I finally heard from the doctor

Yep, heard from him this morning, and it's scary.  The MRI showed lesions on my spinal cord, so now I have to have a lumbar puncture done.  The doctor suspects multiple sclerosis, which Mama and I were both kinda suspecting as well.  It goes without saying that I am terrified, both of the puncture and of a future being disabled.  My gynecologist wanted me to go on disability, and that might mean quitting work.  I DO NOT WANT TO QUIT!!!  And if it's MS then that means my mobility isn't going to get better.  Remember that my gynecologist won't do my hysterectomy until my mobility gets better.  So right now I'm screwed in that respect.  Sigh...it's a lot to take in right now.

Life COULD be worse, though.  My Mama's ex-student is still paralyzed from the neck down, and he's having horrendous spasms.  My friend from the library still has bone cancer.  It's stable and she's doing well right now, but I don't think it's curable.  So I could be them and I'm not, and I'm grateful for that.  Oh, and meet Jethro.  Cat #7, named after Jethro Tull.

Jethro came traipsing up to us in the library parking lot on October 5th.  The little snot jumped into the car with us, and he's been terrorizing our house ever since.  Seriously, he's a little hellion.  He thinks EVERYTHING is a toy, even the flyswatter.  He gets along relatively well with Tommy, Chessie, and Adric, while Callie, Lily, and Bobbie hate his guts.  Bobbie REALLY hates Jethro, which is out of character for her.

Then the next day was Mama's and my birthday.  We had a chocolate cake and I got some books and a Frogg Toggs poncho (I'd been wanting one).  I also received this doll, representing Thailand's Akha people.  She's a beauty!

Since I'm here now, I may as well update dolly news.  Treesa sent me a couple'a boxes for birthday/Halloween.  The smaller box contained this little cutie, a mini Kooky Spooky Kitty, from Build-a-Bear's Li'l Furry Friends line.

There were Cabbage Patch Kids bloomers, always welcome. 

There was a tiny baby, and I mean TINY!  He will likely live in my dollhouse, when and if I get that done.

The last item in that box was a Real Littles box...

...and what was in it?  Oh sweet Lord, a frozen strawberry rhubarb streusel pie!  I haven't had strawberry rhubarb pie since I was a little kid!

Here's the Shopkin that was hiding inside.  I'm so glad Shopkins aren't 100% gone, 'cause I thought the little goomers were cute!  This is Stella Streusel Pie, by the way, from the frozen pies category. 

Very nice!  I've learned from a very reputable source that these little minis can also fill out a dollhouse nicely, so Stella is appreciated.  

The other box contained another friend for the dollhouse, a little clothespin doll.  Again, I haven't seen one of these since heck was a pup.

This large rag doll is about the size of a Cabbage Patch Kid and will need a dress.  Her tag says "Friends 2B Made," and Treesa says that Build-a-Bear once offered these.  She's cute!  And freckles, baby!  Treesa named her "Cassie/Cass," and I'll stick with that.  I'll pretend that she's a singer, like Cass Elliot.

Cass would've been the star of the show, were it not for this young lady, an example of whom I was considering buying and now don't need to.

Bead Blast Barbie!  The brunette, no less!  Treesa even sent her tools and instructions!  LOL, somehow I knew this box would have a Barbie in it, and Treesa jovially warned me that receiving this particular doll was my own fault.  Oh well, these are consequences that I'll happily live with.  Seriously, I was browsing eBay for this doll, waiting for pay day.  Anywho, Bead Blast will love being reunited with that blonde ponytail Barbie.  Ponytail Barbie sends her love, Treesa, as do I.  Thank you for another lovely gift!

Last but not least, here's a few owner pics of Illusion Barbie, like I promised.  Mama loves the snot out of her...and admittedly, so do I.

Here's a closeup of her pretty face.  She's got the Mackie sculpt, as I've pointed out multiple times. 

Here's the shoes.  They're plain black pumps in the mold that all Barbie shoes once came in, just like Barb said they'd be.

Oh well, her skirt will hide 'em.  LOL, if I were the one in that ballgown, I'd be hiding combat boots and fishnet stockings!  I grew out of a desire for high heels around the age of 22, when I had to walk everywhere at college.  Okay, I didn't have to.  I chose to.  I loved to walk.

