Oh, I Forgot ...
Tuesday, September 23, 2008 at 09:44PM 
... to tell you that my house is full of elephants.
For some years I have had a substantial fondness for elephants.
There's something about these animals ... a mystique, I guess, or a riddle ... that makes them irresistible to me. When I go to the zoo, I can easily stand for an hour watching the elephants. They're huge, which lends them considerable gravitas, sure ... but they also have grace, as well as humor and pathos and personality and brains, in abundance.
And it's true that they never forget. Have you ever seen a documentary or read an article about elephant behavior? It's fascinating.
That's how you become a collector.
Years ago I went to the Toledo Zoo and saw Baby Louie. He's big now I'm sure, and very impressive, but when he was little he was so sweet and cute. We stood in line for a long time just to enjoy five minutes crowded around the boundary of his zoo habitat, watching Louie interact with his mother. Then the zoo employees hustled us away, but we got right back in line and did it again.
Louie was growing so fast, they had to make sure lots of folks got to witness his babyhood.
As is often the case when friends and family members know you like something, and they see an example of that thing as they are out and about -- maybe or maybe not searching for the perfect gift to give you -- they buy it for you.
And then you see it everywhere too, and sometimes you can't leave it where you saw it, and so you buy it.
That's how you become a collector.
So now I have elephants in large quantities. In addition to elephant figurines varying in size from one inch high to twelve inches high, I have elephant jewelry, elephant lamps, an elephant pillow, elephant purses, an elephant box, an elephant floormat, an elephant footstool, an elephant candlestick, an elephant teapot, stuffed elephants, a musical elephant, and more.
Look ... here are some pictures! (If instead of pictures you see a black screen with a lot of writing on it, click on the "x" in the upper right-hand corner and that screen will go away. Voila! Jenny's elephant collection ...)
Oh, I forgot ... two of these things are not like the others.
Did you spot them?
Reader Comments (22)
I like elephants too, but don't collect them. Your collection is great - even the dog elephant and the Depp elephant!
LOL Mari! The dog elephant and the depp elephant! That's good. Something about a chihuahua juxtaposed against the elephants that made me smile. And Johnny ... well, someday I'll show you my pirate collection.
I know this will not surprise you but I have an elephant collection of my own. I stopped the insanity long ago before I acquired more than one piece of elephant jewelry but I do have a white elephant table in my living room that was a wedding gift from my grandmother and several unique figurines,carvings etc...... where will our cloneship end ?????
@ Dixie ... I'm not sure ... it's eerie, though, isn't it? Must be those Citadel men, started it all. I'd love to see that white elephant table!
Did you see the elephant who painted the picture? It's on Youtube, and it's amazing.
@ WD ... I have not seen it! I will check it out. Thanks for that!
My favorite, not that you asked, uhmm, but I like the elephant that is a creamer. I would love to pour cream out his trunk. That is the kid in me, I guess! Nice collection!
I have one elephant that is a plant holder or should I say it is the base upon which I can rest a plant, hey maybe even a pumpkin!
Happy Fall!
@ Cheryl ... a pumpkin on an elephant sounds cute! And the elephant creamer is fun to use ... whimsical. Happy Fall to you too! It's chilly here today ... temporarily! Seems so strange after all the heat!
It took me AGES to work out how to see those slides!! LOL! I like the Depp elephant best. The Depp elephant has been known to wear a Ganesha pendant has he not? Maybe he likes elephants too?
I have a similar collection, only it's greyhounds. I have greyhound figurines, mats, stuffies, pictures, Victorian inkstands, mini bronzes etc etc etc. I even decorate my picture frames with sighthound tassels!
@ Jay ... I'm confused. Are the pics not appearing within the blog post, in the Slide frame, as if they're being thrown onto a pile? That's what I get ... and if you click on any pic, it will take you to Slide dot com, where you can look at them differently. Sorry it doesn't work for you! I don't understand ...
I am also mystified by the term "sighthound tassel" ... I shall have to look that up!
You have a couple of mighty cute real greyhounds too ... but alas I do not have an elephant!
Very cute slide show! I too collect elephants for similar reasons, Only my collection is miniscule!
Keli, there is always room for one more elephant!
I, too, love elephants, and have a few. But in my experience the problem with collections is that they get overwhelming once people find out about them! You get buried under whatever it is that you collect - and some of the things are delightful but some are just horrid! My great-aunt was in a womens' Republican club and she had a collection - she sent me two and I do love them. I think my favorite elephant was the baby one we sat right beside at Busch Gardens when he was being given a bath with a hose. So cute!
P.S. I loved the story of Dumbo when I was little, that may be one reason I like them. I secretly wanted a pet Dumbo!
Jenny, the actual slideshow was not visible, all I could see was an ad for Slide! It took me a long time to work out that what I had to do was close down the ad. There was a faint 'x' in the corner but I didn't see it. LOL!
A sighthound tassel is a decorative tassel for clipping onto the hound's collar.
They were invented as a way of distinguishing which dog was which in a hare coursing competition. Traditionally, two dogs were coursed, and if they were both the same colour the judges couldn't identify each dog to award points for various moves, so a coloured tag was attached to the collar and you'd have the 'red' dog competing against the 'blue' dog. Now they're just for decoration and people with Afghan hounds, Salukis, Greyhounds, Lurchers etc, will clip one or two on to pretty up their dogs. :)
@ Tracie ... you are so right about collections; it gets out of hand and you have to call a moratorium. I would love to see a baby 'phant getting his bath! Dumbo is the epitome of pachydermic adorableness.
@ Jay ... I'm sorry and I hope you eventually got to see my elephants ... especially the lovely Depp-ephant! (We could never forget him.) Sighthound tassels sound very elegant and decorative! Although, your Princess certainly doesn't need a thing to augment her hundred-watt smile.
Elephants are pretty neat creatures but boy can they get mean when their handlers in India don't pay attention.
My father loves elephants and I have a few glass elephants myself.
@ LL ... I imagine it's always a risk to keep close company with an elephant! How interesting that your dad loves elephants!
Thanks for the visit. Milton is one of my heros along with Thomas Sowell.
Those are great! Also, Johnny Depp is a great addition to any collection.
I just noticed that each picture has a label if I float my mouse over it. No idea how I missed that the first time around. Um, just thought I'd share my appreciation for the labels. That is all.
@ Chief RZ ... very good choices! Thanks for stopping by!
@ Erin ... you're so right about Johnny being an excellent addition to any collection! And I really should have pointed out that the pics were labeled ... actually if you click on any one of them, it will take you to an "album" where you can watch a proper slide show! Slide is pretty cool.