Lessons in the Key of Life
Viewing comments for Chapter 5 "Pets"A music and dance teacher's improvization
23 total reviews
Comment from Sandra Stoner-Mitchell
I have every sympathy with you, they are such noisy creatures. We stayed with friends who kindly left theirs in the bedroom they had given us for the weekend. The first morning on waking, my husband found the bottom of his trousers had been chewed up. He had got out of his cage. Nightmare! Another brilliant chapter. :))Sandra xx
reply by the author on 03-May-2019
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I have every sympathy with you, they are such noisy creatures. We stayed with friends who kindly left theirs in the bedroom they had given us for the weekend. The first morning on waking, my husband found the bottom of his trousers had been chewed up. He had got out of his cage. Nightmare! Another brilliant chapter. :))Sandra xx
Comment Written 03-May-2019
reply by the author on 03-May-2019
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OH! MY! GAWD!! You have GOT to be kidding!! That would be my absolute worst nightmare ever!! (Are you all still friends???!!!)
Anyway, thank you for this fun/horrific, very validating review, Sandra. xo
Comment from Heather Knight
Well, at least Tiki wasn't free. I guess it could have been much worse.
But I have to confess I don't like rodents at all, so I understand you.
Thanks so much for sharing.
reply by the author on 01-May-2019
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Well, at least Tiki wasn't free. I guess it could have been much worse.
But I have to confess I don't like rodents at all, so I understand you.
Thanks so much for sharing.
Comment Written 01-May-2019
reply by the author on 01-May-2019
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Thank you, Maria, for this validating review!! (And you're right, if she'd been a free-range rodent (like the parrot I'm featuring next week), I'd never have been able to teach there!
Thanks for the nice review. xo
Comment from susand3022
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! Well, You could have asked if Tiki's little round ball could have been moved to the kitchen! HAHAHAHAHA!!! I take it you aren't a fan of little creatures that like to run around the house in little balls? I expect you also arent a lover of Ferrets and their promiscuities... lol (not to mention the way the house will start to smell like the creatures no matter what you do.) ;)
reply by the author on 30-Apr-2019
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HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! Well, You could have asked if Tiki's little round ball could have been moved to the kitchen! HAHAHAHAHA!!! I take it you aren't a fan of little creatures that like to run around the house in little balls? I expect you also arent a lover of Ferrets and their promiscuities... lol (not to mention the way the house will start to smell like the creatures no matter what you do.) ;)
Comment Written 30-Apr-2019
reply by the author on 30-Apr-2019
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You guessed it: no to rodents and ferrets...and birds like the one that's coming your way next week who had full liberty in the house!!
Thanks for the review. xo
Comment from Y. M. Roger
OH, you had me rolling almost with this one, Rachelle -- just hilarious!! :) ;) All of my boys had 'rodents' at one time or another, but never gerbils... they just looked too much like the 'real deal rat' for me to handle! :) ;) But those balls? Oh, yeah, I've got stories... LOL! ;) ;) Yvette :)
reply by the author on 29-Apr-2019
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OH, you had me rolling almost with this one, Rachelle -- just hilarious!! :) ;) All of my boys had 'rodents' at one time or another, but never gerbils... they just looked too much like the 'real deal rat' for me to handle! :) ;) But those balls? Oh, yeah, I've got stories... LOL! ;) ;) Yvette :)
Comment Written 29-Apr-2019
reply by the author on 29-Apr-2019
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I want to hear those stories, Yvette!
You know what my biggest problem is with rodents? Their skinny fingers with the nails. They look like they could play piano, and it so disturbing to me. Plus their squeaks unnerve my Musician's Ears in the biggest way.
Thank for this way-fun review. xo
Comment from Louise Michelle
This was delightful. I have a special place in my heart for rodents, especially guinea pigs.
Even so, I had to smile at your not-so-friendly attitude toward the gerbil. Another enjoyable read, Rachelle. Hugs, Lou
reply by the author on 29-Apr-2019
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This was delightful. I have a special place in my heart for rodents, especially guinea pigs.
