A Conversation Piece With A Connection

This past Sunday my sons and daughters-in-law came to the house to have dinner and celebrate my 51st birthday. We had steaks cooked on the grill, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes, and sauted mushrooms.

I was blessed by my family with gifts. James and Brandi gave me a gift card to buy books on my Kindle. Michael and Heather gave me something had never seen before. A statue of a monkey holding a clock that is a perpetual calendar. Here's what it looks like:

A very unique gift is it not? They gave me the option of exchanging it but I said I wanted to keep it. I'm sure the kids had no idea about this but the monkey has a special connection for me. A connection to one of my early experiences with ventriloquism.

In July 2006 after I became interested in trying to do ventriloquism again I went to the Vent Haven Ventriloquist Convention in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky. This annual event is held in Fort Mitchell because that's where the Vent Haven Museum is located.

The mascot and logo of the convention is named "Jacko" a ventriloquist figure used by William S. Berger the museum's founder. Here's a picture of "Jacko".

Jacko is still on display at the Vent Haven Museum in Fort Mitchell. Visits are by appointment only May through September.

It was the Sunday after I attended 2 days of the conVENTion in 2006 that I made my adult ventriloquist debut during a morning worship service at my church.

So all those things and all those memories all come to mind when I see my new "brass monkey" calendar. It sits on a table in our living room just inside the front door; so it's bound to be noticed and asked about by future visitors. That will give me reason to tell them the story I just told you.

I really like my new organ grinder monkey clock/calendar (never ever thought I'd be typing those words on this blog). Thanks Heather and Michael.