Connected by ... Toys?

by Cathy Shouse

Since it’s the day after Christmas, I thought it would be fun to talk about toys, both the ones we were given and those we have given. I got the idea from a blog post I read recently. It made me think about toys in a new way.

My family always made Christmas morning fun, and toys were a huge part of the excitement. We got “Santa” toys that were not wrapped every year. I’m thinking now the sacrifices they might have made to do that for three kids. I researched and “gifts for children are some of the last cut from a shopping list, even during financially uncertain times.” We had the classic toys of the day, and loved them dearly.

I’ve always thought that our childhood experiences sort of define who we are, to a certain extent. Since I grew up on our family farm a few miles from a small town in Indiana, I would’ve thought that I wouldn’t have much in common with someone from Idaho, for example.

But a few days ago, in a Facebook group called My Book Friends, I was surprised and delighted to find common ground with an author from Sun Valley, Idaho. Kellie Coates Gilbert grew up on a sheep ranch living nearby to a mountain resort town where “some very famous skaters” visited. Gilbert wrote, “I met Dorothy Hamill, an Olympic skater, and skated with her on the rink at the resort.” Wow.

In contrast, one of my favorite memories was when the rodeo came to town every summer. I had the farthest thing from any meetings with stars as a child. But I loved seeing those cowboys trying to lasso cows in the ring, the way the sawdust flew into the air, and how they never gave up. (See my ode to cowboys on my website)

So it feels like our worlds, mine and Kellie’s, could not have been more different. One thing I learned we have in common is writing books that are set in the areas we grew up. But when Kellie listed the toys she remembered from childhood, they were almost exactly the same as mine: Drowsy Doll (wore pink , polka-dotted PJs and had blond hair), Etch-a-Sketch, View Master, Spirograph, Fun Flowers (don’t know this one), Barbies (I had Skipper, her little sister), and Liddle Kiddles.

The last one on her list was possibly the most significant toy for me. I’ve never been able to let go of my Liddle Kiddles collection! I had just thought the other day I should maybe try to sell it as part of my decluttering campaign, which is ongoing. Can you relate?

If you’re like me, you told yourself you saved your favorite toys, in case you had kids who would play with them one day. The thing is, I have a daughter and she was never really into Liddle Kiddles. I’m not sure why. I’m busted. I can’t claim I’m saving them for her anymore!

My favorite thing about them was they had jobs. Also, they wore cute little clothes and were accessorized with tiny items. Hahaha. More importantly, to me, is that they had unusual jobs for girls. I’ve posted a picture of one of my favorite dolls, who flew a plane. I just looked it up and her “real” name was Windy Fiddle. Looking back, it might seem odd because I don’t like heights. But she must have represented “adventure” to me. My second favorite was the girl in the sports car. She had short dark hair that came to her chin, and sunglasses. I guess her official name was Rosemary Roadster. Another favorite was a girl who grilled and came with a white chef’s hat and her grill had tiny hot dogs and hamburgers on it. I didn’t know at the time her name was Sizzly Friddle, lol.

The only toy Kellie didn’t list that I loved was Creepy Crawlers. It was a series of “die-cast metal molds resembling various bug-like creatures, into which is poured a liquid chemical substance called ‘Plasti-Goop’ which comes in assorted colors.” You cooked it and they came out squiggly, almost the texture of gummies. I never had an Easy Bake oven. Either this explains why I’m not that interested in cooking, or it simply shows I grew up with a brother. Not sure which, or maybe both?

So now it’s your turn. What was your favorite toy? I’d love to know why, too, and where you grew up. Did you give a toy to a child this year, or in the past, who might end up loving it for life?

In other news, today I’m a part of something called Stuff Your Kindle Day. Thousands of books are free, and one of mine is in there, Her Billionaire Cowboy’s Pretend Proposal. It’s a sweet cowboy romance in my Galloway Sons Farm Series. It’s a fake fiancée, small-town romance. Clint and Finn meet unexpectedly at her bookshop and he’s under pressure and claims she’s his fiancée. She agrees, but just until the custody battle’s over. As they spend time with each other and with Lilly, his baby daughter, the lines start to blur. Clint wonders what it’d be lie if his fake relationship became real.

Here’s my link to my book in the promotion. https://www.romancebookworms.com/kindle-

categories/#sweet

He's got charm to spare and is making a home on the farm with his baby daughter. She’s running her bookstore while trying to get over a break-up. Can Clint and Finn find their way to one another, or will they end up broken-hearted this Easter?

When Clint Galloway finds out he's in danger of losing custody due to claims he's an unfit dad, he'll do anything to keep Lilly safe. Finn Moore's struggling to save her bookstore, while trying to embrace the single life after a bad break-up.

When Clint and Finn meet unexpectedly at her book shop, he's under pressure and claims she's his fiancee. She agrees, but just until the custody battle's over.

As they spend time with each other and with Lilly, the lines start to blur. Clint wonders what it'd be like if his fake relationship became real.

Will Clint be able to win Finn over and create the family he never had, or will she end up breaking his heart?

Cathy Shouse writes inspirational cowboy romances. Her Fair Creek series, set in Indiana, features the Galloway brothers of Galloway Farms. Much like the characters in her stories, Cathy once lived on a farm in “small town” Indiana, where she first fell in love with cowboys while visiting the rodeo every summer. Please visit  cathyshouse.com for more information on discounts and new releases or to sign up for her newsletter.