Two Doll Auctions, A Museum, and a Battlefield

This weekend, Theriault’s will be hosting two amazing auctions.  Sunday is a very unusual and complete collection of Barbies and friends.  Saturday involves the sale of the contents of Yesterday’s Child Doll Museum, formerly Vicksburg, MS. Both will be in Chicago ,and Theriault’s.com has all the details.

 

During the late 80s, when I was just out of school, my family and I took a terrific trip down South, which included Vicksburg.  We walked the battlefield, and while I personally do not believe I ghosts, I did sense a presence there.  It was moving and sad to see the Civil War monuments put up by northern and southern states, and to realize how closely camped both sides were on that field.

 

We also saw Yesterday’s Child, just my mom and dad and me.  I’m the only one left.  I think it was the last of our great road trips, though we took a lot of smaller ones in later years.  It was charming, and a very pleasant day.  I still regret we didn’t buy a small composition doll wearing a white faux fur coat, hat, and muff in the gift shop  They did not have much for sale, but the museum was a feast for the eyes.

 

My dad, ever loyal to me exclaimed as we walked in, “she has more than this!” That was Dad; he also built doll houses, hauled us all over to buy dolls while he sat in the car, he brought dolls for me from all over the world, carved little dolls from sticks, carried two very large Italian dolls for me when we were coming back from a trip to Europe.  He often drove back out of his way so I could get a doll I forgot to buy, and he learned what a Jumeau was.  My mom was my partner in crime when it came to finding dolls; she also dressed them repaired them. After a while, it wasn’t “Ellen’s” doll collection; it was “our” doll collection.

 

I hate to see any doll museum close, especially when I am busy creating mine, but this one’s closing is particularly painful for me.  The silver lining is that the dolls will go to good homes, to people who will care for them and carry on the museum’s legacy.  For me, doll collecting has become a lonely hobby, full of lovely memories. 

Scenes from The Fall; Autumn

Anymore, I live for October, for autumn in general. It has finally come, after another horrible, sad year.  We had more deaths this week, and cold winds and storms. Some of us have been ripped by hurricanes yet again.

Yet, I see hope in October's golden light.  As Barry Manilow's song goes, I hate it when October goes.  Halloween is my favorite holiday. And,you it leads up to my other two favorites, Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Mind you, I don't really celebrate anything any more, just memories of past celebrations.  My mom and dad are gone, now.  It hurts worse in the fall; we used to go on drives in the country and find fall festivals. My pumpkins came from the country, and we sought out caramel apples and antiques

Fee free to share your fall and Halloween memories in the comments sections.  I'm always happy to hear from you.



Praying Mantis

Country pumpkins

Ever since I read Tasha Tudor's Take Joy many years ago, I have hung seed bells as holiday
gifts for our local birds.

Autumn colors

My Japanese Maple Turning



Enjoy this video of a local house that does nearly all holidays like this!  There used to be two on the block, but now only this one.  Every year, he adds something!  There are other houses with ghosts and monsters that they make. Scary good!!

October Snow Storm; a Video