Max is found

Monkey Greetings my friends! Oh that rascal Max! The last I left you, we all were at our wits end because Max was missing from our walk in the woods. We fanned out all over those woods, calling "Max, Max - where are you?" As you can plainly see, our woods are very close to a large lake and we were sick with worry about where our Max had disappeared to.





After about ten minutes of calling his name and running here, there and everywhere to try to find him, Morley, myself and all the little monkeys gathered together to catch our breath and to devise a plan to find Max. Poor little Martha was crying her eyes out. She is my serious minded and thoughtful little girl and she was so worried that she might never see Max again.



Suddenly, we heard a crashing sound in the woods and we could tell it was getting closer and closer! We could hear branches snapping and leaves crackling and then all at once, Max came flying through the woods towards us riding on the back of a turkey! Yep, a real turkey.





You can just imagine our surprise. I was so relieved to see Max once again, that I completely forgot to scold him for wondering away and joined in the peels of laughter that rang out of these woods from all the little monkeys and Morley. When Max got down off that turkey we just about smothered him with hugs and kisses, and Martha jumped on his back and hung on like a...well, like a little monkey!





This was certainly enough adventure for one day. So I gathered up my monkeys, grabbed Morley's paw and we headed back to the cabin for dinner and an evening of board games. Don't you just love to play games at your house?

If you do, then you won't want to miss out on the fun. Be sure to knock on the door of The Cottage at The End of The Lane in a little while and have a peek.

Love,
Mabyn

Where is Max?

Hello again my dears.....When I last left you, I was getting ready to take my little monkeys and Morley out for a walk in the woods and a picnic...sort of the last hurrah for the unusally warm weather.



The sisters left The Cabin at the End of the Lane earlier than usual which was just peachy because the days are getting shorter and the monks were so anxious to get outside. I overheard one of the sisters say she wanted to take her horse Thunder out for a little ride because there wouldn't be many more days like this.



Just about as soon as we heard the door click shut, we packed a lovely dinner of fried green bananas, banana pudding, banana pie and some grapes and off we went. We took along Meg, Mitchell, Mildred and Molly, and Miffy, Max and Martha. Morley had them hold the tale of the monkey in front of them (sort of like when children in day care all hold onto a rope when they take a walk, but not exactly) and off we headed for the woods. It is not an easy task trying to keep all of them in eyesight I will assure you.



One of our favorite trails to take is directly behind the Cabin. It is an adventure to be sure. Along the way, we come to Claire's stump (a favorite tree stump of one of the sister's granddaugher) where all the little monkeys have to take turns jumping up and down on it; then to a hugh oak tree that has fallen over the path and that we must all scramble over or under to finally arrive at the "OWL TREE".



Oh, the OWL TREE! If ever there was a tall, dead tree shooting high into the sky and with a perfect hole in it's trunk to be the home of a great horned owl...then this is the tree to be sure! Whenever we can, we all trek to the "Owl Tree' with the hopes of seeing an owl. Now nevermind that we have never actually seen an owl in this tree or even near this tree for that matter....we just know that with enough patience and persistence we will someday be rewarded.



But wait.....we are missing a little monkey! Oh my heavenly stars...I must go for now. Night time will be here soon and we can't seem to find Max! Please remember Max in your prayers and I will let you know as soon as we find him.

Dear friends, as you can surely see, I have my paws full here at The Cottage At The End Of The Lane! As soon as I last left you, I found Micah had chased Meg up to the ceiling fan and they were stuck. I wouldn't be exaggerating if I told you that they were a little afraid.

What am I going to do! With all the little monkeys around the cottage, well...I just don't know what they will be getting into next.

Perhaps you know a little monkey like Micah.
He is so adventurous and not one that likes to sit around watching TV. He always is on the go...thinking up some game or another. He then somehow talks the other monkeys into playing and before you know it...they end up in some predicament like....well...you can see for yourself.

I have promised my little monkeys that I would take them for a walk in the woods....so I must go for now. Be sure to check back in soon to see what is happening at The Cottage At The End of the Lane.

Love,
Mabyn

The Cottage At The End of The Lane

In a cabin, tucked in the woods on the edge of a vast lake lives a mysterious world of sock monkeys. By day the cabin houses Monkey Moments, a greeting card and gift business revolving solely around the classic Red Heel Sock Monkey, but by night.... it is an entirely different world.

Well, hello there! Let me introduce myself. My name is Mabyn and do I have a story to tell. Actually, I have many tales to tell! And because I have finally completed my online writing course and have received my degree in sock monkey story telling, lets get started.

I have learned it is best to start at the beginning, so the beginning is where I will start. I am the matriarch, so to speak, of a cottage full of sock monkeys. This cottage, named The Cottage At The End of the Lane is situated in a deep dark wood overlooking a vast lake.

Our story started several years back. Two sisters, bound by their footloose and fancy free upbringing, not to mention, bohemian lifestyle, needed a way to extend this magical childhood. They wondered if the innocence of childhood could somehow survive adultness. In short, they wondered if they could turn their ability to loathe the sameness of many vocations and their inability to curb their laughter at inappropriate times into a meaningful, not to mention profitable, vocation.

The sisters, Claudia and Carollee, (notice that neither one of their names start with the letter 'M'; I will expound on this later) began to make sock monkeys. They made sock monkey clothes and they made sock monkey backdrops. After all of this making the sisters began to take pictures of the monkeys. In a very short amount of time, they began to view human life through sock monkey eyes!

The sisters created so many sock monkeys that they needed a place to keep them and their many props. So they bought The Cottage At The End of The Lane. And this is where we all reside. By day, we lay around on tables, in drawers, on dressers and even in plastic bins. We are found in many stages of dress and undress. We are docile, uncomplaining, and for the most part, asleep. We definitely have no personalities.

But then....at the end of each day, the sisters turn out all but one light, throw pellets in the stove if it is winter or turn off the air conditioning if it is the summer (how inconsiderate!) and walk out the cottage door.

OH JOY, OH BLISS!

An entirely different world is about to come to life. Our world. The world of the sock monkeys that reside at Monkey Moments - The Cottage at the End of the Lane.

With so many stories whirling around my head, one hardly knows where to start. But oh, it would be wrong of me not to start with my husband, Morley. There is nothing that Morley can not do or fix and that is a good thing, believe you me! Remember, the sisters had this charming notion that a cottage at the edge of a woods would figure nicely into their romantic notion of a most wonderful place to run a business. Nevermind that they had not one clue as to how to keep this cabin in ongoing heat in the winter, or electricity in the storms, or how to keep out the snakes, mice, wasps, ladybugs and occasional groundhog that tirelessly assault the cottage. But not to worry - Morley is the monkey! The Monkey that is, for these jobs!

Oh for pity sake....Meg and Micah seem to be having a problem with each other...so I must go for now.

Check back in with me very soon to find out the latest goings on at The Cottage at the End of The Lane!

http://www.monkeymoments.net