Picking my precious

My year seems to be measured not in months but the number of Picking my Precious posts and here we are with August's offering.  (For others pop over to Sian to see who is joining in this month)

So exhibit A is someone regular visitors will have met before ...

Penguin.  He attracts trouble like iron filings to a magnet.  He's been rescued from the jaws of a ferocious puppy and kidnapped at a scrapbooking crop to name just a couple of incidents.
When my sister and I were going through my mum's possessions after she died, we found penguin in a shopping bag.  Mum had died the week before Christmas so we assumed that she had bought him as a gift.  But who was he for?  My niece?  No, she was at university at that time and too 'cool' for a bean bag toy.  My daughter?  No, she was into all things Spice Girls and Take That, soft toys were no longer on her radar.  So we had to guess that he was for me.  I had a small collection of penguin items and I willingly took him under my wing.  He's lived in many areas of my home and is currently residing in my dining room, looking after the strawberry that Deb Turtle gave me and keeping his beady eye on the little turtle that Karen put on the bags of scrapbook goodies that she gave us when Deb, Carrie and Alison came over in March.  He's out of harms way up there, unless the dog learns to climb onto the sideboard.  And high enough that he can't get down on his own. 
My International 'Man' of Mystery - the infamous {precious} Penguin.