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F ³: Grin and Bear It

 



The thing I found this week on Facebook Marketplace that completely creeped me out: a bear head. Yes, just the head.



For two hundred dollars you think you’d get the entire bear. I think it’s safe to say that I have a soft spot in my heart for teddy bears but that does not extend to large, disembodied teddy bear heads.

Yikes.

In better bear-themed news, a recent read from HCLS through Libby was about a much smaller fellow.



Probably my favorite part of the reading experience was learning this from author Katherine Applegate:

Soon after I began working on POCKET BEAR, I learned about a company in London called “Loved Before.” Their motto is, “Saving the planet, one teddy at a time.” I loved the idea of recycling toys.

Pretty soon, The Second Chances Home for the Tossed and Treasured found its way into my book.

Loved Before? Remember them? I’ve been fangirling over Loved Before since 2022 when I imagined what it would be like to spend one’s life surrounded by plush friends looking for new homes.

Dream Jobs Village Green/Town², March 18, 2022

Unexpected connections between things that I love never fail to feel magical to me. 

Recently the daily prompt on the Doodl app was “draw a hero who doesn’t know it yet.” I decided to thrown in a serendipitous connection of my own.



A bit of hero worship on my part. Who is the hero who doesn’t know it yet? Is it the weary traveler at the door, longing only for a home and another chance to love and be loved? Or is it the people ready to open the door and welcome them in?

In a week filled with an outpouring of feelings of love and loss, this feels oddly relevant today.

And now, a bit of a gift for you. You probably know about a certain popular dance video (that incorporates umbrellas) that makes the rounds pretty regularly. It’s usually tagged with, “If I see it I have to share it. Those are the rules.” Well, I think I’ve found one that sparks that same kind of joy, at least for me. If I chance upon it I stop everything to watch it one more time.

This is British comedian Joe Lycett. He is not known as a singer. The clip is from the BBC’s Radio Show “Pardon Me I Haven’t A Clue” and the challenge is to sing One Song to the Tune of Another. 

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Joe Lycett, singing Teddy Bears’ Picnic. With a twist. 



I had to stop to listen to it again before I posted it. May you experience some carefree joy like this today.


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  1. Julia A. McCreadyAugust 28, 2026 at 4:53 AM

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