Monday Evening Open Thread

 

This morning, Simon talked about white rabbits.  Tonight, our story is that of a blue hippo.

When I was six my Good Aunt gave me the most wonderful present, a blue plush hippo she had made herself.  I immediately named the hippo Emily.  She had a big red felt mouth and long black felt eyelashes.  I hung onto that hippo longer than any of my other toys, and when I went to university in a different city, Emily came with me.  Eventually she fell into disrepair due to her stuffing, which was made out of approximately one million pieces of cut-up nylon stockings.  I eventually had to perform minor surgery on Emily and remove the stockings.  I washed her exterior and put her away carefully until the day when I could get to Michael's and buy some fibrefill.  Tonight I finally got around to re-stuffing Emily and, as I did it, \I thought "Jeez, this hippo is fifty years old now."  I must say, she has held up very well. (No, she is not the hippo pictured.)  She will be taking up her accustomed place on my bed tonight, after many years.

So I ask you, Balkers, because I am in a sentimental mood: what in your household do you cherish?  I mean, aside from your furbabies?  What toy or game or book or object holds a special place in your heart?  Let me know in the comments.  No judgment here.