I grew up sans Christmas because of my 'rents semi-cultlike religious beliefs. Now both mom and I have defected to the lush green grass on the other side of the fence and enjoy a pro-gift, pro-family, if not pro-baby-jesus, Christmas with pagan-like glee. To help make up for lost time, a friend included a special little lady in my stocking. I wasn't overly into dolls as a girl, but I did always carry around the little, plastic body of Strawberry Shortcake. I didn't watch the cartoon or collect her plastic pals. I do like both red hair and strawberries, but her charm was primarily nasal...er, olfactive.
I firmly believe that scents house some of our deepest, most powerful memories. This is strangely true for me even though I don't really have a sense of smell. I have the only septum my ENT has seen that is not only deviated, but shaped in a figure-8. Combine that with ridiculous allergies and, poof!, no smeller.
Every once in awhile, though, I can smell something, and one of those things is Miss Shortcake. Catching a whiff of her plastic-y strawberriness immediately makes me feel terribly small--and good. So, aside from her trendy sleepwear and glow-in-the-dark properties, this doll's built-in stink makes me feel like I just got the Christmas I always wanted.
A case for my powerbaby, cool speakers for my ipod and the Norton Anthology of Modern Poetry didn't hurt either.
Mmmmmmmm Cheese......
Posted by: | 28.12.2004 at 02:11 PM
We're on similar wavelengths. I got a Bose speaker dock for my iPod and I've already loaded on the CD of readings from the Norton Introduction to Poetry (my text next term for Intro to Poetry). I plan to alternate playing readings of a poem and some of the songs on iPod as prompts for writing responses in class. Always thinking about a new wrinkle for the next term.
Happy New Year!
Posted by: John | 29.12.2004 at 01:14 AM
I think I'll be going window shopping at one of your favorite stores today - the knit cupcake store. I have to resist buying anything too cute and over-priced.
happy holidays.
Posted by: Mary | 29.12.2004 at 01:48 PM
John- I used audio a lot in class last semester, especially with my struggling readers, but I really will love being able to whip out the ipod and do it so easily (i.e. downloading, burning a cd that doesn't always work, lugging boombox borrowed from special ed...). Plus, it seems like hardly anyone can read poetry properly, so using audio with poetry seems especially appropriate.
Posted by: hipteacher | 30.12.2004 at 08:59 PM
Uncanny similiarities - we didn't celebrate Christmas either! Were your family Jehovah's Witnesses??
(I also had one a tiny, smelly Strawberry Shortcake doll.)
P.S. I'm not stalking you, I swear. I'm just going through your blog in chronological order. Hope you don't mind all of the comments! :)
Posted by: Anactoria | 23.07.2008 at 10:30 AM