The title caught my eye,"Where Shrunken Heads Are a Big Attraction." Page D6 of the this morning's Wall Street Journal brought back memories of my childhood.
What kind of childhood did you have? Actually it was a great one, a sister who was a built-in playmate, two loving parents, a big brother, dogs, cats, horses, cows, and friends.
Several years ago I was commenting to my children that one of their toys, a squishy, disgusting heart/brain/liver like thing was beyond the pale as far as grossness went. They reminded me of my penchant for shrunken heads.
Said heads were black rubber with streaming nasty black hair all hanging from elastic cords so they could bounce and flail (like the real thing, right?). We were ecstatic when we played with them, putting them in each others faces, chasing each other with them, just plain being kids with them.
I suppose like many toys they were eventually put in a drawer or box and disposed of with the troll dolls and my sister's Little Kiddles.
And by the way if you want to see the real thing "head", haha, to the Pitt Rivers Museum at the University of Oxford.
Reading this post I am reminded of the kittens playing with bugs and lizard tails. I don't remember shrunken head toys, but I do remember the creepy crawly Bugmaker ovens and the results.
ReplyDeleteI remember those little ovens, we had one that either made bugs or flowers. I don't know if kids are allowed to play with hot molten plastic anymore or not. Kittens and lizards, always a great combination:)
ReplyDeleteI remember the stinky plastic melting toy too! I also recall sock monkeys and a stuffed fabric raccoon that I named Ricky. I still have an affinity for alliteration! In a pre-cursor to my adult habits of self-amusement, I also recall walking around my childhood home holding a mirror at my waist and pointing it towards the ceiling. I could see light fixtures and chandeliers in the mirror below me and I would pretend to step over them as if they were really on the ground. Altered universes begin early! P.S. I never did drugs in adolescence...didn't really need to! ;-}
ReplyDeleteKittens and bugs and shrunken heads, oh my! I did love those kits which you could use to make Creepy crawlers. Isn't it amazing how a simple headline can take you back through the years?
ReplyDeleteYes it was Creepy Crawlers. This stream of comments came out like word association or brainstorming, a fun turn of events. MK you are a hoot, I think I will try your mirror altered universe.
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