What is a monkeybox?

When I was a little girl, we had a pet monkey named Amanda. My Dad worked in the produce business, so each night he brought home that days culls in a big box - spotty cucumbers, pithy apples, limp celery, moldy oranges and the like. We called it a monkeybox. It was really just trash, but my Mom would take each piece of fruit and trim it, pare it and cut it up to make a beautiful fruit platter for Amanda. Even though it was deemed trash by one, it still had life left in it and was good for the purpose we needed it. That's how I live my life - thrifting, yard saling, looking for another's trash to be my treasure.

Monday, August 13, 2007

Mail Call!

I've always had a secret "Crush", if you will, on the mailman and the UPS man. (The fact that our mailman is a lady - well, that's another story!) Every day, the mail arrives, leaving little surprises and goodies - magazines, coupons, samples, treats. But, lately, all I have been getting is bra catalogs and shotgun catalogs (long story, but I swear, you order one Christmas item for someone and you are on that catlog mailing lst FOREVER). And, my deceased Father-in-law gets more mail than I do some days. So, when two, count 'em two packages arrived on the same day - well, I was pretty psyched!

First of I all, I received my Summer Swap from Evelyn. Her package arrived all wrapped up like a fun gift basket.
There was a set of two nice bright Orange dishtowels - as in orange the fruit - that I just adore. There was a fun juicer, a serving platter, two bright orange frames (claimed by DS), a fun mouse and cheese timer, yellow flowered serving fork and spoon, recipe book for me to put my own recipes in and two big bags of coffee all in a nice serving basket.

For her handmade item, Evelyn made a bowl out of strips of alternating yellow and orange paper and then coated it so it is waterproof. I mean, you can't run it through the dishwasher (as if I had one), but you could serve chips in it and not hurt it. I am sure it took her a very long time to maake it! I think it will become my summer time fruit bowl. Thank you Evelyn!

Now for the Oliveoyl (Carol's) goodies. She was sneaky and found out that I have a birthday this week and sent me a box of goodies. She sent some scrapbooking paper and stickers for my "Mom" baking, lots and lots and lots of fun watermelon themed fabric, a sweet little watermelon basket and an authentic Maple Syrup tin.

Carol also makes wonderful windchimes out of fun "found" items. She sent me a fantastic windchime made out of an old wire chicken shaped basket and some fun old silverware. It is wonderful. If a breeze ever graces our yard agian, it will go outside. Until then, it is near the fan tinkling away. Thank you Carol!


I don't have a lot of friends in real life so having friends out there in cyberspace just means the world to me. I can't talk about yard sales and thrift stores to anyone I know in real life other than my Mom. Their eyes just glaze over and they don't "get it". I mentioned my blog to a group of Mom's one day and they all sucked the air through their teeth, clutched their chests and said, "You have a BLOG????" (Why yes, I do, I chat with men and have cybersex with them. As if.) That's what they were thinking! You know they were!

So, big boy, how was your day? Whoops - that's a post for a different blog.....

7 comments:

  1. I personally feel closer to my CWF's(cyber world friends) than my OBF's(oxygen breathing friends), that is why they get the fun goodies. Glad you liked the birthday gift.

    I order lots of freebies online just so my mailbox always has something in it. So sad when it is empty.

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  2. Carol cracks me up! OBFs....LOL! :) I love that cute chicken windchime she made for you. It's just darling! You got a neat swap package too--what a cool bowl! Very original and clever.

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  3. I'm with you and Carol on the bloggy friends thing. None of my OBF's thrift or craft, so I don't really talk about those things with them.

    You must have good blog friends, because you got great goodies!

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  4. Anonymous4:01 PM

    I love the stuff you got! What neat items! That watermelon basket is so cute!

    I know what you mean about people rolling their eyes at you. That's how I feel when I tell someone about a great deal I got on something at a store with my coupons and rebates or at a yard sale. As far as your blog, I love your writing and funny remarks. You write just like I picture someone talking; very authentic.

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  5. Shara bet you didn't know I feel like I am in your skull looking out through your eyeballs when I read your stories. That is how visual your writing is, very captivating.

    (((((hugs))))

    I don't take credit for the OBF acronym, that comes from my blog friend Badoozie. I have started using it and CWF in my everyday language just to iritate my OBF's.

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  6. What wonderful packages!!

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  7. That is a super cool container!! I would of never of thought to do something like that. Lucky you :) I'm glad everything worked out!

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