Friends & Stories

Many of our friends moved across country with us a few years ago. 

(I typed "toys." Joe wanted it changed to "friends" 

because "they are very real to me" - and they are.) 

Here are some of their stories

Julia was shopping at Sam's Club around Christmas many years ago. This huge bear called out and said he was to go home to Joe. Julia heeded the call, loaded the humungous bear in the shopping cart, and found a place to hide it until Christmas. 

Tigger joined the North Street family & had fun with the grandchildren.

The tiger on top of the Valentine bear came from the Griffins when they gave us an "adopt an animal" Christmas gift. Julia made the rabbit at a Build-A-Bear Workshop in Salt Lake City, Utah. She mailed the rabbit to Joe to keep him company while she was at a conference. The rabbit talks. 

A friend of Julia's made the bear on the left. The camel and the bear on the right lived with Mary & Bill Holton for a long time. Julia hoped the oinking pig would stay in Ohio but it came along for the ride. The small beagle puppy was a gift from the Kings and part of the Webkinz craze.

Joe bought this rabbit at the gift shop in the Holiday Inn on Lane Avenue, Columbus, Ohio (he was attending a meeting there). Joe gave it to Julia and said (and continues to say) that Bunny will "monitor your behavior" after he is gone. 

These three are Joe's childhood friends. When he was very young he cut the bear's hair; his mother was not pleased. The cat has been around forever. Bunny has been his friend a long time. Joe found these toys in the basement of his mother's house in Urbana when the house was being sold. 

 ET was on a grandchild's Christmas wish list many years ago. We bought one to give to her. Joe liked it so much that we had to go back and buy one for him. ET says a number of phrases. Joe's favorite is a deep burp. A grandson made the cape for ET. This was when he had his own Supercat cape. 

Patrika is our Bahamian friend. We found her in Nassau. 

She reminds us of our mission in The Bahamas and our wonderful friends there.

Joe bought the white cat at a sidewalk sale at Graceland Shopping Center, Columbus, Ohio not long after we were married. The Kings gave us the singing mouse at Christmas. The toad was a birthday gift to Joe "Toad" from Julia. The laughing and rolling monkey is the newest addition to our collection, from Seattle.