Sigh...will I ever walk unassisted again?  Deep breath, Moon...focus on the positives.  Focus on Jesus, on Mama, on the phone call my sister says she's gonna give, on Jethro, on the new dolls.  It's gonna be okay.  It's gonna be okay.

All of my love,

RagingMoon1987 

Daisy, Denika, and some random stuff

Ho-hum, I haven't done much with the blog and I apologize for that.  It's once again excruciatingly hot in the Bootheel (and elsewhere), and our A/C doesn't work right so my only effective reprieve from the heat is at work.  We may be getting a break from it starting Monday, and...oh, I never dreamed I'd say this, but Monday can't get here fast enuff.

Anywho, y'all probably know by now that Girl of the Year 2027 is in the building.  Her name is Daisy Davenport, and she attends the same summer camp that Molly McIntire attended.  Looks like she may own the same breed of dog, too.

Can't say as I'm terribly impressed with Daisy, but then I said that when Lila Monetti was around too and she grew on me.  Daisy's wiki entries aren't complete yet, but it looks like she's another danged Josefina head, albeit with very pretty gray eyes.  She hails from Madison, Wisconsin, she has a brother, and her parents both appear to be alive, but that's all I know.  I know that a lot of critics are gonna freak out about race and inclusivity, and...well, this first publicity pic shows what could've been.  

One of Daisy's friends is in a wheelchair.  We've not yet had a differently abled Girl of the Year, but no sense in beating a dead horse.  GOTY 2027 is in the house and...I probably will pass on her.  I've barely touched the new American Girl doll I do have (Electra), so why bother with another one?  For now, anyway.

The same fate may await my newest doll, though as with Electra I don't intend on forgetting her forever.  This is Denika Newton, my new-to-me My Twinn.

Y'all likely forgot this, but I've been wanting a Denika Twinn for quite some time now.  I'd hoped to find one with darker skin, but...well, can't have everything.  She is from 2003 and has a good-sized pull on her belly, but I love that face!

Not bad!  Since My Twinn is discontinued pickins' on Etsy are pretty slim, but there are still some nice things to be had if one's willing to dig.  I do have something cute for Denika to wear...but I forgot to photograph it, LOL!  It's a Halloween-themed dress.

I also got a small teddy bear haul from Treesa, in the form of some Build-a-Bear accessories for National Teddy Bear Day.

Dang, I wish I could find Flaxie!  These are her all over!  

Lastly, if you're a Barbie fanatic then you've probably heard that Bob Mackie passed away.  Mr. Mackie was responsible for a great many beautiful dolls, including a few of my favorites.  I was too little to own a lot of 'em, but I have my all-time favorite en route now...and it's not Neptune Fantasy!  I said in the past that Neptune Fantasy was my favorite of Bob Mackie's Barbie designs, but I didn't know that he was also responsible for this lovely lady.

She's from the Masquerade Gala collection, and her name/title is "Illusion."  She's still in the post, but I'll get her eventually.

Of course Bob Mackie did clothes for real people too.  Our dearly departed Dolly Parton was one of his clients, as were Cher, Diana Ross, and Sir Elton John.  I don't like the stuff he put Cher in, but then I don't like Cher much so that's not saying anything.  She's a pretty enuff woman with a decent voice, but like many other female singers she throws away her talent for sex appeal.  Oh, and she can't shut up about leftist politics during her shows.  If you wanna be a liberal, fine.  Live and let live, some liberals have sound points, and thank God, we still have freedom of speech in this country.  But if your job is to sing for the masses, SING FOR THE MASSES AND LEAVE THE POLITICAL CRAP AT HOME.  Ted Nugent, I'm looking at you too.  Both liberals and conservatives are guilty as sin in that respect.

That's about it for now.  I go to get my MRI on Tuesday.  It's being done at Cape Girardeau, and Mama has to work Tuesday, so...big sigh, I'm looking at a 150-mile round trip with Uncle Man-Child.  I am NOT excited.

Love,
RagingMoon1987

Under the cabbage leaf: watch your fingers!

