Birthdays and other small tragedies

Ah, another birthday, and always near Father's Day. My dad no longer allows holidays of any kind, and I recieved an envelope with "Happy Whatever" written on it and a Snoopy sticker. Oh well. My husband took me galavanting around our local university town, where we hit the most amazing thrift shops in the world. I found wonderful metal dolls, and a Medieval cookie doll made from an old ginberbread mold.It is very similar to the baptismal dolls of clay my late friend Mary Hillier portrayed in Dolls and Doll Makers. There were wonderful foreign costume dolls that came home with us, and a German mechanical cyclist for our eleven year old. My husband who is great about these things picked out some very old bisque dolls for me, icnluding a very sweet black bisque boy in miniature wearing overalls. I have also done well eBay and etsy. One metal head girl arrived with her own wardrobe of homespun and cotton petticoats. Her shoes are homemade knitted slippers with soles. All are put away safely, and we managed to clean today and make the house look liveable. I am trying to post a picture of the Lyhdia style vintage china head I just won. When I was little, I lusted after those long banana curls that spilled vertically down each side of the doll's face. It is the third birhtday without my mother, and it is very hard to take. When I look for the dolls, or browse for them, I can hear her whisper, "better get that one, too!" I took her passion flowers and lilies today, in honor of the flowers we used to plant.

One gallery in the museum will be the dolls she dressed and knitted for. Till later, to all,Happy Dolling!