The Cobra

At the reunion mentioned in the prior post, we were shocked to see "the cobra" on display as a memento of the traditional white elephant dinners that were held in the Lake Forest Park Ward for years. We had wondered what happened to the cobra. Evidently the last holders of the snake had kept it after the dinners were no longer held and even fixed it up to its former glory. And there it was. The cobra is made of plaster, with some interior wire supports. It is quite heavy actually. It has red jewels for eyes. It was one of the favorite items that people always traded for - it was an honor to host the cobra in your home for a year until the next dinner. Our connection to the cobra began when one year Kristi had the coveted final pick. The final pick could select any of the white elephants, some of which were desirable items. Mike wanted her to select the box of chocolates. She instead, shocked him, and chose the cobra. From that time forward, we brought it to the dinners and always tried to retain possession. At the reunion, we asked who was currently in possession of the snake and were told Keith and Jean Smith were the ones who had ended up with it and Keith had done the repair work. To make a long story short, we asked Barbara Bradford if she could drop a hint that we would like to have it back someday, if possible. Well, it is currently proudly displayed in a place of honor in our home. The cobra makes it full-circle.