconds of fame.

Furries have handlers to help them get around and Gracie owes her smashing good time to her friend who took such good care of her.  It’s time to sign up for Anthrocon 2016 the theme of which is “The Roaring Twenties.”  Who knows, maybe Gracie will suit up!

The First Outdoor Parade

Gracie Leaves Missouri

Permission from Harry Truman
Library and Museum
Artist Greta Kemton

Leaving Missouri is not as easy as Gracie thought it would be.  There are so many decisions to make: what to see, what to leave for the next trip, where to spend the night... However, “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”¹  Ol’ Man River looms ahead and though Gracie  has crossed the Mississippi other times in her life, this time feels monumental.  She is alone and she  still has a long way to go. Gracie's navigational skills have greatly improved.  She makes a direct cut across the state to Kansas City, the  “Heart of America”,and, as with all matters of the heart, there is a wide expanse of interesting places to visit. Gracie decides to stop in Independence, birthplace of Harry Truman, 33rd President  of the United States.  He fascinates Gracie. He is the first president that Gracie remembers her parents talking about with passion.    Historians still debate the wisdom and morality of one of the most difficult decisions any president ever made – that of dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki which ended the war. History also acknowledges the post-war Berlin Airlift as one of his greatest  achievements.

The Airlift intrigues Gracie.   The timing of the flights,the coordination of the six air forces all

combined to supply Berlin with everything necessary to sustain life, including treats  for the children. That is an American trait, adding fun for children.  She learns from a friend that the planes used in Korea still had dust in them from the coal airlifted in to keep Berliners warm. Truman unflinchingly took responsibility for his actions and the plaque on his desk served as a constant reminder that the "buck" truly did stop with him.

Gracie’s family has a personal tie to this president as well.  “Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.”² and that saying may have motivated Gracie’s Grandfather to go Washington, D.C. in search of work during the Great Depression.  He became a doorman  at the Statler Hilton Hotel. One day, he was approached by an artist commissioned to do PresidentTruman’s portrait.  It seems that  Grandpap has similar bone structure to the President's and since  a president has more pressing matters to attend to than sitting for a portrait, they needed a model.  The news made Grandpap’s home town paper - picture of Grandpap in his doorman uniform too boot! Talk about fifteen minutes of fame.  The portrait remains in the White House to this day. Look up the stairway near the end of the tour and you will see Harry and Grandpap looking down.  Of course, when Gracie visits the White House, she winks and  waves when she leaves.  

Truman aside, Independence is also  the World Headquarters for the Community of Christ (Formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints).  There are many historical sites in Independence area important to the shared roots of the Church of Christ and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS Church),  which the Community of Christ has preserved and then passed to the LDS church for preservation. 

Gracie hooks up with her host couple in Kansas City.  They intend to visit some of the nearby historical sites but an accident on the highway prevents them, so they change plans and stop at a diner before heading to their home in Kansas.  The woman is quite chatty and talks a lot about her children and their many successes. Gracie is proud of her own children yet she isn’t willing to discuss them with someone she has just met. The woman talks about her happy marriage of decades and goes on and on.  Gracie doesn’t want someone else's blessings, yet she  begins to wonder if she isn’t a bit jealous.  Who wouldn’t want a faithful spouse or children who seem to just waltz down the highway of life?

Gracie is disappointed that she couldn’t see the sites and  surprises herself when she  asks if she can spend an extra night and go back to Kansas City the next day.  They agree and the woman offers to go with her as a tour guide.  Gracie is a bit apprehensive wondering if she will be able to deal with her feelings, or just plain turn green during their twelve hour day together. She decides that it’s a go and they make their plans.  They arrange their route with a stop off to go to church as it is Sunday, and then on to the sites.

Her companion is unbelievably well prepared with a small, yet informative book she plans to read while Gracie drive she also has first hand experience with the restoration.  "I have never let my schooling interfere with my education"3 comes to mind. 

Liberty Jail

First they go to Liberty Jail. The Prophet Joseph Smith surrendered himself with four others after General Samuel D. Lucas, informed the Far West settlement of Mormons that if he did not, the General's militia would slaughter every man, women, and child.  Since an extermination order against the  Mormons had been signed by Governor Boggs, Joseph's fears were well-founded. This is the first and only time such an order has ever been issued against a religious group in this country. The replication of the jail is authentic, cold, and uncomfortable for they had no bedding, horrible, sometimes even poisoned food, and few visitors."   Just thinking of spending over four months in such a hovel makes Gracie shiver.

