This is a dramatized version of a kinda sorta true story (mostly true). A little sensationalized for entertainment purposes 😉 It is a tail of what happened in the Enchanted Rainy Cypress Grove, while the girl spent a very busy week, mostly away from the studio.
As the book tells, the furry problems started years ago…
To bring you up to date… An office addition was being built for the girl of this strange place. The building was taking a wee bit longer than planned, and so, through an open bit of drywall, where plumbing was being done, furry creatures emerged. Once a giant frog even visited (which was totally bizarre). Creatures did not bother often. But, when any sign of them was seen by the girl, in a word, she FrEaKeD.
The Mister had told her, that there was NOOOOO way that critters could be getting to her from said opening. She begged to differ… Sure he set a few traps (to appease her). But he never got to see them or hear them, like she did… All he could hear was her whining 😉 (I won’t go into what happened the day one did emerge for him to see, and the only one FrEaKiNg out, was him. Don’t tell him I told you that)
So, she put on her hard hat, and took things into her own hands. She worked very diligently, with 5 rolls of tape and board and nails and glue, to make sure the furry friends could no longer enter her studio. She couldn’t wait for the plumbing to be finished in her new office, so that the lingering unfinished wall, could be drywalled shut, forever…
Soooo, as they say… Much time passed, and the girl started to notice some disturbing signs… Evidence that her enemies were back (maybe it was just one enemy). But she did not panic. Yet… She believed her territory was still secure…
Fast forward to the week of July 7th.
The Cypress Grove was peaceful. Giant raindrops brought in by the monsoon danced about… But the girl, had to be in town most of the week. Losing precious time with her friends (you), but also, well, this is where that old saying comes into play. When the cat is away, the mice will play… Noone, was left to be in charge.
She assumes that the mischief began occurring right after she started her treck down the hill, away from the grove…
She could almost hear them scampering, laughing, carrying on…
"Ha ha, you’ll never find out how we are getting in, ha ha…" She could almost hear them… Now the little guy above is quite beloved… But, remember, he is merely an actor, dramatizing a story 😉 Also, he has not a clue, that he is of the squeaking clan. So let’s not break his little heart…
Okay, back to the story… So, one day, in this week of July 7th, when the girl arrived at the country abode, and walked into her studio, she found that the stairs, had one face board, pushed out… And, that the nice wood, was mangled to bits in one corner, by little teeth… (Eeeeeeeeeeek!!!)
Well, you can imagine how that went down with her?? She was channeling Cruella de Vil on high alert at that point… Now the Mr. Lovee man, was finally floored and astounded. He immediately started a grueling process to reinforce & rebuild the stairs… (thank goodness we didn’t see any critters) He said, "You know, we are in the country…"
I know… But, "WHAT" she wailed??? Hands flailing in the air?? WHAT could they want from me???? Tears streamed down her distraught face.
I HATE them! Were words easily thrown about (and she didn’t ever like to use the "H" word). She had come unglued… Finally the Mister saw her point. He rubbed her shoulder, and nodded his head back and forth…
Then he said, "But Dovee, they love you. Look at all the sparkles and ribbons and beautiful bits of paper on the floor. You give them such a nice place to play in, and run about. They think you are doing it for them…"
She glared at him, and grabbed the broom. Within seconds, her studio floor looked like Mr. Clean had just visited…
After several hours, it was agreed upon that, there was no way they could ever get in again… Not through the stairs at least… (I still ask how they managed to move a stair board?) Mr. lovee thinks the stair board just fell out. But, what with the teeth marks??? We have no cat or dog indoors…
So, she spent the next day in an OCD state of disinfecting (just in case). Even though, the truth was, the signs of them were minor. It really seemed like this was just them harassing her, because they could…
The next morning, there was another sign of something not good. A little tiny wall opening (in one corner). Something that had never been there before… She yelled at the wall, "What do you want from me?? I have nothing for you!!"
She was convinced the pesky rodentia, were simply after having a romantic evening in the Patisserie. I mean, what else could they want???
While she was in town, Mr. Lovee sealed up the place like King Tut’s tomb… And he reassured her, that he was at a loss, because, there was no evidence (if you know what I mean) that they had been anywhere in the place at all. No signs… Hmmmmm. She lifted an eyebrow at the idea of those pesky guys… A trick she mastered at age 3.
But, she thanked Mr. Lovee for all his hard work. He was such a lovely guy…
Mr. Lovee assured her she was overreacting. But, she was starting to believe that if it was her they were after, they would come into her private boudoir soon? Perhaps, they were already plotting??? She lived in fear… She began tiptoeing around…
Any little sound made her jump… She would gasp…
Then, as she was looking for something to read one evening, she came upon a special book. She had had this book for years… Is this a sign?? No way!! I will not say hello. Mr. Lovee thinks, they think, I am like them?? The head Mammie?? (By the way, below is a real mouse book called "Say Hello, Vanessa." Found at a vintage bookstore. Can you believe it??)
