Adieu, Mon Beau Lapin

when i first took cooking class, one of the things we made was braised rabbit. it's also one of the things i don't eat, although i tasted it for class. we're a rabbit kind of family, so it's not the rabbit that's a problem, it's the EATING of the rabbit that's the problem. we're rabbit owners, i've owned rabbits as pets for quite sometime and our bunny, Bugsy, has been a member of our family since we got him from a christmas tree farm back in 2002. he was just a baby, actually given to us before he should have been leaving his mother, and although we were told not to hold him too much, both brandon and nicholas took turns holding him the whole way home from the farm. it was a long 3 hour drive and by the time we got home, our Bugsy was a cuddly, wanna be held, personality full rabbit who would thump to get your attention, loved tummy rubs and had the run of the place.

so, no. i never cook rabbits. i never eat rabbits, because of Bugsy and before him, DJ and before her, Beanie and Cecil, her parents. these weren't just caged "oh, aren't they cute?" from afar pets. all four of these were litterbox trained, playful, actual walked on leash pets who, interestingly enough, came when you called.

when i woke up this morning, i looked over at the condo sized cage this master of cute calls home to find him lying on his side, silent and gone. Bugsy died this morning, 27 January, after almost 6 years of living with our craziness, being our sole and most beloved pet to having to share his space with (gasp!) two dogs. and we are heartbroken. deep down, sad to our souls heartbroken. we loved, we LOVE, that rabbit and as i write this, the tears are blurring every word. it may seem strange to put so much weight on the depth of meaning of a rabbit, but he was more than a bunny. he was our friend, he was our family and he will always stay that way in our hearts.

my hope in life, my dream, is to one day go to Paris and take cooking from the masters, as i've mentioned here before. i like to think i'm a good student who does what they're told and learns well. but i can't cook rabbit. i won't. i guess i'll get an "F" in lapin cooking. and i'm okay with that. Bugsy would be proud of me, i do believe. and in honor of Bugsy, the one, the only, the bunny love of life, i'll be baking a carrot cake today -- sweet, wonderful, full of good things. like our Bugsy. and i will be missing him, because he was special. even bunnies can steal your heart. this one sure did.

adieu, mon beau lapin, Bugsy.
bon voyage.