Toyland

Dear Diary,

I am part of the Baby Boomer generation, those post war children that grew up in the 1950's.  I have always been thankful for that.  For me Christmas is always wrapped in a gentler cover, a pre-electonic/pre-technology cover.  Toys operated by a child's imagination. That's why I love a store like A Sudden All Agog...the delightful toy store near me from yesterday's post.  This is a view of the inside, not a battery operated or electronic gadget to be found!

Toyland, the song made popular by Doris Day, is my favorite non-religious Christmas song.  It came out in the early 1960's when the Babyboomers were entering their teen years and it is so touching to me.  If you want, you can hear it here. 

You may not be able to go back but one can certainly reminisce.  My favorite toys were my Tiny Tears Doll ( which my mother made clothes for and taught me how to sew my own), my set of Tinker Toys, that could be turned into fantastical creations, and my set of American Plastic Bricks.  With those you could build little houses with windows and doors that opened.  I think it was with them that I developed a love a drawing floor plans and imagining the house I would someday live in.  It was nothing like where I ended up living in but when you are a child anything is possible.


Of course, there was always a new box of Crayola crayons and books.  A new sweater and the red mittens my grandmother would make us. The year I got my record player was a special one and I couldn’t wait to go to buy some little 45 rpm records.  My father always made sure we had a “big” gift, like new skates or a bobsled.  Yes, I was a very lucky little girl.