The Octopus

 


The octopus arrived in the post.
A lovely gift which doubles as a dog lead holder.
I liked the shape and form so I’ve placed him on the front of the cottage, 
Warming on the stone like some strange autumn insect
“ Oh what’s that?” asked Mrs Trellis as she passed with blue
I was standing back admiring my Crustacean, so she was instantly intrigued
It’s an octopus”I told her and she nodded seriously, as if it was perfectly normal to nail an octopus to the side of your cottage.
“ I like your rainbow too “ she commented , pointing to the knitted one up in my bedroom window
Is that a thank you to the NHS ?” She asked
“ No it’s a nod to a LGBTQ household” I told her playfully
And which letter are you? “ she shot back with a smile


73 comments:

  1. Nice octopus. Liking the added function of leash holder as well. The copper color against the stone is quite lovely. Great gift. Mrs. T is quick on the come back. You have great friends and neighbors. Lucky man!

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  2. And which letter are you. That gave me quite a chuckle. Must be lovely there, in Mrs. Trellis' neighborhood! Ooo... and I quite like your octy-pie!

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  3. Anonymous1:20 am

    It's beautiful...and it's a cephalopod not a crustacean (they have hard crusts).

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  4. I like it. The octopus generally symbolizes flexibility, creativity, intelligence, expansion and unpredictability.

    You my dear picked a nice trinket. Your all those dear.

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    Replies
    1. Love my mistress I willl take the compliment

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  5. I like cleverly done things that are as useful as they are decorative. Very nice. I like a quick wit as well. The octopus may not have THAT, but your neighbor has it in spades.

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  6. I love Mrs. Trellis. And I love that octopus!

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    Replies
    1. I hope she is reading these comments, she seems to have quite the following

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  7. Barbara Anne3:25 am

    Mrs. Trellis wins the quick comeback award!
    Lovely and handy cephalopod to have on your wall, but can the dogs' leads hang in its current position?

    Hugs!

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  8. Mrs Trellis is wonderful. I love your neighbors.

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  9. Very smart! A nice addition to the cottage wall.

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  10. Normal service has been resumed x

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    Replies
    1. Yes even though I’m on four nights I feel more normal

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  11. The Trellis rocks! x

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  12. And which letter are you? Gloriously John of course.

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  13. All those legs...more dogs needed? x

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  14. Oh, I like your octopus! Have recently enjoyed a book (Soul of an Octopus) and then a movie about an octopus. Fascinating to learn octopuses (plural not octopi) have quite distinct personalities.

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  15. I've always assumed that the 'Q' in LGBTQ = 'queer' [someone correct me if it's not so] so the question is, why the tautology? - at least the first four letters alone have a rhyming rhythm to them. (Is someone now going to tell me to "Lighten up!" ?)

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    1. It was Queer first and it really still is. Queer is the best word, it covers all the in between states too.

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    2. Thanks, M. So, a portmanteau word then? Rather begs the question why, if it's all-inclusive, why not just refer to ALL sexualities as simply 'Queer'? - but I'll not labour the point.

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    3. It may now refer to "Questioning," allowing in those not sure where they lie on the spectrum, but welcome into the fold of non-hetero.

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    4. Many gay men prefer queer in its slightly more controversial and subversive way

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    5. A friend told me today of something that I was unaware-apparently when babies are born it is quite usual now for the sex not to be shared so the child can decide themselves later x

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  16. I love the octopus! I Wish I was as quick as Mrs Trellis with the come backs

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  17. I like beautiful things that are useful too, it looks great on the cottage. Hopefully someone will hang a little bag of Scotch Eggs on it for you :-)

    Nice come back from Mrs T.

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  18. I like that octopus. You are at least two of those letters.

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  19. Just need to move up to having 8 dogs now.

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  20. I love the octopus but that conversation makes me beam.

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    1. She’s an unintentional comic is Mrs Trellis

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  21. Beautiful octopus.
    Everyone needs a Mrs. Trellis!

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  22. Mrs Trellis just made me smile

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  23. This past week, I have met one Aussie Bulldog and been told stories of another. The first we met on a walk and one of my dogs is a bit nervy and reactive so I stood back while our young one went forward to meet her, and the lady said, 'oh no bring them all up, Penny makes it a point to get on with every dog she meets," and sure enough she did and my nervy dog was relaxed and fine. What a charmer! The 2nd was of a dog who had passed the day before and the owner said Bruce (!) never met anyone he didn't like, and he was the best dog they ever had! I thought you'd like to know, John, that Bulldogs, albeit the Aussie version, are doing good ambassadorial work down here!

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    Replies
    1. Nice to hear the sweet nature of them is universal xx

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  24. Such a nice village.

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  25. Eenie meenie miney mo.......which one is it? lol
    What a sweet story.

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  26. A joke that only a gay man could make! :)

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  27. Love the Octopus, although I'm confused about the "dog lead holder" concept. Like, each tentacle holds a lead? As a dry cleaner once famously said to me when I took her a bunch of sweaters covered with dog hair, "How many dog you have?!"

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    1. Yes six of the eight have a hook on them

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  28. lots of people like you, john. and bless mrs. trellis. :)

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  29. To be needlessly and annoyingly precise, octopuses are in the phylum of molluscs - as opposed to crustaceans - in the class of cephalopods.

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    1. I was going to make the same point. Used to volunteer at an aquarium. No external shells. And much, much smarter than crustaceans. We used to given them puzzles to get at their food to give them something to do; it was amazing to see how quickly they could figure things out, even how to open jars. Weird, but very cool, critters.

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    2. I’m on a learning curve

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  30. I too thought the Octopus was very apt for you John as Mistress Maddie stated-Very symbolic x

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  31. And did you ask if there are any initials which might describe her?

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  32. Anonymous2:29 pm

    See the movie My Octopus Teacher. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3s0LTDhqe5A

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    1. They are bright little suckers arnt they?
      He was quite a dish

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  33. Hmmm....Lovely Grubby But Tender Queer. You are all of the letters!

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  34. "Which letter are you?" LOL!

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  35. Mrs Trellis know what's what obviously John - Trelawnyd is obviously not 'the back of beyond'.

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    1. I’ve been tell u all that for years

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  36. What a quick-witted lady Mrs T is! I'd have thought of that come-back several hours later. The octopus looks great against the stonework. xx

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    1. She is a queen of the unthinking one liner

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  37. Or D for dyke! (Said the lesbian)

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  38. Mrs Trellis is quite a character in the village of Trelawnyd that we have gotten to know.

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    1. She is, and yes she did have her bobble hat on too

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  39. I didn't know what all the letters meant John but Google apparently says the Q stands for questioning if that's correct-that's very interesting I think x

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  40. The octopus!! And I love that she asked about the rainbow flag!!

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