Even so, I had to smile at your not-so-friendly attitude toward the gerbil. Another enjoyable read, Rachelle. Hugs, Lou
Comment Written 29-Apr-2019
reply by the author on 29-Apr-2019
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My issues with rodents are these: Their long, skinny fingers with the nails look like they should play piano. UGH!! Plus those high squeaky sounds they make just send my Musician's Ears into orbit!
But at least we're still friends despite our differing feelings about this family pet!! (I was relieved...because this is now my SECOND faux pas against you in less than a week!! You are a generous, gracious friend, indeed.)
Thanks for the fun review. xo
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LOL - this was certainly not a faux pas! By the way, I love those squeaky rodent voices. You may have a point with the claws, though, haha.
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You probably don't like cats, right?
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Actually, I've always been a cat person. However, I hate how they treat the poor rodents. In fact, I've been known to reprimand KayKay (my puss) for hurting lizards that make their way inside the house. I go through great lengths to rescue them.
I think you need to know something about me. I am sensitive to the pain and suffering of all living creatures. I even feel guilty about killing cockroaches (here in the Houston area huge ones flourish), but that doesn't stop me from executing the ones who have the audacity to think I'd allow them to live in my house, haha.
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You are far kinder than I will EVER be, Lou. I think that's why I was drawn to you with your original poem I bookcased!! xo
Comment from Michele Harber
This is very cute, and I love your metaphors and similies ("With the concentration of a chess master," "like a convict at mail call," "magma-like bile"), which add nice pictures to your narrative. If you want (and you don't have to; I'm just suggesting this because I know what a good sense of humor you have), you could add a couple of humorous lines about why the gerbil's musical interference bothered you, i.e., the gerbil was tone deaf; her beating on the cage bars was totally out of rhythm with "Ode to Joy;" her squealing the theme song to "Ben" was distracting from "Ode to Joy." Also, I hope I didn't scare you out of combining more than one anecdote in a chapter. My problem last time was that the stories were disparate. A story about interference by another pet might well have fit perfectly with this one. Of course it might have made the chapter too long, or you might have had other reasons for not combining them. I just want to be sure you made them separate chapters because it's what you felt worked better, and not because I scared you off combining stories by of a comment I made on a previous post.
reply by the author on 29-Apr-2019
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This is very cute, and I love your metaphors and similies ("With the concentration of a chess master," "like a convict at mail call," "magma-like bile"), which add nice pictures to your narrative. If you want (and you don't have to; I'm just suggesting this because I know what a good sense of humor you have), you could add a couple of humorous lines about why the gerbil's musical interference bothered you, i.e., the gerbil was tone deaf; her beating on the cage bars was totally out of rhythm with "Ode to Joy;" her squealing the theme song to "Ben" was distracting from "Ode to Joy." Also, I hope I didn't scare you out of combining more than one anecdote in a chapter. My problem last time was that the stories were disparate. A story about interference by another pet might well have fit perfectly with this one. Of course it might have made the chapter too long, or you might have had other reasons for not combining them. I just want to be sure you made them separate chapters because it's what you felt worked better, and not because I scared you off combining stories by of a comment I made on a previous post.
Comment Written 29-Apr-2019
reply by the author on 29-Apr-2019
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I wouldn't say you "scared" me out of combining them. But I did hear your voice ask if combining them was a good idea, and I decided it wasn't. Each animal gets its own week to shine! hahaha.
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Perfect. I just didn't want you to think that what I said about one applied to all - but I do appreciate that you listen to my comments and take them seriously. (No, that was never in doubt; I just wanted you to know that I appreciate it.)
Comment from JudyE
Would you believe we don't have gerbils in Australia? They're regarded as exotic rodents and as such could be a threat to our native wildlife. This is really entertaining and I'm hanging out to read more.
reply by the author on 29-Apr-2019
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Would you believe we don't have gerbils in Australia? They're regarded as exotic rodents and as such could be a threat to our native wildlife. This is really entertaining and I'm hanging out to read more.
