This is an old and a long story....
20 years ago Jo and I lived in London. One Christmas my parents came to visit and do the touristy thing. I had to work so they took Jo with them to watch the Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace. It was Christmas, and it was cold. Two things Jo does not like.
Changing the Guard is an iconic London attraction. Off went the three of them to Buckingham Palace. They arrived early to get a good viewing spot. They had quite the wait in the cold. Jo bores easily. By the time Changing the Guard started, Jo had had enough. Not sure what she was expecting, but the actual ceremony did not meet expectations. She saw it once, and does not need to see it again. She did however keep my parents and those around them highly entertained. I wish I had been there.
When I met them after work, my Mum and Dad could not wait to tell me Jo's running commentary throughout the ceremony. They saw and did a bunch of stuff in the three weeks they were in London, but I think listening to Jo at Changing of Guards was the highlight of their trip! 20 years later my Mum still tells the story.
A couple of years back I was in small local gift store in Maple Ridge - The Little Cricket Gallery. I was looking for a gift to send to, I don't actually remember who. One of the first things I saw was this piece of artwork...
It made me a laugh out loud. I bought it one the spot without even thinking about it. I don't remember who I was shopping for, I'm guessing whoever it was never actually received a gift, Jo got this instead.
Fast forward to the summer of 2012, I was hanging out in Gibsons for the day with Andrea and her boys, and I walked past a small gift shop that had a the same artwork as a woodblock in the window. Turns out the window I was looking in was the artist's gallery - Sa Boothroyd. I didn't buy it at the time. But it kept bugging me, so I had to go back a month or two later and buy it. I sent it home to Mum and Dad as part of their Christmas gift.
Jo thought it was hilarious. Mum thought I should have sent it to Jo instead. Mum didn't realise I'd already sent it to Jo years ago.
Without realising it I had already bought a couple other pieces of Sa's work from Fresh from the Coast in Sechelt to send to other friends as gifts. A bike tea towel, a never enough shoes trivet and a cat magnet. At least I'm consistent!