Contrariwise ramblings

Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of having Mooch, my daughter's sock toy,accompany me on a business trip to Rome. (You can read about how this all came about, here.)

Well after that trip, Mooch developed wanderlust - it was nigh impossible to keep him from accompanying me from my next trip to Europe. This time it was Vienna

Despite the fact that we were a bit jet-lagged, we decided it was better to stay awake on the first day than take a nap. So we decided to visit one of Vienna's most famous tourist destinations, the Summer Palace, Schloss Schonbrunn. It once was the home of Marie Antoinette:



We also climbed (...OK...took the elevator) to the top of St Stephen's Cathedral to see a great view of the city of Vienna:



Vienna boasts an old clock that rivals the finest in Germany. The clock shows the time by historical figures that move across the clock face. Every hour a different historical figure passes by. Mooch was thoroughly impressed:



While touring one of Vienna's museums, Mooch had a harrowing adventure:



He narrowly managed to get out of his predicament and was a bit upset, as one would expect. A relaxing evening helped and, don't worry, he's none the worse for wear.


Despite his one scary experience, Mooch had a great time and is looking forward to his next great adventure.

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OK, let me get off the topic of jewelry and change the subject.

Last month I went on a business trip to Rome. (Yeah, I know. Life is hard.)

It meant that I'd be away for a full week and my kids were really not happy about me leaving. They whined and kept asking me why they couldn't go with me. This was repeated, again and again, each time the trip was mentioned.

The night before I was to leave, I pulled my suitcase out of the basement and started packing. Emma, my youngest, decided that she had to help me pack. (Remember, help is a relative word when used by a mother.)

She suggested that she could easily fit in the suitcase and join me in Rome, but I declined her kind offer.

It was sad leaving, but I really had to go. But when I got to my hotel room in Rome, I opened my suitcase and I had a big laugh. Emma must have snuck her stuffed animal, Mooch, in there when I wasn't looking to keep me company.

I decided right then and there that Mooch would have to join me when I went sightseeing. And that's what he did. So here you have it: picture of Mooch taking in the sights of Rome.


Mooch, speechless at the sheer size and grandeur of the Vatican:
(At the Vatican, we also visited the art museums and the Sistine Chapel. Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take photos there. )


Mooch, gazing at the massive obelisk in St Peter's Square:

While there, we discussed how this was one of the intregral scenes of Dan Brown's novel, "Angels and Demons". And we both adamently agreed that it was a better book than "The DaVinci Code".


Mooch, in awe of the Colliseum:



Both sides of it!




Mooch, just after he tossed three coins in the fountain:
One legend says that if you toss 3 coins over your left shoulder into the Trevi Fountain, you'll get 3 wishes. I wonder what Mooch wished for? I know I was wishing for some gelato. Yum.



Mooch, basking in the glory that was once the Roman Forum:




Mooch, showing no fear at the Bocca Della Verita, also known as the Mouth of Truth. It's said that if you put your hand into its mouth and tell a lie, the mouth will shut.



Obviously, Mooch had a lot at stake:

All in all, Mooch had a great time in Rome but was happy to get home. Emma was glad to have him back and enjoyed hearing about his trip and seeing all his photos.

He was great company and may just become my permanent traveling companion!



BTW, Mooch was made by Uppity Woman's Designs. You can find her shop here.
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OK, so I have a thing for sock animals. But I can't help it. They're so CUTE!

There's a seller on Etsy, UppityWomanDesigns, who has some awesome sock animals (among other things). And when I saw one of her creations, Mooch the Dog, I knew he was destined to be part of our family. I mean, how could you not melt when looking at a face like this:

I bought Mooch shortly before Christmas for Emma, who had been lusting at a number of UppityWomansDesigns' sock animals. When she noticed Mooch was sold, she was devastated!

Mooch, however, appeared under the Christmas tree, and Emma was ecstatic! Can't you tell!

That's a photo of Emma with a Playdoh cupcake she made for Mooch. He seemed to like it. Since then, Emma has immortalized Mooch in PlayDoh. (Well, maybe immortal isn't quite the word to use for stuff that has a tendancy to dry up into a shriveled grainy mass of crackled salt dough.)

I don't know if UppityWomanDesigns knows
how much enjoyment she's given to us, but Emma's definitely been amused.
(And maybe I have been, too.)

You can find sock animals and other wonderful creations made by UppityWomanDesigns here.