25 Comments
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Summer Brenner's avatar

So lively, so vivid, so amourous. It has been a hectic month, which is why I'm just reading. What a welcome morning delight! The video too is charming, Leah's laugh, Greenberg's nails clacking over the tiles, and Eliott, a mysterious creature, self-contained, always 'at home,' and an unlikely object of desire, which makes it all the more wondrous. Thank you, Leah, thank you, Greenberg, thank you, Eliot.

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Fran Johns's avatar

This is absolutely wonderful. If we had a little more species-fluid love and adoration we wouldn't be in this mess with our self-absorbed species. Maybe Greenberg could lead a movement. Xoxo & thanks for sharing

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Leah Garchik's avatar

So kind of you to write!

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Maureen Bogues's avatar

Delightful! And the video is sweet too! 💕👏

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Leah Garchik's avatar

Miss you!

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Eve Meyer's avatar

In lesser hands this story could have merely been, “My dog loves this big turtle - unsure why.”

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Leah Garchik's avatar

Oh but that is EXACTLY what it is. A respite from worrying about the election or the Middle East

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Lucy Gray's avatar

I hope you will forgive me if I say this is probably my favorite thing you’ve ever written! I am dancing the tango in my head. I thought the video was sublime but then the story you’ve written, it has all the romance I worry has left our culture. Sigh!

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Leah Garchik's avatar

Forgive you? I want to dance the tango with you!

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Andrew's avatar

Seems to be reciprocal, judging from the video. Note: suggest a title: "Lives of Greenberg."

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Leah Garchik's avatar

That turtle can really move! Hormone-fueled speed.

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Tina Martin's avatar

What a beautifully written story! I've passed Elliot many times when visiting friends at the Jewish Home, and I'm going to pass this on to them and their families and friends!

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Leah Garchik's avatar

Oh it warms me to read your message! And Happy New Year! Xx best

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Michael Strickland's avatar

That is way more awesome than a kitten and a pit bull.

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Philip's avatar

Thanks for brightening up my afternoon!

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MIMI S LEONARD's avatar

Such fun to read, Leah. Thank you. The intro is especially effective, making us all (having watched the video) gasp in horror that you might actually be speaking of gouging a living tortoise's eyes out! My dog's bed is piled high with stuffed animals, all sans eyes, so this is very familiar....

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Leah Garchik's avatar

Somewhere there is a giant pile of those eyes. But at least they are not in our dogs’ digestive systems

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Perry-Lynn Moffitt's avatar

I read the story first, and then looked at the video. Greenberg is so cute the way he is pulling and jumping trying to arrive at Elliot's terrarium as quickly as possible. And he knows exactly how to get there. Tortoises do seem friendlier and more curious about other animals, than say, red eared slider turtles do. My kids both had red eared sliders before we adopted a dog, and the turtles would also dash away to hide whenever they were placed on the floor. I do wonder how Greenberg and Elliot would interact in person. Elliot is far better protected in his shell than Greenberg's stuffed toy, so the meeting might be very non threatening, or even sweet.

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Leah Garchik's avatar

I too would like to see that! People passing while walking down the corridor are charmed by the sight of them making goo-goo eyes at each other

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Richard Peard's avatar

I love seeing how determined Greenberg is to get to visit his buddy Elliot. They definitely have a connection between them.

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Jean's avatar

Wonderful video. Never seen anything like that.

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mary ijichi's avatar

Sweeeeet! Love this story, especially since I know Greenberg. Thank you! 💕

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Julian Steinberg's avatar

Leah, nice entertaining vignette. thanks.

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jraoul's avatar

Yes, love is indeed grand.

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