This is a special blog post devoted to my most favorite of holidays, April Fool's. There's even a new slideshow on Finder Not Keeper that is viewable today only. To those who may be offended by my ribald sense of humor, I can only say this: I'm doing my part to lighten the load. Tomorrow I'll make up for this unladylike behavior by ironing my duvet cover and writing the stack of thank-you notes I owe. 

But for now, 'bear' with me while I tell you about the joke played on me by the carved creature in the photo above. I fell in love with his innocent eyes and when I brought him home, I propped him on my basement desk to keep placid watch over all the other inanimate animals I tend to buy. I imagined he would be like Hobbes and find himself a Calvin to pal around with when my back was turned. Such a sturdy little teddy bear. 

I think it was an hour after I went to the trouble of photographing this bear when one of the many men I share a home with came upon the scene and said, "What the heck is that between his legs?" 

Yikes! My son was right. How could I have missed that? Once I noticed, I couldn't look away. And his eyes. They're not so innocent anymore. They're ... vacant ... and soulless. How can I sell a soulless bear with something vaguely menacing peeking out from his hind quarters? 

I can't sell him. The joke's on me. So I'm just doing what any enterprising person would do. Making lemonade out of lemons. I'm contributing his image to the internets. My bear can be a meme now. 

P.S. When you peek at the new slideshow, please note that I changed the way the shop is organized. I'd love to hear what you think. Do the categories make sense?