This is an I-Heart podcast.

Guaranteed Human.

This is Lee Habib, and this is our American stories.

And up next, one of our regular contributors, Stephen Rossiniak. Here's Stephen

sharing his story. It all began with our neighbor's decision to hold a garage sale and asking if we

would like to participate. Now, my wife Karen saw this as a great excuse to clean up around our house, while our kids saw it as an opportunity to make a little extra money by selling items they no longer wanted.

Happily, they began sorting and choosing and getting ready for sale, their old books, their toys, and their other

once upon a time cherished possessions.

My daughter Tracy decided to sell her long abandoned Fisher Price Kitchen Center.

But little did I know just what her decision would soon mean to me.

Tracy was three when she became the proud owner of the center, and she wasted no time getting down to the business of pretend cooking for her dolls, her stuffed animals, and of course, for her daddy.

Imaginary meals consisting of plastic fruit served with tiny imitation canned goods

were presented on little blue plastic plates for our make-believe consumption.

Pretend coffee was brewed atop the cartoon-like representation of a stove top and served in tiny

teacups.

Tracy remembering as she poured, just milk.

No sugar.

Right, Daddy?

Happy hours spent creating imaginary culinary offerings continued for some time

until slowly. These delights gave way to newer creations consisting of honest to goodness ingredients.

The kitchen center was eventually replaced with her newest favorite

childhood domestic device, an easy bake oven. Her earliest attempts at baking were destined to end up as small

...