Far West, another site of historical and future importance to Latter-day Saints became

became a ghost town after the above-mentioned events drove the Mormons out of the state.  However,  the site has cornerstones for a future Temple which the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hopes to build there someday. 

Time is running short and some sites will have to be omitted, such as Haun’s Mill, where several Latter Day Saints were killed by anti-Mormon forces.4  But enough of this.  Gracie longs for a peaceful ending to her stay in Missouri. 

Her guide promises it will be  found at Adam-ondi-Ahman,located north of Kansas City.  It’s located at the highest point above the Grand River.  Brigham Young dedicated it as a Temple site in 1838, but no cornerstones were laid, which isn't really that high.   On the surface, there is nothing there but cows, crops, public rest rooms and a few homes.  But in reality, there is much more.  “Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see,”5 and yes, the land seems to breath kindness into one’s soul.  Gracie listens intently as her companion explains how she and her family cleaned the grounds, moving rocks and debris over a period of years.

This turns out to be one of the most enjoyable days of the trip thus far. It's grand to watch two people who seemingly have little in common unfold the gift of a relationship. Gracie rejoices that their paths crossed and this interesting woman serves so well as tour guide. The hostess says  "you are a strange girl" and Gracie realizes that's a compliment. Each of them have trials, disappointments, unanswered prayers, observe or experience senseless tragedies and more of the afflictions that beset humanity in any time or place. No one gets out of here unscathed and we best take care of one another along the way.  Gracie is grateful for this woman.

1,2,3,5, (All quotes are from a person who made Hannibal Missouri, his birthplace, famous: Samuel Langhorne Clemens (ah, come on, you know him, Mark Twain).

4    For a more complete history of this period, search Liberty Jail and other site names.  

Gracie and the Sacred and the Profane

Gracie is whisked off to a country music concert.  She isn’t very knowledgeable, yet she embraces the opportunity and begins to get excited.  She enjoys most music and has a mental stereotype of wholesome, family oriented fun, banjos and fiddles when it comes to country music. Off they go and soon the excitement of being in a crowd takes hold. The tension builds and the concert starts and it is really loud.  Hey look, there is a baby in the crowd. Sure hope she has ear plugs. It seems like a combination of rock and country.  The pyrotechnics are dancing everywhere on stage. It is amazing nothing gets burned down.  There are also large TV screens on each side of the stage bringing close ups, hey, wait a minute, there sure are a lot of scantily clad women on those screens. What happened to wholesome? Gracie wonders if it is her age or her disposition. Whatever it is, there is enough rock to get her moving and she enjoys her first county music concert. 

Her days in Saint Louis continue with a trip to the Saint Louis Zoological Park.  This is the home zoo for Marlin Perkins, who rose from being the reptile curator in 1928, all the way up to Director.  He remained Director Emeritus until his death in 1986.  Marlin Perkins was more lovable than her first animal hero, Frank Buck, collector and hunter, who populated American Zoos with exotic animals and wrote the book, “Bring ‘Em Back Alive.” She preferred Marlin because he handled the animals like friends and explained their behaviors and she could watch him on TV in Wild Kingdom. Of course,  there is another animal picture for the senility spreadsheet. 

