HOT OFF THE ASSEMBLY LINE

Ladies and gentlemen, please, step aside, step aside! Tea Rat here with Bebe's NEW POOT POOT BF-3000 FLYING MACHINE!

Notice the sleek lines, the gorgeous color, and to top it off, it runs on BIO-FEUL, including algae, switch grass, sugar cane, corn, and wood chips! Must keep the air above Nowhere CLEAN, you know!

And Bebe dearest, IT'S ON ME! FREE! ZIP! NADA! It's ALL YOURS and Mozes, go ahead and tinker around in the work shop and fix the old Poot Poot 'cause we can use it for training burgeoning pilots!!!

LET US ALL CELEBRATE and the proceeds from the SUCCESSFUL PIE SALE can go to your favorite charity if you wish sweet Bebe!

OFF WE GOOOOOOO!

Bebe's Poot Poot Fundraiser

Pies's for sale, pies for sale! Tea Rat says I need 29.00 in order to pay for my new Poot Poot. We ALL want to get back up in the sky but my poot poot is pooped.. Bebe would love to take Miss Moussie for a ride around the Hilltop, so come on over and get your pie!! First one in line will get a FREE blueberry pie... Hope to see you soon
Bebe

Hang Loose

Pippit Priceless was full of play...Friday was on it's way! It's time to hang loose! She found an old copy of Mr. Webster's famous dictionary. Those humans live by it. She turned the pages, snapping her fingers and she found it...the word "LOOSE" which Mr. Webster describes it's definition: Not confined or restrained, free, not firmly fastened (Pippit adjusted her cap), not tight or compacted or precise. (Pippit pulled up her socks) To set FREE, unbind, make less tight, to relax and release, on the loose FREE! That's me! Free to be me, free to be you...in the merry land of Nowhere...we are FREE!

Hazel finds Nowhere..

Once again ,we  have a chance encounter with little Hazel. It was a blustery morning, not really one for flying, but Hazel saw what she thought was a plane way up in the sky, and a ....Bunny? and a Mouse? piloting the plane? oh surely, her eyes must be playing tricks on her!

She was just topping over the hill, there beside the landfill, when she noticed it, and it seemed to be landing in the forest, there behind the trees, where she had never gone. Curiosity  wins out, and Hazel has decided to venture into the tall trees, and take a peek! Well, let me tell you, it was simply amazing! No more smelly landfill, no more hustling, and bustling busy streets, no, this was magical, and wonderful. Just like places she has only heard of from fairy tale books! Birds singing, flowers in bloom, the sweet smells coming from the place..oh my she thought, "this must be the secret garden she read about with Sister Mary Hazel!" And there was the tiny plane!  But no  Bunny, nor a mouse.

Well, now this was interesting! Something quite new for Hazel! She wanted so badly to stay, but knew the other children were waiting for her to return from the trees, see they were too frieghtened to go beyond

the border of the hill, but not Hazel...this is why she was thier leader!

wonderful Bebe and TJ illustration courtesy Penny
Hazel created by Christel

Gretta says her prayers...

Every night as the moon comes up over the tree tops Gretta gets cozy and says her prayers. With all four paws in the air she prays hard... Dearest God, how long is it going to take before I can tell my secret? Rac always tells me I must remain hush hush...but I love him sooooooo much! I love his tail and the way his eyes look deep into mine...His paws never pay mind to my spines...he says he loves me. Once he called me his little root beer barrel. When I ate too many blueberries he sat with me and watched the poot poot fly through the air with the greatest of ease...that was the first time he gave me a smooch, blueberry kisses he called it. I remember the time he opened that old pizza box and ripped it to shreds and shared it with me behind that old garbage can...he's so romantic! So God, could I spill the beans yet? I feel like I'm going to burst. This is the hardest thing I've ever done...to be so good. Amen.

A secret to keep....

shhhhhhhhhhh....Gretta and Mr. Raccoon have been in love for a long long time.....

Meet Little Hazel

One might think with just a mere glance that this is a timid, sweet little girl, and you know what, you'd be right! After meeting her you would add many many more colorful descriptions to that list! 

