The true story

WE MADE IT THROUGH ANOTHER MONDAY!!!!!!!! Bubba

The colors of Monday

Many of ya'll remember the Tie-dye blog of a few days ago? Remember how we had extra fabric left over and I said a project for another day? The project for another day is today! My dad was watchin old reruns of Project Runway this mornin and got inspired to sew. So out came the scissors and the left over tie-dye fabric. The next thing this celebrity Sock Monkey knew was, I had a pair of pants to match the tie-dye shirt! Talk about That 70's show! Well slap me five and call it colors! I can run around the livinroom and we'll call it paintin with all the colors of the wind! I think if there were a Project Runway for Sock Monkeys....My Dad would win the lottery! Stick that in your 3rd runner up Sock Monkey contest!

Don't forget to stick around and see the tiger fabric get turned into my celeb Sock Monkey stylin! Remember that blog? I was plopped down on the cuttin table that day as the fabric was wheeled off the bolt! Visions of Africa flashed before my green button eyes!!! The pochers were advancin! I had no where to hide kind of stuff!!! Afraid what the future of my red heeled bum would actually turn out to be! I know I said in a previous blog that one day my 1960's tail would have to be replaced, but let's not turn it into an ash tray! ( The flashback ends and Bubba comes back into his celebrity happenins in the here and now).

Aaawwww The reelin imagination of my Sock monkey mind simply takes my breath away sometimes! I mean think of the evolution thing. What? Monkeys were runnin through the jungle one day and out popped humans! Ya gotta laugh at that thought! The Bible says we're sons of Adam and dauthers of eve! Didn't mention a thing about monkeys! Well....except that God created two of each kind and monkeys were part of that. Although we Sock Monkeys didn't arrive on the scene until the great depression. It's sad to say that Sock Monkeys were not two of a kind on the ark, but let me put on my colors and see where my story goes? I'm not a Sock Monkey that smokes weed it's something that the tie-dye does to us when we wear it. The high of the folks that created tie-dye is woven into the fabric! Makes us have the feelin of bein high. LSD got us the great works of Alice in Wonderland! Think about it! What human would chase a rabbit down a hole? Enjoy the colors of Monday Possum's! Bubba out!

Tie Dye

Good mornin in the wee hours of the mornin Possum's! Lot's goin on here in the Sock Drawer! The most recent bein that my Dad and I visited one of the local thrift stores this week and fonud a Tie Die T-shirt! Brightly colored was right up our alley! With a $2.00 dollar price tag...It simply screamed SOCK MONKEY outift! Folkart in the makin! As ya'll can see there is some left over for another project sometime. Did ya'll see the artical I posted in an earlier blog? I'll be darned! Sock Monkeys are back! Written in 1999 by the L.A. times. Well let me be the first to say, that we never went away! My dad and I have been doin stuff all along. It has become a complete lifetime change! The two of us together! I coundn't imagine it any other way! Even in the unravelin times...and they do happen to a sock! Dad just throws down another patch and goes to stichin! He's good to talk to me during the life threatenin saga, so as to get me through the sting of it all. I mean let's face it! The day is comin when my 1960's tail will have to be laid to it's final restin place and replaced with a newer version from the 21st century Sock-a-mania! Aaaawwww the love of a Sock Monkey. Yes...We may be stiched to life by the poor, but bring a wealth of love and passion to the owner! Two back pacs have been completely worn out from all the travels and places we've been together. And with back pacs bein made out of parachute fabric...It takes quite a while for that to happen! Years! Anyhoo.....To keep with the 70's vibe of this tie dye creation...we used the letter beads for buttons on the front as ya'll can well see. They spell out Bubba Sock. Bubba bein on the left of the shirt and Sock Bein on the right side of the shirt. That's what my Dad calls me..Bubba Sock. Most folks consider it pathetic for a 52 year old elderly gentlemen to be goin all over creation takin photos of his Sock Monkey. He's gigglin and laughin over in the corner havin the time of his life while others look on and wonder what makes him so happy. Hug a Sock Monkey! It makes you giggle and feel silly! Not to mention, it makes you think of your grandmother! If he hadn't found me in a flea market some 30 years ago...I shudder to think where I might have ened up today! Fate! Possum's Fate! With the economy crashin down around us and unemployment on the rise...Things have stayed the same here in The Sock Drawer. Makin Sock Monkey clothes, havin a laugh or two. Who's got time to worry about the latest 40 inch TV or the latest video game? We have socks! What else do ya'll need? Here's two havin the bestest Thursday ya'll can muster! Cheers! Bubba

