OSCAR. ARBEAU & ODIN

OSCAR: Born - December 1st. Oscar lives in a garbage can on Sesame Street and is grumpy all the -- WAIT! Wrong Oscar! Oscar the Sock Monkey lives beside a garbage can in an old cardboard box on Poppy Street and is happy all the time. Yup, happy ole Oscar. Gets rather annoying though - especially when you just want to be alone and Oscar jumps out of his box and starts singing "If You're Happy and You Know It" while doing the Sock Monkey "Happy Dance"... not good when you're sporting a hangover either...just saying.
ARBEAU: Born - December 2nd. Arbeau has a special talent she would like to share on Ellen one day. She can stand on her head, drink a banana shake, recite the Ten Commandments, chew gum, while propping a stack of dishes on her tail all at the SAME TIME!! It's pretty cool to watch - especially when you spike the banana shake and feed her a few before she attempts her act. Now that's entertainment!
ODIN: Born - December 3rd. Odin is named after a Norse God who's role was complex. He was associated with war, battle, victory and death BUT also, wisdom, magic, poetry and prophecy. Talk about confusing the heck out of someone! Maybe that's why Odin the Sock Monkey has had 14 different careers in his short life so far. Maybe that's also why his favourite job so far is a beer taster - after a few, it takes the confusion away...
Author's note: I just realized that all three of these bios have something to do with drinking. I would like to make it clear that I don't encourage drinking among my Sock Monkeys - a drunk Sock Monkey is not fun to be around. I DO encourage having fun and hey, if I've had one too many coffee and Bailey's first thing in the morning when I'm writing a bio, well, lucky for you!!  

NOVEMBER COLLECTION 2011

THIS IS BRENDA - SHE ROCKS!!!

I THINK THEY WERE GETTING FRESH WITH HER.....

Well folks, there they are, my November Sock Monkeys and my most awesome model, Brenda - she's the monkey in the middle...just in case you were confused.

This month has been a bit crazy as I was doing double time and finished all my Sock Monkeys for December as well. December is such a busy month and I didn't want the stress of getting these finished and donated before Christmas was upon us. So, here I am at the end of November with my goal of "A Sock Monkey A Day" completed.

My latest donation was to the Ft. Smith Fireman's Annual Toy Run in November - 60 Sock Monkeys will find good homes this Christmas in Fort Smith. The last of my Sock Monkeys will go to the Secret Santa in Hay River and hopefully make some young child smile.

Special thanks to Heidi and Franco for making the Ft. Smith donation possible and also to my fantastic friend Brenda for agreeing to be my November model. It's never easy working with a bunch of monkeys...

TUNDRA: Born - November 29th. Tundra smokes weed and lots of it. Don't get your knickers in a knot, it's actually weed from the ditch that he rolls and lights up - no illegal substance at all. He can't afford cigarettes and refuses to do drugs so, he got creative. C'mon, you must remember back in 4th grade when you thought smoking a dried hollow reed from the bush was cool and just like a cigarette. No? Hmmmmm...maybe that was just me and my siblings....Well then, another thing to add to my list of dysfunctions....
DEMPSY: Born - November 30th. Dempsy is my psychiatrist. He thinks I had a dysfunctional upbringing. He also thinks the world is flat and the sun revolves around us. I think Dempsy isn't really a psychiatrist. Seriously, how many psychiatrists actually live in small rubber rooms? Maybe that should have been a clue....
Author's note: In no way am I incriminating my siblings as "weed" smokers...no sir, we are perfect children.... clearly no dysfunction here....

FORT SMITH DONATION 2011

CHILLIN' ON THE BACK OF THE FIRETRUCK

"MONKEYING" AROUND!

FIRETRUCK FUN!

This month my Sock Monkey's travelled to Fort Smith and were delivered to the local firehall for the Fireman's Annual Toy Run. I would like to thank my good friends Heidi and Franco for watching over them this past month and making sure they were delivered without any "mishaps". ALTHOUGH, I think Heidi had a little too much fun with these guys - check out her video "Case of the Missing Bananas" on her website: www.westernwillow.com - you're gonna love it!
So, thank you Heidi and Franco from the bottom of my heart for ensuring these 60 dudes and dudettes will find good homes this Christmas.

HUDSON, BAXTER & FI-FI

HUDSON: Born - November 26th. Hudson was found under a rock. The rock wasn't very large but, it was big enough that it hid him until I tripped over it and saw a tail sticking out. I dug away at it and there he was, smiling up at me and blinking at the sun. It took us a few washes to get all the dirt off and eventually he was so clean that he sparkled in the moonlight. Just goes to show you never know what's hiding under a rock...
BAXTER: Born - November 27th. Baxter has a headache. It seems to never go away. Not a big deal except when you want him to help you out with something. He'll keel over in pain, whine and moan then run for the nearest jar of Tylenol or Advil. After he downs a dozen he lays down and is out for a few days. We tend not to ask him to help out anymore - although, when he's out for a few days there's alot less moaning and whining going on....
FI-FI: Born - November 28th. Fi-Fi cleaned out my pantry the other day and found a multi layered cake pan that she has now claimed as her house. She has decorated it with bits of fabric, ribbon and dried banana peels. It actually looks kinda cool and it smells like banana - which isn't such a bad smell once you're used to it. She fashioned a doorbell out of an old cowbell and anytime you want to visit you have to smack it with a drumstick seven times. Effective? Yes. Annoying after the 4th smack? YES!!

LENNIE, COVEYA & GILLIS

LENNIE: Born - November 23rd. Lennie happens to rhyme with Kenny. I have a brother named Kenny who happens to have the middle names of Ernest Leonard. His nickname is "Kenny Ernie Lennie". I like the name Lennie. Lennie rhymes with so many funny things - like my brother Kenny. Nuff said.
COVEYA: Born - November 24th. I have been drinking red wine for about an hour now and have no idea where the name "Coveya" came from. HOWEVER, it's a cool name and if I ever own another cat, I will call it Strauss. Bet you all thought I was going to say Coveya. Ha, ha!
GILLIS: Born - November 25th. There is a mountain called "Gillis Mountain" - not sure where, I just heard a song by the Rankins called "Gillis Mountain" and assumed there was an actual mountain called that. Those Rankins could just be pulling our leg and only called it Gillis Mountain because it sounded cool in the song. I'm gonna write to them and get to the bottom of this. Gillis Mountain, my a**....
Author's note: I've come to the conclusion that it's not a good idea to Blog when you've been drinking the wine. I would recommend this nice wine I found - Wally's Hut - a Cabernet Shiraz. Quite nice.....and now back to the wine drinking...

MAJOR TOM & SGT. PEPPER

MAJOR TOM & SGT. PEPPER: Born - November 21st & 22nd respectively. Well, if you happen to be an adult roughly the same age as me OR if you're just a music buff, you will get the reference to the names and songs and movie. Major Tom is a fictional character in David Bowie's songs "Space Oddity", "Ashes to Ashes" and "Hallo Spaceboy" beginning in 1969 through to the 1980's. Such amazing songs! There are references to Major Tom in a ton of other artists songs throughout those years but none as memorable as David Bowies.
As for Sgt. Pepper, c'mon people - a Beatles classic "Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band" released in 1967 and later made into a movie (1978) starring Peter Frampton and the Bee Gees. The guest list on this movie was unreal - Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Earth,Wind & Fire - the soundtrack alone is worth the $20 you'll pay at HMV. Better yet, buy the movie on DVD and spend a lazy Sunday watching this classic. You won't regret it.