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 

Birthday box

As I said on Saturday my birthday has come and gone.  I'm 38, one year closer to 40.  I get Mondays off so I slept most of the day with my dogs by my side, and oh man, did that feel good!  Uncle Man-Child moaned about wanting to take us out to eat, but Mama is on a cane and had just gotten off work, and I'm on a walker and hadn't yet showered, so we shut that nonsense down PDQ.  Mama and I ate leftover chicken and German chocolate cake and chilled out.  When you get to be my age just being remembered and thought of counts for a lot, though I'll ALWAYS want a cake, LOL!

On the ninth my birthday box came; Treesa always sends me something for my birthday.  First off was this teddy bear, Hal (short for Halloween).  He's one of Treesa's personal teddy bears, one with a decorated nose like Raina and Summer Daisy. 

My Newborn Nancy, from Tyco and Treesa's sister A.

Nancy runs on batteries, and she's a thumb sucker, just like I like. 

She also could suck on her bottle or pacifier, and she could be burped.  Pretty cute!  Treesa insinuated that she still works, so I need to get some batteries and try her out.

Y'all have met this next one.  She's a Wellie Wisher with bobbed hair and a sweet face.  I've chosen to rename her "Billie."

Mama insinuated that she'd like to complete the Wellie Wisher set, and that may mean another Willa since Mama likes her original outfit.  We'll see!

Now this...THIS is something I had never heard of before.  She is a Grandma's Marshmallow Baby, and she's from Playskool.  Ghost of the Doll has a forum discussion about these, but no official page.

Treesa says that this doll belonged to her, but she didn't really bond with her.  She named the doll "Marshmallow," and I think that's as good a name as any since she's soft like a marshmallow.  Here's a better look at her face.

It's kinda hard to tell in that image, but Marshmallow is a pale lilac color.  Some of the other dolls like her are blue, pink, or yellow.  Marshmallow may get a closer look in the future, just like Primrose Jessalyn and Violet did.

From the Cabbage Patch Magic Meadows, this is Sundance.

Sundance is a Crimp 'n' Curl Pony, which pleases me greatly.  I loved the Pretty Crimp 'n' Curl Cabbies, so having this throwback is fun.  Sundance will also fit in nicely with a herd of My Little Ponies.

Also fresh-picked from the Cabbage Patch is this little boy, from a Beachtime Twins playset.

He's a cute little boy, with auburn hair, green eyes, and a nice tan.

Both doll and pony are from the Hasbro era, and they're semi-in scale with one another. 

About that time Lily wanted to get in on the action.  She pouted when I made her stay off the couch.

Lily is a good girl, though.  I love having my cats in the house again!

Back on track, this one's a Sea Wee.

Kinda hard to see her cute little face, but she's got a big smile.  I think she's Seabrina, from one of the TropiGals sets.

Fun fact about me:  I've started gravitating towards tiny dolls like this, not just for dollhouse reasons, but because I can carry them in my pocket or my hand, even when I'm using my walker.

With MS being a possibility that walker may be my companion for life now.  Anyway, severe weather is back in the cards; remember that the Midwest and the South get a second tornado season in the fall.  With the Sea Wee being little she may ride in my pocket on Saturday. 

Speaking of dollhouses, this next item gave me a laugh.  See what Treesa wrote?

Y'all remember pretty well what I say!  Inside that parcel was a tiny DIY dollhouse kit, complete with house and furniture.  The pictures I took of the furniture didn't come out, but they're teeny-weeny.  The dolls themselves were tucked into this pretty little drawstring bag. 

Ooo, ooo, I bet the dolls are worry dolls!

Yeah, there are six of 'em!  I love worry dolls!  Y'know, if I ever do have room for a large dollhouse, this will make a fine plaything for the residents. 

Then there were these.  I freaking LOVE Pound Puppies!

I used to have a small collection of these.  I loved how soft they were, and how different they all were.  There were dogs AND cats, both equally adorable. 

The eighteen-inch contingent was not forgotten, and this little item came from Treesa's personal collection.  Forgive Seabrina; she wanted to have a little fun.

Treesa said that this could be used by the historical dolls, but Justine-Marie can use this too for her horse.

Then there are these bedroom items, which I think Airy might like.  I love the little nail polish bottle!

Then there's this kick-a$$ rag doll.  She's sized for American Girls, but they may not get her.  She's awesome!

The last item is something practical for me.  The picture didn't come out well, but it's a Monster High lanyard.

That's good.  I like rotating my lanyards with the seasons and with my moods.

As is often the case with gifts, I've had either Billie or Nancy or Marshmallow by my side for the better part of the weekend.  Nancy even shared my lunch on the fourteenth...while Mama took forever to come home and Uncle Man-Child asked nonstop questions. 

I guess he gets some sick pleasure out of hearing me say "yes" and "no."  I refuse to say more than that!  Anyway, the box was another hit, but unfortunately it made me want a vintage Pound Puppy.  LOL, Mama's gonna kill me!  But thanks once again, Treesa, and thank you to your sister too for her personal doll.