  You see, Hazel is an orphan, and actually lives under the 9th street bridge, there with her few friends. They all call her Hazel the lionhearted. She was given this nickname when she was just a wee toddler, living in the orphanage with the nuns. Born to a very young mother, she was given up at birth because she was born with a heart defect, and her young mother knew she could not care for the sickly child. The Nuns gladly took her in, and named her Hazel, after Sister Mary Hazel. The lionheart nickname came about from a tall tale one of the nuns told little Hazel about her heart. Now one might think, "oh surely a nun would never tell a tale, or untruth!" but in fact, that is exactly what happened. Hazel was given a heart transplant at just three years old, and had many questions about the huge scar that graced her tiny torso. So the story was told that she in fact would grow up to be a leader, a fierce, brave young woman who would do great things, because she was given the heart of a lion cub! Hazel has always known this was in fact, the truth..just look at her hair! How else could a human girl aquire such unruly hair, that is just like a lions mane? It was beacuse she had the heart of a lion! After a few short years,at only the young age of eight, Hazel decided that she should in fact be a leader, one of her own destiny, and she ran away from the orphanage, to help her friends who were homeless, and lived under the 9th street bridge, just a stones throw from the border of Nowhere, but until now, a complete world away.

Beyond The Borders

Just beyond the border of Nowhere, tucked behind the beautiful big hill, lies a not so beautiful place. Most refer to it as the grimy city streets. Often cold, and dirty, and always so busy, with people running here and there, and cars and trucks scattering about. At any given time, day or night, you can find vendors, selling just about anything you can imagine, and dirty little children , seemingly at every corner you turn! It is a bustling mecca, but also can be a mean and rough place. As long as you know where to go, and where NOT to go, it can even be fun, and exciting!

Today, Tea Rat himself has decided to venture beyond the beautiful borders of Nowhere, and go into the city for his favorite cheeses! Over the big hill, and past the landfill he sees the familar smoke stacks clouding the sky.  He knows this is where he will find the object of his desire, over there, beside the 9th street bridge! Not to worry, TeaRat knows a thing or two about making his way through those mean old streets. Yes, he has done it many times. Often crossing paths with a few undesireables along the way, but he minds his buisness, and keeps to his task at hand.

While strolling along, searching for the cheese vendors yellow wagon, TeaRat sees something he wishes he had not. There, under the produce vendors cart, hidden behind a box of lettuce is a wee girl. He looks once, then twice, and thinks to himself "I did not just see that child stealing fruits and vegetables did I?" Just then, an apple rolls out of her backpack, that is filled to the brim with her loot! TeaRat- "you there, Stop I say! Stop!!"
And just like that, she was gone in a flash, her loot spilling out as she ran away!

This is where we first meet a little street urchin named Hazel, She is a ragged, tattered messy haired girl. 9th street is where she calls home, She is one of those dirty little children, who knows her way in and out of just about every nook and crany these streets offer. Oh yes, she's a tough little cookie, but also a girl with many surprises!

Not So Funny Bunny.

Tea Rat: Rattus, are you going to ground all pootpoot pilots until they all get recertified?

Rattus: No. I don't think it was Bebe or TJ's fault. I think it was a faulty fripp valve that caused faulty readings on the framastat.

Tea Rat: Humm! A faulty fripped framastat. Frightening.

Rattus: Games already? At 7 in the morning? OK. Yes, it was Foul and fagitious, to be sure.

Tea Rat: Finished fact-finding? I'm food famished.

Rattus: OK stop. It's no longer Funny.

Tea: Look there's a bunny.

Rattus: Cut it out. I mean it.

Tea: Anybody want a peanut?

Rattus: Sweet Saint Rodentia.

Tea: Look there's a bunny.

Rattus: That doesn't even rhyme. OK, I'm done.

Tea: Look there's a bunny.

Poot Poot Poot Bebe in search of.....

Bebe to ground.. Bebe to ground.... Flying overhead with T.J. Merryweather.... In search of the Piffit, or is it the wiffit? and a Hazel? I know they are down there.. I am flying over the rainbow so they must be down there. Bebe to ground... over

In the meantime on the ground....Mozes turned white out of fright....and he didn't dare to look...

A Priceless Story

Gretta was not the only one who wanted to interview Pippit Priceless. A gnome from Gnomewhere showed up with 150 questions and Pippit kept trying to give him a kiss. She had that old gnome weaved in her love triangle.He asked her three questions of which she would only answer two...1. Where in the world did you come from? 2. Can I borrow your cap? 3. If you are not human, what are you?

