Crimson's Musings

via Allcreatures:

An animal rescue centre is struggling to rehome this cat, because it looks like evil Lord Voldemort from the Harry Potter films. Workers at The Blue Cross in Southampton say visitors have been scared off by the white cat’s resemblance to Ralph Fiennes’ character in the movies. The abandoned cat, named Charlie, had to have its ears and nose removed after suffering from skin cancer. Vets say Charlie’s pale skin left him at risk of developing the potentially fatal disease. They are now desperately trying to rehome him and say a family of Harry Potter fans could offer their best hope. Charlie was living as a stray before a woman adopted him, fed him and took him to the vets for surgery.

Adoption information can be found here for those in the Southampton area: http://www.bluecross.org.uk/2574-83377/Charlie.html

…we’d give Charlie a home with us.

Growing up my parents and grandparents always voiced the importance of peering past outward appearances to the heart within, that everything I needed to know about the living was housed in the heart/soul of others. Nature would eventually shine through ones demeanor and Wonderful can just as easily come in not so pretty packages as Vile could come in beautiful.

To be fair, I’ve been both: Wonderful and Vile, though very few would ever pick the latter unless you were on the receiving end of it.

I’m sure Charlie doesn’t speak parseltongue. In fact, I’d wager Charlie would be more apt to bring you gifts of serpents to show you what a great provider and super keen hunter he could be. This of course providing you keep this white ball of cute from getting too much sun as it was the rays that took both his ears and nose.

In a time where cancer and war takes hair, limbs and other bits from those we know and cherish one would hope we’d move past: OMG it looks like Voldermort from Harry Potter! Boo. Hiss. Run.

Regardless if you loved the books or not it’s fiction, Charlie’s not. Charlie’s real and he needs a home.

A friend once shared that sighted people could be a stupid lot, making swift judgments on appearance alone. This was at a time where I’d become self-conscious of the scars that chicken pox had left behind when I was 10  and I was feeling socially awkward in high school, which I traded for college as soon I could make it possible. This he said, as he felt my face and shook his head that he felt beauty and if sighted people didn’t see it too, then he wasn’t the one who was blind.

Ears and a nose doesn’t a cat make. Like people, they come in all shapes and sizes and sometimes with/without (and even with spare) parts. While I’ve loved the character that funny noses and ears have provided some of my most beloved pets past and present…it wasn’t their bits I adored, but their personalities that have earned those past immortality through stories or those present their own blog and a collection of photos and tales to go with. Those stories ones that have often been the cause of passing grades classes or their photos earning features on photography and art sites.

Charlie is a cat. More importantly he’s a cat who’s survived cancer and one who before lived a life on the streets. So he bears a striking resemblance to He Who Can’t Not Be Named…in most of our family units we bear a resemblance to some family member I’m sure we don’t always want named…but our families and friends still love us anyway. Just like Charlie who I know would make an awesome family addition to anyone fortunate to open their hearts and home. 

- Angel (with an) a

When I’m away from the keyboard I doodle and sketch. Lately, Izzy keeps turning up in my sketches and doodles. She’s an inspiring cat, yes.

- Angel (with an) a

It’s been a very long time since I actively tried sketching anything on purpose. When I used to draw with pens I tended to favor Zebra F-301 pens. I found a few I had lying around from bygone art days, though I had to get some replacement ink cartridges. 

While sitting in Shari’s the other night ruminating over to get a slice of pie or not to get a slice of pie (pie was nixed in favor of a chocolate milkshake) I decided to test out the pen. Needless to say, pie drawing was not so pie-licious.

The ink in the new refills was different too. I’m not sure I like it. It’s heavy black and seemed very wet. I tend to be a messy sketcher…and if the ink is too wet, it not only ends up all over me, but I tend to smear it around the page as well. Sad that my once favorite pen seems to not be so much a favorite anymore. I still love to write with them, but not so sure I’ll be sketching with it. 

After having sketching pie fail, Izzy ended up in my sketchbook too. She’s rather easy to draw as she is a lump of black with eyes. However, it appears that she’s also an art critic too. Figures. ;)