“A little nonsense now and then, is cherished by the wisest men.” – Roald Dahl
This post is a follow up to “Hey Mr. Talisman” published on July 8, 2012
AL IS BACK! As promised, the head of house keeping at Magnolia Hotel in Omaha packaged him up and sent him on his way. He arrived at my door safe and sound inside a Priority Mail shipping box on Friday afternoon. I opened the box as soon as I got home from work. Just for fun, I photographed Al sitting with some other toys I have around the apartment as if they were his welcoming committee.
The doll in the picture was a gift from a childhood friend after her trip to Mexico when we were around twelve years old. I don’t have a lot of mementos from my childhood, but this doll is an important one. The frog is one of many of its ilk that subtly adorn my apartment. My mother collected frog figurines all her life and still does. It’s a tradition she continued after her mother and now, in varying degrees and not always voluntarily, my three sisters and I collect them as well. This sock frog is a favorite. Al’s story has me playfully imagining his adventures between Omaha and Buffalo since I left him behind. I enjoy being playful, even in adulthood, and I thank my lucky stars for the playful people in my life.
After going through the experience of very nearly losing Al and ultimately getting him back, I decided to do a little research on his origins. It turns out he was hand made in Germany by Volker and Sabine Senger who have been lovingly turning out sweet little animal toys like Al since 1985. They say this of their mission in toy making:
“We want our toy animals to create a bond with the child, so that they
can take on the role of a trusted companion, offering security and
helping development. We are delighted to know that children become
more creative through play with a small number of carefully selected toys.
We are also pleased that our animals can put a smile on the face of many adults, spiriting them back into childhood.”
You can read more about Senger Animal Dolls here:
www.senger-tierpuppen.de