T is for Turtle

I don't remember a time before our kids liked to draw. It seems like our girls, especially, were always drawing their favorite TV characters. They made exacting images of all of the Color Kids on Rainbow Brite. But soon, they had graduated to pictures of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, those intrepid reptilian crime fighters named after Renaissance painters. I think they have been drawing turtles ever since.


In middle school, Karen's pictures of her speedy sneakered friend "Flash Turtlewax" was so popular he had his own picture among the other graduating eighth graders.

One of her art assignments in college was to add an animal to part of the design of a dollar bill.




















Turtle Money


In her animation class, Karen created this swimming sea turtle.

I guess I'm just like a turtle
That's hidin' underneath its horny shell.
Whoa, whoa, oh yeah, like a turtle
Hidin' underneath its horny shell.
But you know I'm very well protected -
I know this goddamn life too well.

Turtle Blues
Janis Joplin