Lily Krakowski on thu 2 oct 03
Ok, dear bricks.
I was going to keep this to myself, but you all have been so kind and
helpful, I will share.
Especially that some of you have asked what is going on.
Aound 1936, I got the second best present I did as a child.
The best was a man’s passport style wallet, which a young uncle gave me for
my birthday. Mother gave family party around my birthday, in July. I knew
even then this was not a birthday party for me (no children except two
dreary cousins) but an excuse for her to give a party, for her then-huge
family.
Everyone brought me a present suitable for a little girl my age. (They did
not then have humiliating labels on toy boxes saying the appropriate age
level!) I was given dolls (never played with them), little cooking and tea
sets (never played with them) sewing stuff, (hated it) hair ribbons
(useless, annoying, as I had dead straight, very fine hair) It was awful.
Uncle Walter gave me this enchanting leather wallet I remember sitting on
the lawn and examining all the little pockets, and finding little things to
put in. I knew this wallet was a grownup-to-grownup present, there was
nothing condescending or “educational” about it—I kept it for years and
years till the leather rotted, and it fell apart.
THE SECOND MOST WONDERFUL PRESENT was a box full of genuine clay
bricks—quite small—and pieces of wood, and like that, with which I could
build houses. The brick were to be put together with paper strips and
library paste—the paper looked like mortar between the rows—and one could
“deconstruct” the whole house with hot water.
Of course this was a time when toys were made of real materials. Real wood,
real metal, and these were real clay.
Now I have a darling adorable great nephew, by far younger than the rest; a
little blond peach with huge blue eyes, and when I met him this summer he
still walked with a stagger and drooled when he smiled. Ancient Aunt fell
in love with him.
I want to make him a toy like that. I was warned, off list, by An
Experienced Dad, that I was to make the bricks too big to swallow. But I do
not intend to give it to my little friend till he is about six. However
will I still be potting then? Gooooood question. So Ancient Aunt is
setting to work now, implementing all the good advice.
And I plan to make roof tile on the extruder.
And I thank you all for your help. Will report.
Lili Krakowski
Constableville, N.Y.
Be of good courage....
Jim Kasper on thu 2 oct 03
Thank you Lili,
And thanks in advance for your lucky nephew. Lucky to have such a neat aunt. I still have fond memories of such an aunt who gave me super gifts as child. One which was a toy soldier casting kit, complete with lead pot. Ah, the horrors..., but here I am some thirty years later, with a few neurons still twitching.
Regards,
Jim
Now planning to make some bricks for small tykes near me.
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