“Familiars” in folklore were thought to protect their owner from evil, to cunningly shift shape and employ their powers to guard and aid their owner. They often took the form of small animals or birds.
For some reason I have been surrounded by these little familiars all of my life and they delight me. They are funny and fun and allow even a grown up and very serious person like myself, ahem, to play. Right now I need protection and I most certainly need to play, so today’s game was sort of a “familiar” census, since census is in the air, at home here. The very first one to delight me when I was 5 maybe, was this guy who always sat on Pop’s kitchen table with his mouth full of toothpicks…
and this one from Nana’s
in college I bought “Hopping Chicken With Flapping Wing” because I thought the box was so funny, but look who’s still with me…(and hi Fan…)
Repurposed…
Kim Murton
straight from Target
Some with a sort of sweetness…
…these were also Nana’s
this young lady guarded the Arbor Cafe for 13 years…
and for a few years Ginger and Fred were my constant companions (here being photographed by their friend Klaus)
Keep in touch friends.
On The Way 
Loved this! I appreciate your comments and thoughts on our odd and isolating times right now. And I am so glad to see a dinosaur in here. That was such an integral part of your Grandma life for a long time! Stay well!
A warm post .. love the lizard,and elephants
come to think of it maybe I got my love of familiars from my grandmother!
Never have thought of these kinds of memory pieces as familiars but I will now. Love the way you think.
today so blank and then—familiars—i will be marching around in my squirrel mask noticing the familiars that might have been neglected…thank you for the reminder!
you…the font of all things squirrel…
EXTRAORDINARY….loved each and every “Familiar!”
Love them all!
These are delightful! Thank you for sharing.
I always wondered where that guy with the mouth ended up, and now I know. Such a
VIVID memory.