“Slowly, the grin disappeared, until nothing was left but the cat. This is nearly as scary as the other way around.” — From Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland”
Disney's version of the Cheshire Cat
Travels With Maggie
Early last night I was riding in the car with my granddaughter, Jennifer, and her best friend, Ellen. I had spent the afternoon with the two of them at their home in Temple, Texas, and they were driving me back to my RV in Harker Heights.
As I looked up at the night sky, I saw the glowing grin of a Cheshire cat. Jennifer and Ellen saw it too. And if you were looking up at the sky last night you probably also saw it. But only if your imagination allowed a glowing sliver of crescent moon to morph into the smile of Lewis Caroll’s fictional cat. Its smile followed us during the entire 30-minute journey.
How John Tenniel envisioned the Cheshire Cat
Later, as I’m apt to do when I’ve seen something interesting in my travels, I did a bit of research to learn more. My mind, however, was not on phases of the moon but on the cat.
The grin I remembered was a Disney creation. I thought it captured, in a Pollyannish way, the mischievousness of Carroll’s disappearing cat. I saw that the original cat, as envisioned by John Tenniel in the 1860 “Alice in Wonderland” publication, had a more wicked appearance.
Good old Wikipedia said one of Carrol’s inspirations for the cat might have been a smiling gargoyle pillar in St. Nicolas Church in Cranleigh. Looking at a photo of the gargoyle, I saw the resemblance.
St. Nicolas Church gargoyle that might have been Lewis Carroll's inspiration for the Cheshire cat
My research then took me to Cranleigh, about which I knew nothing. I discovered it was a large village in England and that St. Nicolas Church with the gargoyle head is still there, as is a crane-adorned fountain built in 1874.
Imagination and arm-chair travel: What a great way to spend an evening, When I finally turned out the lights and curled up next to my dog, Maggie, I took one last look out the vent above my bed to see that the moon was still wearing its Cheshire cat grin.
Pat Bean's blog 
Pat it is amazing how our lives are so parallel I have alsways dreamed of a gypsywagon and doing just as you are.I once owned an older RV and would still have it had it not been for expences of being a single mom. Right now you in my stomping grounds as I am from Killeen,Texas. Some of my friends lived in Harker Heights and my family live in and around that area. You are living my dream and I am sharing it through your blog. I recently stepped up to the plate and took the facilitator role for ecircle8. Many happy trails to you! gypsy ice skating with crutches in Iowa.
BTW loved the piece about the Cheshire cat as Alice in Wonderland is still a favorite of mine. I travel through cyber space,too. I am forever wanting to know the why,what,who,when of things.
gypsy
How wonderful the imagination! Turning what has become ordinary into the extraordinary once more.
And all of you were able to see and share the moment. That’s great!
A few months ago, when I was in the Shenandoah mountains, a little boy saw a witch traveling in the valley below.
Sure enough!
When I looked to where he was pointing, I saw it too. Perhaps the witch was practicing broom flying or chasing her two wayward cauldrons.
Unfortunately the boy’s mother seemed to be upset that he was seeing things that were not “real.” She could not see what he was talking about and quickly corrected him (the story on my blog called: “The Mysterious Witch of Shenandoah.”
He got very quiet after that and didn’t say another word. Kind of sad, I think.
I took a photo of that witch flying over the treetops. If you can see a Cheshire cat grin moon, I know you will be able to see this too. 🙂
Reblogged this on Writing Tips from Creative Writing Institute.