Stories from the Stringam Family Ranches of Southern Alberta

From the 50s and 60s to today . . .



Sunday, October 20, 2013

Parents' Toys

My first/George's third birthday party.
Notice the bull and matador.
How come I didn't have toys like that?

My favourite toys . . . weren't mine.
Because everyone had better toys than me.
Or at least Mom and Dad did.
Their neat toys were all carefully displayed.
On their fireplace mantle.
Okay, I thought it was weird, too.
Especially since they never, ever played with them.
Not once.
I had watched.
There was a plaster matador and bull set.
One of which, had a cape.
And one, horns.
I'll let you sort that out.
They were immensely fun to play with.
Until Mom caught up with me.
"Diane, put those back!"
Sigh.
Then there were the models of bulls.
Horned and polled Herefords.
They were terrific when one wanted to play farm.
Of course, then the matador's bull would have to join in.
Giving the matador just that much more responsibility.
He was tall and strong and handsome.
He could handle it.
"Diane, what did I tell you?!"
Rats.
But the best of all was the bronze horse.
He was glorious.
Standing looking out across the prairie, ears pricked.
He even had a bronze saddle and bridle.
With bronze reins.
"Diane! How on earth did you lug that thing down there! Put it back at once!"
What?! I was behind the couch! How on earth . . .
Man. That woman could see everywhere.
Mom and Dad's toys entertained me for years.
Until I dropped the matador.
It was an accident!
And twisted those bronze reins off the horse.
Oops. Who knew they would do that?
But I maintain that if they didn't want them played with, they should have put them away.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

10 comments:

  1. Yeah, it was always so sad that our parents had toys that only they could play with. But today, the shoe is on the other foot, and WE have the toys, albeit somewhat battered from the kids/grandkids playing with them when our backs are turned...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yeah, why don't parents ever play with that stuff, anyway??

    ReplyDelete
  3. Mom had a whole collection of figural salt and pepper shakers that 'figured' in many of my make believe games. I especially remember a little model T..the man and lady were the salt and pepper part of it.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I don't recall ever playing with any of Mum's ornaments, they didn't look like toys to me and they were locked behind glass doors in a cabinet anyway. I remember a china windmill with blades that turned when the key was wound and a trio of ducks flying across the living room wall. I didn't have ornaments when my kids were little, but hubby would spend hours putting together model planes and helicopters, then painting them. There was a large plane on top of the TV, but the kids never played with it. Their toys were whatever was in their room, or anything they could reach in the bottom two drawers in the kitchen.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What good kids you had! I'm sure my mom wishes hers were as obedient!

      Delete
  5. I often wondered what happened to the bull and matador...and the reins on the bronze horse. Hmmmm! So, it was you!
    Love you,
    Chris

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't know where the bull went. Really. And . . . maybe that was me breaking off little pieces of the horse's reins. Just because I could. Maybe . . .

      Delete

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