Category Archives: Grownups

Babushka is Homesick, by Carola Schmidt

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Mawson’s Guardian Mark says: We met Babushka when she told a story to little Katrina in Tell Me A Story, Babushka. (Mawson read all about it on this post here.)

These days, Babushka lives surrounded by children and grandchildren. ‘For a matriarch, a house with children means joy.’ She gets the chance to journey back to Ukraine where she was born. In Babushka is Homesick we read of her excitement, her hopes and fears about the journey, and of what happens to her there.

Mawson is reading Babushka is Homesick, in which Babushka makes a journey to find the place that feels like Home.

‘Maybe she would have a sense of home in Ukraine – after many years far away from there .. She hoped she would feel like she belonged.’

Carola Schmidt is also the author of Tell Me a Story, Babushka and Chubby’s Tale: The true story of a teddy bear who beat cancer.

This picture book for children, beautifully illustrated by Vinicius Melo, is an interesting read for adults too, especially if you are reading it along with a child or grandchild. For it brings back to the reader that lingering background feeling so many of us have experienced of not being quite anchored, of wondering what the place of our childhood is like nowadays, of homesickness in fact, and also of perhaps of not quite realising how much things have changed while we have grown and worked and loved in another place far away.

Babushka takes back lots of gifts including a matryoshka doll for grand daughter Katrina. But what gift does she take back that means most of all?

Where to find Babushka is Homesick: Amazon, Book Authority, Book Depository (free shipping), and AbeBooks.com. You can follow on Twitter too.

About the Author: Carola Schmidt, the author of the Babushka Tales series, is a Pediatric Oncology Pharmacist. For children who have leukaemia and their families she has created the uplifting Chubby’s Tale . Mawson and friends proudly reviewed Chubby’s brave story here. You can find Chubby on Twitter and on Facebook.

Carola’s Amazon Author Page is here where you can find these books and her other titles listed.

Mawson with some help from Mark, Mawson’s Guardian, reviewed Tell Me A Story, Babushka here, and Chubby’s Tale here.

You are in the web den of Mawson Bear, Ponderer of Baffling Things (between naps) and Writer-Bear of She Ran Away From Love.

Grownups, Bears, and Hotels: the hitherto unknown correlation

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Mawson’s Guardian, Mark, says:

Travelodge Britain annually return to grateful owners thousands of lost bears that had been left behind in hotel rooms.  A survey they did of their guests in 2010 revealed the following (italics mine):

A quarter of male respondents stated it is quite acceptable to have a bear regardless of your age.

One quarter of the male respondents also said they take their teddy bear with them when going away on business.

The cooler the bear ...

Almost too cool to bear

One in ten single men surveyed admitted to hiding their bear when their girlfriend stays over*.  And one in seven married men reported they hide their teddy bear when any family and friends come to visit.

This means, of course, those big bold men have a bear (or bears) in the first place for these emergency hiding away purposes.

Dan with W

Dan Djurdjevic, author of Mirror Image Of Sound, and martial arts teacher, with a certain picture book.

More men (15%) compared to women (10%) reported they treat their teddy as their best friend and will share their secrets with their bear.

*Mawson assures me, by the way, that nonchalantly-on-purpose allowing your girlfriend to discover your bear will clinch her affections for you forever.

Adapted from an Article put out by Travelodge UK in July 2010.  

You are in the web den of Mawson Bear, Ponderer of Baffling Things (between naps) and Writer-Bear .

Who left behind those forlorn bears in hotel rooms?

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(More on the Travelodge survey.)

Over half of the 6000 British hotel-staying survey-respondents still had a teddy bear from their childhood. The average age of these bears was 27 years old. (Clearly they were long kept and much loved.)

Fourteen per cent of parents surveyed said they had passed down their favourite teddy bear to their children as a keepsake.

Eight out of ten parents said the first toy they brought their child was a teddy bear.

Six out of ten parents said it is important for a child to grow up owning and loving a teddy bear as it helps them to develop a more caring nature.

Hotelrooms2

Remarking on the survey, ‘Dawn James, Arctophile and editor of Teddy Bear Times said: “Teddy Bears represent happiness and security in childhood. They are the best friend that always listens and never criticises. This is why so many adults hang on to their childhood bears, because they see them as a lifelong friend.

[From an article put out by Travelodge UK in July 2010  http://www.travelodge.co.uk/press_releases/press_release.php?id=393 .]

In the next post:  Big, brave men – and their bears.

You are in the web den of Mawson Bear, Ponderer of Baffling Things (between naps). and Writer-Bear of It’s A Bright World To Feel Lost In . 

‘Great book, well written and extremely engaging. Bonus it is all about bears!!!!
Marvellous !!!!!!!’  Reviewer Navaron on Amazon.