First of all, reader Deb from Phoenix is having a heart procedure today, so please say a prayer for her. We love you, Deb!
Secondly, Don managed to clear out the storage space yesterday. It’s empty! He took 2 loads to the recycling center in a neighboring town. Some of it came back home to live in the shed or the house. And some of it needs to be sorted here before we make the final decision on whether to toss or keep. All of this occurred while I was on a call with the director of the next show I’m coaching and then coaching Jim. Thank you, thank you, dear husband.
It’s now an even dozen. I’ve wanted a Ferro Doll (a customizer in Russia) since I first started collecting Blythes. When a new Ferro Doll is listed, it’s adopted within minutes. Sometimes, seconds.
They have a fierce, intense gaze that I love. I always wanted one with dark hair and dark eyebrows but then, this other girl appeared who was being put up for adoption by the owner who had only adopted her in June. I went back and forth on this one for over a month; maybe, maybe not. At one point, Kat, the young owner, decided she was bonding with her, so I encouraged her to keep her. But one day, about a week ago, Kat messaged me and asked me if I still wanted her. The price was reasonable. I pondered, and then I said yes.
To be honest, I was put off by her hair color, so I decided I could always change her scalp to a darker color. But now, after receiving her, I love it. Here she is, right out of the box:
If you look closely, you can see tiny veins in her cheeks. The level of detail is amazing.
Also, check out the detail in the coloration of the area around the eyebrows. And the eyelids, of course!
She has synthetic hair but it’s clearly been given a treatment by the customizer because it feels like silk – and it’s minty-colored. Much to my surprise, I’m love the hair and I’m going to keep it.
She was named Claire by her previous owner. She is now Harper Claire, after – you guessed it – Harper Lee. I walked around with her during most of the day yesterday (except when I was coaching, of course. That would have looked weird.)
I’ll try to get a good close-up of her face soon, so you can see the tiny little details that make her so beautiful and collectible.
This morning:
I love her. She’s a serious girl. I have a feeling she doesn’t suffer fools gladly.
I finally own a Ferro doll. If I could, I’d collect even more.
Don is quite taken with her. Never – not once – as he been anything other than encouraging about this little turn my life has taken. He’s charmed by the girls, loves it when I change their clothes and parade them in front of him. He raves about my photos of them.
How did I get this lucky?
Okay. No coaching today. No coaching until Sunday night when I watch the run-through of Jane Eyre on stage. I’m going to rest a bit – it’s been an intense week.
Stay safe.
Happy Thursday.
I love Harper! She reminds me of my oldest daughter who loves to color her hair. What a fun but very serious little girl. Get some rest and enjoy this first day of September.
Thank you, Linda!
Stay safe.
been praying for deb and the medical staff attending to her … and looking forward to hearing deb’s good news once this is behind her.
thanks for the kind reminder (easy for me to lose track of what day of the week it is).
love the name … harper claire … and her style. also the “doesn’t suffer fools gladly” part. and that you and don found each other!
great job, claudia and don, on clearing out the storage unit. that must feel so good … freeing!
not much new here. gladly and gratefully spending time with members of my family, working on big and little projects, trying to get more rest/better sleep and eat more fruit (i easily get more vegetables than fruit), hoping to read something someday and paint more. best i get to it now.
happy, safe thursday to all!
kathy
And how nice to no longer have to be in an impossible situation/job!
Stay safe, Kathy.
Harper is beautiful! I am amazed really, but I like her hair too. Somehow it looks just right for her. The detail on the eyebrows looks so real!
Kudos to Don for cleaning out the storage. He is definitely a keeper!
Meanwhile, we have covid here. Hubby just thought he had a cold but I convinced him to take a covid test…yup, positive. I started getting sick 4 days later. Took a test this morning, also positive. I have had colds this bad, although I have been running a fever off and on. I think we have fairly mild symptoms. I am telling myself we will have more immunity now.
