Thoughts on decluttering (again)

Too much thinking, too little getting rid of. The obstacles I find easily.  

Things that were my parents' such as picture albums and keepsakes... I know that it won't make sense to anyone but me, so COULD downsize... but.....

photo albums of my parents lives!

cookbooks from grandmas and favorite children's books

 

 

Ron Scofield's prints,
poems that hung on my wall growing up,
my mother in law's painting, my dad's ceramics....

a nativity I made that's less than 2 inches tall

a decorative thing I made for my mom
many years ago, out of beans!!! It
hung in her kitchen for 20+ years 

made by my dad

painted by my aunt

made by my grandson

made by different grandsons

my son James' santa

You get the idea. Why are some people so neat and tidy and unsentimental? My mom was. It was gone in a flash if she thought it was unused. Then there's me. It's like having my loved ones around me. I miss them all. 

As if MY stuff isn't enough, now I've added some of Judy's. I kept some, because I couldn't just toss them. I donated a lot though, before I could think too much about it. 

Take pictures, you say. Well there they are. Now to print them out and put them in an album? Or just think, I'm bound to have dementia, so who cares?? 

I always feel like things need documenting. For who???

I try to let things, go, and sometimes I'm successful. Often, I'm not.

Crazy Cat Update

Last year when I lost my cousin, I inherited a cat. She was very very very scared of anyone. For awhile I thought we were going to have to give up and take her to the shelter. I didn't want to do that, but thought maybe she would be better off with someone else.

I'm glad we didn't, although she hid from us for TWO MONTHS. Finally she started coming out. Little by little we made friends. She's still not a very friendly cat, she has very limited petting tolerance but will sit for hours on my lap as I discovered one day when I wasn't feeling well and spent my day on the couch. 

One of Judy's friends got Judy a fluffy fleece blanket, and the cat fell in love. So that was one way we tried to coax her out/ Nothing seemed to work. I haven't been too great with cats, I'm more of a dog lover. They are way more predictable, you know where you stand, and you can go on walks.

I never thought a CAT could be leash trained, but she kept trying to escape to outside, and she was declawed in the life before Judy had her, and she's somewhere around 10 to 15 years old and we have lots of fighting cats around here so I wasn't comfortable just letting her out. So we got a harness and leash!! To my absolute surprise she didn't fight it, and we now go on walks. Not like dog walks where the human decides where you're going, but the cat version, where the cat decides. 

If you're old enough, you'll remember a song that goes with this.  

 "Walking my Cat Named Dog" by Norma Tanega. 1966

True story song. Norma moved to a New York apartment where dogs weren't allowed, so she got a cat and named it Dog. 

"Dog is a good old cat

People what you think of that

That's where I'm at..."

Dolls dolls dolls.... Unimax Dolls of All Nations

I need to severely purge my doll collection. I stopped collecting bigger dolls altogether, and am only going to keep a few. Decisions, decisions. 

As I've said a million times, the first two dolls that started my collection of play dolls was two lovely girls that I didn't know anything about. 

They were not wearing costumes, I just loved their size and young girl look and pretty faces. They are still not wearing their costumes, they don't even have any. The dress on the left is an odd dress that was in a thrift shop bag, and the one on the right was made by Susan Israel of JUSTBEME on etsy.

Turns out they were produced by Target in the 1990s, mostly 1995 and 1996. They were made by the Unimax company, that makes many other toys. They are 12 inches tall, just right for little hands 

So I found a couple more in the thrift shop, but most of these came from Ebay or Etsy. Some were really inexpensive, like $4. Some were as much as $20.  I am in the process of drafting some patterns for them. They are nearly the same size as Wellie Wishers and Paola Reina dolls. Except they are only 12 inches tall! So instead of a skinny body, they look like normal people. 

 

 

Anybody have experience with these dolls? The last one I got is Native American. She is the only one I have ever gotten that has a wobbly head! Fine for display, but I think not for play. Anyone made clothes for them? They are really sturdy dolls. Not really poseable, but easy to dress with the clothes from Paola Reina and the Fashion Friends. My current project is clothes for these dolls, my grand daughter has a couple of them, and she will soon be the age that she will enjoy them. 

The one sitting down is one I got with part of a Mexican costume, but she didn't look like the Mexican doll so I got a Mexican doll. So far, she's my favorite, because I have no idea of her "ethnicity" so she represents my beloved country, America, where we are a melting pot of so many cultures! 

Night Rambling

Where sleep is concerned, I am The Princess and The Pea. You know, that princess that could feel a pea under the mattress, and even under many mattresses? I forget the tale, really, just that she couldn't get comfortable. 

