As someone who grew up with lots of wooden/handmade toys (as well as He-Man and She-Ra dolls, Garbage Pail Kids, and so on), i have a soft spot in my heart for all things crafty, but especially toys.

For instance, we had a small green rolling wooden platform with a space in the middle, where a bright red wooden egg would sit, bumping against the wheels and turning round and round and round, as long as you were moving. Instant happiness! Another favorite was a knitted doll, which was Little Red Riding Hood, The Wolf, and her Grandma all in one (i'm sure i've already described this one to you, no?). i swear sometimes, if i could just get this doll back (we sold it at a garage sale when i was still a kid)...

In any case, the reason i am bringing this all up is because of something distressing i stumbled upon while skipping around the blogworld. It is the CPSIA, and it concerns toy safety and consumer protection. Unfortunately, it is another badly-worded and hastily thought-through law which will undoubtedly hurt many small toy businesses and individuals, most notably craftspeople.

While i understand the need for safety in this area, a quick, panicky blanket will not help things in the right way. i certainly hold out hope that with enough people pointing out the need for an amendment to this public mollification, they may in fact add some provisions. We'll see? Thanks for listening. If you want to read more, click on the bear button on the right-hand side of this page. 35 days left to!

(To be honest, i have absolutely not read the full text of the Act. And maybe it is because i am sick, or have not had coffee or cigarettes in 4 days, but i felt like i should "get involved", by which i mean passively posting a limited amount of information on my tiny blog.)