July 4th = Outdoors = Frogs?

The Fourth of July is a day for picnics and celebrations. It is not generally a day for browsing bookstores, but since we have a lot of walking around here, it's lovely for a short break from the almost 90 degree weather we're supposed to get today. We're open from 10 AM until 4 PM and tomorrow, we have our regular hours. Who knows when to celebrate when Fourth of July is on a Sunday?

For me, it has other significance, for July 4th is the day I officially stop restocking our outdoor kids stuff and start worrying about sell through. OK, if it's really great and I can see someone using it through fall, I might bring it in again. Like the pop out sunglasses--they were just too coll to be out of. Our pal Melissa bought two pairs yesterday for her kids, one fish and one starfish.

Themes repeat a lot in our collections, especially because most of our items come from three or four vendors, which leads me to wonder how motifs become more and less popular over the years. Frogs have been very hot for a while--right now we have frog games, pull-along toys, brand-new flashlights, and at least one magnifying glass left.

The popularity of frogs sort of surprise me, because the same folks I work with that always point to the frog-themed item as a must have for Boswell don't strike me as the kind of folks who in their day, went frog and toad hunting in the woods. On the other hand, they are probably not waddling with penguins either.

But who knows? I did, and you might not expect that. I don't think I actually saw many frogs, but I was quite the hunter of toads, which as you know, are friends with frogs.* I was a gentle sort, so don't worry, no amphibians were harmed, except perhaps emotionally. I did hold a few, however. OK, I might have made one a pet for a bit. I think that didn't end well. And now, all I have are the warts.

*Arnold Lobel, Frog and Toad are Friends, HarperCollins, 1970.