Hahaha!! I had to laugh outloud at this… So funny!!
Well, I won’t make you read the whole book 😉 But it is hilarious. And, I don’t mind being the mouse… The friendless mouse 😉 I don’t want any friends if they have to be real live mice…
For now, Mr. Lovee says I am 100% safe. What do you think? Should I trust Mr. Lovee Moose???
I guess I have no choice… But, I will keep you up to date on that front…
Am I alone in this?? Does anyone have any furry stories to make me feel any better??? Miss M and I have shared war stories… Please share any tails you may have (or have had)…
In other Arizona news… Catalina has had so much rain, it is incredible. It was cool here all day today. Driving back to the studio from town, the sky was unreal again yesterday…
At 3 a.m., I was awakened by the most outrageous rain I have ever experienced. It was so strong, and non-stop for hours… One of you knows this is true, because there is e-mail proof I was up at that time. I took a video of the rain at that time. Here is a screen shot…
I know you are probably thinking, "Who cares about her rain." 🙂 But, I will say, rain in Arizona is so beloved, I can never convey it… I saw this down a street I rarely travel today…
So, that is the 411 in my neck of the woods. I am so excited to catch up with you!! The week has allowed me very little catch up time, so I am jumpin’ in now!!
And was on her way to your house 😉 xoxo, V
ps: I made the wall decals out of thick black drawing paper, and double sided tape. In case you want to put some designs on your own walls 😉 I hung the water drops from thread…
pps: I did love this little guy though….
Oh, Vanessita, you are so very entertaining. The Mices better not be on their way to me. We have them here (I started writing a story once, called “The Mouse Who Lived on the TTC” — that’s our transit system. But that’s a story for another time. We should maybe collaborate: I’ll finish the story, and you illustrate it!
Hi Vanessa,,, just stopping by to say hello. I love your story. BUT I know how you feel. One night really late while just watching tv my husband got up and went into the pantry, all of a sudden he started pulling everything out and cleaning. He picked a fight saying it was a mess in there. I just thought he was weird. Then after we went to bed, he gets up and says he is hungry and going to circle K. I could not figure out this very strange behaivor for sure. Come to find out he saw “evidence that a mouse was in the panty” and he didnt want me to move out. Which I would have. LOL He went to circle K in the middle of the night for a mouse trap.
The monsoons up in tempe were crazy last night too. Beautiful rain!!! Its pretty cool out tonight too. Well,, happy creating, gail
Hysterical! Sometimes you take me to such pretty, inspiring lovely places and others you just make me laugh! I am sure laughing now! You poor thing! Once in our old house I woke up one morning and was lazily looking about(obviously before I had kids!) and I could see a litte brown blob on the floor. Being blind without my glasses I couldn’t tell what it was. Put on glasses and discover a little mousey guy seriously watching me! Ran straight into the bathroom and jumped in the tub because my logic was he wouldn’t be able to scale the porcelien! I sure hope your adventure is over now! And I am lucky soul who got the wee morning email! I am so lucky! Hope you got more sleep! And hurray our heat wave broke today and I like living here again! Have a wonderful weekend!
Such a funny story! You know, I think I could handle a mouse or a scorpion or a big spider (tarantula even) but a roach in my vicinity and I come unglued. That is kind of crazy that they keep coming back though!
Oh, my toesies are curled and my feet are high up on the chair just reading about your misadventure!!!!! Eeeeeekkkk!
Ewwwwww….you know how much I dislike those horrid creatures. Their little claws scratching and their teeth gnawing…I sure hope they won’t be stuck in your wall, you know how yucky that smell can be…
Oh, guess what? My son got a HAMSTER!!! NOW WE HAVE A FURRY GUY WITH CLAWS AND SHARP TEETH IN A CAGE!!! Can you believe it? I am SO scared he is going to break out and climb on me at night…
Thanks for the fright and the laugh. Love that book! 🙂
Keep safe.
HONK HONK…
xoxo
Thank you so much for your story! At least your mouse didn’t leave a little poop on the scarf you were knitting (I kid you not and yes i threw the scarf away!). The mouse came by to visit also due to home renovations. My magical familiar black cat Pessoa came to my rescue though and proudly presented the pesky mouse to me between his chompers that evening. I was so freaked out for weeks and couldn’t sleep thinking that a mouse would run over my feet while in my bed. Meanwhile, Pessoa strutted around like rooster with his chest all puffed out. Thank goodness for cats and I’m glad you are safe now!
