Hump Day Happy in honor of Marika’s birthday

Possibly the silliest purchase I’ve ever made on eBay arrived today. I blame David Puterbaugh and his rousing endorsement of Toy Story 3. While Jim was here, we watched the first two Toy Story movies on DVD, then Jim, Tim, Tom, and I saw the new one in the theater. And YES, David, I DID need the Kleenex I took with me at your suggestion, and I wasn’t the only one. One of the themes of the movie is what happens to toys when their children grow up.

For years, I’ve mourned the disappearance of my wooden push puppet lion. He was one of my favorite toys, and if our toys remember us, he knows I didn’t lose him, discard him, or give him away. I’m sure he was stolen, and I know who the probable culprit was. I’ve never been able to find another resembling his craftsmanship and appearance, and I’ll never settle for anything less.

Along with my lion, other toys vanished along the way. I probably don’t remember most of them, but I do remember my Dolls of the World.

Dolls of the World were sold for 99 cents each with the purchase of Arco gasoline. There were twelve in all, and my mother collected six of them for me. They weren’t really to play with; they were for display. Even at that, not a whole lot of skill and craft went into them. They were basic plastic dolls–the kind often used for crafting–with hair too fine to brush, only movable at the arms and neck, and their clothes were cheaply made and not removable. Still, I liked the six I had. I learned about the countries they were from and took good care of them. Once they even helped me when I started in a new school. I took them for show and tell, and they were such a hit that my teacher took me to all the other classes in my grade so I could share them, a bizarre experience for a shy girl who normally did everything she could to avoid attention.

I know the dolls were on my bookshelves when I went away to college, but I suppose at some point, I was persuaded to let them go. After seeing Toy Story, I dreamed about them, which caused me to look them up online and on eBay. Not all of the dolls I found look like the ones I had, so maybe there were different versions for different years or regions. But I found England’s and Spain’s dolls that were identical to mine, and they were practically free, so I bought them.

In honor of Marika’s birthday, and the child who remains within us no matter how many birthdays we have, I decided to resurrect Hump Day Happy for this week. (Marika is the only one who ever expressed regret that it vanished as surely as my push puppet lion.) Anyone who wants to give me a page number between 1 and 611, and another number between 1 and 25, can get an item from the happiness book to celebrate Marika’s special day with her. (I don’t advise picking 8/11, because I think Marika’s chosen it a couple of times, and it never changes.) Meanwhile, Marika, let’s pretend that whatever number you pick, it includes dancing naked men.

43 thoughts on “Hump Day Happy in honor of Marika’s birthday”

  1. Hump Day happy … how I have missed you! And since it is my birthday, how about everyone else get something to be miserable about!

    I want page 341 number 11 and Dash will take the same page 18!

    1. Play nice, Marika. You get “hockey teams that use finesse rather than brawn while dancing naked for you!” Dash gets “screened-in porches with delightful views (of dancing naked men!) and breezes.”

  2. Oh and my lost story … when I was born, I was given jointed German Teddy bear that I really grew to love. I carried it everywhere, till my Dad went to war and sent my mother on a greyhound bus to live with my Nanny and Pappy. Busi Bear was lost on the bus. There was drama — I think I was three … then 6 months later Busi showed up in a box from germany with a letter saying that he had to go home and visit his Mom … but he was back for good. I was very happy. It turns out my Mother had called my Aunt who gave me the bear, and asked her to find one like it. Luckily she had also gotten one for my cousin Gabi and Gabi was too old for hers and graciously gave it to me … which of course I did not learn till later… one of the reasons Gabi is one of my favorite cousins and Tante Hannelore is my favorite Aunt. I love Busi too much to recycle him to anyone.

    1. That’s a great story! My brother had one of those. Someone threw it away (long story, no names, wasn’t me) A Steif bear, I think, very small, with jointed arms and legs and head. We–or at least I–called him Fuzzy Wuzzy.

      Anyway, I’ve looked for one to give him, but ones like he had are horrendously expensive now. I’m so glad you got a Replacement Busi Bear.

  3. I noticed that this feature went missing this summer and think it should come back for good. Wednesdays are boring now. Could I have Page 449, #1? ANd happy birthday, Marika.

    Rick, OH

    1. Thank you, Rick. The feature seemed to be waning in popularity, so I thought it was time to retire it. I’ll reconsider. =) Meanwhile, the book (and Marika) has for you “giving a party.” It’s like celebrating Marika’s birthday twice!

      1. *snort* I guess I’m meant to be “Anonymous” today. Maybe because Marika gets the attention on her birthday?

    1. The book says “feeling heady with optimism and warmth.” I think I’ll tell you what you WOULD have gotten had Marika called for a besmirching instead of a beseeching:

      “Dental fluorosis.”

      Aren’t you glad she was in a generous mood?

  4. I’ve missed happy hump day!
    (I blame work for being late on this; I blame it also for seeing this today instead of yesterday and being awfully confused: “Wait. I thought yesterday was her birthday???
    I don’t know that I have a ‘Lost Toy Story.’
    Anyway, in honor of Marika’s birthday yesterday (because I don’t want to be besmirched) could I please have page 427 number 18?

    1. Technically, any day can be hump day, depending on what your week involves, so who cares what day you respond? Also, Marika would probably like to celebrate her birthday some more, so I’m sure she’d approve of the book giving you “those dear to you.”

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