GRIZZLY PEAR

written snapshots

Bubble Machine, WhizBuilders, 2020

We bought a fish-shaped, hand-powered bubble machine. It’s an orange piece of garbage with a green hand crank. By avoiding another battery-operated toy, we learned why everyone else uses electricity.

After trying to make the contraption work, we dug up an old bubble wand. As always, blowing bubbles worked perfectly.

It is easy to chase the next new toy, but the old ones are quite sufficient. We just need to remember to play with them.

Then again, this incident highlighted the differences between our two kids.

The girl happily chased and popped the bubbles. The boy insisted on taking the stick and blowing his own bubbles.

For $15, it was a total waste of money and a great bargain for the memories of a balmy summer night.


It’s been a year since I wrote this post, and we never got it to work. Last week, the kids broke the handle of the crank. I guess this is the official demise of this ill-fated toy. Rest in peace.