I love our mail system sometimes.  This package made it to St. Louis, then got to Cape Girardeau, then got sent back to STL, then got shipped straight to Malden, then got sent back to Sikeston, then BACK TO FRIGGIN' ST. LOUIS before finally making it to Malden on St. Pat's (with one final stopover in Cape Girardeau).  For those unfamiliar with the layout of Missouri, St. Louis is farthest north of the cities listed and is farthest from Malden.  Cape Girardeau is closer (I went to school there), and Sikeston is closer still (a couple'a my doctors are stationed there).  So that trajectory makes ZERO sense, but I finally got my box so it's all good.  Treesa has sent me a Cabbage Patch Kid, one that has been on my wish list for quite some time.  Every so often I update this list, and as of 2024 it was thus.  Red is for the ones I've managed to check off.

*A popcorn:  I own three popcorns now, Idalia Gale, Beryl June, and Rebecca Madeleine.
*A fuzzy red boy:  Any fuzzy boy will do me now.  I think the fuzzy boys are so cute!
*A Tri-Ang Pedigree gaudy yellow:  I'm not betting money on ever finding one of these, but one can still have fun looking, right?  I do have a Tri-Ang that does NOT have gaudy yellow hair; his name is Kitrick Randolph Fergus.
*A Jesmar.  I have two of these, Candela Laura and Joyita Emilia.
*A bean-butt baby:  I own three of these, Esmond Brant, Sandy Eden, and Ingrid Jessica.
*A Snacktime Kid.
*A Twinkle Toes Kid.  Iris Evangeline is my Twinkle Toes Kid.
*An Oriental:  I've since learned that "Oriental" is politically incorrect, so my Asian Kids are Leslie Emily, Margot Madeline, and Sabrina Jane.
*A #30 head.  These are hard to find, but I love a challenge.

Now I can put the Snacktime Kid in red too, because that's what Treesa sent.  Meet Hannah Valerie, y'all!  She weathered the ridiculous journey up and down the Mississippi River, the horrendous weather on March 15th, and the cold on the 16th and 17th, and now she's here!

And a redhead, no less!  I'm very happy to have this young lady in my Patch, as eBay has ZERO listings for a Snacktime Kid at the moment.  Already I love what a ham this poppet is!

Snacktime Kids were made during the Mattel era, and as a result Hannah Valerie is smaller than her Jesmar and Hasbro friends (Joyita Emilia and Rosanna Claire, respectively).  I had yet to put Hannie's hair back at this point, but she doesn't act like she cares.

Jesmar dolls vary widely in size, so maybe comparing Hannie to Alexandria Florida would be better.  Alex and Hannie were delighted to see each other again, by the way; they're both members of the Pennsylvania Club.

Treesa and everyone and their dog knows that I love red hair, and Hannie pairs that with green eyes, a common combo for Cabbage Patch Kids.  These are a lovely, vibrant green, kinda like what I've grown to expect from Mattel Cabbies.

Mattel Cabbies tend to have very pretty eyes...and for that matter, so do Hasbro Kids.

Regarding specs, Hannie and her Snacktime Kid brothers and sisters have their eating mechanism in their head, and as a result these dolls are heavier than your ordinary Cabbie.  If I don't brace Hannie just right, she'll fall over.

No biggie, Geneva is like that too...but Geneva can't break.  Thus I keep Hannie either in my arms or securely on the couch where she can't hit the ground.  Also due to her mechanism (and I didn't even think about this) Hannie's clothes are permanently attached!  This is due to her backpack being permanently attached.

Good thing her clothes are cute!  I did read that that backpack can detach if pulled hard enuff; indeed, it was the only way some parents could get their child's Snacktime Kid to quit (literally) running its mouth!  I don't think Hannie will be biting or chewing on anything since I don't plan on poking crap into her maw, but just the same I keep my hair away from her face.  The stories of little girls being full-tilt scalped by their Snacktime Kids are urban legends, but it's true that some kids DID get their hair caught in their dolls' mouths.  But Hannah Valerie is really cute, regardless of all that.  I had no idea she'd be such a character, but as y'all will see in the coming weeks, she's a spotlight stealer!  I'm gonna tie up her hair too, since she's got thin roots in the back.

BAD NAME ALERT:  Before I move on, I ran into another Cabbie with a rhyming name during one of my eBay binges, an in-box girl named Sabrina Jobina.  Poor Sabrina costs three hundred bucks and doesn't appear to be rare, despite what the seller claims, so I predict she'll be hanging out on eBay for quite some time.  Seriously, the doll is all but a dead ringer for Elisabeth Clara, and Elisabeth has at least four lookalikes on one of my Failbook groups.  Indeed, Elisabeth Clara is a doppelganger herself, of my friend Christa's Sarah Jane.  

