A Southern Belle with Northern Roots/Junkflirt

 Hello. just a quick announcement to let you know Story tellers will not happen next week. I will be taking a short break, I spent some time in the ER and hospital with hemorrhaging and the scheduled procedure of uterine ablation was not able to be done. I will be seeing Dr. again on the 5th to discuss hysterectomy. I would love your prayers for no more bleeding and and wisdom at this time. Thank you so much!


blessings and thanks for visiting

 


 Well there is a Kodak moment, probably from an old camera with the old flash bulbs that burned out and had to be flipped, or maybe it had a flash that had to warm up.....and for sure you had to wait to see this picture. Back in the day when film was sent away to be developed. yep 1970.
You can see part of my extensive toy collection. Who knew I would grow to love stuff...more stuff and more stuff.
Can you see any of your toys? 
Up there on the top, third in line, in the pink dress with blond hair, That is Wiggly Giggly. She was a favorite, I think I even still have her somewhere in a box??? She had two little front teeth and  arms and legs that wiggled when you shook her .....SHOOK HER?!!!   UffDa!
Next row...you see monkey, don't know if he had a name or not....I think he is here in a box too. He ended up with much less "fuzz", a broken banana, one ear barely hanging on and a bent shoe. Poor guy...glad PETA never heard about him.



 Remember these..... Clackers? Those dangerous loud out of control swinging orbs. You stood there next to your friends and each tried to get them going as fast as you could.  Cringing, with one eye open, holding them as far away from your body as possible! Oh the danger!



 There were the toys I never had, the ones I wanted. I had two Baby Tender Loves. One had a bow on the back of her head and when you pulled it she talked. The other drank and peed her diapers but neither were Little Joey.....the BOY baby from Archie Bunker's All in The Family! OH how I wanted that doll, yes.....because he was anatomically correct, see.........
 It was quite scandalous in that day, I remember people talking about it and I wanted one....I would go to the store and look at the box......my first voyeurism?? Shame.
I also wanted a Stretch Armstrong, I knew boys that had one so I did get to torture play with him. Pulling, stretching, squishing....poor guy...eventually he got a bo bo  and a green goo began to seep from him, requiring emergency band aide treatment.


 My very favorite toy was the Magic Window.....I sat for hours and hours turning the trapped sand. Swirls that looked like waves in the ocean. Hidden pictures. It was peaceful. I guess it was a break from my usual shaking, clacking, torturing play.

 What toys do you remember? Which were your favorites? Was their anything you pined for and never got?
Did you take good care of your toys?
         or not?




 Thanks for playing with me and now as we close may we take a moment to remember the many Sea Monkey families that have perished over the years.

 Remember the standard link party rules.
1. Link your post, NOT your blog, just your post or page.
2. Please visit and encourage one another.
3. Link back to this post, either by button or text. If you do not know how to link back please contact me for help.




blessings and thanks for visiting

 I got this wall hanging at a sale a couple years ago, and the pots as a gift...they went together perfectly and hung on the wall for quite a while...I guess I wanted a change, more towards the industrial chic!!
 Parties I am joining with this project are;

Metamorphosis Monday @BNOTP
Not Bad Sundays @ Lamb Around
Make it for Monday@Cottage Instincts
White Wednesday@ Faded Charm


blessings and thanks for visiting

 Story Tellers!
Remember ....your story does not have to be heritage! I want to restate all that story tellers encompasses...yes! heritage those wonderful stories and tributes to family members. Genealogy is wonderful and here is the place to post those great stories. But...also
stories of you.....memories from your past, even current things that are going on in your life.
Also...memories of your kids growing up.

 Just tell it in STORY FORM. Write about that time you went to the store with your mom and her friend and they were goofing off in the aisle with the falsies, holding them up to their chests and prancing around....oh that wasn't you? ahem...it was me. I was so embarrassed!

 Tell me a story, funny, sad, coping, questioning, remembering, pay tribute as so many of you have done so wonderfully.
It can be an old post.....just link back to this party, either by button or title link.  Link the post only and not the entire blog.

 also....tell me what you think of having the party twice a month. I think that may be where we are headed.
so......
Gather around,
   grab a cup of coffee,
      lend me your ear......
 I have a story to tell you.......




August 2005, 2 weeks before hurricane Katrina hit.....
Tucked among the trees was an old sign, along the highway, yet down in the near swamp.
Gator Farm.
Easy to miss...but we didn't.
Down a crooked road, we see ahead rusty tin buildings and a fence at least 8 feet high.
Shrouded by trees that were weighed down with Spanish moss and a smell like.....
fish- but not
dirt- but not
water- but not
was it closed?   There were cars all around but the fence had seemingly swallowed their owners.
The gate closed behind us...and the smell intensified.
In the main rusty shack was a man, he ran the joint. Cajun with an accent as thick as the August Mississippi air. He had a few teeth, most of them were missing. He grinned ear to ear none the less




We paid and entered, first passing by a tank filled with small alligators and.... turtles?
        (Were they to eat?)
Next turn...a wooden path or a bridge made of wood that had seen many days. It began on land but not for long, soon we were over water, a swamp.
Covered in green algae, at first glance appearing dirty and dead, but a closer look showed millions of tiny green healthy leaves, little beautiful plants.




The bridge creaked and rocked and that moss hung heavy on every cypress tree.

        Water moved!

and one swam by.....small gator

          Splash!

two gators...what were they doing?

Others had entered the bridge behind us, we were now many feet from land.
There was a family...large in number and in girth......

they were throwing
marshmallows
and every gator in sight was heading over there. Biting, snapping, twisting....competing for marshmallows.




Amusing indeed, especially to the large family....for all 10 of them were leaning to the same side watching....causing a slight shift - even where we were. We stood, tilted......worried.

There was no where to go but in! That bit of land the bridge was over was several feet away and the other end led to the bay and flat bottomed boats behind another fence! Nothing but water, moss, algae and slithering marshmallow crazed alligators.

Well the bridge shifted back again and more and more people arrived. Our odds now improved, at least if we went in some of us may come out alive.
NO wonder that toothless man grinned.



Katrina came along an wiped out the Gator Farm, the shacks blew down and all them gators got away!


So....if you should ever be in the swamps of Mississippi and come upon an alligator.....just throw him a marshmallow
or a turtle.....what ever is handy.


Click photos to enlarge....my apologies for quality, these are photos of photos.













blessings and thanks for visiting

 The Last Bouquets of Summer


 Until next year







I shall miss thee

















I am linking to Mosaic Monday
 Bloomin' Tuesday

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A mix of tools, garden and wire on peg board highlighted by bright yellow paint!












Stop by here for more ideas
Margos Junkin Journal
Funky Junk
Color Outside the Lines
Common Ground


blessings and thanks for visiting