Myrtle the Turtle

Bronzey with the open shell
Bronzey in all her glory

Myrtle the Turtle - cute, colorful and full of cheer!

No matter how much I try to avoid the influence of Dr.Seuss - Aarti's current favourite - I end up wanting to sound like him. So naming the turtle after a bush just to rhyme should be excused - but it is kind of symbolic so to speak - since Myrtles are evergreens and Turtles are symbols of longevity.

So - I was on my usual window shopping and evening walking spree the other day and spotted the most colorful creation. I was frozen in my tracks - like I knew that I wanted to take him home with me without a doubt. Thus Myrtle came home tucked in a black and white card board flap box lined with a lint like cushion. I flaunted my new friend to my hubby and kid. Aarti seemed to be amazed by the color and the inlay of the bright hues in the shell of the turtle called the Carapace. The body part underlying the shell which is called Plastron is made out of a green opaque gem stone. The sterling cord is held in Myrtles mouth and thus he adorns necks letting the wearer make a statement. No wonder, the nurse at the doctor's office and the sales clerk at the checkout counter were as in awe with Myrtle as I was when I first spotted him

Interestingly enough, this piece of jewelry that I bought for a song was designed by Gurubachi - a woman of Indian sikh origin. http://www.gurubachi.com/ has some of her designs on display. She has strong southwestern influences in her designs and the opaque gems are arranged in breathtaking designs - forming wearable art.

Myrtle's companion - Let's call her Bronzey - has the alter ego of a little trinket box. She holds my odds and ends. She came all the way from India when a teenage family friend came to stay with us and hauled it as a hostess gift. I love her intricate mother of pearl carapace and she never seems to complain about sitting on the bathroom counter waiting for me to notice her and her possessions.

It is amusing how we take cues form mother nature time and time again and recreate the creations of the Almighty and give them our own interpretation - making them unique and making ourselves pseudo almighties. I wish I had the vision of gurubachi or the unknown artist from India who thought through the anatomy of Bronzey. I am thankful I have my camera to capture them in their partial glory for lack of technique and of course, I am thankful I have Myrtle and Bronzey - my little symbols of longevity and endurance.

BTW Turtles are one of the oldest and most primitive groups of reptiles and have outlived many other species. One can only wonder if their unique shell is responsible for their success.