What must it be like to live a framed life? Mary Gertrude Bellwether has dwelled inside of a 7.5 by 11.5 cadmium yellow picture frame since birth. It occurred to her immediately that the world was collapsing in on her. And so, she has spent her entire life trying desperately to keep the walls of her 7.5 by 11.5 frame from crumbling down upon her and crushing her to death.

Mary Gertrude Bellwether has lived a mostly solitary life. During her first day on this Earth, she was joined by a small brown dog. His name was Chester P. Dog, here-fore to be referred to as "the dog", and he was painted on a scrap of Arches water color paper. After appearing on the paper, the dog was cut out by the painter with a pair of Wusthof brand culinary scissors. Having been sipping on a glass of 2008 Norton Argentinean Malbec the artist was rather careless in his cutting of the dog and severed a portion of the dog's left hind paw.

The artist placed the dog in the frame , just to the right of Mary Gertrude Bellwether, but he soon determined that the severed paw was distracting and the dog was removed within seconds. That was Mary Gertrude Bellwether's only taste of companionship. Mary Gertrude Bellwether never saw the dog, for she was too busy holding up the wall in an attempt to save both their lives.

Perhaps she sensed the dog's presence.

Or perhaps she did not.

All that is known for sure is that Mary Gertrude Bellwether continues to hold up the wall beside her, and thus far, she seems to be succeeding. And that, in a very small and auburn colored nutshell, is the framed life of Mary Gertrude Bellwether.

What sort of framed life might you lead?