Mary Kay moved to California from Ohio. This was quite some time ago. Close to 40 years to be approximate . This was pretty cool, because my family had moved to California sometime pior to my existence. To me, extended family was a long car trip and a confusing array of faces and places.I kid you not, the Schafer family reunion in Payne Ohio was quite a gathering of humanity with everyone knowing who you are.
Anyways, Mary had two kids, Amy and Billy whom were my first babysitting clients. They would come over to the house at various times. She started making some stuffed animals for people, all from the 1000 acre woods collection (just made that up). My sieve like memory recalls a conversation I had with my mom, sad that I had not been graced with one. My mom, being my mom... passed the info to Mary Kay, who asked me which of A.A. Milne's creations I would like to procure.
I had considered Tigger, but kept coming back to my favorite little Roo. So I requested Kanga and Roo. I suppose this was one of those times as an adult you wonder what you got yourself into. As a kid I had no concept of how difficult it is making a stuffed joey and mom, let alone any stuffed toy!
A few years of life and priorities lead to Mary moving away. Only to be seen on vacations spent in the mid-west. Whenever I did see her, I would jestingly wonder how my Kanga and Roo was progressing.
Over the summer Rocky and Jennifer (cousins of mine) had a wedding in Oregon. All us Kiester kids attended. Mary Kay was there and mentioned she had considered surprising me at this event with my long ago request. However, she had recently opted to move across the country and was in the middle of such. It was a fond, fun time at the Wedding and I wish I had more time with my cousins.
As you can see in the photo above. Mary created and shipped my a Kanga and Roo. Which is great fun and oddly wistful. As if some inner kid that I was\am had been waiting for small shard of wish fulfillment from all those years ago.
I love my Kanga and Roo...
3 comments:
My wife started knitting me a sweater shortly after we got engaged. She says she is going to finish it for Kenrick before he goes to college.
Shoo - I have only completed one sweater so far. And that took an Atlantic flight & a semester of a very boring 8:00 class at CSUF.
Lee wants a cardigan. Good thing I didn't make it yet, or it would have been too big now :P
Scarves are a lot easier. Ask her to make you one :) Lee has a few of those from me.
No stuffed animals tho - those are HARD. I made one for Connie's daughter way back when & vowed to never attempt it again!!
I think the Kanga and Roo are adorable! I thought at first you were talking about the Mary Kay of Mary Kay cosmetic fame! But still, the story was very nice!
I am glad you finally got your cute animals!
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