Thursday – A Little Personal – Twiggy’s New Toy

~ John W. Howell

“So Twiggy. I want you to evaluate two toys and see which one you like the best.”

“Yes, it sounds like a good way to select a toy. I’m ready.”

“That is a hedgehog toy.”

“It does have an animal scent.”

“How does it feel?”

“The mouthfeel is okay. The stuffing is a little too soft for my taste.”

Is it playable?”

“Yeah, it flips nicely. Doesn’t land on its feet, though.”

“How about durability?”

“Now there’s a problem. As I pull on the fur, it comes off in my mouth. Yuk.”

Here’s the next one. It doesn’t have fur.”

“Sometimes that’s better. At least I don’t have to worry about swallowing some.”

“It is a bumble bee and a heart with ‘Bee Mine’ on it.”

“So, looks like a leftover Valentine’s Day toy. Hmm tastes okay. No unpleasant aftertaste.

“How about the fragrance?”

“Nice bouquet. A bit floral without the usual vinyl interference.”

“Playability?”

“Yeah, it has a pleasing crunch, and these antennae are very satisfying.”

“What is your overall opinion?”

“This toy fulfills all the expectations for a real entertainment treat. It is subtly understated, which then has the effect of overdelivering on the satisfaction promise.”

“Which do you like the best?”

“Unfortunately, the hedgehog has a shedding problem, so I have to select Bee Mine.”

“Maybe we can revisit the hedgehog sometime.”

“If he stops shedding we can.”

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Published by John W. Howell

I have been working in business for over forty years and now have the time to work in special areas of interest. My passion has always been to create compelling stories of fiction. I have authored six novels and am working on my Seventh. The first novel is still in manuscript form and being utilized as a door stop in the laundry room. The second is a contemporary fiction novel of 89,000 words and is complete and I am currently seeking a publisher. I also write poetry but have not had the guts to share any with anyone. The one time I read a piece to a person their only comment was, “it doesn’t rhyme.” I will continue to write and hopefully my blog, Fiction Favorites at www.johnwhowell.com will provide some entertainment and an interesting thought or two. I live in the Austin area with my wife Molly and an assortment of loving pets.

132 thoughts on “Thursday – A Little Personal – Twiggy’s New Toy”

  3. Twiggy is not only cute but also has a remarkable ability to weigh in on the positives and negatives of a gift. We, humans, tend to buy things on a whim without thoroughly evaluating the item. Thank you, Twiggy, for another lesson.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. My grand puppy has the same hedgehog. After a while it does stop shedding. Maybe you could hurry the shedding along with some brushing or something. Then again, Twiggy’s new bumblebee looks fun!

    Liked by 3 people

  7. Gotta appreciate how analytical she is. I love that the “antennae are very satisfying” and the toy exceeded her expectations, especially considering it was a leftover from Valentine’s Day. Sounds like she found a winner. Sneak in an ear scratch from me while she’s playing. (Or save it for later. Your call.) Thanks for the Thursday smiles, John.

    Liked by 2 people

  14. The similarities between Twiggy’s review and the reports I get from a blogger who’s part of a wine-tasting group are hilarious. ‘Mouth feel’ made me laugh aloud. Clearly, the Twigster has high standards; it’s good that the Bee met them!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. She loves the Bee. Has played with it non-stop which is very unusual. The Producer taught her all about toy tasting from her wine tasting background.

      Like

  17. Twiggy is so discerning! I wouldn’t have thought about the fur coming off, but that’s a downer. I’ve bought all sorts of things for Garfield, only to discover that he is not “most cats” and doesn’t like anything much. The laser light is still his one favorite although he does battle with the small mice in the middle of the night!
    Maybe you could clip the hedgehog?

    Liked by 2 people

  18. My goodness. Twiggy has a calling! She has the vocabulary of a true connoisseur. Can’t blame her for dissing the hedgehog. That fluff on the tongue must be so unpleasant!

    Liked by 2 people

        2. Cotton ball used to remove nailpolish or makeup can get snagged on a nail and before you know it, it’s in your mouth coz you didn’t see it 😉

          Liked by 2 people

  21. Awwwww … personally, I would have chosen the hedgehog toy, but then to each her own! I’m just a Sonic fan, I guess. I hope she enjoys her Bee Mine and that it lasts a good long while! Sending virtual pats to Miss Twiggy!

    Liked by 2 people

  23. Aww, Twiggy…I’m sure you’ll take care of that shedding in no time and Mr. Hedgehog can become a treasured friend. Enjoy your new toy(s). Next time maybe Dad and Mom will spring for a flight of toys-that’s the way I get mine. 😉
    Your fur-iend,
    Elsa 🐾

    Liked by 2 people

  25. It’s funny seeing Hedgehog, John. We had two, Hedgy (small) and Big Hedge that are among the very small group of toys Maddie didn’t rip apart on day one. Maybe it was that shedding problem.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Normally Twiggy can dismember a toy quickly. When that happens we just take out the stuffing and it becomes a flat whatever it was. Hedgehog is pretty strong except for the shedding. We’ll give it another go later and see what happens.

      Liked by 1 person

  29. Ha-ha-ha! Twiggy does the right thing participating in advertising, dear John. Mr. Hedgehog is a true gentletoy. Thank you for such an unexpected report. 😊😊😊🍤🍤🍤🍻🌺🌺🌺

    Liked by 2 people

  33. Herculean attempt there John … tough for Twiggy to choose from both because none can replace Lucy’s place for her but that’s how life must go on ! Sending healing prayers for Lucy and her family that’s missing her back on the planet!

    Liked by 2 people

  34. Haha! We own that toy too. We’ve bought practically every dog toy ever invented. Hardly any of them hold up. Lulu is a big fan of the squeaky ones.

    Liked by 2 people

  35. Twiggy, such discriminating taste that you have. You should consider doing a video aimed at those dogs (Daisy) who only give it one sniff and one bite before ignoring a new stuffed toy.

    Liked by 2 people

      1. She does, anything that requires more than 2 minutes of her attention gets tossed aside. But she does like going through her toy basket for 25 minutes to select one. But she’s our best friend and we love her.

        Liked by 1 person

  36. This is just too funny, John! I’m glad Twiggy’s discerning palate led her to choose the Bee. Probably a better bet than that hedgehog. Monk has one of those, but I can only let him have it for short spells at a time. I haven’t noticed it shedding, but Monk has a habit of tearing up his toys.

    Liked by 2 people

  44. Lololol!
    Very creative post, John!
    Twiggy, I like both your new toys, but then I don’t have to chew on them.
    I know how you feel about getting fur in your mouth. I have a fluffy cat, and his fur is always getting in my mouth when I pet him.
    We even have fur tumbleweeds around the apartment.
    Tel your dad, 🐂⨷🐂⨷

    Liked by 1 person

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