They drive back to the house and Gracie delights in hearing the hostess refer to their home as a “miracle house” a phrase Gracie often used to describe her home. They needed another place to live, had financially difficult circumstances and beyond their wildest dreams, everything fell together for them to buy the house.  Gracie remembers and it went like this:  the divorce wasn’t going well, in fact, it was vicious on many levels. However Gracie’s mother helped her, and when her siblings found out they protested right on the front porch of their childhood home. Her mother said: “Gracie needs the money, and it’s my money not yours and I will spend it how I please; Gracie is going to keep her house for her and her children.” What Gracie didn’t know was that the ex-husband’s name would remain on the mortgage and she was advised to get that changed. How does a single parent, professional babysitter swing a mortgage?  Deep down inside she always knew losing the house was not an option. She just didn’t know what steps she should take to keep it.  She sought advice from a friend who knew what to do. The tall white-haired man with a gentle voice, laughing eyes and smile to match explained the process. Gracie complained that the mortgage companies wanted all kinds of information including letters from her clients stating what they paid her, how often, etc.  He reminded her that, “he who has the money, makes the rules.”  Gracie put her shoulder to the wheel and gathered the paperwork.  It wasn’t looking good and so her friend offered to co-sign her mortgage if she couldn’t get it on her own.  This felt like a blow to her pride, but she and the kids needed a place to live and remaining in the house would be to the children’s advantage.  He gently told her:  “I want you to go into the bathroom and look yourself in the mirror, smile and say, “God loves me, and my co-signer, if needed, loves me. With God and good friends, it will work out.” Gracie repeated this to herself for several days and then came the miracle: notification that because of all the glowing letters from her clients, the mortgage was hers and there was no need for a co-signer. She squealed with delight and called her friend.  To this day, she doesn’t know if her friend did something behind the scenes.  Whether he did or not, he never let on and the mortgage was hers;  let the payments begin!  It all worked out, just like he said and Gracie refinanced over the years with the new knowledge taught to her by a glorious, generous friend whom she treasures now and for always.  

It is time to get back on the road.  After all, miracles can happen anywhere.  Gracie packs her car.  She feels like a squirrel going to and fro, putting everything in its place.  If she forgets something, there is no driving back for it. She is ready to depart when she sees a dead humming bird lying beside her car.  Gracie respects the American Indian Tradition that animals can bring messages. She picks the little bird up and says a prayer over its tiny body, then respectfully asks for a few feathers before burying it in the side garden.  “Because of their magical qualities, [hummingbird] feathers have been used to make charms for a millennium.”  According to Indian Tradition, Hummingbird feathers open the heart and enable one to “taste the nectar and pure bliss of life.”  One should “never be coarse in front of Hummingbird, for this is a fragile medicine may have no understanding of worldly affairs.  Beauty is the target, and Humming bird’s mission is to spread joy or be destroyed.”  Hummingbirds fill one with “paroxysms of joy, and a renewal of the magic of living.” What a lovely omen for Gracie’s future journey.*

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*All quotes on hummingbird are taken from Medicine Cards, The Discovery of Power Through The Ways Of Animals by Jamie Sams and David Carson, Bear & Company, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 1951. 

Copyright © 2015 Martina Sabo

Gracie Goes to Missouri (Part 1)

The first surprise of this leg of her trip is getting off track.  Gracie checks her route, but gets confused over some route numbers during a detour because of road repair work  Dyslexia can be overcome, one mile at a time.  It takes her a while to figure out that she’s changed direction and she thanks Heaven for the uncomfortable feelings that eventually get her back on the right road.  Gracie will be staying with a friend’s parents and she calls them to explain that she’ll be late.  She gets there eventually.  Her hosts have a prior engagement so they graciously give her the code to the garage and told her to go in and make herself at home. Dinner is on the stove waiting for her and she enjoys the healthy fare, does the dishes and then just unwinds.  Kindness soothes the soul.

What will St. Louis offer Gracie?  Two hundred-plus years ago this city was the gateway to the West; the largest metropolis on the frontier where people came to buy, sell, barter, and trade for needed supplies.  If those sturdy settlers could undertake the journey west by land or by the great Mississippi River, Gracie is sure she can accomplish her trip by car.

Gracie and her friend’s mother decide that in the morning they will  head to the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial.  This graceful monument arcs into the sky with obvious strength and beauty.  Gracie is amazed by the precision required to start building on either side and meet in the middle. In October 1965,”The Gateway Arch stood one section from completion; two colossal tusks aching to touch 630 feet in the sky.  The gap between them was an arm’s length, two and one-half feet. The section that had to fit into it was eight feet long.”* The arch stands not only as a monument  in memory of westward expansion and Thomas Jefferson, but also as a testament to the remarkable engineering skills of those who made Eero Saarinen’s contest-winning idea come to life.

Founded in 2013, in Missouri, of course!

Arch Larger Than People

But there is more!  Gracie has the opportunity to meet some members of the Continental Croquet Federation** and discovers that they regard the Gateway Arch as the largest croquet wicket in the world. While Gracie knows how to play croquet, she had no notion that it had so many enthusiastic players traversing all over the country. 

