“Once there was a frog named Froggy and a Snake named Snakey and they lived in a forest near a pond.”
When I was a little girl, those words meant my dad was about to tell an awesome bedtime story about my favorite little forest critters. Froggy and Snakey were his invention, and they quickly became cherished characters for my sister and me. We would play make-believe games about them while we explored outside. We even had a little green-striped scarf-thing that we pretended was Snakey (I still have it, as it happens).
Sadly, I don’t remember a single story line from the many tales my dad told us. No special details. But I do remember that opening line: “Once there was a frog named Froggy and a snake named Snakey and they lived in a forest near a pond.” It was the same every time. Consistent, reliable. And the stories were always fun and full of joy. Traits intrinsic to my dad.
He passed away unexpectedly eight years ago after an accident at his home. The heartache over this loss will never disappear, but neither will the memories of our time together.
For years I’ve wanted to create a book in honor of my dad, a way of memorializing these bedtime stories so full of love and fun, and now it’s nearly finished! While I couldn’t remember any details of his stories from when I was so young, my sister remembered that they often featured pincher bugs. So that’s what this book is about.
More updates to come!
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