I have a tendency to become obsessed with certain things. Crayola crayons, fancy schmancy soaps, candles. Grosgrain ribbons, brads, and decorator sprinkles for cookies and such. And the cookware… I remember as a bride-to-be registering for a lot of cookware that I laugh about now…an asparagus steamer, a meat grinder, a sausage maker (I mean really, who registers for that?), and a pasta machine so I could make all my own raviolis by hand. (Remember, I’m very savvy in the kitchen). I can’t even imagine using that stuff now. But I’d still like to have it. Just in case.
There is one other thing I carry a teensy little obsession for…marbles. I like their roundness. I like the bright colors. I like how colorful and fun and nostalgic they are. And I like the memories that rush through me when I see jar packed full of them.
When I was a girl, we would drive up to my grandmother’s house in Ridgeway, Pennsylvania every Thanksgiving. I loved those trips. My grandmother had kept all sorts of my dad’s old toys. I remember a bag full of plastic army soldiers, and tin toys, and a pair of spurs that I wore around on my shoes for days. And she had marbles. Lots of marbles.
My brother, sister and I would sit and spread the marbles out and take part in an elaborate game of selection. We each had our favorite marbles and those were always the first chosen. Eventually, we had divided them up (relatively) evenly among ourselves. Then we put them in those old margarine tubs…you remember those? Big yellow tubs with daisies on the sides — as big as cool whip containers they were. We would put them in these containers and spin the marbles around in there.
How loud that must have been.
It makes my shoulders go up when I think about three children simultaneously spinning marbles around in plastic tubs.
Anyhoo…the other day I was contacted by someone at AllChildrensFurniture.com about reviewing a product. After all, I am read by TENS of readers every.single.day you know. So I agreed, and began to peruse their site for something to review. Yes, they sell kids furniture, but they have so much more. I was waffling back and forth on a few different things, until I saw them.
Marbles.
Lots -o- marbles. I believe I may have heard angels sing.
And that was it. I had to have the marbles. Ridiculous, I know.
I wonder how I’ll keep my children away from them.
Because they will be mine.
M.I.N.E.
Oh, I kid. I’ll share them, of course.
They are bright and swirled with color and appear very tempting. Especially to people like me who have ridiculous obsessions with items that are totally useless to them.
They won’t be antique. They won’t be my dad’s. But I think I’m going to like them anyway.
I’ll be sure to let you know. Now, all I need is a few of those old margarine containers. And maybe some earplugs.
no small thing 
We had one of those “popper” toy “vacuums” — what were those things? You’d push it around like a vacuum and colorful plastic balls would pop inside a clear bubble. Every toy we had was NOISY. I don’t recall my mother ever losing it. Come to think of it, I wonder where she was — I was so engrossed with this magical popper machine and she was likely refilling her valium prescriptions! Just kidding — I always remember her by the stovetop stirring stuff or behind a basket of laundry!! How did our mothers do it? My mother was and still is a total saint. Her halo glows.
Enjoy your marbles! I saw a marble necklace recently … kooky yet totally gorgeous.
Then I guess you don’t want me to tell you I just threw a boat load of marbles away?? I can’t stand the things.
Enjoy your marbles!
All the marbles look so pretty. You should look into that marble necklace…I think that would look great on you. Enjoy your fun!
This brought back nice memories for me. Not really about marbles though. We used to drive to my Grandmas house for a week during the summer. She had this box of old ‘toys.’ Old purses, old spice cans, old cars and such. It was like the coolest box of toys in America. I will never forget that : ).
I will click over and look at the site!
Whenever I see marbles I think about the marbles at Grandma’s house too and all those huge carnival stuffed animals. Do you remember those? I had forgotten about the army men. 🙂 This totally makes me want to go out and buy marbles.
What a fun trip down memory lane that was. Thanks for taking me along.
And yes on the earplugs. Definitely the earplugs.
I was actually given a big canning jar of marbles for my birthday about two years ago. I get the obsession. Those sit on my shelf, smiling at me in all shades of orange.
Also, I must add….your writing is just so incredibly good.
I actually have lots of antique marbles, many of them belonged to you and your brother and sisters. And frequently when we go antiquing, I buy more marbles. Mostly I buy them for the jars they have been stored in, the older the better. Now I know who I can leave them to.