Moving on, Hannah Valerie had a reptilian travel buddy, this Build-a-Bear chameleon.

I don't think I've ever said this on the blog, but I freaking love chameleons.  I think their feet are funny; they have toes that act like little grappling hooks that allow them to climb, and my critter has just that.

She reminds me of a pair of Beanie Babies, Iggy the iguana and Rainbow the chameleon.  When Iggy and Rainbow were new in the Beanie circuit their fabric was reversed:  Iggy had the tie-dyed fabric that Rainbow was supposed to have, and Rainbow had Iggy's dark green fabric.  Ty, Inc. eventually corrected the error, but for awhile Rainbow wasn't very rainbow-looking.  As to my chameleon...I need to decide on a name and get back to y'all.  I'm leaning towards "Niji," the Japanese word for "rainbow."

Treesa also included a cute little set, and I love the colors on it!

Treesa advised that this outfit won't fit Niji properly since Niji is a quadruped and the dress is for bipedal Build-a-Bear characters.  She suggested that Summer Daisy wear it, but I think I'll give it to Raina, as Raina does not yet have something just for her.  

Tucked in at the bottom were two sets of patterns.  The first is honest-to-goodness American Girl-branded, and they're versatile little items like skirts, pants, and T-shirts.  With the right fabric these could even be scrubs!

The other pattern set...oh my goodness, look what kind of outfits they are!!!  Dig these, Christa!

Doctor Who for the win, baby!  Again, I'm convinced that Treesa is semi-psychic, because I saw these exact same patterns on Etsy and passed 'em up because I was on a buying fast, and then when I got paid again someone else had bought the patterns!  LOL, anyway, these are sized for American Girls, so now Luciana and Rita Cheryl and River Song can get in on the cosplaying gig...if I ever find my sewing machine, that is.  I like the Dalek dress the best.  By the way...the Doctor Who bunch looks like a group of Journey Girls!  <pauses to look>  Journey Girls and American Girls can share clothes for the most part, so problem solved (I don't own a Journey Girl).

You're the best, Treesa!  These items are right up my alley.  Thank you a bunch for sending these.  Oh, and Treesa said it might be time to give my bucket list a do-over, since I've crossed a lot of them off now.  Here goes.

*I'm keeping a Tri-Ang gaudy yellow on the list, because you never know.  
*I'm also keeping the #30 head on the list, for the same reason.
*I love the exuberant #19 head too.  Sorry, Treesa, that one's got teeth, LOL.
*A Pretty Crimp 'n' Curl.  Treesa sent me one of the pets, and now I want one of the dolls.  Truth be told, I've liked Pretty Crimp 'n' Curl Kids from the word go.  These are easy to find, and I've already got one sized up on Etsy.
*A Tsukuda Kid, because they have butterfly eyes.
*A Lily Ledy Kid, to round the foreign bunch out.  These are the hardest foreign Kids to find, apparently, and they're expensive!!!
*A Teeny Tiny Preemie.  I remember those from childhood and I think they're cute.  Those aren't terribly hard to find.
*Mayyyybe a male Kissin' Kid to be Rowena Skylar's friend, since the boys' hairstyles are so nineties.  They wear rattails and mullets, and I think that's hilarious.  I still say that a well-maintained mullet has its place in the hair world.

If I add any more to my list the house is gonna explode...or Mama is gonna kill me, one or the other.

All my love,
RagingMoon1987

Are y'all psychic?

Okay, first things first.  I'm still doing six-day work weeks and my rear is dragging, so it took a few days to throw this post together.  But here it is, my Galentine's Day box from Treesa!  Treesa told me that she has a Cabbage Patch Kid that she's fixing up for me, but she said that doll needs a little more work.  So seeing this doll was a shock!  Meet Alexandria Florida, y'all!  

Treesa picked out some papers to send (Alex's original papers are long gone), and I think she chose well.