CroquetO'Clock

Croqueteers with Max Croquet

Their buoyant personalities reach the height and width of the Arch regardless of where they are playing. Gracie quickly discovers that this isn’t the game she played in her Grandma’s yard with slopes and bumps. No, No!  These folks take serious pleasure in croquet, and they intend to spread their love of the game from coast to coast.  Highlights of the croquet season include: the “Golden Mallet” which is given to the year’s Most Valuable Player, awarded to Hannah "Moore Power" Moore in 2013 and Seralyn "MegaForce" Morgan in 2014. These women excelled in competition and embody the spirit of croquet. Who will earn the Golden Mallet for 2015? Croquet is not just for back yards, people over 90, or any of the other old clichés.

Occupied!

While Gracie is visiting, the second annual Croquet O’Clock takes place — an event “where Croqueters around the Federation play croquet at 3a.m. to signify that any time is time for croquet.”  OccupyCroquet is a movement to play croquet on all fifty State Capital lawns. Some states already honored include Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Illinois, and Montana.  Like any sport, with avid fans, T-shirts are available so people can wear their pride.  Of course there is a mascot as well named Max Croquet, to remind everyone to put their maximum into their performance on the green, or brown, or white playing field as SnowCroquet is taking root in the northern United States.

Even Zombies play.

Anyone can play and it just might be time for you to leave the couch behind, organize a group and join the Continental Croquet Federation.  FUN, fun, and more Fun.  Bring your competitive spirit,joyful personalities, dust off those croquet sets and get with the program.

Gracie is interested in starting a chapter when she gets off the road. 

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[1] Copyright 2010. Jefferson National Parks Association, St. Louis, Missouri, 63102

[2] http://us7.campaign-archive1.com/?u=6db66f132d76078420bd5c463&id=fb336ad742&e=fcf60cd4c4 and https://www.facebook.com/OccupyCroquet

Copyright © 2015 Martina Sabo

Gracie and Me

Off we go into the car, I have no idea what kind of adventure awaits me yet Mom packed up my food, treats, leash, and outdoor balls.  We were in the car for quite some time.  We ended up at Gracie’s house. I’ve been there before and received lots of attention yet part of me feels like this was bit underhanded, after all she forgot to pack my platypus toy for indoor play.  Does that qualify as neglect?

Upon arrival, they begin to busily gab mostly about me: feeding schedule, walks, potty breaks and so forth.  It never ceases to amaze me that they just talk about me while I am present as if I don’t understand. Unable to get their attention, I make a mess on the hallway carpet runner. Gracie picks up the odor first and they fly into action….Mom – mortified Mom – is cleaning up the mess; Gracie is taking the carpet to the washer before I could shake my tail twice.  Granted, this accident has guaranteed me at least two walks a day. Surely you don’t think I did this deliberately, do you?

When Mom leaves, I go to the door and mournfully whimper as the car drives away without me. Then, the sound of food into my bowl distracts me and I adjust to my new circumstances.

I continue my doggie duties just as if I was at home:  run to the kitchen when the refrigerator door is opened, oversee food preparation as one never knows when a morsel will drop to the floor; unflinchingly staring while Gracie eats hoping that remorse will overcome her and I will get some of whatever she is eating.  It matters not if I like it or not, it’s the principle!

Gracie smiles as she ponders the possibilities of the dog vacuum.  She makes a mental note:  postpone housecleaning until the dog heads home next week.

We go for a walk and at the end of the sidewalk is another dog looking in horror that I came out of Gracie’s house.  She says, “That’s my Aunt Gracie’s house, what are you doing in there?” I enjoy the reaction and explain that "I will be there for quite a few days."  "Who said dogs can’t be catty?" We engage in the “you sniff me, I sniff you” routine and then Gracie and me go for a walk. 

My metronome tail will set the pace. She gets a big kick out of the automatically retractable lead and I sniff joyfully at all the many different scents in this somewhat new environment. There are puddles which I splash in and enjoy a quick drink.  There are bushes, grass, and best of all there is entertainment: other dogs to meet and greet, bikers, walkers and joggers in their colorful costumes.  When we get home I get a treat.  Gracie expresses in great dismay “This is a treat? They are hardly bigger than an M&M.  You will have to get at least two.”

The day goes on and Gracie heads out explaining she would return shortly as if I couldn’t put the clues together.  I bark happily at the sound of the key in the door and give an enthusiastic display of affection upon her return. There’s no doubt I’ve got her wrapped around my paw now.