I'll Be Darned, Sock Monkeys Are Back - Los Angeles Times

I'll Be Darned, Sock Monkeys Are Back - Los Angeles Times: "I'll Be Darned, Sock Monkeys Are Back
Page 2 / News, Trends, Gossip and Stuff To Do | Web
Watch The Toy Grandma Made Wins Over a New Generation
July 18, 1999|ELAINE GALE | TIMES STAFF WRITER
More than 50 years ago, women used to make toy monkeys out of socks to keep their kids company because many toys were too darn expensive. Now, nostalgia has catapulted the homemade monkeys back into people's hearts.
There are hundreds of sock monkey World Wide Web sites on the Internet--from cheeky to reverent--where owners reminisce about owning a monkey 'just like Grandma used to make.'"

I can see your lips movin

I see ya'll are still with us and I shall continue with the trip of yesterday. I was mesmerized at the history and art work.

Today, between 900 and 1200 people visit the Vent Haven each year. The museum also host an annual International conVention.







Over 400 ventriloquits come to the conVention to learn and entertain each other, as well as to visit the museum.
As a result of the planning and forsightedness of W.S. Berger, Vent Haven Museum is a permanent institution, open to the public and devoted to the art of ventriloquism.









And so the sun set on our way back home. I just had to take a picture of it, lookin out the car window. A perfect and fun day!

And so I leave ya'll with a picture of a Ronald Regan vent figure and.......



Jimmy Carter Vent figure! All the way from the peanut farm! Bubba out!

Time to vent

Good mornin Possum's! Remember the roadtrip I told ya'll about for yesterday? This is the blog you've been waitin for! First off was our four hour drive from Nashville to FT. Mitchell KY. I know, I know what your thinkin! What could possibly be in FT. Mitchell KY. that would get ole Bubba so excited? As ya'll all know, my Dad and I are products of the 60's. And just as the Sock Monkey come back to fame and popularity...well so is this. We started off with a good cup of joe from the local BP station and a tank of gas. Let the journey begin!



This is a museum dedicated to the history and art form of none other than Ventriloquism. A place called Vent Haven! Vent Haven was founded by Cincinnati Native William Shakespeare Berger. Known to his friends as "W.S.". In 1894 , when he was 16, W.S. began workin in the mailroom of the Cambridge Tile Co. in Cincinnati and in 1947 he retired the president of the company. While on a business trip to New York in 1910, W.S. purchased his first ventriloquist figure, Tommy Baloney, and his fabulous collection was begun. Although originally contained in his home, the collection quickly outgrew its quarters and W.S. renovated his garage and even built a second building to house the figures.

From the late 1940's until 1960, W.S. was the president of the International Brotherhood of ventriloquist. His leadership helped the organization grow from about 300 members to over 1000.



Here I am with the museum curator and tour guide Jennifer Dawson! She was kind enough to grace us with a photo op. together. I was totally amazed at her passion for this really cool collection!





W.S. also published a monthly magazine called "The Oracle" which kept the ventriloquist abreast of current events in the vent community. Mr. Berger also maintained extensive personal correspondence with ventriloquist around the world.



My Dad and I doin the monkey business when no one was lookin! Ssssssshhhhhh! Don't tell anyone! Dude! Put the figure down! A Sock Monkey in jail is not a pretty sight!



Bubba! Your old and I mean really old Dad is ahead of you!



Ms. Dawson was ever so kind as to demonstrate the mechanics of the figures. We'll call him type writer number one! The operations of the facail features work much like a type writer in the olden days on this paticular figure. Ears wiggle, eyes rollin and wig flippin fun and laughter!



