My mom loved carousel horses. Back in the 80s when malls were the places to hang out, we’d spend Saturday afternoons window shopping and chatting at one of the malls nearby. There was store that sold music boxes, and some of those music “boxes” were carousel horses.

Mom really wanted one, but they were, of course, expensive. I hoped to save up the money to buy one for her. And if she reached her own goal of graduating college and finding a good job which would allow her to buy a house, I hoped to buy her an actual carousel horse.

I know. I know. Unrealistic and unwieldy, but dreams, people. Dreams!

Recently, my husband and I were in our favorite toy store when I spotted this carousel model kit by Metal Earth. Have you seen these lovely, metal creations? Shiny!

And hard to put together. Jeez Louise. If I were going to do these as a hobby, I’d invest in better tools. But the model itself wasn’t exorbitant, just $10. The model is tiny. It fits in the palm of my hand.

I had to have it. It’s silly, since my mom died in 1989 and is never going to know I’ve tried to make her an entire carousel, but for those strange reasons humans do things, I bought this and neglected everything else I was supposed to do until it was done. But done it is and resting on my altar to memories and things I love.

Have you ever done that? Bought something just for the memory of someone else? Though for the record, I love horses and carousels too. But I’m sure that love is inherited.

In other news, it is now July, and I think I’m recovering from the crash that comes after Story-a-Day May. Let’s see what the rest of the summer brings (other than heat stroke).

Thanks for reading.