February 2008

2008 is in full swing and Penelope has not slowed down. She is already planning a rendezvous with her Latin lover, Eduardo Esteban. They have decided to meet in the spring in the romantic capital city of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysia is one of those exotic places that offer the best of everything to the educated traveler - modern high tech city life, great restaurants, entertainment, attractions and tours, lush rain forests, island escapes and tropical jungles. Penelope is so excited to be alone with her lover again, in one of her favorite places in the world that she gets tingly all over just thinking about him.

As mentioned before, Penelope has very close ties with her family. Her ancestral roots date back over three thousand years, originating in Egypt. She is a member of the pheasant family, and proud of it. Penelope claims that her relatives were royalty who were raised for ornamental purposes only, unlike her peafowl cousins who met untimely deaths at the hands of the hungry Roman Empire.

As beautiful as it is, Italy has never been her first choice for travel because of the frightening tales she was told growing up by her beloved grandma-hen, Sophie, who described to her the fates of her ancestors in gory detail (probably to warn her about what could happen if she was not careful). Penelope is the sort that could wind up in all kinds of trouble because she is so precocious and curious by nature, just like her grandma-hen, whose intention by frightening her was merely to pass on good advice!

Penelope met Esteban on a business trip to Madrid, Spain last summer (details to follow in another episode). Esteban and his family reside on Pheasant Island (or as the Spanish call it Isla de los Faisanes), located on the river Bidasoa near the Pyrenees Mountains. The island is under the joint sovereignty of France and Spain. It is a beautiful lush green paradise protected by the currents of the river.

Esteban is a handsome regal peacock with a plump colorful feathered breast of royal blue and an emerald green tail decorated with rich reds, gold, purples and ebony blues. His coloring is so dramatic; he shines like a jewel in the moonlight. His ancestry combines that of the green peafowl and the latter more common blue breed. Penelope finds him irresistible. He is the one peacock she has never refused. That is very rare indeed for Penelope who is an artful contender at the game of love...

Previous Penelope Stories...

December 2007

The holidays are in full swing. It's no surprise that Penelope is constantly swimming in party invitations. She is a regular noteworthy guest on everyone's who's-who list.

This year for Halloween, Penelope went out for some trick-or-treat fun with her sister Flo and her niece and nephew (twin chicks) Priscilla and Percy, who turned 10 on their birthday right before Thanksgiving.

Penelope tends to invest her heart and soul full boar in holiday festivities. This year, she designed herself as a Romanian gypsy fortune-teller, complete with a glittery headscarf, hand-made precious metal hoop earrings, a shear see-through white peasant blouse and a flamboyant magenta skirt over an array of lacey petticoats. She accented her lips with glossy fireball red Victoria Jackson lip color and painted her eyelids with the most beautiful violet and cobalt blue pearlescent eye shadow. Penelope plumped up her crest for the occasion with some fabulous KMS volumizer.

While she gazed in the mirror admiring her image, Penelope was for a moment, mesmerized by her own beauty. She thought to herself, as she batted her eyelashes and fluttered her fan,"How stunningly fabulous and dramatic I look. My fans are going to love me!"...Bursting with excitement she gushed out loud, "Tonight, I am just as beautiful on the outside as I am on the inside! I love who I am and how I look!"

Pleased with her brilliant womanly powers of attraction and her own self-absorption, she was ready to take on her public! As always, Penelope stirred things up at every party she attended, like the spark of a roman candle kissing the sky.

Multi-tasking is Penelope's middle name. So, in-between partying, she made herself available to help her sister Flo and her brother-in-law Ernest host a huge surprise party for the twin's birthday.

At the family party, guests feasted on an array of delights fit for regal peacocks and peahens! After lunch the chick-kiddies participated in relay races and other activities. They played a short distance flying game to test who could stay in the air the longest and fly the farthest. In addition, the chick-kid who could reach the treetop first won the main prize - a $10.00 gift certificate to amusement park of their choice.

Some of the chick-kiddies were invited to stay after the party for a back-yard treetop sleepover. Each of the twins got to invite a favorite friend or cousin. Throughout the afternoon party, the chick kids sang songs and took turns testing each other's shrieking ability. The one who let out the loudest cry or honk got to choose a surprise from the treat bowl. By the end of the day, everyone was exhausted but it was worth it for all the memories they made and the fun they had together.

Penelope smiled proudly as she watched the kids from the window in her sister's kitchen, having a grand time at play. For a split second, her heart was full of love and Penelope became overwhelmed with emotion that she is part of such a wonderful family. Penelope's mind began to race through the many things that happened in history on November 22, 1997, the day Priscilla and Percy were born. For Penelope, these peacock chicks are the lights of the future, beaming bright in her heart. Their birthday is also a special day that Penelope will never forget because that's when she first met Eduardo Estiban, her Latin escort (a story for another day).

Thanksgiving for Penelope was also spent this year in the company of family and a few friends from out-of-town. Instead of watching all the parades on TV, this colorful fowl family made an effort to show thanks by visiting less fortunate peacocks at a nearby shelter on Thanksgiving morning. Ernest started off the meal with a prayer of thanks that their habitat provided safety from dogs and raccoons. The rest of the day was spent lounging, eating and watching football.

Penelope still has not decided how she will wear her hair for the rest of the winter holiday galas she still has left to attend. She is searching for a style that will make her look fashionable, sexy and chic yet casual - a look that is versatile enough to coordinate with any outfit she selects. Is she asking too much?

Penelope has always been particular about her appearance in every way. She loves to shop, loves to be pampered and loves to spend quality time at the salon. As a child, Penelope was considered precocious and now that she is reaching midlife (we won't reveal her true age), she is all the wiser and all the better for having lived sometimes on the edge.

Penelope was married once (or twice) but we'll never know for sure. That's her secret. What we do know is that she enjoys the company of men and she has many suitors. She also enjoys the company of her nieces and nephews and her sister Flo, who has been married to Ernest for almost two decades. Penelope and Flo are so close you'd need a crowbar to pry them apart. But yet, they are so different in appearance, you'd never know they were sisters except for the way their eyes twinkle after hearing a hilarious joke or whatnot - they both have the same boisterous cackling laugh that is easily mistaken for a screech.

Both Flo and Penelope have a crest on their fairly dull-feathered heads. However, Flo's is full while poor Penelope was born with a thin scraggily tuft that is almost impossible for her to control. Managing her hair is the one area of her life that has always proven to be frustrating. She has resorted to many different styles and countless suggestions from hairdressers but nothing seems to work for her. It seems her hair has a mind of it's own and is determined to outwit her every time. Alas, she always seems to come back to the same phrase when she looks in the mirror at her hair: "Arrrrugh!"

The Creation of Penelope Peahen

The character of Penelope Peahen was created partly for fun, and as a subtle way to offer advice about hair care, skin care, and fashion tips. She is an adventurous spirit, living an ongoing saga defined by her hair. Penelope has many gifts and surprises to teach us by teasing our senses and wits. There is a bit of Penelope inside all of us. She is a heroine in her own right.