Cute mice 🙂
Have you recovered from the party yet?
Always an adventure in your part of the land, Vanessa! We have the little creatures in the Bois across the street and outside the caves (wine cellars) the gardien has placed little discouraging packets to insure the mice don’t come to play, then stay. But thankfully, the only ones I’ve seen here are on the Paris metro, running along the rails. In my one year in Texas, there was a family of mice that would come out to play at night and freaked J and me out. One night I woke up to find the entire family climbing out of a big wicker basket containing magazines! I shreiked; they squealed; the landlord was called. Eventually we had to move, as the mice wouldn’t go. 🙂 Very entertaining story you’ve told today. 🙂 xoxox
Sweet departed cat of mine used to bring LIVING gifts of birds, mice, moles, and chipmunks into my home, my hero hubby ALWAYS scooped them up and set them free. Now my sweet Shelby (dog) loves ALL babies and will occasionally bring a baby rabbit or squirrel into our home, unharmed and receiving much love (licks) from her. Animal rehab professionals are always called.
Hello Vanessa,
I love mice, they are so smart! No wonder Walt Disney and many other illustrators chose them to be part of their clan!
I love the ones you posted, they are adorable! Did you make them?
~ Gabriela !
Delightful! Whimsical! Entertaining! We just adore you and your imagination. Have an outstanding day!
Now did you make those darling mice miss Vanessa? They match that book so perfectly…your story just tickled my heart! xo Shannon
Ugh. I just caught a mouse in my apartment last week, and though all the animated and illustrated versions are cute, in real life the just make me think “Hantavirus!” I learned–tell Mr. Lovee!–that if a mouse can get it’s head through an opening, it can maneuver the rest of it’s body though, so they can definitely get into places you wouldn’t suspect.
At least we didn’t have the same experience Mariko had: http://www.supereggplant.com/archives/001030.html
It makes me cringe just thinking about it!
Hey Vanessa! Too funny. When I was growing up in the country, we used to notice that our winter clothes were shredded while up in the attic. One day, my mother decided to make muffins ( a rare treat). When she opened the drawer below the oven, she saw that each little muffin cup was lined with bits of our shredded clothing and were now mouse nests! ICK! But funny too.
We finally (and reluctantly) set out traps to get the little buggers.
Sorry they messed up your studio.
Kate
wow…Wow…WOW!!!
Vanessa you’re Amazing!
I thought you might be interested in this decal technique as well!
http://www.diylife.com/2008/07/09/starched-fabric-decals-fix-up-boring-walls/
Thank you so much for that little piece of SUNSHINE!
Cheers, Sue `*>~[
What an entertaining story! Thank you for sharing your adventures with us. We once arrived at a new house the day before the moving truck and camped out that night in the living room. Just before dark, I looked up and saw three little mousey faces, stacked on top of each other, peering around the corner from the kitchen. They were so cute and bizarre I didn’t freak out until they zipped back around the corner! After all, they had moved into an empty house and what were these humans doing there??? You can be sure I scrubbed the cupboards extra well before putting dishes in!
Ooh thank GOd for Mr. Lovee or where would Dovee be? Eating cheese right now with the mice?
Adore your well outfitted mice and your fine line mice drawings too. Your are the very best!
xo
Constance
PS Hope the water recedes tomorrow!
OH…mice! The fiercest enemy. (2nd place are gophers) We have tons of them around our home, with cotton fields to the east you just can’t get rid of them. We’ve only had one in the house and it must have wanted a shower…since it chewed a hole through the rubber piece at the bottom of the shower door…
Oh…RAIN! We had a downpour too. Hubby came and woke me up at 1am and we went out and played in our off-road vehicle…wondrous water puddles…ok…they were small ponds. Our front yard looked like a swimming pool.
overwhelming loveliness!
for starters, the mice! enough said really.
then there’s the spectacular dress-to-toe co-ordination and the glorious carpet.
then there’s the vista, Arizona!
man!
xxx
OMG….I can NOT stop laughing! I’m soooo sorry….I’m not laughing at you, or your ghostly middle of the night mouse manifestations, but the whole story was just so funny!
I can totally picture you tip-toeing around so that you don’t make any noise to attract the dreaded creatures!
But the book!! “Hello Vanessa”, I swear, at first I thought you made that up! I am over here nearly bent over with giggles! Ahhh….what a great way to end a night….thank you my dear friend! 🙂
Oh, I do have a story about meeces….it ends sort of badly for everyone involved. Mostly the meeces. But long story short. If they do live in your walls, you do NOT want to put poison out for them that they’ll take back to their nest and eat. They will then die IN your walls and let’s just say that is so NOT a pretty smell! Oy…
Enjoy your fabulous rains! I LOVE really hard driving rain! We could use a bit of it ourselves.
