Sunday, August 1, 2010

The Ring and the Little Detective

Yesterday afternoon I was sitting on the patio, when my seven year old granddaughter Taylor, walked out of the house with my magnifying glass and her Nancy Drew, Girl Detective, Volume 1. She told me she was available to solve any mystery I might be having. I thought for a while and asked her if she could find my lost wedding ring. After she interviewed me for about 10 minutes with pencil and paper, she was off to solve her mystery.

About two months ago I lost my wedding ring. It either flew off my hand while I was throwing salt in our swimming pool, or came off my hand while I was cleaning out a large flower bed in our front yard. I did them both on the same day.

She hunted all around the pool area with her magnifying glass and finally declared it wasn’t in the back yard. She asked me which flower bed I had been working on two months before and if she could use a tablespoon to dig through it. I told her she could use the spoon and wished her luck, because I’d already torn that flower bed apart and dumped out the green trash can looking for it myself.

About 45 minutes later, she walked up to me with her nana (buymebarbies) and said she couldn’t find it. I told her thanks for looking and trying to solve the mystery. After a few seconds, they both started laughing and Taylor pulled my old ring out of her pocket! Using the tablespoon and magnifying glass she went through the flowerbed with a fine tooth comb (or spoon).

Last week, I’d finally given up all hope of finding my original wedding ring and bought a new one. I was so happy to get my old beat-up, misshapen, and tarnished ring back. I hope the jewelry store will let me return the new one.

I really owe my little detective for finding my ring. I think I’ll be buying her the rest of the Nancy Drew books. There are more mysteries out there just waiting for her to solve…


46 comments:

  1. Awesome detective she is! And Nancy Drew books are very helpful in teaching deductive thinking skills!!

    If she is for hire - my husband complains he lost his mind. Can Taylor help him find it? I am at my patience's end...

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  2. Awwww, that is so sweet!
    Pleased that you found your original ring!
    You may get a refund on your new one if it hasn't been engraved, or you could give your new one to Taylor as a "reward"!
    My Father had my "Christening bracelet" made into a ring for me....and I still wear it today, although the pattern on it has just about worn off completely!

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  3. that is awesome! ^_^

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  4. Oh how wonderful! That was a great story Pat, and well done to Taylor, I think you have a detective in the making :)

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  5. Aww... look at her! She certainly has the detective's eye. Lucky you, too, for finding your real ring. There is something about a wedding ring that makes it "mine", and any substitute is not quite bad... but just not quite right... if you know what I mean.

    Nevine

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  6. What a sweet story, Taylor rocks!
    Now go get her those books AND an ice cream!

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  7. This is a great story! You really owe her big time :-)

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  8. that is THE BEST story- can you send her to st.maarten to look for my wedding band on the beach?

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  9. LOVE this! This just shows how wonderfully books can inspire! What a very talanted young lady Taylor is :) Happy you have your ring back.

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  10. What a cute story and a very pretty girl also. I just have one question. She is only 7 and reading Nancy Drew???

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  11. What a great story. I have a seven year old niece named Taylor. Your Taylor however is a worthy successor to Sherlock Holmes or Batman himself. I was tempted to just start committing crimes so that she could have a super genius nemisis to battle against.

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  12. Isn't it sweet how the true ones make the best stories!! :)

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  13. Wow---your granddaughter is a true detective... SO glad she found your ring.... Now --if you lose it again, you'll have a back-up!!!!!! Great Gal... She deserves some ice cream for that ---plus all of the Nancy Drew books....

    Betsy

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  14. Brenda - She sure surprised me! I think my wife has hired her to find my mind..

    Alice - I'm very happy to have it back. The place I bought the new one from wasn't very happy, but they d id take it back for a full refund. Taylor's reward was a pile of oragami paper and more books. I'm sure you will treasure your ring even when the pattern is gone.

    Vencora - Thanks! It sure made me happy...

    Sam - Oh yeah, there's no stopping her now.

    Nevine - She's a bright one alright! I agree about the ring. The new one was nice, but it wasn't mine. My old ring wasn't anything fancy, worn, misshapen, inexpensive, but it was "mine."

    Vickie - Hi there! Oh yeah, she already demanded some payment in the form of frozen yogurt. Nice to see you here Vickie!

    Kelly - I do indeed and she's not gonna let me forget it either!

    Ren - I'm sure for a price she'd give it a go... I hope you didn't lose in on your honeymoon!

    Nancy - Thanks! It sure inspired her!

    dot - Thanks! She has no problem with them at all. Whenever she has a free minute, her nose in a book. Warms my heart right up...

    Kal - Thanks Kal! She's already taking about getting some more detective "tools." I think she's taken my magnifying glass to her house. If you Taylor is anything like mine, she's a handfull...

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  15. RA - Yep! True stories are usually better than fiction.

    Betsy - Thanks! I already took the other ring back. But you are right, I'll get her all the books. She earned it...

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  16. Pat that is awesome.. I know my first set of books was Nancy Drew and I used to sneak & read my brothers Hardy Boys..

    and you got your ring back.. So cool!!

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  17. Lynne - Hi there! I think that's a good series to start with. If she wants to then go to Hardy boys, I'm all for it...thanks!