I came from Mrs. McGnaw's dollhouse. I only lived there one year and she kicked me out because I dusted her chimney! She said "nuff is nuff" bye bye now! I ended up in the glen out in Black Licorice Forest, searching for a large toadstool to call home. I had plans to rough it in the glen for the time being. I stole a backpack from Victoria the doll who was a snob...and Mrs. McGnaw threw me in jail! Now, Mr. Gnome, what was your other question...oh yeah...yes, you can borrow my cap for two days if I can have yours for one week! And your last question...you can figure that out yourself... I came from the DOLLHOUSE!

Ummm..what are you then, a living doll?

Oh you handsome gnome you...give me a kiss! Yes, I'm Pippit Priceless, a living doll!

A Priceless Interview

The road to Nowhere leads almost anywhere. The "It" had certainly caused a stir in Nowhere. Question were flying from every corner of the globe. So far, the "It" had only made a slight moan and a little peep. Mozes had finally calmed Raccoon down but he was still very cautious. The rats were arguing it out who, what, when and where did "It" come from!

Gretta decided she might just have a chat with the "It" and see what might come of it. An interview was in order! Oddly the "It" brought a mushroom with her. Gretta cleared her throat...HELLO It, oh excuse me, is your name It? The reply finally came...I live my life in full living color and the fact you all call me "It" is quite a fancy name. I think I will change my name! My name was Pippy...however, because you and that great big hunk of a bear saved me, I shall be called Pippit! Well, do you have a last name and are you a human? Heavens no, I am not a human. They are full of problems and pains and worries. I am full of joy but my mother always said I was full of beans. I think that is another word for mischief and yes...I have a last name! My full name is: Pippit Priceless! Oh! That's a splendid name! What are you doing? You've asked me enough questions for now little hedgehog. Let's not be so serious...lets PLAY...I'll grab this left over Christmas wreath and you grab that string of pearls and lets hula and hang from the ledge!

And so it goes in Nowhere...Pippit Priceless had arrived for a day or an hour or a lifetime. Nobody knew for sure but all knew one thing that they were in for some play! Would Rattus take off his coat and get jiggy wiggy? Tea Rat may need his tea spiked a bit to loosen up. Raccoon may be hopeless but maybe not...and look over there...Mozes was doing the hula already!

Raccoon takes on the "It"

Raccoon's pizza box flew through the air and almost hit Rattus on the noggin'. He was on the run, up the tree with his black and white ringed tail ready for battle...claws were out...little black beads of eyes peered through the glen...what is it? I think "It" is human. Mozes seemed to think so but the "It" did not say a peep as she yawned...Mozes didn't seem to be bothered at all by the "It" and Gretta was as curious as can be. She felt so proud SHE rescued the "It"...Mozes let her take all the credit as he always did. Big hearted bear that he is...

ITS.......

-IS IT..is it...is it....?
-Let me check....its....ITS ALIVE..!
-Now for the next step.....
-YES...To find out what It is...Does anybody know....?

..Then..IT made a sound....
It said....PEEP..!

Never in Nowhere!

Where is everyone when I need them?.Never in Nowhere has there been such a tragedy!!! Gretta needs a telephone, send up a flair, where is a red hanky when I need one...help! Help!!!

As the story goes...Gretta was out hunting for mushrooms. Mozes had told her not to go into the Black Licorice Forest and that darn Gretta was tempted...she thought she heard a cry beyond the hedge...First she saw the tiny felt boots, then the log...and then the cap...
Who is it? What is it? When is it going to say something? Why is it here and what happened to IT? Gretta spines began to shiver...what could the matter be? Was this some sort of hanky-panky?

Gretta soon came to the conclusion she needed to be as brave as she could be. The rats were out to lunch or down at the pub or somewhere, Mozes was diggin' in his honey pot and Miss Moussie was taking a major nap...Raccoon's cheeks were so stuffed with pizza he was useless at the moment...Bebe..I think I heard she had the sniffles...

Gretta heard the "it" let out a moan...

What is a hedgehog to do???

A chomping good time!

Rac and his buddies could smell a pizza anywhere! It's time to chomp in the New Year to Nowhere! Treats for all! Gretta fell in the cookie jar, just leave her be...she may not climb out until February...one cookie at a time...

Bebe arrives with goodness for Paisley Bunny...Bebe would rather dine on cheese and wine with Rattus at nine!

Miss M...does it again. Tea and Apple Strudel. She must take some back for the Dutchess and Sir Hog and friends...

Tea Rat....one bite at a time! We know you love a good time but easy on your dentures!

Cheers to a Chomping good new year!