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.

Thursday, February 04, 2010

To Blog Or Not to Blog...That is the Question

I love this silly little blog of mine.  I get a thrill with each and every comment that comes through.  Especially when someone new is nice enough to leave a comment and tell me that they like my blog.  With that comes some pressure and responsibility.  I feel like I need to blog about interesting things.  Things that I can write about an that people will enjoy.  But, lately.  Lately.  Lately life has been a real snooze fest.  Too cold to go out.  Too wet to go out.  Too snowy to go out.  And when  do get out..I go to the grocery store or to The Dollar Tree.  Sometimes..Both!  Woohoo.  Livin' on the edge.  Very little thrifting as of late.  I go sometimes, but I usually leave empty handed.  No one is donating because it's too cold to go out.  Too wet to go out.  Too snowy to go  out. 

My posts lately have been boring.  Boring.  Boring.  Boring.  Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.  Oh, sorry.  I'm back.  I'm awake.

There are things happening.  My Grandma decided it's time to die.  She's gotten her affairs in order, called the funeral home, amended the will and told us who gets what.  She got in bed and refused to get out.  My Mom is at her house round the clock.  Bringing her drinks, helping with trips to the bathroom, etc.  Yesterday she was very weak, sick to her stomach, moaning and absolutely refusing any medical treatment whatsoever.  But, today, she is better.  Demanding a meal.  Upset because "someone" turned the TV off "her channel".  Walking all the way to the bathroom (in  huff) because "someone" brought her a bedside commode and she is "NOT READY FOR THAT."  Sorry, "someone" thought you said you were dying.

*Sigh.  How do you take care  of an elderly veeeeery stubborn woman?  Where do you get started finding help for her at home?  How do you convince her that everyone cannot just give up their lives and move in with her permanently?  It is difficult. 

But, no one really comes over here to read a blog entry about my sick Grandma.  So, I try to think of other things to bog about.  But, with no journey's and no junkin', the ideas are slim pickin's.

I did find one really cool thing at the thrift yesterday.  It made up for all the other empty handed trips.

I spotted this great hand carved wooden owl and I picked it up, thinking I would sell it on Etsy.  Owls are easy Etsy sellers.  So, I pick up all the cool owls I find.  This one is about 8" tall and really awesome.  When I picked it up, it had a sticker on the top, so I peeked under it.  That's when I found the slit on the top and the hole on the back. I don't think the thrift ladies knew what it was.  I knew what it was right away because it is "one of the things that I collect but never talk about".  Do you know what it is?  Because I need some entertainment -  First person to guess will get an envelope full of vintage Valentine's from me.  Maybe it's obvious?  Surely, not!

*We have a winner!  It wasn't as obvious as I thought.  Congrats to Shanna - it is indeed, a whistle!  It is one piece of wood, hand carvedand hollowed out.  The plug on the top has a small opening for blowing and the sound comes out of the hole in the back.  It makes a very lovely "Hooooooooooooooooooooot" when you blow into it.  I ave a small collection, about ten, of handmade whistles in animal shapes.  They are all Native American made and animal shaped.  Please, send me your address Shanna.  Thanks!

**Thanks for the Grandma understanding.  She is something else.  That's all I'm ging to say about THAT.

24 comments:

  1. I just started to blog because of you and magpie ethel( I have no idea what I am doing)
    I hope I win the valentines.
    is it a bank?
    Ps love the gramma stories

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  2. I think your blog is great, even when you're not thrifting! :)

    Life is life. I dont have as many readers, but I blog about mine. I doubt anyone would mind hearing about yours!

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  3. Homemade piggy bank? Er, owl bank? Either way it's a charming find.
    It's tough trying to explain to people why it isn't practical for them to live alone anymore. We had an awful time getting my grandmother to move into a home; in the end she had to go to a nursing home temporarily for physical therapy, because she kept falling and needing for a service to come help her back on her feet. She adjusted really well once she was there, though, and in the end was quite happy to stay. She liked having people check in on and talk to her throughout the day, but I think it was other people preparing her meals that really tipped the balance :)
    I hope that works out soon.

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  4. Is it a bong? LOL...i'm just guessin!

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  5. No idea what the owl is, but I'm darn curious!

    I know it's not an entirely humorous situation, but what you said about your Grandma made me giggle. Let's just say that I'm eternally grateful that my MIL has been paying for the long-term care option on her life insurance so that she can go to a nice assisted living place when it's time. Phew, that's a relief.

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  6. Well I think someone made that owl and used it or planned on using it on a stick to go out in the garden to scare away other birds.

