New Toys and Old Friends

This is our newest baby toy. Not that we get many new baby toys these days. Between Sylvia and Gus and their toys, we pretty much have baby entertainment covered. In fact, I just got rid of 3 more garbage bags full of toys, bringing the yearly total to at least 10. That is insane. In case you have bought toys for my children and are now wondering if I have given them away, you don't have to worry, most of the toys were either thrifted or old hand downs from people cleaning out their basements (and we are always very grateful for hand me downs, some of our most beloved toys are hand me downs, I just have to keep the clutter under control!). But this toy is special because it was gifted from my dear old college friend Elena. Not only that, it is straight from Africa.


And here is the lady behind the love. This is Elena. She loves Africa. She loves it so much that she jumped at the chance to take a job in Sudan. Alas, the opportunity fell through when the political unrest became too much of a concern for her would be employer. So now she is going to Ghana instead. I think this will be her fourth job in Africa.

Anyway, Elena and I were great friends in college. We worked together, we partyed together, we were room-mates for a time, we were even in a band together. You see, we were both bluegrass geeks. I decided to take up the mandolin around the same time she took up the banjo. And that's how SexyGrass was born. Our repertoire consisted of about three songs and we never had a gig, unless you count the recital we participated in with all the other students of our pickin' teacher.

SexyGrass was a blast. But what we really liked to do was hang out with boys who played bluegrass. And have them give us haircuts.


Okay, that only happened once and Elena's the only one who got a free trim.

I don't play the mandolin anymore and I don't think she plays the banjo (do you Elena?). These days I spend my time teaching my own daughter how to play the piano. And ruminating over ways to take the stress out of cleaning up the playroom.