Mishmash

Well, my penny really dropped yesterday! After I spent about 3 hours on Saturday counting and sorting my penny's, only to be told at the bank- "1c, 2c and 5c pieces are NOT accepted currency" and I "must throw them away". I had to be certain that this was true and so after presenting the sorted coins, it was ascertained and "The penny dropped!" Besides being a hoarder, I love the English language and etymology- an origin of words and phrases in common use in the English language. That phrase "The penny has dropped" has its' roots in coin operated loos which the City of London built in 1855, charging one penny entrance. This price remained the same until 1971 and thus created a record for price stability. (Thanks Noel P Crighton, Why do we say that, Human and Rousseau 1997) How long have I had some of the coins I counted on Saturday?- Well, the oldest one was a penny 1891 and I got very excited at its' possible value. So after a bit...

Look what I discovered cleaning up my daughters Teddy Bear collection. Now some of those are 20 years old...... But this one is very special: How long have I had him? Over 45 years. I was given him in my first year and have cherished and held on to him, in the hope that he will bring a grandchild or 2 or 3 great joy too. Just a fun reminder......I am a hoarder of special things. And sitting here looking at him, I really wish he could speak.  Sshhhh.....am I hearing something....... "I was once your most loved plaything. You did not go anywhere without me. Falling asleep was an impossibility, unless your tiny, little fingers were gently rubbing my ears. I loved being a part of your magic toddler years. I loved being able to still your cries and bring comfort to your heart. I was part of you struggling and mastering the skill of walking. I certainly assisted you there. Many a tumble being broken by my soft body as you mastered the art of mobility on your feet instead ...

It would be remiss of me not to mention one of my passions and the reason I have been so quiet over the past 2 weeks. I coordinate the PE chapter of the Santa Shoebox Project and last weekend was the weekend during which our fantastic donors, bring their lovingly filled and beautifully wrapped presents in. For those who need a bit of a lesson on this charity- through applications to be recipients of these gifts, we (the committee) identify, visit and assess these very needy facilities. The process starts in April of every year. This is our 11th year, which culminates in a committee member personally handing your (the donors) INDIVIDUALLY named and labelled, box to the correct child. You, the donor, have selected a child's name, age, sex and clothing size and filled this gift with 8 essential items: toothpaste, toothbrush, soap, face cloth, sweets, toy, educational item and an item of clothing. Drop off weekend is a 2 day process during which (this year) 3000 boxes arrive to be ch...