Children of Japan

Children of Japan
Courtesy, R. John Wright

Hinges and Hearts

Hinges and Hearts
An Exhibit of our Metal Dolls

Tuxedo and Bangles

Tuxedo and Bangles

A History of Metal Dolls

A History of Metal Dolls
Now on Alibris.com and In Print! The First Book of its Kind

Alice, Commemorative Edition

Alice, Commemorative Edition
Courtesy, R. John Wright

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Emma, aka, La Contessa Bathory

Emma, aka, La Contessa Bathory
Her Grace wishes us all a Merry Christmas!

Annabelle

Annabelle

Emma Emmeline

Emma Emmeline
Our New Addition/fond of stuffed toys

Cloth Clown

Cloth Clown

Native American Art

Native American Art

the triplets

the triplets

c. 1969 Greek Plastic Mini Baby

c. 1969 Greek Plastic Mini Baby
Bought Athens on the street

Iron Maiden; Middle Ages

Iron Maiden; Middle Ages

Sand Baby Swirls!

Sand Baby Swirls!
By Glenda Rolle, courtesy, the Artist

Glenda's Logo

Glenda's Logo
Also, a link to her site

Sand Baby Castaway

Sand Baby Castaway
By Glenda Rolle, Courtesy the Artist

A French Friend

A French Friend

Mickey

Mickey
From our friends at The Fennimore Museum

2000+ year old Roman Rag Doll

2000+ year old Roman Rag Doll
British Museum, Child's Tomb

Ancient Egypt Paddle Doll

Ancient Egypt Paddle Doll
Among first "Toys?"

ushabti

ushabti
Egyptian Tomb Doll 18th Dynasty

Ann Parker Doll of Anne Boleyn

Ann Parker Doll of Anne Boleyn

Popular Posts

Tin Head Brother and Sister, a Recent Purchase

Tin Head Brother and Sister, a Recent Purchase
Courtesy, Antique Daughter

Judge Peep

Judge Peep

Hakata Doll Artist at Work

Hakata Doll Artist at Work
From the Museum Collection

Japanese Costume Barbies

Japanese Costume Barbies
Samurai Ken

Etienne

Etienne
A Little Girl

Happy Heart Day

Happy Heart Day

From "Dolls"

From "Dolls"
A Favorite Doll Book

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Jenny Wren

Jenny Wren
Ultimate Doll Restorer

Our Friends at The Fennimore Doll and Toy Museum

Our Friends at The Fennimore Doll and Toy Museum

Baby Boo 1960s

Baby Boo 1960s
Reclaimed and Restored as a childhood Sabrina the Witch with Meow Meow

Dr. E's on Display with sign

Dr. E's on Display with sign

Dolls Restored ad New to the Museum

Dolls Restored ad New to the Museum
L to R: K*R /celluloid head, all bisque Artist Googly, 14 in. vinyl inuit sixties, early celluloid Skookum type.

Two More Rescued Dolls

Two More Rescued Dolls
Late Sixties Vinyl: L to R: Probably Horseman, all vinyl, jointed. New wig. R: Effanbee, probably Muffy, mid sixties. New wig and new clothing on both. About 12 inches high.

Restored Italian Baby Doll

Restored Italian Baby Doll
One of Dr. E's Rescued Residents

Dolls on Display

Dolls on Display
L to R: Nutcrackers, Danish Troll, HItty and her book, Patent Washable, Mechanical Minstrel, Creche figure, M. Alexander Swiss. Center is a German mechanical bear on the piano. Background is a bisque German costume doll.

A Few Friends

A Few Friends
These dolls are Old German and Nutcrackers from Dr. E's Museum. They are on loan to another local museum for the holidays.

