Clearly I am a child of the 70’s and 80’s. This is a new collection, and I am not sure where the desire to revisit my childhood has come from, but here it is, tucked away on a shelf in our kitchen (ignore the dust!) I should have the 1979 Strawberry Shortcake doll, but I managed to walk away from it, only to lose it at the Brimfield Fair last week. The car (pictured in the center) was a toy that I played with constantly in the sandbox my dad built us. I named it Charlie’s Car, after my favorite neighbor. When I think of growing up I can focus on what did not go so well, yet there are buried memory treasures tucked in, ready to be released when I find a random replica of the rubber station wagon that I adored as a child. My sister and I would drink our chocolate milk ( a rare treat) from the Nestle Quik rabbit mugs and I lovingly remember being able to choose the perfect Smurfs lunchbox during our back to school shopping.
I have found other treasures, books I remember reading over and over, and proudly display my pot bellied stuffed raccoon given to me by my now deceased Godfather, Uncle “Davud.” These precious finds bring a smile to my face, a sense of connection to that girl I once was before the difficulties of my teenage years and escape into various addictions. They represent hours of playing in the backyard, reading on the front porch, and being safely tucked into my twin bed surrounded by stuffed critters.
Laura Smith Writer 
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