Near the end of his life, W.S. had outlived his wife, son and grandson and he had no other heirs. Fearing his collection would be divided and dispersed, he sought advice from his attorney who helped him set up a charitable foundation for his assets, property and collection.









Vent Haven is the only museum of its kind in the world. It houses over 700 figures, thousands of photographs and playbills, and and a library of books, some of which date to the 1700's. On june 30,1973, a year after Mr. Bergers death, a public opening and dedication of a third building was held. Edgar Bergen and Jimmy Nelson were among the performers.





Edgar Bergen's cast of characters above.....



Jimmy Nelson's Danny O'Day and Farfel. Nestles Chocolate commercials of the 60's.



This paticular character is MaDame. The puppeteer was Wailen. He was not a ventriloquit. Back in the day they hosted The Madame and Wailen show. MaDame came right to the edge of bein a smut mouthed comedy act. Upon Wailens death the puppet was donated to Vent Haven. This being a long blog....I will have to continue tomorrow or maybe later today. So stay tuned to Bubba's Sock Drawer for more Vent history. Bubba

ROADTRIP

Have I got a story to tell ya'll today!!!! ROADTRIP!!!!!! But I'm not gonna tell ya'll what it is just yet! I'm so excited I almost peed my pants this mornin over coffee! My Dad an I have been gigglein all mornin! We have been plannin this trip for about 20 years in the makin! We always said we'd get to this place someday and someday has arrived! I'm sorry to say that the roadtrip blog will not materialize until tomorrow. Is the suspence killin ya'll already? I'll not be runnin with the scissors today! I'm headed to the car! I'll sit around and eat patse another day! We'll crew on a crayon or two. Enough with the jokes already! I've got to get into my celeb state of mind for this! ACTION! Kay Possum's! Have a great day and will be back tomorrow! Oh happy day and close the sock drawer! Bubba

The monday errands

Kay Possum's! My Dad is such a nerd! There's trouble brewin when we pass a Hobby Lobby! This bein one of his favorite places to visit! I know your an artist Dad, but do we really have to stop today?



With millions of outfits in my closet, He feels that I need another one. My wardrobe deptpartment came along and picked out this fabric for my next celeb look! Cut the fabric already! Can we go?



Now here's my favorite part! Moucha latte counter! This is the clerk that made our coffee for the outtin! Woooo-who! I'll be a runnin around sock monkey today!



Now this is what life is made of! A good cup of joe that's chocolate flavored! A wink of my button eye to the kind lady makin it! Folks are always glad to have their pictures made with me! I love it! I sat back in my chair and was just enjoyin the day and sippin my coffee! Life is plum good!





Did I have to much coffee and now seein pink elephants? A quick wave to our Sock monkeys friends at Kia! They did approach me for their commercial back when, But I was busy and off to another photo shoot. Slap me five! $149.00 and a job and you too can rida the pink elephant! Happy Monday Possum's! Bubba out!

Ciacadas

Hey Possum's! For those of you that live in TN.,did ya ever wonder what that loud sound is when ya go outside this time of year? It's the 13 years cicadas. They have come up out of the ground. The sound you hear is the males making their matin call. It takes a full 13 years for them to mature.



This is what they look like. They sometimes fly right into you when your ouside. Their pretty harmless. They don't bite or anything like that. It's the buzz here and they talk about them quite often on the news. Bug collectors are havin a feild day right now. They've studied them. That's the word for this Wednesday. Bubba

Stuff like that there

Hello Possum's of the Tuesday mornin warehouse! Sittin here on the front steps enjoyin the best day ever! The coffee has already been downed and the day has begun! My business manager has paid the cell bill this mornin. YIPEEEEEEEE! I have cell service for another month. 1-800-celeb-Sock-Monkey...how may I help you? Bubba G. Thorton here. The G. stands for something we can't rightly pronouce here in the swamps of Alabama! I'm just kiddin Possum's! I shall now do the Indian dance of the tomato plants! May they grow and produce fruit! 2-3-4. Chefs? Food network? NA! Give me a tomato sandwich drippin with mayo please! I have people to wipe it off my mouth! It's okay! Did someone say Ice Cream? I distinctly heard someone say ice cream. That means it's time to close The Sock Drawer on another day. Bubba

