[T]here is another member of our household that I haven't introduced you to before. This family member may be small, a bit grubby and resembling a pig, but she is beloved. She's been living with the family for the last 7 years, quiet and unassuming, often sat on by mistake, sometimes slightly slobbered on by the occasional dog. The peace is invariably shattered if she isn't on hand at bedtime or if she dares to try and leave the house without my knowledge though.

I didn't always feel as warmly towards her as I do now however. When she first arrived, all the way from America, she was an unwanted house guest.  I thought she was ugly and used to hide her away. But Lilia saw through the hideousness and was drawn to her lurid pink glow even as a tiny baby and used to drag her newborn body down the cot, just to be close to her. Nothing I did could keep them apart and eventually I gave up trying to persuade her to change her mind and they have been inseparable (unless forced by me) ever since. These days the bright pink has made way for pinky grey, she is battered, has lost an arm to an over enthusiastic puppy and has some dubious stains, but she feels like a part of the family and it seems impossible to imagine life without her in it. She is a quiet staple of our family life, and I hope she will always have a presence of sorts, if only to indulge my nostalga for the little baldy baby Lilia used to be. There is no sign, as of yet, that this friendship will go its separate ways, although Lilia does grow a little more conscious of what her friends think as each year passes. I do hope this is one friendship that stands the brutal test of female social acceptance.

Because she is such a part of our family life, Lilia wanted to tell you about her for this week's Define 'Normal' blog hop, and so I will pass this post over to her…

My Life With Piggy

I have had piggy all my life and I still have her. I like the smell of her so mutch [sic] I carry her evreywer [sic] in the house. and it came from America. Me and piggy are 7. I have loved her all my life. and I don’t now [sic] if I will still love her when I am 36.

Have you guessed who piggy is yet?

Lilia's beloved piggy blanket (a portrait)

Why not join in?

To learn more about the reasons that I started the Define 'Normal' blog hop click here. If you would like to join in the blog hop and tell us what your normal is like click on the link below and follow the instructions to add a link to your post. The subject of your entry is up to you, anything goes, show us a photo, a picture, dust off an old post that talks about any aspect of your normal life. Please link back to this post or duplicate the linky in your post to make sure the entries get as many views as possible. Don't forget to tell us all on twitter using #definenormal and feel free to post your link on my Facebook page once you've linked up!

Last week's amazing entries

 

1. Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll

 

2. 9 weeks and counting

 

3. Big and Little (Down Wit Dat)

 

4. The art of tying a shoe.

 

5. Living without a Diagnosis

 

6. A MATTER OF OPINION

 

7. Dear Normal Prognosis

 

8. The Horrors of Homework