It's a small world after all.......

In the home that you live in right now, what are your three favourite (non-human) things? Tell us a bit about them? What makes them so special?

A great day to write about things. I had a one of those big snow globes given to me about ten years ago, when I was a bit down and out while studying in New York. It had the Harbour Bridge, the Opera House and a Koala on it. Yep, tacky as they come. It played 'Its a Small World After All' and came in a beautiful Bloomingdale's box. The globe ended up being one of the nicer mementos of a previous flame.

I recently had been winding it up with Hugo and watching it, he loved it. He called it 'watching twinkle twinkle'. And it had been quelling a bit of homesickness for both of us.

And yep you can picture the rest of today's story. Phone rings, toddler going up stairs with stool to find the twinkle stars, I race up there, rescue the globe, wind it up, put it on the floor and ask Hugo not to touch it, 'JUST WATCH'. I hastily retrieved information for the phone caller, then thump, toddler at top of stairs covered in glitter and glass (thank god no injury) telling me about a waterfall he just witnessed.

And I was so sad. Cross at myself, Hugo, the caller (Scott) and most of all upset that Hugo's stars were now dispersed over a spreading floor space. Yep it is a small world but for the contents of this snow globe the world just got a whole lot bigger. Ah sentimentality can be gone in a second.

So let me talk about my three things.

Daggy, my darling teddy. He was my first word in life and has later become my ultimate travel companion. Given to my Mum by a student back in 1977. He was stitched up by Nana more times than I can count. And he scared the daylights out of Scott the first night he stayed over when he woke up to those eyes an inch from his face. I used to wonder (a long time ago) if Daggy truly had a heart. I believe he did. I guess that concept went on to make millions with that little known flick 'Toystory". Well he has my heart. Old Daggy, I love you.

Babushka was high on my Nana's shelf for a good part of her life. I always admired her. My Grandparents fled Budapest in the late 40's bringing a suitcase or two with them. I don't know if Babushka was on board then or came later, but she is old. There is a sticker on the bottom that says USSR and then a number. The other thing I don't really know is if there is a history with these dolls in Hungary or if they are purely Russian Dolls. The relationship between the two countries has a fiery history at the time Nana and Api left. So is Babushka Hungarian or Russian, an immigrant or Australian born, things I don't know. But she is staunchly looking down on me as I type, with the same expression she used to gaze at me with when I was 7 looking up at her in the cabinet.

The wooden big train (I will explain the rope later). Hugo's all time favorite toy. Scott found it in a dial a dump out the front of an ABC Childcare centre, back when they were all sinking. He was going to buy beer and I had urged him on this occasion to walk instead of drive. Scott was so thrilled with his find, he waved it above his head when he walked home, like he had found the golden egg! A few random screws and it was as good as new. It is loved every day, transporting a family of giraffes from station to station. It is so old and squeaky and real. It is my favourite toy in this whole house. Dad recently bought this section of rope over from Sydney specifically for the wooden big train. It allows Hugo and Dad to secure the train at different pieces of furniture to allow the giraffe family to disembark safely.