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  18. That is a tenacious grandchild you have. Lucky guy! I believe I read every Nancy Drew book in my day. Dad started me with Bobbsey Twins, then Nancy, then Anne of Green Gables set from my godmother. I wish all children had a great love of reading.

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  19. Good for Taylor! I knew reading all those Nancy Drew books when I was her age would be useful somehow. I'm sure they've helped me find many a missing possession. And it's great you got your ring back. And equally as great that at seven she has such faith in reading. :)

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  20. That is fantastic. You're lucky to have such a fine detective to help you out.

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  21. Get her the complete works of Sherlock Holmes while you're at it.

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  22. Well done Taylor! I used to love the Nancy Drew books when I was about 8 to 10 years old....I didn't become a detective when I grew up, but I suppose a scientist is close enough :-)

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  23. That is great stuff. I guess you really know where to go next time you lose something...before buying a new one!

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  24. absolutely wonderful story , and very glad you got your ring back.

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  25. How wonderful! She did a great deed and probably felt wonderful to find it for you, too!
    Glad you are reunited with something that I am sure has great sentimental value to you...and now, even more so, because she found it for you.
    Give her more books. ha

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  26. She is a jewel. I love this story. I also loved Nancy Drew, but her detective skills didn't rub off on me that way.
    xoRobyn

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  27. California Girl - She sure is! I wish they all did too. I'm sure glad she does...

    Vegtable Assassin - It was a good investment!

    Tim - I am and she's pretty proud about it.

    Warren - I asked her if she knew who Sherlock Holmes was and she did. So I probably will...

    Nat - She said maybe a scientist would be great also.

    Chuck - that's right, she said I should go straight to her.

    Nippy - Thanks so much! She got a kick out of your name...

    Joan - She sure did. I give her all the books she can read!

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  28. Way to go Taylor!!

    I bet it does feel good to get the old one back, I would be the same as you Pat, yes sir she is due a few more books for a reward :)

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  29. Pat I am so happy you found your original ring. In fact, I was once going to write a post about how I could never understand why women want a newer and bigger "diamond" wedding ring (an upgrade with the years) and give up the original one they were married in. The ring you were married in has sentimental value. Every time I look at my wedding ring I think of how Tim proposed and of our wedding day not to mention all the intervening years. The ring is a symbol of so much and I would be devastated if Tim or I lost ours. So your little Nancy Drew did good!!!

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  30. What a sweet story, with a heartwarming ending! She certainly does deserve a reward. :)

    You brought a smile to my face, too, when you said you were happy to get your old ring back, and hoped you could return your new one. Sentimental value means so much more than something "shiny and new", doesn't it? :)

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  31. Robyn - Thanks Robyn! It seems to have rubbed off on her.

    Jimmy - Thanks! (she said thanks also!) Yep, although it wasn't rearly as nice, I wanted it back.

    DrSoosie - Me too! I'm not one to wear jewlery at all, but I did like that ring. Taylor did me a big service and I owe her!

    Marlene - Thanks so much! You are right. I was totally surprised that my eyes watered a bit when she handed it to me. It must have been my allergies...

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  32. That is such an adorable story. I lost a pair of snow boots and sunglasses. Do you think you could send her on over?

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  33. That's awesome. Taylor is a true detective. Glad you got your ring back.

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  34. love that girl! you forgot to mention that you told her BEFORE she went searching that you would buy her a quart of golden spoon frozen yogurt if she found it.... and that probably lit the fire under her rear to REALLY find it! =) hahaha, AND the part where you really teared up when she gave it back to you.... but then i saw that you did write that to Marlene.... and you held true to your promise about getting her the frozen yogurt....

    say, do you feel like some sam handwiches??? hopefully she'll find your mind for you soon!!! ;)

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  35. Love your new top photo and your recent stories. Amazing little detective!!! And, wouldn't it be nice if the concept of Customer Service came back into fashion? Some people have worse than no clue.

    Churchyard in Oxford: No idea how old they were. It would have been fun to poke around, but I had an appointment with a tapestry at the Ashmolean Museum, and we were running out of time. Sore feet, too. As I always say, it's a perfect reason to go back.

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  36. PTM - Thanks! just give her coordinates and she'll start with some sattelite photography...

    baygirl - Thanks so much.

    Mr. Stupid - Thanks, I'm happy to have it back also.

    Ashley - I'm gonna have to start moderated your comments! You know far too much about me...

    tapirgal - Thanks! Too bad you didn't get to dig, er umh, poke around in that old grave yard...

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  37. My Dad started me on those two minute mystery books. Teaches you to observe everything to solve the case.

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  38. I love Taylor! She's such a cutie! Glad you got your ring back and very jealous that your family has a pool.

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  39. Kal - I had totally forgotten about those books. I think there was TV show also, maybe?

    Ally - The girl is a character alright. The pool is nice, but most of the year it's just a hole in the ground you throw money into...

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  40. Great deductive reasoning! After you buy her the rest of the Nancy Drew series maybe pick up a few of the Hardy Boys adventures.

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  41. The Hardy Boys Detective Guidebook is a good one. And believe it or not, the Boy Scout Manual is excellent for teaching those skills.

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  42. Lots of smiles. Off to read part two!

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  43. I need to hire your grand daughter, she'd have a full time job following my husband...he can't find anything - lol

    I wonder what I would do with all the extra time on my hands!

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