about SchmattaLUV

When i was in college, Schmatta was the name of my stepmom Sue’s dog, a shi tzu that was an enthusiastic, wriggly, panting mess.  i liked how much the dog looked like a rag with its humanoid hair, plus the yiddishkeit of the name (by a wonderful woman who was so loving to the extended family) really appealed to me.

When i got two cats in college and gave them the unfortunate names of Walter Meep and Boo, they soon became known as Big Schmatta and Little Schmatta.  They were feral cats from the wilds of suburban Detroit and were suspicious and scared of strangers, qualities i liked and respected about them.  When i moved to Los Angeles and my friend Melisa would come visit, she would constantly taunt the cats by trying to coax them out from their safe hiding places, “Schmatta Schmatta Schmatta Schmatta….”

I moved to New York City via a slight detour to Missoula where i cried halfway across the state because i thought Little Schmatta had gotten out at the gas station and was lost to me forever.  Me and the Schmattas moved in with my aunt, then later with my old roommate John until we finally found our current home.

When they died, Schmatta continued to be the name i called most animals.  I also found a new hobby in some of the fiber crafts — knitting and most importantly weaving.  Creating Schmattas is one of my eventual goals, one of my many hobbies.

And so the Schmatta – LUV continues…