Oh, to live in a mushroom

The Smurfs turn 50 today! Happy Birthday little blue friends! I have always been a huge smurf fan, and I think this stems from the way I used to watch them with my dad on Saturday mornings AND from the way I used to collect them. When I was little, my mom and dad would take Kristin and I to Sedell's Pharmacy in Easton where, if we were good that week, we could pick out a smurf as a reward. They were a pretty big deal back then; they were in a rotating glass case and had their very own space on Sedell's countertop. I became disenchanted when, out of the blue, the Smurfs sort of fell off the face of the earth--the only place, in fact, I could find the little figures was at "Planet," a store in downtown Camden. I have kept all my Smurf figures because I love them AND I am convinced they will be valuable someday. My dad makes fun of me all the time because he thinks I am nuts, but the smurfs are making a huge comeback, according to a story on NPR today. See dad . . .you can kiss my butt! Me and my smurfs are going to be huge I tell you . . .huge! Here are my four favorite smurfs, which I keep out all the time. There is Irish smurf, King Smurf, Doctor Smurf, and Hiker Smurf. King smurf is my favorite. Always has been. Here is a close up of the little guy

I was always insecure about Kristin stealing my Smurfs, because that is how she rolls. SO I used to label my initials on the bottom of each figure. This way, I could be sure she'd never steal mine. I think this was the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship with OCD. Check out the NPR story link if you are a smuf fan:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18945311

They are releasing the series on DVD and I will be first in line to buy it. I will teach my son ALL about the ways of the Smurfs. Its kind of funny how, in pop culture, there are all these "conspiracies" about the smurfs. For example, some people would argue that they are promoting communism, since they all live together in a communal village, they all look equal, they all wear pretty much the same thing, they all talk the same, and they all take orders from the one entity who looks different then them . . .and is also RED. Some argue that the show is sexist and chauvanistic because Smurfette is the only girl and she is assigned all the "female gender roles." I have even heard the theory (totally serious) that the creators of the smurfs were trying to desensitize little kids to small blue creatures . . .in preparation for a mass alien invasion.

I love the smurfs!