Thank you

Thank you to all my Twitter followers, and thanks to the over 1250 who have viewed this blog and the over 300 people who have viewed my other blog with living green tips for the common person. You all inspire me to keep writing, and keep on with the museum plans, though I confess life is getting in the way big time. This is a sad, elegiac time of year, and I see the lost faces of those I love in the dolls they have made for me, dressed for me, and given me. My mother and grandmother used to sew Halloween costumes for me, and for my dolls, and they made rag dolls and doll quilts and doll clothes. I still prefer my mothers handmade Barbie clothes, and I marvel the Christmas she made little boots and maxi coats of faux leather, brocade evening gowns, velvet skirts and dotted swiss blouses with bead and ribbon trim, while she taught seven classes every day, came home, cooked, kept me entertained, and graded papers incessantly. Dolls are so much more than just collectibles or investment items to me; they are the symbols of her love. They mean motherhood and family and creativity and even sacrifice of valuable time. When I think of getting rid of the all of them and of the whole museum idea, they seem to reproach me, and the spirits of those who have loved me so well in better times seem to say, "haven't we been through worse than this, and haven't we seathered the storm?"

Now is a good time to look for craft dolls and holiday dolls of all types. Many stores will have Hallwoeen items on sale, some at 40 or 50% off. There are more estate sales, and last of the season yard sales, and of course, the wonderful catalogs that come out. I love Design Toscano and Sadigh Gallery for ancient dolls and replicas of ancient dolls, and miss the old Marshall Fields, Sears, Wards, and Enchanted Doll House catalogs. Mark Farmer used to have a great doll catalog, as did Shopping International. Thse are now colletible items in themselves. American Girl has always had a good catalog, and Harriet Carter, Doll Masters, Standard Doll, and Mangelsen's still have great ones. I also loved Lynne's Miniatures, Shackman, and Federal Smallwares, and there was the wonderful Doll Talk from Kimport.

Online shopping is great; I swear by Etsy, but I miss those in hand catalogs that served as great paper doll sources, and alter, as great research sources.

Thanks to our friends at The Haunted Doll Museuma and site, and to those who loyally follow this blog. Till next time.

Dr. E.