Lately, every morning is foggy. Today, we’re due for rain. Tomorrow, we’re due for rain. The hot spell is over and the temps will gradually get cooler over the weekend. It’s 8 am and it’s still very dark and gloomy.

♦ Two groundhog encounters. I was standing in the den yesterday and I happened to look out the picture window. There was a groundhog running across the street with great speed toward our property. He disappeared into the culvert and then reappeared on the lawn, then peeking out from under the maple tree, then running under my car, finally landing on the shed ramp, where he promptly lay down, exhausted. First of all, I got very nervous watching him cross the street and wanted to tell him that he shouldn’t go over there – ever. Traffic is very busy on our road! Second, it’s the groundhog that lives under our shed, which makes it even more personal.

Then, as I waited for him to disappear under the shed – which took a while – I prepared to mow the corral and the back forty. As soon as he disappeared I went to get the lawnmower. As I was pushing it uphill toward the top of the back forty where I was planning to start the mowing, a groundhog trotted out of the area where the other den is (the one the mom took her babies to when we were making too much noise.) I stopped and froze because he wasn’t stopping and I wasn’t sure whether he was aware of my presence. He got pretty close (I was secretly hoping he’d go right by me.) At at distance of about 4 feet, he suddenly saw me, froze for a split second, and threw it into reverse. Kind of adorable! I have no idea if it was one of the now-grown-up babies.

♦ We got our Covid vaccinations on Wednesday. It went very smoothly. We traveled to a Walgreen’s that’s a little further away from us – the one we’ve used for the past 3 years. Let me tell you, it was a much better experience. When we used the Walgreen’s that is closer to us for the flu and RSV, the pharmacist was so busy talking and doing his schtick that the jabs were quite painful! So I think we’re going to stay with our original location.

Anyway, I had my usual reaction which is to suddenly fall into a deep sleep. I think it happened around 12:45, much earlier than my usual nap time. Don is suffering from flu-like aches and a general “I don’t feel good,” which is his usual reaction. That should clear up by the end of today.

♦ I have a new Blythe to share with you. Here is the back story. It involves my dear friend, Susannah. Susannah and I have been blogging about the same amount of time; 15+ years. I used to read her blog quite frequently. She lives in London. In June or July of 2021, I discovered she was on Instagram and started following her. Not long after that, she discovered customized Blythes and wrote a post showing her new girl, a VegaDoll named Suzie. I was so entranced by that doll, so charmed, that I started exploring and researching Blythes. I knew about the original Blythes, but I wasn’t a fan of the shiny faces and sunken eyes. But these customizations! They were a different story. As I was exploring and wondering whether I should consider investing in an inexpensive Blythe, Susannah and I had many a conversation about ‘falling down the Blythe rabbit hole.’ She has remained a very good friend and I adore her. She is planning on moving from London to Devon in the next year – a long wished-for dream that will soon be realized. So she decided to sell some of her dolls to raise some money for the eventual move.

The minute she put out a feeler about this doll, I contacted her, just to say that while I would love her, money was tight, Don was on strike, etc., and I would have to decline. She wrote back immediately, saying she didn’t need the money for almost a year and if I wanted her, she would hold her for me, giving me time to save up. It was hard for her to part with her and she would much rather the doll go to someone she knew and loved. It was such an incredibly generous and kind gesture! So she marked her as ‘reserved.’ After considering all the ways – they’re were only a few – that I might get funds to buy her, I came to the conclusion that I would have to sell one of my dolls. I didn’t want to use our money. Most of my girls were very modestly priced. The FerroDolls and the VegaDolls were the most expensive. And Mei – a VegaDoll – was the  most expensive, purchased when I was working on the movie and had more funds available.

I put out a feeler on her for the price I originally paid. Eventually I had to lower the price. Still no takers. One of my Blythe friends suggested I give her bangs. So I did. It transformed her, making me seriously consider taking her off the market. I loved that change in her look. But then, a woman named Catherine wrote me to say she was interested in her. After some back and forth, she bought her. She’s from Ireland, but she she lives in Singapore, which meant I needed to get her packed up immediately so I could give her an estimate of the shipping costs. It was for the best, because I was crying at the thought of sending her to a new mom.

I had written Natalia of VegaDolls to let her know I was thinking of selling Mei and she was great about it – she collects as well and said that sometimes a doll needs to move on and that’s okay. Susannah provided a lot of support and interestingly, Catherine had just started buying Blythes and she purchased one of Susannah’s dolls right before she bought Mei. Small world.

So, the funds from Mei’s sale paid for this new girl.

She arrived yesterday – only 4 days from leaving London to her arrival at my doorstep! I’ve never had a doll arrive that quickly. She is a FerroDoll and I’ve loved her ever since Susannah first purchased her.

She arrived in the late afternoon, so I only have this one.

She’s so beautiful! She has the intense look of all Ferro girls, as if they might be a bit pissed off, a smattering of freckles across her nose, a beautiful face-up, and that hair! She was named Orla, but I’m calling her Miranda. Her middle name will be Orla. There’s something about these Ferro girls, you stare into their eyes and they seem absolutely human. (Same with VegaDolls.)

I still miss Mei, but her new mom has sent me photos of her and she looks happy in her new home. Susannah and I have talked Catherine into starting a Blythe IG account, so I will get to see Mei fairly regularly.

More photos of her soon, though it’s awfully dark today.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.