    Sort of like an owl scarecrow.

    Now on to your blog. I love your blog.

    Oh and I really enjoyed reading your post here talking about your grandmother. I find it to be like reading a book where I try to picture the people in my head. I love reading heart felt posts about real family matters.

    You never know when someone could be going through something like you are writting about that you could reach.

    I love the more day to day life and personal blogs. I've often thought of making my blog that way.

    Hugs,
    joanne

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  7. OH Shara, your blog is WONDERFUL (as always) - you want to see "B.A.D. blogger"... that is the definition of MINE lately!!! (You KNOW it's bad when people are telling you so in comments!!) Oh well, life goes on!
    Sorry things are so rough w/ gramma right now. That is always a tough one.
    PUHLEASE, NO more Valentines (trying to clean out!!), but still want to guess - your owl is made out of a coconut - right? is he a birdhouse? (LIKING Linda's line of thought though....)

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  8. I wish I could tell you there was a miracle cure for stubborn old people, but there isn't.

    You might try calling a local hospital, usually they have a social worker on staff for the elderly and they have good suggestions on where to start finding care for them.

    Of course, getting them to comply is a whole nother can of worms. My grandpa just told the in home care workers to get the f* out of his house. Oy.

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  9. A bank would be too easy....but a bong is too funny! And if you collect those, we may need to talk!! hehehe!

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  10. a whistle? or does it make an owl hoot when you blow in it?
    Love the blog and sorry to hear about Grandma.

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  11. Rose H8:55 AM

    Found your blog about a month ago and enjoy reading it.
    I think the owl is a string holder.
    Aren't the 'oldies' just great! My daughter tells me to be nice to her as she'll be choosing my retirement home LOL.

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  12. YOU may be bored with yourself, but we're not! I love your blog, so snap out of it!
    When you find the answer on how to deal with a stubborn old lady, please let me know. You know where to reach me!
    Have a great weekend!
    Carol
    P.S. I was sure that owl was a birdhouse!

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  13. My guess also is a bank or a whistle. Hmmmmmmmmm, interesting!
    I love your blog and I love seeing a new post in my RSS. Your posts are always interesting to me.

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  14. I love reading your blog, even if it is about Grandma :) Life isn't always exciting and I like to read about others daily life. Reading about others also makes you sometimes realize that yours isn't as bad as you think it is sometimes! And I LOVE to see what treasures others have found. My blog is new and it's certainly not as exciting as most but I still keep doing it. Keep it up you always make me smile.

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  15. If life gets in the way, blog about that. Some of your best posts are about what is happening at the moment. My personal fave is breadman's truck getting stuck a couple of yrs. ago.

    As for grams, maybe you can google "home for the aged and crotchety".:):):):)

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  16. It's winter and I think we all have the BLUES!!
    Once in awhile my Mom says silly things when she is "blue"...maybe I should stop taking my meds...
    I hope that's not my future...crazy old lady!!!
    I went to the thrift store and they are looking empty...
    THINK SPRING!!!
    It's snowing today...
    Deb :)

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  17. I love your blog cause my Momma was as stubborn as your Grandma. Try contacting a in-home nursing care company. I just finished a freelance job of home care of a 94 year old stubborn sweetie and it was very gratifying.

    I love the Owl.

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  18. Sharra, you are never boring! Your blog is one of the first things I check when I get online. I'm sorry you're having such a hard time with your grandma, but when you are that age you can be crotchety and grouchy and make everyone else wait on you.

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  19. I don't read boring blogs, so I don't know what you're talking about. I don't have any good advice on your grandma, but I think there's something in her spirit to be admired. (You'll notice I'm not the one she's yelling at or bossing around.) But good luck. Take a break if you need to, but you'll be missed if you do.

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  20. Your story about your grandma made me laugh out loud. Your readers are not bored, believe me! Keep it up!

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  21. Janet K.5:46 PM

    Hey Miss Shara, as I have told you before, your blog is wonderful. You have a way of taking the ordinary and making it interesting. It's nice sometimes to know that even if we are different in so many ways there are many things that we have in common! Reinforces the fact that we are all in this together. Take care and keep writing! HTH Janet

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  22. Your blog posts are NOT boring.
    I LOVED the safe story and you junking with your dad. And your cat in the light box? LOVED it, especially since I have a nosey/helpful cat too. Your owl whistle find is great! Keep posting, we're reading!

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  23. Hi sweetie, sorry to hear about your grandma. She sounds like one heck of a woman! :) Please keep blogging. You're one of my absolute favorite and I'll read whatever you write. You know that! But I do understand needing a blog break, too.

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