I get into bed. I am picky, because the sheets need to be tucked in right so feet don't stick out unless I want them sticking out. I hate waking up with cold feet. Everything must be smoothed properly, too. I feel every wrinkle. Pillows (4 of them!) must be arranged just right or else my neck gives me grief. 

So now you know why it's 2:30 am and I am sitting here writing a silly blog post.

I am actually planning a good one, about dolls. 

Happy Epiphany or 12th Day or Happy New Year, pick one or all

We  celebrated Epiphany growing up, when the wise men arrived to see the baby Jesus. I love the Christmas season but it's bittersweet. My kids didn't get much Christmas celebration.... a story for another day.

Some of my grandkids came this weekend. We went out to brunch at our favorite kid spot, and then came back and talked and played awhile.  It was so good to see them.

I didn't do any Christmas cards this year. I just didn't have the heart. So soon I am going to send out some just generic cards, to those who probably missed me sending them a card. There are only a few that still send them, and it just feels like throwing hard work to the wind for most of them. So this year, I'm really thinking, because of how high postage is, partly, and the work it takes, for what? I don't even know if they appreciate them. Of course there's a few that I know do.

So I guess anyone reading this can tell I am not in great spirits. I don't usually have a lot of allergies other than the constant low grade dust allergies, but there's stuff out there blooming and we went on a walk and I sneezed most of the way. I'm just feeling old and worn out and tired. Tomorrow will be better if i would just GET TO BED. 

kitty just LOVES this blanket given to Judy by her good friend. She just KNEADS it. 

a dollhouse feast!

nighty night

decisions, decisions!

I told my daughter that her dollhouse got some love this weekend so now she has plans to come get it. I will miss it and so will the girls. They love to play with the doll houses. The little houses, too. 

Legos are always a favorite

Merry Christmas!

In all the years of doll collecting, I've never done this. I set up a "Christmas Tableau" with some of my dolls (and one of my daughter's that is still hanging around here. She's mine for now) 

Anyway, the dolls are from Ruby Red, the only dolls that I purchased without being secondhand. Well there's that Paola Reina. And that one I got at WalMart so I would have an identical one to A's so I could make well fitting clothes.

Sidetracked.

Anyway. The Fashion Friends' dresses are rescued from old porcelain dolls I decided to let go. The Siblies' dressses were made by Susan Israel, from JUSTBEME on Etsy. She makes beautiful, well fitting, good quality dresses. Christmas dresses! And she also sent me a free gift, that happens to fit not only the Siblies but my UNIMAX doll from the Dolls of All Nations. It's a bit Christmassy and I love it's spunkiness. As Susan said when she saw the picture, "She's got a story to tell"

And it's also the 4th Sunday of Advent, with the theme of "Love". 

I just love these dolls. And the dresses are perfect for them.

The Siblies

This outfit really makes me smile. That hat!! She does indeed have a story to tell, someday I'll tell it.

Have a very happy holiday, whatever holiday you are celebrating. For me, a rather unorthodox Christmas. 

Hello December. Holy Moly. Where have I been?

Kind of sad. Missing Judy. I'm still getting strange things with her name, the usual hearing aids and cremation offers, along with renewal notices for all the things she donated to. Animal rescues, zoos, Habitat for Humanity, Heifer Project, Salvation Army. She was pretty generous... and I'm sure she gave a lot to her church. She lived frugally, and spent money on yarn. 

I've been sewing a little bit, but if I am going to give granddaughters any doll clothes I better get moving. It really doesn't take long, but it's just DOING IT that gets me. I want to, so why can't I just DO IT???

Partly because our last cat ate sewing thread and ended up with $2000 worth of surgery and this kitty picks up stuff to eat too. So I have been sewing by hand, teensy clothes for Chelsea. So I suppose I better just make a wardrobe and give a couple granddaughters Chelsea dolls, and one already has a Chelsea, but I don't know if she's still playing with her, she's 10. My other 10 year old grandchild of my heart has kind of moved on from babyish dolls and is more into Fashion dolls; I need to ask if she needs anything. 

The days, weeks and months go buy and I don't see grandkids. Makes me feel totally unloved and unneeded. I need to reach out more. We did go for a picnic lunch in November and one son was here for a few days. It isn't that I never see anyone. Just feeling old and rather useless.

A few pictures of things I've been doing.

This one is a tiny porcelain one I got for a couple dollars. I have pretty much gotten rid of all but the tiny porcelain ones; but this one just looked angelic so I think I will make her some felt and lace wings for Christmas. 

Speaking of Christmas. Yesterday was the first day of Advent. I lit my candle of hope and sat with it seeking to feel the hope. If not for God there would be no hope, so I will greet the world with gladness and remember to be hopeful this week. May God bless your Advent Season as you meditate on the words and the Spirit of Advent.