Take care
sorry to hear that, marilyn. glad if symptoms are fairly mild.
praying you both have what you need/ want and get better soon!
kathy
He is!
I’m so sorry about Covid, Marilyn! Darn it! Take care of yourself.
Stay safe.
dear Claudia/Don — great work re clearing out storage unit — why, oh why do we hang on to “stuff” that is no longer used, needed or wanted? I am talking to myself here also as we have an entire house filled w/”stuff” BUT at least we don’t now, hopefully never will “rent” a unit to put it in — so many do that not only out of necessity (lack of space, etc) but to “keep” for someday which rarely ever comes (my sister does this). I say if things are not needed daily and you don’t miss having them around, why keep them???? My advice to 80 yr old sister is seldom heeded b/c I am “the” younger sister so what could I possibly know??? hope you have a good day. stay safe/healthy
We don’t have a useable basement or an attic – so we’ve had to have a place for some of our things. But now? Either store it in the shed or chuck it.
Stay safe, Linda.
I want to thank everybody who will be praying for me. Claudia, thanks for posting that reminder. I have come to love the people on this blog, the only one I follow! I will keep you posted!
Thoughts & prayers sent from Wisconsin throughout the day today… to you & those caring for you.
Thinking of you, Deb in Phoenix!
We love you, Deb!
xoxo
Holy cow, you are starting off the month with a bang! It must be a big relief to be done with the storage space expense. Harper – what a sweet face, and I think the hair color suits her.
A “get well soon” to Deb.
And now I feel like I really need to go off and get something done…lol
I have to make sure Don calls them and tells them we’re out of there.
Stay safe, Lynda.
I really didn’t think you’d stop collecting…so Harper is not a surprise to me at all…lol. Surprisingly, I, too, like her hair color…and those eye lids…oh my.
Don cleaned out your old storage area in record time. What a guy. Enjoy your day of rest! ;)
I am officially out of room for the dolls now. So if I ever buy another, I’ll have to sell one of mine. Every inch of the top of the music cabinet is taken!
Stay safe.
Well…you could hang a shelf from the ceiling I suppose…lol! ;)
xoxo
Get well soon Deb. I hope it’s nothing serious.
Firstly, wishing Deb all the best for your operation and hope you have a speedy recovery.
I love Harper’s hair, whenever I see green, pink, purple hair, I always call it mermaid hair. There’s a lady who attends the reading book club, she is 81 but looks much younger and has short, spiky hair which she dyes in a variety of mermaid colours rather her natural grey and she looks fabulous.
I also think mentally that a declutter does you good.
Happy Thursday
I like that: mermaid hair! Good for your friend. That’s the way to stay young-at-heart!
Stay safe, Dee Dee.
Well, I love the adorable Harper. I think her face is amazing. Green is my favorite color, so I think it’s just perfect. Enjoy, Claudia!
She really is adorable. I’m glad you like her, Judy.
Stay safe.
Prayers Deb…prayers…good news on storage unit. I had to rent one for a couple of months until I got my things from one house in WV to Indy. Only things I use. I did not like spending the money. Had to go back to docs and for legal matters so easy to load in car. I am teaching a new little one on East coast this week. Working with grands. Grand girl and I are doing Canterbury Tales…like it. Favorite will be British poetry and Shakespeare. I am so glad I was able to go to college in my forties…poor..and teach and finish master at almost 60. Enjoyed teaching university level but high school fav. I loved everyday in the classroom. I know I should know who Jim is…my
Old memory lol. Enjoy your coaching.
Jim Parsons. My former student and the star of the long-running Big Bang Theory.
Stay safe, Brenda.
She’s a sweetie – bet she won’t be your last ;)
I literally have no more room for a Blythe, but don’t think I’m not thinking of a way to display them!
Stay safe, Deborah.
Three cheers on clearing the storage space. That’s a huge, big deal and I’m so glad it was done while you were otherwise engaged! Don is a prince!