Being cool on a Monday night

Kay Possum's...Most people hate Mondays. Mondays can actually be kind of a cool night if ya'll let it. I'm here in wardrobe with my people. I wasn't liken the long sleeve shirt they gave me for these pants the other day. Why? It's summertime! Hot people! So I told them RE-DO! What did I get next? This yellow shirt. I'm preparin for a trip in the very near future. I'll be ready for the ROADTRIP! I'll not spill the beans as to where I'm going. The Pavarazzi simply have to be kept in the dark of my where-a-bouts. To much camera flash could fade my brown sock skin. I mean let's face it...I am over 50 years old and I'm already faded. But not into the background! I will never let that happen! I'm a Sock monkey on the go and I have somewhere to go and a story to tell...So I'm gonna tell it! The days are countin down till I leave the Sock Drawer to get out and about. This is a place I've never been before in the 25 years history I've been doin my websites/blog and what have you. New material Possum's. I'm gonna keep ya'll in the loop as much as possible. But for now I'm gonna sit here on a Monday night with a bunch of mindless blog. We'll just call it suspense............................................Let's see if I can give ya'll a clue for the next trip on the books. WOOD! That's the clue!! See if ya'll can guess. I'll betcha ya can't get it! That's all I'm gonna say on the subject. Nope! No more clues. Maybe I'll give ya'll clues throughout the rest of the week. Or not. Bubba

Hangin at the gossip fence

Well Possum's, its another Monday. I was hangin out at the gossip fence wonderin what I could get into today. After the MTV awards last night,I was a little tuckered out from stayin up late to watch. Gotta keep myself well informed as ya'll well know. My celeb status is overwhelmin sometimes. So I decided to head into town and see what's happenin. Not much to report on there ,but I found some beautiful fountains to relax by on my outtin.


My photo manager got some strange looks as he was photgraphin Bubba the Sock Monkey runnin through town. Autographs? yeah that too. Ran into a few fans whom wanted their pics taken with me. I'm always glad to do so.



This is Bubba reportin for the Monday news. I'll close The Sock Drawer now. Bubba

In the good old summer time

Hello summertime Possum's!! As every year like clock work since we moved to Nashville....Hangin at the Parthanon in the park! Just thought we'd get out and about on such a warm summer day. The parthanon holds our very own golden girl "Athena"! Goddess of something or another. All I really know about her is she's this giant statue in a buildin! Feet as big as our toyota sittin in the driveway! Yeah...she's a big girl.



I found myself in the stranest places on this trip to the park. We treid to look at things a little different. Some bronze guy statue about war stuff ya know. My photo manager thought it would be a good shot. He's not the one balancin over his head on his hand liftin up to a tall statue , he had to climb himself just to get the shot! Can you say arrested Possum's? So I thought I'd pose so we could hurry up and get this over with. Hurry! The cops aren't lookin! Ssssssshhhhhhhh! Your makin to much noise!!!! (SNAP OF CAMERA) Well it's about time! Now get me down from here! No! Don't run away and leave me up here!



Stone bridges over water seem to be one of my favorite shots. It bring a since. of tranquil to a Sock Monkey in the park.



Ducks swimmin around and fountains shootin up out of the pond. I personally know they will come in close because folks are always feedin them. For excitin destination info there is a island out in the pond called duck island and they really live on it. Just a little fasenatin fact about Nashville. Since the travel channel spends all it's time tryin to compete with the food network, I'll keep ya'll informed. Just a FYI...



It's a plane on a stick! I say every park needs one of these! Well I'll be dipped in chocolate and nuts!!!! Roll around for a while just feelin plain nutty! Hey! Where's the remote? I take it I'm not suppose to ask that?



I'll just sit in front of the stick and pretend it's my own personal plane comin to take me to my next celeb gig! Yeah! That's it!



Well I'm on a train out of here Possum's! TGIF! Bubba