Mouse with a history

Today is a day for another indoor blip. I thought I would show you my little ornamental mouse with its broken ears that make it look embattled. I've had this for many years now. I bought it in Covent Garden market on a visit in 1982. It was a gift for my mum who died a year later. She never took it on as I discovered that her horror of mice stretched to ornamental ones. I kind of liked it though and wasn't unhappy to keep it.

I remember a few other gifits I got her in childhood. I told some of these stories before in comments so I apologise if you've heard it before. It's just my impending old fartness...

I always got excited about gifts I was giving if I thought I had a good idea. I still do. In fact in many ways I haven't changed a lot since I was 5. Anyway, back to my story. I had been talking to my mother and excitedly dropping hints about her birthday present.

"It's really useful."
"There's a lot of them."

That was a box of matches purchased in a day and age when five year olds could buy both cigarettes and matches in the shops. I often had to get both for my mother.

I remember another gift which was both large and useful. I've always been a practical sort and wanted to buy useful things. This time it was a large pink binbag affair. It was sold as a laundry bag but was essentially identical to a binbag except it was pink. How my mother managed to accept my gifts without falling about laughing, I don't know.

One gift I tried to buy for her but, thankfully, failed was one of these stone vases that are placed beside the grave of a loved one. The man in the undertakers peered over the counter at the small person asking about purchasing the vase in the window and gently advised against it. Instead she got a silver carboard horseshoe with a white, cloth flower. I was beginning to branch out from the purely utilitarian to the pretty...

This latter gift had pride of place in her display cabinet till then end of her life. The matches and binbag, being useful items were put to good use and didn't last the years.
She must have looked forward to her birthday with anticipatory repressed mirth...

I'm having a day of procrastination... I hope you're being more productive and having a good Thursday. It's nearly the weekend blippers!