Hi, all.
 
This is Sandee.  Saraferret and I have tried very hard to make sure that
everyone has been greeted who crossed the Bridge while my Hoomin was
away.  If you are still awaiting a message, please e-mail me and let me
know!  I just want to remind everybody that I'm doing Greetings every
monday now, tuesday if monday just doesn't work with my schedule.
 
Thank you!
**********************************************************
 
I met a little guy crossing the Bridge the other day.  Well, he wasn't
so little.  His um...backside was pretty substantial.  The way that the
state of Ohio is pretty substantial in acerage.  He and it waddled very
happily across the Bridge.  I think that he was trying to skip, but he
was too heavy to lift off!
 
His name was Whitey Powder Possum, but he said to just call him Possum.
We actually do have quite a few Whiteys here, so it is convenient not to
have another!  His Business of Houdini and Calvin, who has only been here
for a few days more than Possum were very happy to see him.  He was happy
to see *anything*!  He can see once again, and waddle in complete
comfort.
 
Well, some Kits saw Possum with his Business at the Bridge.  They stood
behind some foliage and spied on him, giggling at the size of his...Ohio.
We all saw and heard them, of course.  Kits never seem to realize how
obvious they are.  They think that anyone over one is ancient!
 
Possum smiled, snuck at look at the Kits, and settled down in the grass.
I was kind of curious what he was up to, so along with Houdini and
Calvin, I sat down in the grass, too.  It was warm in the sun, so we all
made ourselves long, to shed heat.  Curled up is for cold days.  (You
need to know these things when you wear fur.)
 
Possum started to tell the story of how he lost his first Hoomins, and
how he ran wild and lost in the streets of a big city for a few days,
tired and hungry and scared.  The Kits started edging closer from behind
the clumps of grass that they were hiding behind so that they could hear
better.
 
Yes, he was tired and hungry and scared, and he got *fleas and ticks* in
his fur.  We could hear the Kits say things like 'Eew, gross!" and "Yuk!"
They started to come in a little closer, and a little closer as Possum
told his story, about escapes from cats and dogs and cars and scary
strange Hoomins.  By now the Kits were sitting in a wide circle around
us, there must have been ten of them.
 
Finally, Possum said that it got dark, and then it began to rain.  Then,
it began to thunder.  BOOM, CRACK!  The kits froze just thinking about
that!  Then, Possum said he was trying to cross a wide street where the
Hoomins ride in their dangerous cars...when all of a sudden...(his voice
dropped to a whisper here, then yelled out)...A HUGE HOOMIN HAND GRABBED
ME AROUND THE MIDDLE AND PICKED ME UP!
 
Well, the Kits shrieked and fell over into the grass, one or two could
even be heard to have their fangs chatter in fear.  Little tails were
puffed up.  Someone let out a little poof!
 
Well, Possum and Houdini and Calvin and I laughed until we fell over onto
our sides.  A little chocolate Kit said "Hey, that's not funny, scaring
folks like that!" That just made us laugh more.
 
The rest of the story had it's twists and turns.  How the Big Hoomin had
captured him, and caged him in a hot, dark cellar, how his forever Mommy
found him there and took him home to Houdini and Calvin and all the love
you could possibly imagine.  By now a few of the little Kits were
sniffing, thinking about their forever Mommies, Hoomin or Weasel, and
what it means to wait to see them again.
 
We called the littlest Kits over and began to groom them until they were
calm again, and we spoke to them quietly.  You know how hard it is to
wait, especially when you are small.  But I promised them that some
day...some day they will see all of their loved ones again, and it will
be a wonderful time.  And the very littlest Kit fell asleep, his head
cradled on Possum's big soft white belly.
 
I met a little girl coming across the Bridge, her name was Tally, and
her Mate Echo was waiting for her, along with their Business of Toby
and Lucy.
 
Well, Tally and Echo did not run to one another like lovers do in
those corny Hoomin movies.  They walked up to one another and sniffed
carefully, drinking in one another's scent, remembering.  Finally, Tally
just lay her head over Echo's neck, and they lay down side by side that
way, being quiet.  We gave them lots of space, we retreated to the lilac
bush that never knows whether it's going to blossom in purple or white.
I've given up trying to guess why!
 
Toby and Lucy told me about the fabulous home that Echo has found for
Tally and himself.  It is an imitation leather bowling ball bag, and
inside it is lined with warm, snuggly black and orange imitation tiger
fur!  It sounds wonderful, just the right size for two.  If it rains,
or gets overcast, it can just be zipped up!  I can't wait to see it!
 
Well...I guess I'll have to, because it doesn't look like Echo and Tally
are anything like ready to strap on their wings and go anywhere!  Where
did they learn that love from?  From their Mommy Sharon, who misses them
very much!
 
I met another little girl coming across the Bridge.  Her name is
Grandmother Sweet Fern.  She lived a long, long life.  You'd never know
it now to look at her.  Her back feet are now straight and strong, and
her eyesight is sharp and swift moving once again.
 
And oh, the size of her Business!  She was greeted by Scotty, Mis Scel,
Tinkerbelle, Powder, Sinbad, Nips, Stinky, Baby, and Noodles.  What a
greeting that was!  It was pretty noisy until we heard a loud "SSSHHH!"
 
It was Possum.  He has been hanging out beneath the lilac bush with the k
Kits for the last few days.  Only now there aren't ten of them, there are
maybe *thirty* of them curled around him.  Possum has a job now, he is
one of the special ambassadors from the Big Boss who makes sure that the
Kits get extra love and attention.  Some of them cross the Bridge at such
a young age that they don't really know what has happened.  We have a
number of these ambassadors.  It's a hard job, but Possum is perfect for
it!
 
We looked over at him, and the littlest kit you can imagine was sucking
on his ear!  He whispered "Don't wake them.  Come and see!" We all
tiptoed over, all eleven of us and found a few Kits to snuggle up with
and groom, or just to curl around in a hug.  It was maybe the quietest
Greeting I've ever done, but it was beautiful, beautiful.  Sweet Fern
was very, very moved and felt blessed to be a part of such a thing.  I
think that maybe...just maybe...she's going to ask Possum if he wants
an assistant!
 
Sandee
[Posted in FML issue 4480]