Martie MacCoon's very own Web Page

Martie's Story, Part I
    Long, long ago, in a land far, far away, there lived a man and his wife whose house was on a hill. At the back of the house, there was deck which stood on strong posts, and gave shade to the couple's back yard.
    At the bottom of one of the posts grew a grape vine; and it grew slowly, but eventually, it reached the deck and grew up over the railings. The man and the woman (Bob and Martha) enjoyed the green leaves, and the sweet grapes.
    One evening, sitting together after dinner, Bob and Martha heard rustling on the deck! What could it be? they wondered. So they peeped outside through their curtains, and what do you think they saw? They saw ... a mama raccoon and three of her babies!
    "Oh, my!" Martha exclaimed. "Get the camera, Bob!"
    But by the time Bob got back with the camera, the raccoons had gone because there was no water for them on the deck.
    You see, raccoons like to wash their food before they eat -- even luscious grapes fresh off the vine. When they learned this, Bob and Martha set out a bowl of water for the raccoon family.
    Sure enough, the next night the raccoons came back. They washed their grapes in the water and enjoyed their feast while Bob and Martha watched their antics. And every night after that for many years, Bob and Martha set out fresh water for their raccoon guests. Sometimes they set out eggs or other special treats for the raccoons.
    Many generations of raccoon babies grew up on Bob's and Martha's deck. Some of them got friendly enough to venture into Bob's and Martha's house, where they had a wonderful time exploring.
    (By the way, Bob and Martha were lucky, not right, when they let the raccoons into their house. Wild animals, even when they've adapted to life in cities or suburbs, should be outside friends. For many reasons -- and no matter how cute they are -- we mustn't try to touch them or treat them like pets.)

Martie's Story, Part II
   One day, Martha got very sick and had to go to the hospital. She was so sick that she couldn't get better, but Bob and her doctors and all her friends made sure that she was as comfortable as could be. One of Martha's friends brought her a toy raccoon, and Martha treasured this gift.
    After Martha died, Bob said good-bye to his raccoon friends and sold the house he and Martha had lived in for so many years. But when he moved, he took the toy raccoon with him, for it reminded him of the good times he and Martha had with the raccoon family.
    When Bob died, we discovered that the toy raccoon wasn't quite only a toy after all. The love that Bob and Martha shared with each other, and the friendship they had with their raccoons, had found a home in the little grey-and-black plush beastie.
    When we realized this, we named her Martie -- that's a nickname for Martha -- and we named her MacCoon because Martha came from a family with a a Mac- name, and in spirit, Martie was one of those raccoon babies that grew up on Bob's and Martha's deck.
    Martie MacCoon was very sad when Martha and Bob died, and for a long time, she didn't feel like having fun with anybody else -- so she didn't have any fun at all! We understand that everybody handles grief in their own way, so we let Martie take her time with her feelings.
    We explained to Martie that she didn't have to forget about Bob and Martha, or love them any less, to find new friends. And this year, at Samhainville, Martie decided that she was ready to remember Bob and Martha and make new friends. And that's just what she did!

Martie's Story, Part III
    Elmer and Darren are two elves who were our guests at Samhainville this year, along with their buddy Puff the Dragon. Martie was happy to meet them, and they spent lots of time playing together.
    Martie really threw herself into Samhainville activities, too. She helped build elf-lights, and she helped carve pumpkins, and she helped Queen Mary prepare the apples for the cobbler. Martie went on two hikes, and saw some pictographs and a squirrel.
    Now that Martie knows she can enjoy herself and still remember Bob and Martha, we think she's going to be having lots of adventures, and this page is where she'll share them with everyone.

    We're having a heck of time with my very own Web Page! Ash isn't sure why we can't get photos up here, and just now my up-date disappeared!
    I had a great time at my first Thanksgiving. I got to help decorate the Yule tree this year, too. And I even got to hang out on the deck of the pirate ship Ash and 'dancer built for their New Year's Eve Party.
    Now I'm looking forward to another camping trip, later this month (March) at Ostara Village. Ash says she'll make me my own Witch's robe to wear at the Sabbat Circle and for the full Moon.
    I didn't get to go to the Highland Games in Phoenix last month [February 2008], but Ash says she might have enough of her clan's tartan fabric to make me something else to wear.
    (My name, MacCoon, is associated with the MacEwen clan. Their motto is "I grow strong again," and that certainly applies to me. But I feel close to Ash's clan, through her mother Martha, who was born a MacCollum. So it's the MacCollum tartan I'll be wearing, if Ash can figure out how to match the plaid.)

To my very great surprise, Martie has broached the subject of moving on! She's had a great time camping with us, and celebrating the Sabbats, and playing at our parties. But she seems to think it might be time for her to find a new family, one with children, and she's asked me to help her find a new home.

I will admit to being stunned -- by her request and by my own acceptance of the idea. She's given a lot to my family: she comforted my mother during the months it took her to die, and she let us help her heal from her grief after my mother's and father's death. We've seen her regain her natural cheer and curiosity, and I'm actually delighted that she feels ready to take on another family's adventures.

It will be hard to say good-bye, but I'm sure our parting tears will be happy as well as sad. I'll ask a couple of families we know if they'd like to include Martie in their lives, and if they don't think she'd get along with their kids or their pets, then we'll let Martie find her own way back into the wide world.

This won't happen immediately, but I believe she will have found a new family by the end of the summer. We'll always remember her fondly, and we already wish her well on her new path.