 

It’s evening and yes, I am getting that second walk and therefore, second batch of treats.  Soon it is time for bed. I am incapable of getting up on the bed so Gracie shows me how to get up on the chair, then onto the bed.  That bed is so high I hope I don’t get a nose bleed. 

I like Gracie's Unicorn

In the morning, Gracie claims that I dream and snore in my sleep.  I could say the same of her. It is a new day and I feel confident that all is well for me at Gracie’s house.      

Yours truly, the happy dog,  Millie

It is with heartfelt sadness that Gracie reports that Millie died on July 29, 2015.  The Vet said it was a heart attack.   Gracie is comforted by a Prophet who stated that when an animal crosses over "it is returned to the state of their felicity." 

Copyright © 2015 Martina Sabo

Gracie Enjoys More of Illniois

This is a state of sights to see as well as a state of a joyful reunion.

The message on every Illinois license plate reminds Gracie that she is in the Land of Lincoln. They are rightfully proud of the largely self-educated 16th President of the United States who led the country through its bloodiest war, reunited the union, and orchestrated the abolition of slavery.  Small surprise that many historians consider him one of the greatest presidents this county has ever seen.

Mural by R. G. Larsen with permission by the Dickson Indian Mound Museum.
Illinois about 16,000 years ago during the last major glaciation period.

Gracie decides to revisit The Dickson Mound State Park - as it is a truly remarkable museum.  She enters and begins an extraordinary journey into the past of a unique, ancient, ice age people which inhabited the Illinois River valley. Gracie is a proponent of glaciation and finds their survival fascinating.  She begins by taking an elevator to the roof to look out over the beautiful landscape. She then descends through the exhibits of  pottery, cooking, and agriculture; continuing until she reaches the area set aside for spirituality. “Reflections on Three Worlds reveals the world of Mississippian people whose 800-year-old sites surround the museum today.”* This award winning exhibition depicts the complex life and culture of these people. The entire museum is informative and uplifting, and is laid out in a way that contributes immensely to the experience.  Gracie thinks this museum is a crown jewel for Illinois’ state museums, well worth more than one visit in a lifetime.

Gracie's trip to Illinois also gives her an opportunity to visit some friends who moved from Gracie’s town.  They are the first of quite a few friends who now live along Gracie’s route and have kindly offered food and lodging as she winds her way across the country.

It is such fun to enjoy their beautiful home and spend time in their happy family circle.  One of the children just blossomed with the move.  She was so shy when Gracie first met her, she would barely speak to Gracie. Now she talks incessantly and invites Gracie into her room to meet her dolls and stuffed animals.  What a turnaround! The other children are also thriving.  Gracie appreciates the noisy taco dinner with all the chaos a family provides. Chaos is always more enjoyable when someone else is in charge.

The next day, Gracie heads to a mechanic to resolve an issue with her car.  She is concerned going over many of  the 2,200+ reasons an engine light can go on.  She is happy to discover that the light only appeared because the gas cap wasn’t securely tightened.  She knew about this car quirk, but had forgotten that soothing bit of information. “Look on the bright side,” Gracie lectures herself, for she is also aware that negative thinking is a destructive habit of hers.  It's paradoxical that we forget what we know, but knowledge is what makes forgetting possible. 

A gift from a fine young man from his visit to Nauvoo

Encouraged by one of her hosts' children, Gracie decides to visit Nauvoo, an historic site which has great significance for Latter-Day Saints. The years between 1837 through 1846 were tumultuous for the Saints who exited Ohio moving westward into Illinois because of persecution. In 1840, the Saints bought the small community of Commerce, IL, and renamed it Nauvoo meaning “beautiful city.” The town's population grew to 12,000 in a less than five years - rivaling Chicago in size. With their own militia the surrounding areas begin to fear that a voting block may come from the expanding group.  This makes Gracie chuckle as she know quite a few Mormons and they run the gamut of conservative to liberal on any given subject. Unfortunately, the Saints were forced to abandon Nauvoo following the murder of their first prophet, Joseph Smith. Today, Nauvoo's predominately Roman Catholic population stands at 1,100.

After her visit to Nauvoo, Gracie must move on, so she says good-bye to her friends and to Illinois.

*Dickson Indian Mounds web site

Copyright © 2015 Martina Sabo