No not me on a Harley this time

Spring has arrived and it is a beauty! Last year when we bought Jack a Harley, he said it made him feel 10 years younger just to climb on and ride it a little while. Well somehow buying tomato plants has the same effect on me!! Starting the year's kitchen garden brings on a surge of happy energy. I am thrilled to have them in our kitchen tonight, two kinds, and some lemon thyme and a packet of yellow squash seed, and a bit more to come in the next week when we can locate parsely and basil plants, and cucumber seed. We have cut down to just 2 narrow raised beds now, and hope we can keep up with the bugs better. Last year was a disaster for our veggies, as it was for many people here.

I have a sneaky plan... the pill bugs got almost all of the squash last year, I tried to raise the little things out of harm's way by shoving wads of hay under each one, but lost almost the whole crop. THIS year, we are going to stretch net wire across the bed, side to side, and coax the young squash plants up through the wire leaving all about 4 or 5 inches off the ground. The vines and fruit might bloom and grow safely up there away from contact with the bugs on the damp soil. We shall see! I have never heard of anyone trying that. If you see a strange figure in a straw hat and floppy clothes in our back yard, it is not a scarecrow really. E

Lost in La la land

Dear Friends, I am without my computer, dear Mouseburger the 3rd has died. I am waiting on Dell to send Mouseburger the 4th and then must try to get all the familiar programs back up on it, so I can work with our camera, and email contacts etc. I am normaly one who is up part of every night on the computer, and in touch with it many times throughout the days. Just before the hard drive died I was working on an article for Dixie Redmond's site, Maida Today www.maidatoday.com
I hope those of you who enjoy antique dolls will find and enjoy that new site, up less than a month and already having 1000's of hits, literaly! Because some spammers got on with their unpleasant ads, Dixie has had to make it a members only site, just Say Edyth sent you and she will approve you and that is all it takes to get on and enjoy this mixture of doll related content. If the partial address above does not get you on, google search the web for MAIDA Dixie Redmond.
Today Jack and I drove out to the Willow City loop to check for Bluebonnets. I want to do some paintings when they are out good! We are off to the start of a glorious spring, i wish all of you the same, Warmly, E

Early Rabbit sighting

The Easter Bunny aka the mail man, brought this lovely papier mache shoulder head shown standing by a book to give scale. The head is 8 inches tall.. She was in a stash of parts awaiting restoration, owned by Richard Wright at the time of his death. The doll head dates from about 1840, and was made by Andreas Voit. This type dates about 8 to 10 years later than her Sister doll shown in brown dress, made without the open mouth and teeth. When new, both dolls would have had human hair wigs, which at that period were often very elaborately styled. Now I will enjoy making a body for the new one! She will be about a 32 inch doll. They will be so pretty together! Have a great day, Edyth

Cheryl's paintings

Daughter Cheryl who lives in Colorado is a wildlife artist, and I enjoy it so much when she will mail me a batch of paintings to choose a few for myself. I bought the Bear, the bison, and the fox to keep here. She is getting ready for a spring show in her town in Colorado. The fox family lives in her front yard, where she and husband Glen enjoy them daily and take endless photos. The bear was pictured by a friend in Alaska, who gave permission to use his shot. The bison Cheryl took in Yellowstone and the elk in Zion nat. Forrest. I will offer some of the paintings for a few weeks in our mall booth here in Fburg. E

Doll in early sewing box

I hope some one of you reading this can add to this information, or verify what we think we know about this sewing box! Please comment here or email me if you cannot comment in this format. Palais Royal is the French maker or brand it looks like from many I have found on the internet. The word on the top is Souvenir and the decorations are cut steel. The box is covered in vellum or fine kidskin, and lined in silk. I think it dates between 1810 and 1860, perhps 1825 to 1840. The woman who used it was born in 1823. I would like to find another nearly like it to verify some of this. The doll was wrapped in tissue paper, the handkerchief was substituted at my request to get paper away from her! She has been in the box for many many years. A little written history is with her. The original owner, was the ancestor of the present man owner. The later hankerchief was his mother's, her name was jean. Jean was born in 190?, and there is an early Steiiff elephant that was hers, the elephant is from about 1907 to 1910. It is sitting not standing! A red and white coverlet in the group of heirlooms is just beautiful, a Jaquard with big woven hearts!! Unlike any I have seeen yet. Always fun to us to research antiques. Have a Great Day, E

My Letter to Rachael

Oh Rachael! I have had such an adventure today! We were called to the house of a couple we know slightly, to identify and evaluate a "linsey woolsey". As I suspected, it turned out to be a nice woven coverlet, a red and white Jacquard, which had just been given to the couple from older family members. dates and names and places were spoken of, and then there was the offer, "would you like to see a little box we got?"

Yes it is a dear little leather covered box, with some of the fittings and contents of ladies sewing tools, AND a near perfect precious tiny tuck comb wooden doll! She has all of herself, and all of her original costume and there she was in the early sewing box, having just come to Texas. Her family history is with her in tiny script. She must date in the late 1830's if the owner given is correct. Of course a doll can always have come from an aunt or an older sister, so one does not know just when it was new. I was thrilled to hold her in my hand and coo at her! Of course I said she should stay in her family forever, BUT in case she was not sufficiently loved I would pay a fine ransom for her! She is the dearest littl morsel, and I thought of your own growing famly of early woodens. I will get photos as soon as I can make a return trip, and post them here. I hope someone can tell me more about the sewing box itself. What a lovely happening on an otherwise gray day. Warmly, Edyth Watch for the pictures!

Greiner dolls at the party

All of these dolls have the early 1858 labels, not extended 72. The tiny ones are the rare size zero Greiners in blue dress and small white dress. The one in pink is a very nice brown eyed Greiner. The large doll in white is a splendid 34 inches tall, with a sought after hair style. All of these were brought by guests to share. Edyth