Category Archives: Toy Box and Book Shelf

Quotes, pictures and stories related to your inner child.

Toy Box and Book Shelf

Life Saver

This author’s writing style is a real treat and right up my alley. I am only a fourth of the way through this book and already have favorite passages. Mameve’s creative descriptions make me linger on the page. I devour every written visual with a smile on my face.

Below are some examples of her descriptive sentences:

  • Illustrating her early lust for rescuing flea market items, “I’d look forward to trash collection mornings the way my lower-school mates anticipated opening day at Fenway Park!”
  • When explaining how her fellow dealer speaks, “He gives the word the theatrical French spin of a Hercule Poirot.”
  • Decorators walking through the antique mall, “…needle heels that pockmark the planked wood floors like acne scars.”
  • On being thoughtful, “I stroke my chin in my best Sherlock Holmes impersonation.”
  • Describing the wrapped package, “…hefting this huge bundle in front of her stomach as if she were pregnant with twins.”
  • Helping the reader understand the loudness, “By comparison, the hand-clapping, hip-swiveling, feet-stomping crowd at a Pearl Jam concert seems subdued.”
  • Relaying a relatable memory, “…my mother used to peel an orange, in one smooth graceful motion, producing at the end of her knife a single continuous spiraling rind.”
  • Her main character judging the younger generation, “I don’t think the daughters look like college material anyway; all that make up and hair points to cosmetology school.”
  • Getting her own makeup applied by a professional using a powder puff, “It goes above my head like the halo of dirt hovering over Pigpen in the Peanuts cartoon.”

I love them all. Now I just need my Linus blankie to really settle in, so I can quietly enjoy more stories within her story. When I’m finished, maybe I’ll also treat myself to a peppermint patty.

Toy Box and Book Shelf

A Hunting We Will Go

When there’s need to focus on something besides the daily news, that brings back a multitude of negative thoughts, so you focus on inane things, take a walk and end up hatching a new memory.

Thank you to my husband for helping me forget, showing me how to heal and gifting me a seven-mile egg, the result of which is a beautiful testimony to my newest Valor collection.

Toy Box and Book Shelf

Research pays off!

During my quiet walk in the cemetery just before dusk, I discovered a friendly backward snake. He was purple, all coiled up and easy to catch. He had a lot of candy with him too. When I noticed that, I made him evolve right in front of my eyes.

The transformation just happened to complete my required 5 evolutions research. The reward for finishing this field task put Chansey into my life!

This pink Pokémon was also my lucky seven. He completed all 7 steps of my field research challenge. I was so glad I had the balls to continue!

Most people would have been intimidated to try to catch a Raikou. I accepted the challenge and selected a golden razz berry to assist with the capture. Throwing my best curve, one ultra ball did the trick!

I had stacked the Pokédex and there can’t be a more dramatic scenario. I was thrilled with my evening stroll, felt alive in the local cemetery and walked home with my buddy.

Now all I need are more friends!

Toy Box and Book Shelf

Elevator pitch

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Among the Corporate hot topics of transparency and open concept design, is also my inability to keep a secret. I stepped onto the building elevator and saw a colleague from another glass floor having difficulty with her access badge. I just smiled, waited, helped and then told her it happens to all of us.

“You’re so patient and happy. Are you always like this when you go to work?”, she asked as the doors opened to my floor.

I laughed as I stepped off the elevator. I am usually one of the first to arrive, so despite not wanting anyone in my office to know, I looked back at her as the elevator started to close and yelled, “Actually, it’s my birthday today!”

Her surprised smile as the doors shut made my day. It also felt good to say out loud. I reached for my second access badge, opened the door and stepped into the work area. On this side of the tower is a bank management training program. To my chagrin, everyone was already there.

One of the young co-ed women looked at me with a clever smile and said, “Wow! It’s your birthday. Enjoy!”

This was followed by the two people in her group also chiming in to say, “Happy Birthday!”

I stopped in my tracks realizing I had unintentionally thrown my own party.

The rest of the group, about 30 in all, turned or swiveled in my direction and wished me a loud “Happy Birthday!” in unison. One guy even gave me a high five as I started to walk past the group. Others joined in as I thanked them all with an embarrassed laugh and continued to the other end of the floor.

I felt like I’d just won the biggest Corporate account or hit the winning basket for the company team. That moment was an embarrassingly fun way to jump start the day.

My own team wasn’t there yet, had no idea it was my birthday and didn’t see this happen. I signed onto my computer with a new secretly knowing grin on my face. With the open concept design, I was not only transparent, I had hit my own glass ceiling.