Doll Museum: History and Chronology Continued: Paper Dolls and ...

Doll Museum: History and Chronology Continued: Paper Dolls and ...: Before I start, let me note that this is the best site I've found for paper dolls and their history, plus it has lavish illustrations; T...

Weta and Slow Food

On Ocean Mysteries today, a feature on the weta, a very large cricket that lives in New Zealnd and has inhabited the earth tens of millions of years. I must tell my friend Doc V, a wonderful companion, mother, and entymologist. The weta is about 9 inches long or so, one of the largest insects in the world. He was amazing, and another living fossil. These are the "antique" animals and plants that still live and breathe their stories. Would they could talk our language. Then there are those species that can exist for centuries at a time. If we could be Dr. Who and time travel with them, what would they tell us? What did they think when we humans burst on the scene? Could they settle the dispute over evolution? What were Neanderthals really like? When did war start? Where their dragons and vampires; are zombies possible? I always thought we were simply the authors of our own apocalypse. Along with these musings, I watched Rick Steves on Tuscany and the Slow Food Movement, which simply means it takes a long but expensively worthwhile time to make the food eaten in the region. Cheese begins with raising the right sheep and goats, milking them, heating the milk, curdling it by hand, skimming the curds and whey, pressing them all into molds and aging them naturally. Wine is made in a similar slow fashion, and food is cooked slowly in brick ovens and over open fires. He features the artichoke festival in this episode. One host was an octogenarian vintner who looked sixty. Hmmm? Stress and chemicals anyone? Their take on the truffle snuffing hogs were dogs, and all cattle was free range. Pork and prosciutto came from the native wild boar. Talk about eating local! Our skies are clearing here, the clouds and tornadic winds less menacing. We were all gathered Monday in the center of our building, as tornadoes and storms raged over our area. Once again, we were spared, and old wives' tale or not, I bless the river. We were all lucky this time; our power did not go out. Emma cat is still ailing, but more alert. I have hope this thyroid condition will be under conrol, but my fierce little Contessa Bathory is no super quiet and too compliant. She doesn't want to play with her cat toys and dolls, not even Marionette Toinette Mouse or Mme. Pomplemousse, the string puppet cat toys. They are her favorites. We have done our share of burying young friends and classmates, taken suddenly, or by violence, while still too young. One was only 25, and she was shot by a man she feared for a long time. He claimed it was an accident. She was a veteran, Navy, and was buried, at least with full honors. Seeing her lying in a coffin made life seem very random and futile. I thought of Boethius and his Consolation of Philisophy. I recommend it at times like this. On a happier note, The Creative Writing Primer by the MWWC, our local writers group, is now 2nd in its type on Amazon. Our Kindle giveaway was yesterday. When it is sold, proceeds go to MWWC. I was a guest blogger yesterday on the MWWC Blog. Will post a link later.

Midwest Writing Center: Where and how to write when you can't be ‘The Madw...

Midwest Writing Center: Where and how to write when you can't be ‘The Madw...: Writer and professor Ellen Tsagaris is the author of "Writer as Researcher" in the MWC Creative Writing Dr. Ellen Tsagaris Pr...

Of Guns and Dolls; Dolls are Indeed where you find Them!

I was listening to NPR on the way to work M, and they brought up the conceal/carry law controversy going on in Illinois. The announcer likened an assault rifle to a Barbie doll (tm) for a man. There were other analogies to the gun as a type of doll or baby doll, even a rag doll or Raggedy Ann. Hmm. I was struck by some relevant random thoughts. I'd read that a doll, or the Venus figures of Willendorf, were the first cultural artifacts, yet research into paleontology and anthropology revealed that maybe the weapon, e.g., a club was the first human artifact that survived to be left behind. Also, when I was small, I played with toy guns; I had cowboy outfits, not cowgirl, cap pistols, little ships that fired torpedoes, water guns, and a toy machine gun that rattled. I had two of those; I used to sleep with it, and it had to be replaced. Does anyone have one out there? We still have all kinds of rubber band guns in the house; most belong to my son, but, well..... I love looking at ivory and jewel inlaid rifles from India in museums. I admire good target shooters, and there are dolls that turn up at gun shows, along with Indian relics and other antiques. I've only fired one real gun, a glock, and that was part of a fire arms training simulator. We don't have real guns in the house at all. I have never fired at anyone, and don't intend to. I have no NRA opinions. Everyone has their passions. Dolls must be popular to many, many people to be included in an analogy about assault rifles and weapons. I'm just saying . . . Comments? Questions? Anyone who wants information on my books please contact me directly, or go to Amazon, author central, or 918studio, Google as keyword. I am on Twitter and Facebook as Dr. E's Doll Museum.

Yves St. Laurent

http://webmuseo.com/ws/archives-pb-ysl/app/collection?vc=ePkH4LF7s4E7ifikoE902koJANZFqLWmqak5WvVqCa-q4aoJxhAATHs_eQ$$ These are paper dolls from the famous designers collection. For photos, google The Paper Collectors blog.

Desiree Holt and Barbie Dolls

Sunday Morning reran the story of Desiree Holt, erotic romance writer, and how she uses Barbie dolls for inspiration for her heroes nad heroines. Jude Deveraux does something similar with dolls. You never know what use we will find for our treasures.

Center for the Future of Museums: Ethics Smackdown: Against the Resolution

Center for the Future of Museums: Ethics Smackdown: Against the Resolution: This is the third installment in our report from the Ethics Smackdown at the Alliance annual meeting, debating whether museums should loosen...