Box of memories...

18 March 2020: Spring Break cleaning unearthed a box of treasures. First, with my childhood best friend, Marie. Second, on an overnight train to Paris in 1992 with junior high friends. Finally, the most "I was a kid in the 80s" collection of random objects.

A couple of links...

1) Jason Howard, who I met a couple of years ago when he visited Shepherd, has a new op-ed in the New York Times. A quotation from its closing: "There is no easy resolution to the fraught relationship between the coal industry and the people of Appalachia, many of whom rely on it for jobs even as it poisons their region. But it is imperative that the industry’s leaders and their elected allies lay down their propaganda and engage in an honest, civil dialogue about the issue. The stakes are too high to do otherwise."

2) A very cool Lego installation in Australia. When I was a kid, I would spend hours and hours playing with my Legos. Sometimes, I still miss them. 

3) A Firefly reunion special is in the works! Commence celebrating!

Toys!

Back in June when I was forced to empty my old room of all my old stuff* (including that note I posted about earlier), I also found a stash of old toys that I had been saving. Once I got back to WV, I went through them and found some real gems (at least, according to me).

First up, a little squirrel named Milkweed from the Woodsey's, one of my favorite toy sets. I remember getting this on Christmas Eve when I was about five or so.


Check out this link for more information on this really charming toy. Right now, I am not sure what happened to Mama and Papa Woodsey, their house, the book, or their furniture, but at least I still have this little guy.

Next, a big old assortment of Star Wars stuff--little vehicles and accessories, including this big old guy...

Jabba the Hutt himself!

A big collection of Star Wars figures--these are just a few that I picked out for the picture. Especially impressive is the Emperor. I remember this being a limited edition figure that my brother Ryan sent away for. (Lots of these toys were originally my brothers'--that kind of stuff happens when you are one of five kids.)

A Gremlin! Scary! I remember my 7th birthday was a Gremlins birthday, with lots of Gremlin-themed gifts. I got an adorable stuffed Gizmo, who, sadly, my mother threw out (!!!) when she purged some things from the attic that she had previously told me was safe. This scary dude, though, has managed to endure.

When I was five or six, my parents and I were in a store and I found $5 on the floor. My parents told me that I could keep it after we turned it in at customer service and waited to see if anyone claimed it. (Incidentally, that was some good parenting, right? I can remember them telling me, "This could be some old lady's last $5 and she needs it for food." How many parents would just let their kid keep the money? And I never had cash when I was a kid, so $5 was a ton of money to me.) After three days, the store called and said no one had claimed it, so I got to spend it on whatever I wanted. One of the things I got was this action figure. (Yes, I was tomboy.)

Recognize him? It's Toht, from Raiders of the Lost Ark. He's the Nazi guy who burned his hand on the amulet.

Close up of the burned hand.

I also found this little horse. I remember always liking him. If you look closely, you can see a button under his saddle-bag. Pressing that button makes him gallop!

Sadly, GI Joes don't seem to age well. The little elastics that hold them together break over time. Check out these casualties.

Poor Doc broke right in my hands!

Ahhh--to be a kid again.

While we are on the subject of toys, check out this awesome post on the LEGO vault. (Yes, I love LEGOS!)

*For the record, there is a collection of more of my old toys in the basement of my parents' house--I need to go through that soon, before it all gets tossed.