From Germany with Love

This week's Words and Pictures theme: Souvenirs

And so I present to you one of the first softies I ever owned and my most recently acquired softie. Two softies, spanning 40 years a few years. One a donkey, one a bear. But they both came from Germany with love.

When I was a wee baby my father traveled to Germany once as a part of his job. I think once was enough since my mother was stuck with a toddler and an infant in a tiny Ontario town...with no car...in the winter. Yep. Money was tight so my father brought back one souvenir to be shared by my older brother and me.

I challenge you to find a finer donkey in all the world than Stonkey. He and I have had many adventures. Fortunately, my brother agreed that Stonkey could come live at my house. He is a TOTPOD object: touch on the penalty of death. i.e. my girls aren't allowed to even think of getting him off his shelf.

For many years he has been the only German in our house. Actually, I'm not sure what his immigration status is: did he become a Canadian or is he German or did he get US citizenship. I'll have to remember to ask him.

Anyway, there's a new bear in town. Ava arrived this week courtesy of the amazingly talented flufftail. I cannot even begin to tell you how much I admire her work. I really scored big when I got her on swapbot. Yes!

Ava is a darling--pleasantly plump, made from fleece, four way jointed softie with a terrific bemused expression. I thought she might be a bit of a wall flower but no, she's a get up and go kind of gal. I turned my back once and off she zipped to do a spot of construction on the Tea House of the Chicken Moon. She even fell a couple of times but she bounces. She and Stonkey seem to get on like a house on fire--lots of talk about the Rhine and castles and strudel.

And so there you have it: two German softies sandwiching decades but souvenirs of the same great land.