Vintage Collage

Vintage Collage
Public Domain Art

The Merry Wanderer

The Merry Wanderer
Courtesy R. John Wright, The Hummel Collection

The Fennimore Doll Museum

The Fennimore Doll Museum

Robert

Robert
A Haunted Doll with a Story

Halloween Dolls Displayed in a Local Library

Halloween Dolls Displayed in a Local Library

The Cody Jumeau

The Cody Jumeau
Long-faced or Jumeau Triste

German Princesses

German Princesses
GAHC 2005

A Little PowerRanger

A Little PowerRanger
Halloween 2004

The Island of the Dolls

The Island of the Dolls
Shrine to Dolls in Mexico

Based on the Nutshell Series of Death

Based on the Nutshell Series of Death
Doll House murder

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A lovely dress

A lovely dress

Raggedy Ann

Raggedy Ann
A few friends in cloth!

Fennimore Doll and Toy Museum, WI

Fennimore Doll and Toy Museum, WI
Pixar Animator's Collection

Little PM sisters

Little PM sisters
Recent eBay finds

Dressed Mexican Fleas

Dressed Mexican Fleas

Really old Dolls!

Really old Dolls!

Thursday, January 5, 2023

Where have all the Christmas Trees gone?

 

Where have all the Christmas Trees gone?

 

On this tenth day of Christmas, I must note something was missing this season.  There were almost no live Christmas trees  being sold at grocery stores or elsewhere.  I’ve only seen a few trees sadly laid on the curb.

 


I’m not seeing that many good sales, e.g. 75 to 90% off at the stores.  I couldn’t find many fresh wreathes, either.

 

An Internet search revealed that we’ve had a shortage since 2016.  In 2021, supply chain issues fueled the shortage.  Before that, COVID affected the sale of trees.  Ikea revealed they did not sell live trees because they wanted to be environmentally friendly.  Real trees have become more and more expensive as well, with 100.00 not being an unusual price.

 





Myself, I have mixed emotions.  When we got live trees, we took care of them, and then my dad took them down to the ravine for our birds to use.  Later, my mom developed allergies.  We began to use artificial trees, and could keep them up till Epiphany, a practice still in effect in our family.  The last real tree we had was a small one that fit in an old enamel pot. It was about three feet tall.  Our new puppy Smokey, was a little wild.  We thought he might knock it down, or think we brought the bathroom inside for him.  Our first dog Killer, a little poodle mix, did think that.

 

When we brought the tree home with Smokey, he promptly got sick in the car.  We had to clean up the upholstery, and minister to the tree, that had a crooked trunk.

 

We never wasted our trees.  My mother had memories of lashed Cyprus branches serving as a tree for her in Europe.  It was supposed to be a two month vacation that lasted seven years because they were Americans abroad caught in World War II.  The Cyprus branches were for their first Christmas.  After that, under the Fascist and NAZI occupations, there were no Christmases.

 



During my childhood, my grandparents had big live trees, and later, big artificial trees.  I did small theme trees, made trees, decorated trees, all through the house.   Our local Festival of Trees and the Hoover Presidential Library displays inspired my mom nad me.  We even had a bathroom tree decorated with doll sized perfume bottles.  One day, we heard a scream from that room.  My dad walked in and saw the perfume tree for the first time.  “Oh God!” said he, “Doll things in the bathroom!!”

 




My current big tree is artificial, and prelit.  I do have live holly bushes and a lot of evergreens, some older than I am.  Our tree has unbreakable ornaments; my little girl cat is not above knocking the box tree down.  Her toy box is under it; if the toybox gets  moved, she expresses her displeasure  by knocking the tree down.  My antique ornaments are in glass cases or safely tucked away, so also are my Christopher Radkos,,  Polonaise glass, Victorian glass ornaments, Shiny Brites, Dresdens and other precious examples.  Many are carefully packed away.  Every year, I look for more, and rotate collections, just as my mom and aunt used to do.

 


Somehow, I didn’t see as many pumpkins at Halloween, either.  I’m all for the environment, and one of my blogs is full of greening tips

[Dr. E’s Greening Tips for the Common Person], yet, I love tradition, too, and love that Christmas trees are recycled.

 

Well, two more days of Christmas to go.  Hope you get to celebrate Twelfth Night, and if nothing else, read the Bard’s play of the same name.

 

Happy New Year!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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