Recently I was privileged to host esteemed international guests at my home with Cheri and Ed. Ed came back to help out for the weekends. (I miss him, but I’m so glad he likes his new place!)
The guests from Canada are special friends, and while the husband attended a conference, the wife and I had a blast “doing” the Twin Cities.
We shopped and went to an impromptu concert, shopped, went to the Minneapolis Institute of Art, shopped, ate out—, shopped….
We went to church, too, and briefly visited the aforementioned conference.
We met with other like-minded individuals working together to spread light in a dark world.
My friend and I shopped, as I said. We visited the Minnetonka General Store, which is a lovely store full of gift items. It is always fun to shop there.
I saw a barrel full of sock monkeys and I decided to pass on a fantastic memory and tradition to my four grandchildren, so I shelled out the $$ and got four monkeys.
My Grandma Bessie was the one who made those Grand Sweepstakes State Fair Winner Crocheted Bedspreads. I’ve shown those before. She made 22 of them and they took her a year to make each one. She totally deserved winning the Grand Prize at the State Fair.
In her spare time she made other things…including sock monkeys, and I have two sock monkeys from those days so long ago. Grandma passed away in the early 1970’s. I was quite young, but I remember her well. I still treasure these stuffed toys she made.
Part of the fun was my two older brother’s imaginative play-acting/puppeteer abilities using these two monkeys. One monkey was extremely mischievous, bordering malicious. His face was full of personality. “Monkey” would regularly pinch me. Hard.
“Mary” was the benign sweet personality. Her face reflected that too. A few stitches and a character was established.
I cannot describe the hilarity those two stuffed animals produced. Our mom would ban them from road trips, but inevitably they would sneak their way into the car, resulting in periodic banning from the back seat.
Remembering these times brings a chuckle even today.
I miss my husband, my brother, and my dad. I picture them up in heaven together. If they have coffee time up there there would be much laughter and joy.
Blessings.
Perhaps we will all be together for that Bridal Feast soon. Ready for the Rapture!
MARANATHA!
