Theme Thursday - Toy Remnants

My, oh my. What did I get myself into when I signed for Theme Thursday? I should have known better than to pursue the theme Toy. There are lots of avenues that one could take when addressing Toy. We could discuss Toy Poodles, Adult Toys, children's toys, etc. We could site the merits of toys for children and how they benefit from playing with toys to improve their imaginations, how they can roll play with their toys. I could have researched and photographed antique toys and compared them to the toys of today.

But no, the word Toy swept in a flood of memories from my childhood. Of course the first thing I remembered was my dearest stuffed animal, my teddy bear, Teddy. (I know it wasn't very original, but I was only about 3 years old when I got him.) Teddy became my best friend, my confidante, my soother. If I felt sad Teddy was there to let me weep onto his head. Unfortunately, when I was ill he was the one I occasionally threw up on as well. My bear is still with me even though he is in tatters. I have him in a chest along with another bear named Flossie. Flossie keeps Teddy company, she is there just for him. Ebenezer, the big white bear with the blue uniform top, sits in the chest with them. I don't take Teddy out very often because I think he would disintegrate if he were handled.

Toy Remnants

In the photograph Ebenezer is in the upper right corner, Flossie is top left, and the tattered Teddy is to Flossie's right. Along with those dear bears is a little black Scotty dog and a little brown squeak dog. A xylophone, a little rattle, the dancing Prince Charming and Cinderella, and a stuffed doll called Chiquita Banana. Strange.

Photo of me & my prince charming next to the wind-up Prince Charming & Cinderella.

Funny how there are some things that just don't go away with time. Memories are funny the way they sneak up on a person and can catch us unawares. So that is my contribution to Theme Thursday - Toy. I think it would have been much easier to have gotten there last week and had Library as the subject. Having been a children's librarian I have a few cute stories to tell.

So, that's it for my old toy remnants, my memories. I have other bears, wooden toys, hand-made dolls, toy cars, a few balls that I have collected during my adult, but those don't have the significance as the ones from my childhood. What memories do toys from your childhood evoke? Have you kept any in a chest, protected and hidden from the world? Take a look at them, travel down memory lane and see what thoughts emerge.