He is, indeed!
Stay safe, Jeanie.
I agree with jeanie about Don being a prince. If I gave my husband full access to the storage unit, he’d throw out everything I own. It’s not that he’s a bad person; it’s just that he doesn’t know the diff of what is what; and, to him, it’s all junk as he’s not a collector, gatherer or one who holds on to things of sentiment (an extreme minimalist whereas I’m the opposite). When he’s faced with a big pile of stuff he has to sort thru, it drives him mad; he just wants it GONE. Thinks it’s a huge time-waster. Doesn’t understand the concept of ‘accumulating’ because he always gets rid of stuff as he goes whereas I can really stack it up (the ‘to-do’ list that doesn’t get done).
I had one doll of which many varieties I used to collect and if I had them sitting out around, he’d go nuts. I hope to display them one of these days but only in a cabinet in a back room where he would seldom go (girl cave at the very end of the hallway; my ‘territory’, not his!).
I have to understand that clutter is so hard for him that it alters his personality and almost makes him physically ill. Some people like him just can’t have a bunch of stuff around in their surroundings; it’s like, for them, there’s just too much for the eye to settle on, so it leaves them (him at least) feeling antsy and irritated.
And that’s actually where we are in current-ongoing ‘remodeling’/home improvements (the kind that never ends) even though I have so much boxed up and out of his way; but now he’s even grumbling continually about the boxes; of course I know I have a lot of ‘stuff’ (too much). Our homes keep getting smaller. And I’ve delayed the decluttering and downsizing for far too long.
(If you’re going to downsize your living space, you need to as well downsize your possessions, but I have a hard time with it; I’m overly nostalgic and emotional about my things, and sometimes I feel like my husband has lost the sentimentality gene entirely, but it’s just that he’s so practical, logical, efficient and very realistic. I’m making him sound like a really cold man, and he’s not; he’s just who he is. He likes a wide berth, big-clean-open spaces inside the home; streamlined; no crowded pathways around furniture [like a coffee table; horrors!]; prefers kitchen counters that are empty except for a toaster; prefers an uncluttered workspace, especially when cooking, and he’s the cook around here!)
So, Claudia, be glad you don’t have tension in your home with Don when it comes to your collections and purchases; it definitely could be otherwise!
I’m on the computer right at 9pm; whew, thought the hour would never get here. Had to help Calif’s power grid in this deadly heat (called a ‘flex alert’; we’ve had the computer and lights and appliances off, as much as possible, since before 4pm; and I tried to keep the TV turned off except that I wanted to hear Joe Biden’s ‘democracy’ speech in real time). Now, I can finally use the microwave (still not gonna use the electric range/stove; heats up the kitchen too much anyway), turn up the a/c a little (I am too hot indoors!), open the fridge door and run the dishwasher; throw in a load of clothes to wash in the washing machine; otherwise, all that’s been idle in order to comply with the power company’s pleas in this prolonged Calif heatwave.
It’s a lot of ‘busy’ at the time of night when we’d like to wind down before bed, but it can’t be helped, and now they’re saying Sun-Mon-Tues will be exceptionally brutal, so I’m wondering if schools will be open now on Tues. I can’t believe it was 112 degrees in Burbank yesterday; this afternoon at my house, we were 100; and, unfortunately, we’ve got wildfire now burning a half hour from us, so I’m feeling a little stressed out. But there’s a lot of heat everywhere in the U.S.; it’s Labor Day weekend; it’s usually hot, end of summer. Too easy to forget that!
We’ve had wildfires up in the mountains, which are not far away from us.
Take care and I’m so sorry you have to deal with this.
Stay safe.
We don’t have that tension. Don is remarkably easy going about that sort of thing. I’m the one that gets tense when things are too cluttery around here, but both of us are getting more relaxed about that. It’s our home, no one is impacted by it but us. I think lockdown helped with all of that. It is what it is!
Stay safe, Vicki.