October 30, 2016 - Occasionally I buy silly little things.

          I was feeling blue around Christmas a few years back.  It was one thing after another – tires for the car, water heater had to be replaced, and then I was down with the flu for weeks.  When I finally shook the flu I went poking around looking for some sort of inexpensive little “treat” for myself to cheer me up.   

          I happened upon The MIGHTY DOLLAR’s unusual back-door sale.  You went around the side of the building and in the back.   It was some sort of special-deal-that-day-only sale.

          I poked around, all very curious items.  I didn’t have anyone on my Christmas list that needed anything they were offering, but then I spotted some simply charming red Cardinal ceramic salt and pepper shakers.   What made them extra special was they had a tiny magnet at their breasts that drew them together.

          I pulled them apart, they came together softly.  They were charming and sort of silly and I swear I paid no more than $2 to $3 for them.

I bought them because they reminded me of the Hallmark “Kiss-Kiss” bears that were advertised about 15 years ago. [I know some of you must remember that commercial.] The advertisement was a real heart-string-tugger as Hallmark Cards ads usually are.   In the ad, several young fellas were bringing gifts to a gal and they were all sort of duds. But, then one fella came with two bears.  He held them apart and then let them get closer until their magnet mouths kissed.  The young woman was pleased and chose that fella.

When the advertisement came on TV I said, “Ahhh” when the stuffed bears kissed.  I looked at my husband and he admitted he had missed the commercial.   Trust me, it was shown often and when he finally saw the commercial he saw the charm in it.  I cooed, “I’d like those,” and probably even batted my big brown eyes for coquettish effect.

So, when I brought the cardinals home and put them on the shelf I made certain I showed him when he came in from golf.

“Look what I found,” I called him over.

I pulled them apart and let them click together.  I said,   “There is a magnet . . .”

He said, “Like the KISS-KISS bears I never found that year.  I drove everywhere and not a single Hallmark store within driving distance had them.” He gave the two red cardinals a tug apart and let them click.  The silly thing made him smile too.

When I take the cardinals down to dust them, I never get tired of the novelty of their secret magnet under the surface of their breasts where they pull and click softly together.

We may not have the KISS-KISS Bears, but we got the silly, snuggling cardinal salt & pepper shakers.