I Have This Thing For Flamingoes…

​            There are lots of people who like flamingoes but I have a “thing” for flamingoes. This “thing” I have for flamingoes happened over a long period of time and as best as I can recall, this is how that “thing” developed:
            I was just a child in the 1950’s when the plastic yard ornament was first manufactured. I do recall that it was shocking to see the bright pink creatures popping up in yards and gardens of a few Fremont homes. I thought they were gorgeous and a bright addition to what were otherwise drab gardens.  
            My parents wouldn’t waste their money on such nonsense. Also, my Grandfather owned a Greenhouse, so we dressed up the front of our house with big planters of red geraniums, asparagus fern and trailing ivy plants. It was so much more tasteful and so not tacky like a plastic bird.
            The plastic pink flamingoes fell out of favor for awhile in the 60’s and 70’s, but they never completely went away. As I recall, flamingo lawn ornaments made a comeback as a fun and tacky trend in the later 1980’s. 
             In 1990 my husband and I were looking for a house that better suited our growing family’s needs. A house, that I had driven by hundreds of times, came up for sale. I always thought the house looked as if it belonged in Florida. We looked at the house and made an offer, a few months later we moved in.  
        The house screamed flamingoes – at least that is what I heard.   Eventually a local hardware store began carrying the delightful pink plastic birds and I was able to purchase a couple of boxes. It started out fairly moderate – just a few pink accents along the north side of the house and a couple in the front.  
            I think my husband was a bit embarrassed but embarrassment was part of the appeal. The bright pink was definitely noticeable and I loved the tackiness of the flock. Each year I would purchase a few more boxes and the pairs multiplied around the house. When someone needed directions to our home, I would give them the address and tell them to look for the flamingoes – they would say “Oh I know which house is yours.”
            My cousin built a pool in the early 90’s and complemented his garden décor with flamingoes. I had a flamingo friend – that was fun. Later when he moved, another cousin inherited the house, pool and flamingo craze.  We continue our shared flamingo fancy to this day!
            Around the turn of the century, more flamingo themed products became available. I branched out from pink plastic flamingo yard ornaments to concrete flamingo yard ornaments and then I bought a flamingo cookie jar.  Soon I had a glittery flamingo pin to wear on my denim jacket and a string of pink flamingo lights for the bushes by the back door.  
            Family and friends were relieved to have an idea for gift giving. When they saw a flamingo scarf, wine glass, picture, thank you cards, Christmas Ornament, plate, purse, shirt, stuffed animal or whatever, they bought it and gave it to me for a special occasion. I loved each and every flamingo offering.  Whenever I see a flamingo product, I think about it a bit and then if I think I need a little flamingo fix, I buy one for me and one for my cousin – she does the same – Flamingo Fixated Friends are the best!
            The turning point from “Flamingo Fancy” to a true “Flamingo Thing” happened on a trip to Curacao in 2006. My husband Randy had passed away earlier that year and my daughter Ramie and I were grieving. Brother Stacy and his wife Laurie encouraged Ramie and I to travel with them to Curacao, to continue the healing process in a new environment.    
            Curacao is a delightful Dutch island just off the coast of Venezuela. As it turns out, there are many locations in the Dutch Antilles that serve as breeding grounds for thousands of Flamingo couples.    
            If you fancy flamingoes and have a tendency to focus on a flamingo theme, Curacao is a Flamingo Fancier Paradise. I was hooked – flamingoes would become a “thing” for me. Flamingo back scratcher, flamingo toilet paper holder, flamingo pens, flamingo picture frames, flamingo books, flamingo soap dish and lots of flamingo apparel. Another trip to Curacao and two more trips to Bonaire really sealed the deal on flamingoes.
             Flamingo themed products continue to make their way to the market place and in to my home. One very special flamingo gift was a quilt made by my sister-in-law, Eileen Smith. It was an incredible labor of love with a horrendous pattern of great difficulty. The finished product is absolutely stunning and I will treasure this heirloom as long as I live. My granddaughter RaiLee has already asked if she can have the flamingo quilt when I die?  
            ​Just so everybody is on the same page with the flamingo heirloom quilt – RaiLee has been my side kick for quite some time and it appears she is developing a “thing” for flamingoes - she gets the quilt.  Don’t worry, there will be enough other flamingo inheritance treats for the rest of the family!