December 29, 2004 - From Ms. Mary to friends:
We were short on bread at Mom and Dad's home, and the Basha's grocery store was right across the parking lot from JB's where I had just had dinner with my Phoenix friends, so I called Mom to tell her I was picking up bread and to ask what else she needed. Well, it's after Christmas and the stores have all their Christmas leftovers in big 50%-off piles near the front of their stores. Basha's has a floral shop, and the floral shop sometimes puts stuffed creatures with its floral arrangements. I saw some odd-looking puffy snowpeople, and I saw some dead-looking stuffed moose and bears (look at the eyes; if they don't look back, this is a fake creature and not worth taking home because it will never appreciate you or talk to you), and I saw . . . . . . . a beautiful mink-fur bear with a cocked head and worried eyebrows (many bears have NO eyebrows, worried or otherwise) and eyes that promised to love me forever if I would take him home with me. Well, he didn't need to ask twice. I picked him up and let him help me find the bread and then we left the store together. When I drove home from Phoenix on Tuesday afternoon, he sat in the front seat -- wearing his seatbelt -- and kept an eye on the two little ones in his lap. Santa had left a little brown bear in my stocking when he visited us late on Christmas Eve (or should I say very early on Christmas Day?). Mom and Dad gave me an itsy bitsy white lamb that says "baaaaa baaaaaa baaaa" when I squeeze its tummy. All three have been on the couch overnight with Joe and Mr. Smoky (the two Vermont bears) and Spot (the little spotted seal pup from the Long Beach Aquarium) and Frosty (the cool dude snowman presented to me by two researchers in our group at work). Their ID photos have been taken and will be posted to our web site soon. The bookshelf folk are adjusting themselves to make room for the new members. Soon the couch will be occupied solely by the Vermont bears: Joe and Mr. Smoky.
We're looking forward to a beary happy new year.