Friday, October 10, 2008

Another Flat Friday


Last Friday I posted about the trials of Flat Stanley, which I discovered when I planned to post some of my mom’s journal of her Flat Stanley visit. I thought I’d return to my original plan.

My mom was very talented and had a wry sense of humor, and I treasure these reminders of her creative spirit. She enjoyed art and writing all her life, and her enthusiasm for the creative process was contagious. She taught me how to make the most of a project and to make it fun. We knew she’d be sure to show Stanley a good time! Here‘s one of her entries:

Monday, December 20, 2004 - Flat Stanley arrived on a very, very cold, snowy day. Grandpa and I were happy to see that he got here safely. He was very tired from his journey, but he wanted to go outside to see the snow. (Remember he had been cooped up in an envelope for the past few days!)

We went out on the back deck. Stanley wanted to pet the turtle (sculpture) who was almost all covered with snow! We didn’t stay out long because the wind was blowing and I was worried that Flat Stanley might be swept away.

After his travel, and then playing in the snow, Stanley got very, very tired. Grandma looked all through the envelope that had brought Stanley, searching for his pajamas. He had forgotten to pack any!



Fortunately, Grandma found a teeny, tiny striped pair that had shrunk in the wash. She told Stanley to put them on before supper. (She was afraid he was going to fall asleep any minute.)

After a few bites, Stanley nearly fell into the bowl of spaghetti and meatballs that Grandma had prepared! Quickly she tucked him in bed with a little stuffed bunny.


He fell asleep right away. He was probably dreaming of the trip he was going to take on Wednesday…He wanted to get back to California where it was warm!

Besides hooking him up with cool PJ’s, my mom also fashioned Stanley a little coat, hat and scarf (pictured above), scolded him for climbing on a hibiscus, and cautioned him not to keep falling into the suitcase they packed for their trip. She did more than just document the visit; she gave our laminated boy a personality, and kept us eagerly awaiting the next adventure.

15 comments:

C.R. Evers said...

How sweet and funny! Your mom really did have a great sense of humor!!! :0) What a great way to make memories!

Christy

Anonymous said...

That is so cute! Love that he nearly fell into supper!

Suzie said...

Great story. You should think about publishing it

sruble said...

Your mom's adventures with Flat Stanley sound great! Thanks for posting them :0)

Kelly Polark said...

Love Stanley's jammies!
How sweet of your mom!

Rena Jones said...

CUTE!

Bish Denham said...

Totally precious! What a treasure.

Adrienne said...

Thanks, everyone. Even though Stanley went on to visit relatives in more exotic places, nothing matched Grandma's hospitality!

Brenda said...

what a great story! love the stuffed bunny...

Kimbra Kasch said...

You should just flip the word upside down whenever you talk about your MOM!

WOW!!! what an amazing woman and so fun and thoughtful, a scarf, hat, coat and jammies. :)

Sara Cox Landolt said...

I'm so glad I stopped by today. This post was a lot of fun. What a great idea.
:-) Sara

Carrie Harris said...

What a wonderful story, and a great memory of your mom. I can tell where you get your creativity from. :)

Adrienne said...

Sara - I'm glad you stopped by, too!

Brenda, Kim, Carrie - Thanks! :)

Saucy said...

Flat Stanley looks amazing in his PJ's... your mom must have been an awesome seamstress too ;)

Adrienne said...

Saucy - Some of my best sewing projects involve scotch tape, too! It's especially useful for hemming pants...