{"id":2960,"date":"2011-08-13T09:00:52","date_gmt":"2011-08-13T13:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/zeezoey.com\/blog\/?p=2960"},"modified":"2016-01-18T11:47:21","modified_gmt":"2016-01-18T16:47:21","slug":"the-looking-glass-mirror-of-hemmingway-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zeezoey.com\/blog\/the-looking-glass-mirror-of-hemmingway-house\/","title":{"rendered":"Cat Connection – The Looking Glass Mirror That is Hemingway House…"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Standing in front of the Hemingway House before we enter for the tour<\/p><\/div>\n

As you know, I was on vacation recently with my family\u00a0and one of the places we went to visit was the Hemingway House in Key West. Clearly, being the cat lover I am, this was really no surprise. But, what can one say about the Hemingway House or Hemingway that hasn’t already been said? After all, he\u2019s been dead since 1961 and is \u00a0firmly entrenched in the pages of history. The house remains a beloved tourist attraction in the Keys and the Hemingway cats are legendary. Nobel Prize writing author (Old Man and the Sea), cat lover, notorious drinker, and fisherman are all images that come to mind when I think of this literary talent. Now, upon further inspection, I have come to the conclusion that Ernie and I are long lost relatives. The evidence seems all but indisputable, but I will let you be the judge\u2026<\/p>\n

First of all, Ernest Hemingway was born on July 21, 1899, in Oak Park Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Well, my Mom was also born on July 21st (just not quite as early as him) and we also lived in a suburb of Chicago. Uncanny, huh? Then, as if it can\u2019t get any more spine-tingling, his grand-daughter, Margaux Hemingway, was born in Portland, Oregon. Hmm\u2026 so was my brother. Getting chills yet? I feel perhaps I should be calling him the infamous \u201cPapa.\u201d Okay, maybe I’m stretching it a bit with all of this, but that is a writer’s perogative! Did I mention my God-father’s name was Ernest?<\/p>\n

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Left Cover – Hemingway’s Literary Masterpiece, Right Cover – my Literary Masterpiece<\/p><\/div>\n

So, as the evidence mounts and we move on in time, I have come to live in a lush tropical paradise as Ernest did,\u00a0with Dan and my seven cats to write my first novel about my life with them. Granted, it is not filled with gritty writing and probably will not be a Nobel Prize winner, but it is still a novel that was written with the same type of blood, sweat,\u00a0tears, and devotion. And no doubt, as Ernie wrote his novels, he was surrounded by an assortment of cats, as I always am.<\/p>\n

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One of the Hemingway cats in the front yard before you enter the main house for the tour<\/p><\/div>\n

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One of the neighbor cats in the walkway to our front door<\/p><\/div>\n

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Me petting one of the outdoor Hemingway cats<\/p><\/div>\n

Anyone entering our home for our version of the daily Hemingway\u00a0tour, would see assorted cats\u00a0reclined in our front yard so comfortable, you would think they actually lived with us, rather than being traveling neighbor cats. Please be certain to come and visit frequently, as these\u00a0front yard kitties change guard around the clock. \u00a0If you were to venture into our fenced backyard, you would see a bevy of cats lounging peacefully on the cool pavers\u00a0that are shaded from the harsh summer sun with a thick umbrella of green leaves. They are always happy for\u00a0a friendly pat or two from passersby, so please be sure and say hello as you walk by. These backyard cats are only allowed outdoors under strict supervision of their human caretakers (namely Dan and I), but they delight visitors nonetheless with their lazy grace and beauty.<\/p>\n

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One of the resident cats (Zee), relaxing on the cool pavers during a back yard jaunt outside<\/p><\/div>\n

Continuing the tour indoors, visitors would be certain to be greeted by one or two cats atop, perhaps an over-filled book shelf, a coffee table, a counter, or just lazily napping on a cozy bed. Please take care to not disturb them. If they don\u2019t get a full day of napping in, they can be quite cranky and surly by nightfall. One will note as well as they meander throughout our house, that a cat theme seems to dominate the decorating scheme as did with Mr. Hemingway.<\/p>\n

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Left – me petting a Hemingway cat (this one is a polydactyl) atop of a glass table. Right – resident cat (Zoey), atop my dining room table<\/p><\/div>\n

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The kitchen curtains in Hemingway’s house – note the lace design is feline inspired!<\/p><\/div>\n

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My step-daughter Jackie’s bedroom when she comes to visit – you will note the predominately feline leopard theme!<\/p><\/div>\n

The only thing that really might stand out as questionable would be the history of the polydactyl cat that Hemingway House is so famous for. A polydactyl cat has six or more toes that makes a cat look as if it is wearing mittens, but not all Hemingway cats are polydactyl as legend would have it. Currently there are about 60 cats living on the estate and about half of them are polydactyl.\u00a0 The majority of the cats are spayed and neutered, with one or two remaining as potential breeders for future kittens. The estate likes to have a new litter every year or so to make up for the loss of cats due to deaths from old age, illnesses, etc. I actually did have a polydactyl cat many, many years ago. Her name was Scrubby and she was born with only one eye. She had 6 toes and was also stunted in size, so that even as an adult, she remained the size of a kitten. For me, she was a joy and her being special made her all the more endearing, so, yes, one more coincidence!!<\/p>\n

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Me – July, 1981 with my sweet polydactyl, Scrubby. Coincidently, we visited Hemingway House in July – a full 30 years later!<\/p><\/div>\n

As far as Mr. Hemingway\u2019s penchant for alcohol, well, I certainly don\u2019t have the problem he did, but I do enjoy a refreshing beverage now and then and would have enjoyed a toast at Sloppy Joe\u2019s Tavern in Key West with this crusty old man. I think the only thing that would put Ernie to shame and question our possible heritage, would be my seamanship. I have been brought up my whole life on the water \u2013 fishing, boating, swimming (better known as\u00a0dipping my toes in the water)\u00a0\u2013 all of this is very common to me. Well, turns out as you age, the motion of driving hours to the Keys, then walking down an unbearably hot and humid Duval Street while dehydrated to get to the sunset cruise we were all set to take was not a good combination. I decided it would be fun to draw attention to myself while we were miles out on the Gulf of Mexico, by fainting on the boat!!! Thank goodness the only thing that was hurt was my ego \u2013 I am prone to fainting and many a time have regained consciousness to find my face dripping in blood from whatever I hit my head on as I fell to the ground\u2026\u00a0 It was such a crowd drawer, that I suggested to the boat captain that they make it a permanent part of the boat tour!<\/p>\n

Anyhow, despite that, I still feel that\u00a0Mr. Hemingway and I are related somehow in the tree of life. What do you think? I mean seriously, what are the odds that someone in past history\u00a0enjoyed cats, writing, and tropical paradise like I do today? It can’t just be coincidence… Right? Wink, wink…. cat lovers and writers…. what\u00a0 a rarity ndeed!<\/p>\n