Comment Written 29-Apr-2019
reply by the author on 29-Apr-2019
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'Exotic' is too kind an adjective for them.
And now I know where I'm moving to should I ever decide to retire!!
Thanks, Judy
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Don't forget we have crocodiles and snakes - but no crocs where we live, and very few snakes. :)
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Okay, never mind. I'll stay here in humble Upstate NY and just stay away from pet stores.
Comment from karenina
Perhaps that little rodent-thingie was a musical prodigy who will forever be undiscovered because you dared speak up and voice your discontent at the (insane) placement of her (or him)! That squealing may have been her vocal warm up--as aria might have ushered forth! (In some warped fairy tale, somewhere on the planet Hijinx!)--You got me chuckling!--Karenina
reply by the author on 28-Apr-2019
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Perhaps that little rodent-thingie was a musical prodigy who will forever be undiscovered because you dared speak up and voice your discontent at the (insane) placement of her (or him)! That squealing may have been her vocal warm up--as aria might have ushered forth! (In some warped fairy tale, somewhere on the planet Hijinx!)--You got me chuckling!--Karenina
Comment Written 28-Apr-2019
reply by the author on 28-Apr-2019
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Gosh, Karenina - I feel awful now. I have stunted the musical growth of a creature who was possibly Beverly Sills of the rodent world. I am disgusted with myself. : (
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Oh you're just joshin' me...who wants to see a rodent on stage anyway? Hah!
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Don't go to Walt Disney World and say that, Missy!!
Comment from Ulla
Hi Rachelle, this little story actually made me laugh.I can now see what discomfort you must have been it. Poor you. Yes, I can imagine that fifteen minutes can be a very long time. All the best. Ulla:)))
reply by the author on 28-Apr-2019
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Hi Rachelle, this little story actually made me laugh.I can now see what discomfort you must have been it. Poor you. Yes, I can imagine that fifteen minutes can be a very long time. All the best. Ulla:)))
Comment Written 28-Apr-2019
reply by the author on 28-Apr-2019
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You know how Dog Years are seven to our one? Rodent minutes for me are like million gabillion for our one. OY!!
Thanks for the great review. xo
Comment from Mastery
Hi, Rach. I have missed you. are you slacking off of posts or is it my imagination? I love this simile in your chapter: ". . . . . rungs of the cage like a convict at mail call." LOL Clever.
I loved the entire story and can only imagine your discomfort with that little beast crawling every which way around your lesson. So well written, I could see it.
Bless you, Rach. :) Bob
reply by the author on 28-Apr-2019
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Hi, Rach. I have missed you. are you slacking off of posts or is it my imagination? I love this simile in your chapter: ". . . . . rungs of the cage like a convict at mail call." LOL Clever.
I loved the entire story and can only imagine your discomfort with that little beast crawling every which way around your lesson. So well written, I could see it.
Bless you, Rach. :) Bob
Comment Written 28-Apr-2019
reply by the author on 28-Apr-2019
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What?! ME? Slacking??!! Never!! I've been entering a lot of contests lately, plus I have done my weekly Lessons in the Key of Life and Fly on the Wall journal. So not to worry! I'm as full-speed-ahead as ever. (even with Recital Day breathing down my neck.)
Thanks for the terrific review. You always make me feel so good about my work, Bob. xo
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It just seemed like it has been a while. Sorry, I didn't mean to insult you in any way, Rach. :) X Bob
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It just seemed like it has been a while. Sorry, I didn't mean to insult you in any way, Rach. :) X Bob
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No way could you ever insult me, my friend; that is simply not in your nature. I was smiling with every word I wrote in my last response. Absolutely NO offense taken. xo
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XX Bob
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xo
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X0 Right back at U
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X0 Right back at U