I can't remember if I said this here on the blog, but I've been wanting a redhead with the #2 head for a long time.  I saw one on that video about the Cabbage Patch Kids beauty pageant, and the combo just kinda stuck with me.  Kinda makes me wonder if Treesa is psychic!  Apparently Alex is a big coincidence, as Treesa ran into her at a thrift store and thought she might be a Jesmar with those freckles.  Alex could indeed pass for a Jesmar, but she's your regular Coleco Kid.  From 1983, no less!  I wonder if Alex was one of the dolls that adults battled each other for back in the day?  LOL, anyway, I figure that the mischief in my room will increase once Alex meets Matthew Tommie.  #2 heads can be tricky, especially in pairs or groups, kinda like My Twinns with the Ariel head are!  Treesa reports that the dress is from an Etsy shop that I usually like, but the inside edges are kinda raggy and neither she nor I are thrilled with that, but I've got plenty of other cute little outfits that Alex can wear.  By the way, someone loved Alex and loved her hard at one point, because she's got a rent in her foot that has been mended.  A God-given tattoo is what I like to call scars, be they on dolls or on humans.

<sings off-key>  And I have loved you in a tame way, and I have loved you wild!  LOL, what a fantastic little Cabbie, though!  Alex would've made a fine present by herself, but she didn't travel alone.  She has her own little Cabbage Patch Kid...or I'm gonna pretend as such.  

I'm also going to pretend that he's a boy.  Tufties can be either/or, but I like boy dolls so that's that (I also like tufties, LOL).  He's really cute.  I think I'll name him Jeremy Kyle, after the British talk show host that used to split my sides.  Jeremy belongs to the Magic Nursery cradle/carriage set (hey, I remember that commercial!) and dates from 1998.  

The next package hearkens back to a recent post.  I've got Strawberry Shortcake and her little cousin/bestie, Apple Dumplin'.  Apple's pet, Tea Time Turtle, is also here.

Treesa gave me the lovely idea to do a post about Strawberry Shortcake clones and knockoffs, just as I have done with the Cabbage Patch Kids.  I think I'll do that, 'cause there's plenty of 'em!  As a huge coincidence, I have Apple's hat buried somewhere. 

I really got a kick out of this one, a Build-a-Bear piece.  He's a miniature Floppy Kitty!

Floppy Kitty is adorable in any size, but then I would think so because I'm biased towards orange tabbies, LOL.  My Adric is an orange tabby.  Y'all know those God-given tattoos I talked about above?  Adric has inflicted a few on me (accidentally, I swear!).  Adric is a sweet cat but he's also horrendously clumsy, and he tore the livin' sh!t out of my arm while falling off the kitchen table one time.  Anyway, Treesa included some other Build-a-Bear stuff, in the form of these shoes.  Shoes are always welcome. 

These socks aren't Build-a-Bear socks, but...well, footwear.  They're baby socks and will fit my larger baby dolls.  They're soft!

Then there's Dudley, another Wendy's Furskin Bear.  I think these are so cute!

Fans didn't go as ga-ga for Furskins as they did Cabbage Patch Kids, but these bears do have fans.  I like these little ones a lot because they're easier to store but have the same cute factor.

I had a laugh at Treesa's label on these items.  She wrote "Baby doll accessories...I think."  Suits me.

I love that butterfly!  The items above would suit themselves to playing Dolly Doctor, should I ever go that way.

This little mermaid was made by Simba and would make a nice companion for my Sea Wee.  Remember the Sea Wee, Treesa?  I think she's so cute!

Treesa included some more carrots for Justine-Marie's horse...

...and some goodies for my dolls to bicker over.  That cake looks nummy!

Lately Treesa also has been wrapping some items so that they're kinda like blind bags.  I like that.  I don't expect Treesa to do that with EVERYTHING she sends, because that would be a ridiculous amount of work, but one or two little things is just right.  She did that with these cute conversation hearts.

Fun fact about me:  I despise the taste of conversation hearts, but I think they make great decorations!  These are also the perfect size to be candy for my American Girls. 

Also wrapped up in paper was this little feller, who would fit in the palm of my hand. 

But he's not just any baby, though.  He's a zodiac baby, and very fittingly, he's a Libra.  He's so cute!

Lastly, Treesa included a book.

