October 29, 2004 - From P to Ms. Mary:
When I first read about your bookshelf menagerie, I just began grinning from ear to ear. The tales of the animals touched me.
It is a gift that I can look at your web page and enjoy the tales of the menagerie.
My grandfather invented personalities for stuffed animals -- stuffed Steiff bears would go with him to Central Park to feed the squirrels. Two of the bears were Bernie and Basil. This all happened back in the 1930's and 1940's. I have a collection of his letters in which he refers to these bears. As I recall, he had lions also, Lena and Leopold, with their own distinct personalities. When I was growing up, my father also imparted personalities to the large collection of stuffed animals in our house. As an adult, I realize it was difficult for my father to express some of his feelings directly, but he would express them through the animals.