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.

Sunday, July 09, 2017

Christopher Shane's Grandma

I shared a bit of this story on Instagram last week, but thought I would tell the whole story here.

The day that The Bean was born, my Mom went down to the hospital gift shop to buy him a little present.  As she was paying, she told the lady at the counter that she had just had her first grandchild.  "Oh, that's such a wonderful thing!" the lady replied.  My Mom told her it was a boy and that his name was Christopher.  "I have a grandson named Christopher too!' the lady said.  "Well" my mom said, "Ours is Christopher Shane."  The lady said, "Mine is Christopher Shane too!"  They talked for a while and then my Mom came upstairs and told me this story.  At some point before I went home (I was there a week) she came up to the room to meet me.  I had never met her before and never seen her before.

Flash forward a few weeks and I see her at the local grocery store.  Then at the pizza restaurant.  Then at Wal-Mart.  She introduces me to her daughter that works at Wal-Mart and we form a friendship based on the name Christopher Shane.  Every single time I see her, the first words out of her mouth are, "How's Christopher Shane?" then, "How is your Mom?" I have seen her every few months for the past almost 22 years! Every time we discuss our Christopher Shane's.  A couple of years ago I stopped at a garage sale and it was at her house - she was moving in with her daughter.  She must have been in her late 80's, but she still drove everywhere and still volunteered at the same hospital where we first met.  She just wanted to live with her daughter so they could "have fun together." Last year at the city fireworks show, who pulls up beside us to watch?  You guessed it, Christopher Shane's grandma.

About a month ago, I stopped at an estate sale.  I was poking through the garage and when I went into the house - there she sat!  She popped up and said, "Did you know this was my house?"  No, I didn't know that.  In fact, I had driven past and then I felt compelled to stop, so I went back.  She told me that her daughter had died.  I was crushed.  I knew her at Wal-Mart, but I never saw her with so much regularity that I had realized she was gone.  She had died before Christmas, and I was just finding out in June.  I felt just awful.  Her daughter loved holiday things, so I bought a few things for the memory of her.  We visited and she kept patting me on my arm.  She's such a sweet lady.  I am ashamed to tell you that I only recently had found out her actual name.  After all these years!  She was just always Christopher Shane's Grandma.  Her name is Phyllis. :)


I found this old photo and she told me that it was her Step-Mother.  Christopher Shane's Grandmother's Step Mother.  I decided to bring her to my house so I would always remember Christopher Shane's Grandmother.  She's 92 now, living alone and she gave up driving, so I probably won't run into her much anymore.  She always has the brightest smile and gives a pat on my arm. When I left her estate sale, she said, "I love you!"  It's funny how that chance conversation at the gift shop forged a 22 year bond.  Someone commented, "Strangers are just friends (and family) that we haven't met yet!"  That's so true!

11 comments:

  1. Why does this story make me laugh and cry? Have the Christopher Shane's met?
    Chanelle

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  2. We were once strangers and slowly became friends via the cyber world. You treat me BETTER than my family, so I LOVE YOU. Don't think I have ever said that to you, but I always think it.

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    1. Right back at you! We've never met but you're a great friend to me. ❤️

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  3. What a sweet story. Life is full of those chance encounters that change our lives! Hugs!

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  4. I love this story...a chance encounter and a life long friend...

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  5. Wow - that is a goose bump story. You really should stop by to see her occasionally. Better yet, get a photo of her and your son together.

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  6. What a touching tale - serendipity at its best! Wouldn't it be awesome if the two Christopher Shane's met? Maybe they will, via a chance conversation!

    OK - this is just a random yard sale story that I thought you would appreciate Boo. I went to upstate NY last year and the first thing I do is look up the yard sales. Long story short, I went to one and the seller had a daughter visiting that week who was helping her. As we talked, we found out that the daughter lives IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD (10 hours away). This year, same area in upstate NY, another yard sale. The seller had a son visiting this week who was helping her. As we talked, we found out that the son lives IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD (10 hours away). Creepy weird coincidence? Maybe, but I got some great buys! The things that stick out - I bought a like new copper slim pre-lit Christmas tree for only $15 at the yard sale last year. I know, it was July and I had limited trunk space but it was such a great buy as retail was more than $200. This year, I got seven pieces of Pyrex for only $15. It would take me forever to tell you about the other awesome junk from this trip (yes, I made a spreadsheet). Some junk I just can't get in my area (vintage sap buckets, etc). My trunk was STUFFED with not an inch to spare.

    My beau and I did find something that held a little family history. I told my beau I was going to an antique mall to look for display ideas. Surprisingly, he said he would go with me. I saw a 1955 city directory. It was hard bound and looked interesting. Just for fun, I looked to see if his maternal grandparents were listed - they were! Then I looked to see if his paternal grandparents were listed - they were! It was so cool. We were so excited and bought the directory. It cost $28. And it's funny that that is what it cost back then - it was printed inside the directory. That was a lot of money back then!

    When I showed the directory to my beau's mother, she was excited too as she looked up family and friends she knew. Back then they listed the man's name first, then his wife, then his employer. If a woman was a widow, that fact was listed. How different things are today!

    I really love this sweet post. Thanks again for sharing a little of your life with us Boo.

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  7. What a sweet story... I'm sure Phyllis would love it if you visited her occasionally....

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  8. I can't help think that is was no coincidence that you met! If you know where she lives, I bet she'd love it if you stopped by to visit her! What a neat story.

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  9. You sure can tell a story and you sure have an interesting life!

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