Monday, August 26, 2013

Warm, Fuzzy Memories

 It is 63 years ago. I have turned one. A relative, perhaps (I never knew; Mom has forgotten), gives me a small, plush animal. It's a dog with a zippered stomach and it will be where I place my pajamas every morning when I rise.

Bitsy

 Who knows where the name came from but the dog quickly becomes "Bitsy". If I have a single memory from my earliest years, it is this. How many nights did my own young head lay on this dog, secure and safe with Bitsy beneath an ear..

 My brother had his own plush dog.

Bob's Dog

 She's in a little better shape but dates to the mid-1950's.

 Going back a generation, my father's dog was "Beansy" and we're lucky to still have her.

Beansy

 Beansy dates to about 1925 and he's showing serious wear. There are a number of stitches on the legs with coarse thread and sawdust stuffing leaks liberally at several spots. We also have a Christmas ornament of Dad's, always placed at the top of the tree, given to him, I believe when he was hospitalized one Christmas with pneumonia. You can see it by clicking here.

 But what about Mom? Nothing remains. "I had a doll," she said, but it is lost to the ages.
 Is it mostly boys that cherish their plush childhood animals?

 Yet there is one more in our collection. Our beloved schnauzer, Ginger, had her own plush toy. A dog with a dog: Snoopy Dog.

Snoopy Dog

 How many times did we tell Ginger to go get her toy. "Where's Snoopy Dog"? we'd say. "Go get Snoopy Dog!" She'd leave the room, go in an out of rooms and eventually return with a smile or her face and Snoopy Dog being dragged along the floor in her mouth.

 We each cherished our plush animals. They offered security then. They offer memories now.

1 comment:

  1. Good memories, indeed-agreed! I had too many special ones to count. Loved them all - none have remained... I came from a family of pass-me-downs - nothing stayed for long - just moved on to those younger to enjoy!
    Love that even Ginger had her own!

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