It has some tips for writing stories about one's American Girl dolls (or other dolls), which will come in handy because I like doing that for my dolly children.  I'm not gonna lie, though...a lot of my dolls' backstories go further than science vs. math or favorite cake flavors.  My American Girls deal with bullies, religious differences, family conflict, and budding romance.  My ball-jointed dolls all have backstories that are downright dark at times.  But still, cake flavors and school subjects are a good place to start.  It should also be remembered that my AG characters are mostly older than the nine or ten years that the historical characters are.  My dolls, my rules.

Well Treesa, that box was another banger!  Alexandria Florida, Jeremy Kyle, the mermaid, and the Libra baby are making friends and finding their place in my dolly world, and the rest of the items are cute.  I especially like those rubbery carrots, LOL.  I like the way vinyl feels.  Where did you find the Libra baby, by the way?  He's interesting. 

Love,

RagingMoon1987 

The box turned up!

Treesa's box, which I feared lost or stolen, was here the whole time.  My fool of an uncle put it in the wrong pile of boxes.  But it's here, not lost, not stolen, and I am very glad.  The box was small and compact, and that excited me because good things come in small packages.  Case in point:

That's a vintage Skipper case, and was both heavy and noisy so I knew it had stuff inside.  Treesa explained that I'd appreciate the contents more than she did.  She was hoping for old Skipper items, but spoilers, it wasn't Skipper inside.  

There were Dawn dolls inside, plus a LOT of accessories.  Some of it is Rock Flowers stuff.

There's a good reason for there to be Rock Flowers clothes in there, as one of the dolls is a Rock Flowers doll.  I think this is Lilac.

Then there's Dale, like I wanted...

There's Angie and Dawn...

...and I think this well-dressed chap is Gary.

That rounds out my Dawn collection very nicely!  Also, I didn't show this, but everything fits inside that Skipper case like a glove.  I never would've guessed it, but Dawn and her friends are nice and cozy in there.

Treesa included these for my Baby Alive bunch.  Both the cookie and the bottle are "magic" and can be pretend-eaten by the doll in question. 

I love magic bottles!  I thought those were the cat's meow growing up.  These items aren't exclusive to Baby Alive, either; I can use them on any of my baby dolls.

There was Build-a-Bear stuff, of course.  Glen Frog has a little brother now, and he's delightfully soft.

Glen will probably get this shirt too.  I've been on the lookout for clothes that might suit him.

This last outfit is for the girls.  I got the blouse bass ackwards (there's a decorative tie on the front), but y'all get the idea.  This will probably go to Flaxie when I find her.

I used to like little boxes that could store things, so receiving this was a joy too.  It's a well-made little box, and it too is stuffed.

The contents were mostly fashion doll accessories, including shoes for Rainbow High dolls, but my favorite items were these Peeps-themed things.  They look like they might've belonged to an L.O.L. Surprise doll.

There was also a necklace in there, which I promptly bestowed upon a doll y'all have not yet met.

There were also some dollhouse items in the tin box, items that I think were once Christmas ornaments. 

The chest opens, revealing four little mini ornaments.  One of 'em is a kitten. 

Those are cute!  They'll make lovely Christmas decorations for my dollhouse if I ever put it together.  

Rounding out the box from Treesa were these patterns.  There's a set for American Girls and one for Pansy...

...and there's a set for Carpatina and similar dolls.

I also want to go over what Tam sent, since her items were very thoughtful as well.  I used to love using face mask, and now is a lovely time to get back into it.

These cute stickers, which are library-themed.

There's this hair clip, which also ties into my occupation. 

This last item is an accessory set for American Girls and dolls of a similar size.  There are some technological gadgets in there.

I love the wrapping paper Tam used on some of these.  It's Nutcracker-themed and reminds me of one of my favorite hair bows.

Add a Pickles anthology and a large package of those travel-sized tissue packs to my gift haul, and that's my Christmas for the year.  It was nice and quiet, just like I like.  Mama made juicy burgers (our family's version of a Sloppy Joe) and we had a nap, and that was that.  Now I'm back to work, and on Tuesday I go for a more extensive ultrasound, so hopefully I'll wrap up the year with a set date on fibroid surgery.  We'll see.

Thank you Tam and Treesa for the gifts!  Here's hopin' y'all are safe and well, and that mayyyybe you're enjoying some warm weather.  Malden's highs have been records over the past week, and it's gonna stay that way until Sunday.

Happy Boxing Day,

RagingMoon1987