The Rabbit

I mentioned once that for a short time, we kept a wild rabbit as a house pet. Someone assumed the rabbit's mother had abandoned it in nearby lawn nest. The mother probably was away from the nest, getting food.

At first, the rabbit was adorable. But the rabbit was undomesticated, and once it grew, we no longer could keep it safely in the house. It would not be housebroken, and it bit people. At my Mom's urging, my Dad eventually took the rabbit to the Hal Tyrell Trailside Museum. At that time, the museum accepted baby animals.

Food for thought, as spring approaches.

Suburban Chicago, June 1964. The little thumper was quite cute when he arrived in our Rec Room.

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Suburban Chicago, June 1964. We assumed the rabbit and the hamster would cohabit in harmony.

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Suburban Chicago, June 1964. The hamster did not like the rabbit's presence in its territory.

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Suburban Chicago, June 1964. The rabbit brought out my Mom's gentle side.

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Suburban Chicago, June 1964. I was sorry to see the little guy go.

General Manners: Entertain your pet hamster.

I seem to have watched a lot of television while I was holding a hamster:

Suburban Chicago, February 1964. The hamster doesn't mind balancing on my hand.

It's a good idea to keep an eye on a hamster because you never know what kind of mischief it otherwise will find:

Suburban Chicago, February 1964. Do you know what kind of books your hamster is reading?

Do you think I'll blend in if I sit next to the shoes?

One of our hamsters seeks cover near the Lithuanian wooden tchotchkes.

The hamster probably is hiding from me. If I get my hands on a hamster, I'll want it to balance on my head:

Or dance with me, at my Rec Room play table:

Suburban Chicago, 1964. These are snapshots of everyday life in our Rec Room. Tatjana's black sewing machine (the "White" brand) is behind me, and I sit on one of my painted chairs.

I was there, too.

Suburban Chicago, June 1964. Yesterday's post about the rabbit reminded me that we have a similar, close-up shot of the rabbit's companion, the hamster.

The Rec Room's cherry paneling is the background for this photo.

What are you watching?

Suburban Chicago, February 9, 1964. The hamster keeps me company again as I watch The Beatles make their debut on The Ed Sullivan Show.

Balancing

I wrote earlier that my Mom spent a lot of time on the telephone, talking with patients. I'm not surprised that we have dozens of photos of my Mom chatting on the phone.

Mom usually knitted when she spoke with patients. She kept a phone rest on her shoulder so that she'd have both hands free.

This photo is a little different from the others because not only is Mom balancing her knitting—and a two-color project, at that—on her lap, but she's also managing the non-stop motion machine that is a pet hamster.

Suburban Chicago, April 1964. Mom's on the phone, and she's sitting in the master bedroom chair. It was an ugly chair with blue, floral upholstery and a gilded frame. Mom's in her "stay-at-home" clothes, namely, a simple, paisley blouse and a pencil skirt.

Wooden-Shoe Reunion

Suburban Chicago, February 1964. The hamster seems to be steering toward the television.

I give the hamster a break.

Suburban Chicago, February 1964. We'll have time to dance later.