Hoover Library

Xmas Time is Here

 Xmas  time is here, striking endless fear. Have a fight and strike a punch, it's that time of year. All the kooks are out, running all about. As for me, I'd rather be a gasping dying trout. Screams, they fill the air, Terror every where. All ex wives and in-laws thrive on killing Xmas cheer.

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Dr. E's Doll Museum!!

We Salute and Mourn with the People of Berlin

We Salute and Mourn with the People of Berlin

Original

Wir begrüssen und trauern mit den Menschen in Berlin

Heute sind wir alle Berliner. Wir bedauern die obszönen Akt der Gewalt, die den Ort der Freude und Unschuld, der Weihnachtsmarkt entweiht. Wir halten unsere eigenen Versionen der Christkindl-Märkte, und wir sind schockiert über die abscheulichen Schändung eines Ortes inspiriert von der Prinz des Friedens selbst. Hier sind Fotos von Puppen aus Deutschland und Deutsch sprechenden Ländern. Hätten wir viele unserer weihnachtlichen Traditionen oder Puppen waren es nicht für die deutschen Puppen- und Spielzeug-Macher und ihre Brüder, die Schweizer Uhrmacher. Wir stoßen Sie mit einer Tasse Glühwein und Lebkuchen-Mann. Viel Spaß mit unseren Freunden in Berlin.

Today, we are all Berliners.  We deplore the obscene act of violence that desecrated the place of happiness and innocence, the Christmas Market.  We hold our own versions of the Christkindl Markets, and we are shocked at the abhorrent desecration of a place inspired by the Prince of Peace Himself.  Here are photos of dolls from Germany and German speaking countries.  We would not have many of our Christmas Traditions or dolls were it not for the German doll and toy makers, and their brethren, the Swiss clock makers.  We toast you with a cup of Gluhwein, and a Gingerbread man.  Godspeed to our friends in Berlin.

Holiday Memories in the Making

There comes a point when we have to "let it go!"  It is so cold, that I think the cast of Frozen has moved to Florida. Thanks for the overwhelming reader response on Part I of my Ruby Lane blog post on Holiday decorating.  Part II is now up as well.


I am very grateful to Rachel Hoffmann, Ruby Lane, and R. John Wright for giving me opportunities to blog for them.  I wish them a very Merry Christmas and Peaceful 2017.


150 million of us are freezing our Christmas stockings off today in below zero temperatures, with more coming.  Snow is drifting and blowing, but we have very little here.  We are nearly finished with our own modest Christmas preparations, and I'm looking forward to a few days off to write and to finish some art projects.

Thanks also to my Doll Museum Readers who have raised our readership there to over 100,000 strong as well  What a wonderful, wonderful Christmas gift!




We did some fun things at work and in my various clubs for Holidays.  Last week, I went to a tea to benefit Heifer International, complete with candies, home made sweets, cucumber sandwiches and gourmet teas and coffees.  There was a rousing round or two of Christmas bingo and write elephant gifts, for which I tried to find a white elephant with no luck.   My gift was a hand stitched angel  and a tiny porcelain angel ornament in white bisque. Maybe they can watch over me in 2017.


At my doll club, we played a form of dirty bingo, where the prizes were white elephant gifts. You had to fill in the bingo card with a mix of numbers 1-60, with no numbers repeated.  I won a beautiful character baby porcelain doll, and also a small vinyl doll brought by a member.  We also had small vintage calendars as gifts, and lots of great snacks and desserts.


At my job, we drew for an exchange of Christmas socks and stockings, wearable, stuffed with goodies and presents.  That was a big hit!  We then had a party at a local restaurant, and I won a set of Ralphie tumbler glasses from A Christmas Story.

Simple, no bake cookies are the dessert of choice, especially since the legendary baklava flambé episode last summer.  I will be baking baklava an other items for the New Year, but in my own oven, not a borrowed one.


Life is challenging and difficult these days, because I'm the designated go to and caregiver in three families.  Then, of course, there are inlaws and outlaws.  The Feloni Family Christmas saga will continue, I'm sure. God Bless Us Everyone!


Goals for 2017 include working on the museum project and finding a literary agent.  Good Health to all, enjoy the Moon and the upcoming Solstice.


Till next time.

Merry Christmas, from a nutcrackers talk

Here are some pics from last Friday.

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Belated Happy Thanksgiving, Season's Greetings, and Some Announcements!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a Good Doll!!I would like to let everyone know that I am writing fairly regularly for the R. John Wright Design Blog and for Ruby Lane.  I also am doing some small descriptions for the dolls on Ruby Lane, and will soon be doing columns and more articles for our beloved ADC magazines.  My articles for Doll Collecting at About.com, but my vertical was discontinued, so my content will appear on RJW's amazing site or on my blogs, Ruby Lane, and ADC.  You can find me on Flickr,as etquest and Antique Doll Reader magazine, and this blog is being translated through Word and Google into Greek, Spanish, and Japanese. I should have one or two more doll books ready to go to the publisher, as well.

Also, look for me or Antique Doll Collector Magazine on Twitter, Reddit, Delicious, Instagram, StumbleUpon, Tumblr, and Snapchat [As soon as I can figure it out!!]  I have also done a post or to for Michele at Tonner.

I want to thank with all my heart the folks at Antique Doll Collector Magazine, R. John Wright and R. John Wright Dolls, Rachel Hoffman and Turn of the Century Antiques, Ruby Lane, Michele at Tonner, Christie Donnelly my former general manager at About.com, and my wonderful doll friends, Mikki Brantley, Mr. R. Lane Herron, Stephanie Hammonds, Jo Smith, Caroline Johnson, Kirsten  Anderson, and D. Nelson.    Thanks also to all our interviewees, especially Sandy Bullock, and to my doll groups on Facebook, especially The Beauty of Dolls.  Thanks to Merna Throne who helped me to set up these blogs, and to Robin for her inspiration.

Thanks to Bella May Dolls, Dollighted to meet You, United Doll Sellers, Theriault's, and Florence& George and to my wonderful Twitter family.  I love the "likes" and retweets.  Thanks to our good friends at Terror at Skellington Manor, to the National Museum of Play, to Morphy Auctions and Doll Castle News.

Thanks and God Bless to our wonderful followers on our blogs, over 200.000, and to the over 4 million folks who have viewed our work on Google+!  Love to my LinkedIn Friends, to my Goodreads fellow writers and bibliophiles, to my Pinterest and Etsy family, to my Flickr fans, and to all who read my work.  You humble me, and I love you

Dedicated to all I have loved, who have departed this life, and especially to my mother, Mrs. Clara A. Tsagaris, and to Mary Hillier and Violet Page.  Love to my muses, Nan, Erzebet, Anne Rice, and J. Pagter Johl. Love to all good writers who struggle with their craft, and love to my husband, Dino Milani, who has helped me on this writers' journey, and to Dr. T and Margaret, to Rosemary, Pam, Laurie,  Lori, Sarah, and to all my friends, to Ms. Yoko Ono, who reminds us each day on Twitter that life is beautiful! Also, to Nikki and Jordan, who read my blogs :) And to Penny Plum!!

If I've left anyone out, I apologize, but you live in my heart. Dolls are a huge part of our lives, and are among the most important of cultural artifacts!  If the world could share dolls, and through them, our cultures, hopes, and dreams, we would all live in a more peaceful world!

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Peace in 2017!! Let's make it the Year of the Doll!!