Panda Bear Memories

As a young child in the early 1950s, I received a panda bear for Christmas.  It was a big black and white stuffed Panda bear just about as big as I was.  My brother also received a stuffed Panda bear.  His was brown and white.  We loved our Panda bears and played with them a lot.  Panda bears just have the sweetest faces

Pandas are native to central China and have been on the endangered list for many years now.  While they will eat rodents, fish, insects, birds and some vegetation, their most favorite food is bamboo. I have read that they can eat bamboo for up to 12 hours a day - that's about as much as 28 pounds of bamboo.

Pandas are also loners and do not like to be around other pandas except during mating season in the spring. Females are pregnant with their one or two cubs for about 95 to 160 days before birth and the cubs are blind and only weigh about three to five ounces. And, even though females aren't full grown until they are four or five and males aren't full grown until six or seven years old, the cubs are weaned and sent on their own when they are around two to three years old.
After reading facts about the life and habitat of Panda bears on the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute's website, I find the story of the Panda bear even more interesting and fascinating.

Christmas is coming up soon.  Bring a Panda bear into the lives of your children or grandchildren (nieces and nephews count, too).  Here are some Panda bears available at CAROLINABLUELADY Vintage Collectibles that are in need of a child's love and care.

Fortune the Ty Beanie Baby

Peking the Ty Beanie Buddy

Peter the Panda Swibco Puffkins

 
Also visit the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute website with your child to learn much more about the life of the Panda bear.

The Flamingo In The Penguin Body!

Another great Christmas with my beautiful children and family.  Watching the grandchildren open their gifts and seeing their reaction - I wonder what memories they will have when they grow up and have children of their own?  It had snowed the night before and continued through the morning so after we ate and opened presents, the kids spent the afternoon having a snowball fight in the front yard.  Why do they think it is fun putting ice cold snow down the back of each others pants?  Well, at least they used the snow off my car so I didn't have to clean it off this morning.  Some of the kids didn't have gloves, but that didn't stop them.  I probably should have some extra gloves on hand just in case it snows again on our family Christmas get-together.  Also, boots or extra shoes might be a good idea.  Besides the kids, there were several of the older guys out there playing in the snow, too.  But, not Grandma.  No, I'll just watch from the warmth of the house, thank you.

Looking around the living room and kitchen after everyone left, you could see that it was a good day for all.  Small scraps of wrapping paper under the chairs, cookie crumbs on the couch, leaves, dirt and puddles of melted snow on the floor, moved chairs, ornaments in different places on the tree and a dirty glass here and there were the signs of a very happy family Christmas.  After picking up a few things and getting the last of the dirty dishes in the dishwasher, I sat down in my rocking chair.  As my hound dog, Bronx, climbed onto the couch (he thinks it's his), he laid down, yawned and let out a loud sigh.  Yep, we were both just too tired to do anything else.  His job is to follow the little ones with food in their hands and clean up if dropped on the floor and he is quite good at his job.   

So, you ask, what does the title have to do with this blog?  Well, you know, I am never too tired to get on the computer and think about my  online stores. 

It's time to think about the new year (I can clean up later).  Time to remove the "Merry Christmas" pictures.  Need to find a winter picture.  Burrrrr - oh, I dislike the cold.  The snow is pretty, but give me the warm sand on the beach, palm trees and flamingos.  Then I came across this picture.  Oooh, yes!  I'm sure he is feeling exactly how I feel and is lamenting to whoever will listen.  Looking toward the heavens he wails "I am a flamingo in a penguin body."