I really wish I could be upset for you due to the tiny visitors (ok, part of me just might be), but if it weren’t for them we wouldn’t have been treated to such a giggle fest all sprinkled with delightful pictures!
Hi Vanessa!wow! your blog have fun and joy! ha ha! I love its so much! you are so nice person!
visit me anytime
xoxoxo
besos y abrazos
Eek, mice! Even in the city we have them, and they are seriously scary things. A mouse named Vanessa? humm…could be a sign? (hope you managed to keep them out) I love your beautiful skirt + carpet!
Eek, mice! Even in the city we have them, and they are seriously scary things. A mouse named Vanessa? humm…could be a sign? (hope you managed to keep them out) PS. I love your beautiful skirt + carpet!
I am psychotic in reaction to mice or the thoughts of them (as you described). I am just sure they are waiting to pounce on me, that they can fly and various other magical qualities that cause me to keep doors locked when closed IF there is a mouse outside–(so far they do not have keys to my locks) I have so many stories that you would TOTALLY understand, and that have been fodder for many a joke in our family. One that comes first to mind is the day I was shooing them out of the house with a broom (longer story here, but cutting to the gist of it) however, like you describe–they are much craftier than some may think. I wore boots so that they wouldn’t get my feet, but then I started to think that perhaps this was not enough protection and so then put large grocery size brown paper bags over them, (so that they would have to cross two barriers before they could get to my feet AND I would have more options for escape. Let’s just say that the picture of this has been exaggerated greatly, but just the bare facts are crazy enough. I believe I have Mouse PTSD somehow.
I care about your rain!! 🙂 I’ve missed so many comings and goings and delights!! I’m off to read more!! Your a delight! And those night time pictures are LOVELY!!!
Oh, Miss Vanessa I have a funny story. It will make me look like a simpering female, but what can I say?
One evening my cat, Heckle, had been outside and I heard him scratch on the door to come back inside. I opened the door and silly me didn’t look and he ran right into the house with a live rabbit in his mouth and let it go in the house. Well, I freaked and told my DH that Heckle had let a live rabbit loose inside the house, then I promptly closed myself up in the bathroom. Wimpy, huh? Anyway, the poor frightened rabbit darted behind the stove, then the refrigerator all while my DH was trying to direct him back outside again. He kept saying, “I could use some help here.” I felt to silly, but I couldn’t do it. There was something about a live rabbit surrying around the house that reminded me of mice. I love watching rabbits scamper and frolic outside, but having one loose inside the house is another matter entirely!
So, my DH managed to direct the rabbit back outside through the front door and all was well. No thanks to me, I’m afraid.
Oh, and another time Heckle tried to bring in another live rabbit and a chipmunk! hee hee
By the way, I would love to see your video!
Haha! I love the look on that little mouse’s face. He looks like he’s up to no good – even if he is just “acting.” I have had no encounters with mice or pesky rabbits, but much worse. When I lived in Florida I was always getting (not by choice) up close and personal with all the swamp creatures that seemed to emerge. One morning, on my way out, I opened the front door and felt something fall onto my hand. I looked down and there was a snake looking up at me!!! He crawled into my purse and I threw it down, of course. Then he got all angry, I screamed, and my boyfriend rescued me.
It was a small snake, probably harmless, but it scared the living daylight out of me!
I have that book!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’ve had it since I was a kid 🙂 This is great, I’m all smiley over here.
okay…you forced it out of me…hey,i wanted to be nice”who cares about your rain?”:)So,is this one of those i had a chance to break out the toy mice and play…type days…heheh,not like id ever do that….im a grown up:pI always love your little stories they make me happy!
xoxo
ryce
I loooooove that precious vintage book! How wonderful it is…love the illustrations. The story looks so cute! I have a few books like that…one is about a cat that entertains at a beautiful house while his owner is away on holiday.
I wish I could find a cute vintage book with my name!
Love the wall stencils too…that’s a great idea to make your own!
I loved the story so much, I wish you did post up the whole thing =).
I have one war story, and a sad, dramatic one.
In our beach house, my dad, brother and I left my mother and temporary maid alone at home to buy groceries. Apparently, a mouse snuck in. So whe we came back, we got a guard ((=P drama)) to come take care of it. So After much hiding and running about on both parts, mouse and human =D the guard finally cornered him and ((tried to)) strike him with a big big hard thick stick. =( The mouse apparently died. =9 =( I was so sad. But then my Dad told me that he thinks the mouse maybe just pretended to die, and I think he’s right, which comforted me much. He didn’t look bruised in the least, and he did kind of did a dramatic ‘hand on forehead, jump to the side where he fell to the ground’ move =P =P =D. I do hope he’s okay.