Cheers and joy,
RagingMoon1987

The next big thing

Happy New Year, ladies and germs!  Another year has passed and another has arrived.  I wonder what 2025 will hold?  Let's see...no solar eclipse (sad face), no presidential election (HAPPY FACE!!!), no milestone birthday for me, for anyone I love, or for Barbie.  Tornado season, tax season (the two coincide), mosquitoes and butterflies, sand burrs, planting season, harvesting season, life in the Bootheel.  A little monotonous, but there's comfort in that monotony so I won't complain.

Okay, I'll complain a little.  Y'all know that I do like to do that from time to time.  To break up the monotony a little, my newest little project, though I'm not sure how or when Imma carry it out.  I actually have been planning this since St. Patrick's Day, when I was coming to the sad realization that I'm a super-flyweight when it comes to beer (that lovely little story is told at the beginning of this post).  While I was coming to terms with that I browsed eBay for Grecon Little People.  I didn't find any that night and I'm STILL looking, but I did find some other items.  Betty is similar to a Grecon doll with her wiry limbs and yarn body.

Betty is so noodly that I almost named her "String-Bean."  Indeed, that's what she calls herself, LOL.  But I went with "Betty" because she reminds me of Betty Spaghetty.  Y'all remember Betty Spaghetty???  Betty Spaghetty sets are at a premium on eBay, but I may need to bite the bullet and review her at some point in the future.  Anyway, Betty came with a nice add-on, this vintage postcard of the old Mississippi River Bridge.  Betty's seller was located in Arizona, so receiving this little piece of local history was a delight.

TANGENT ALERT:  Time for a stroll down Memory Lane.  This bridge was located at Cape Girardeau and connected Missouri's Route 34 to Illinois's Route 146.  The bridge became outdated, dilapidated, and a little dangerous as time went by, so in 2004 it was torn down.  The old bridge was supposed to be taken out one span at a time, but the second demolition session went awry and a much larger portion of the bridge collapsed into the river, to the great amusement of one of KFVS's dumber news anchors.  No one was hurt in the mishap, but the river was blocked and the construction crew had a mess on its hands due to both the cleanup and the riverboats that were on a tight schedule.  The river was thankfully fairly low at the time, the old bridge was moved out without further incident, and a gorgeous new bridge was put in.  End tangent.

Back on topic now, Josef is a mischievous little Erna Meyer doll.  When it's not too cold he likes to play outside.

Erna Meyer dolls have an interesting story, just as Grecon Little People do.  Tam has a few of these dolls in her own dollhouse, and she relates Ms. Meyer's story here.  

Josef's best friend is this little girl, Scarlett.  She's modelled like your classic Little Red Riding Hood doll and has a few errant splotches of paint on her face.

Scarlett is made of rubber and is a German make like Josef is, but I don't know what brand.  Her joints move, but since she IS rubber they're a hair stiff.  She can sit a little, but not completely.

Scarlett is a reader, so I need to get her some books.  I had some coming last spring...but they never ever got here.

The next doll is this one, Blanche.  Blanche is pale all over, so I named her...well, "Blanche"!  She's very loosely jointed and can't stand at all.

Hey, colors!  "Scarlett" means red and "Blanche" means white.

Blanche has the famous "MADE IN TAIWAN" sticker on her back, but she's modelled like an antique.  She has joints at the hips and shoulders as y'all saw above, and she sadly doesn't have a stitch to wear.  Not yet, anyway.  I don't know if there are dresses this tiny out there or not.

Next...Tam really likes these Caco dolls, so I got one for myself.  I went the hurricane route for this one and named him Felix.

Due to his tender age my little Felix prefers to cuddle.  He likes to cuddle with Betty, who is soft...

...and with his teddy bear, Penny.

The littlest one, Narcissa, needs no introduction, really.  She's a little Zapf baby that Treesa sent me last spring. 

Narcissa sucks her thumb, just like I like.  She's little enuff to be friends with this bunch, and I love her balloon hat!  She's a tiny thing, but her face has a lot of personality.  

Lastly, I think I'll move Camilla, my Dolly Darling, into the mix.

So...a group of tiny dolls, but nowhere to live!  I've been keeping them and their things here, in a box.   

Josef:  It's...pink.

Yes, Josef, it IS pink, with gold polka dots.  The other box I had is even pinker than this.  You'll have to deal with it for now.  Just for shizzles, here's how they all look when tucked into said box.  They've all got leg room, but Josef isn't loving the pink.

Of course I have other small dolls that can live in or visit a dollhouse.  Dolls like the Quints, or like Longlocks and Heather, or like Sheerena and Graham.  Anyone under a certain size is fair game.  LOL, by now y'all have probably figured out that I want to own a dollhouse.  I did have one at one point, a little Fisher Price dollhouse that would've suited this bunch nicely, but I gave it away to someone who needed it more.  Hobby Lobby offers kits, but they're mondo expensive, WAAAAY too big for my current living space, and my favorite model (the log cabin) apparently got discontinued years ago.  I really liked the log cabin.  It was the smallest house Hobby Lobby had to offer (and still wasn't cheap), but it had a lot of neat little things that were designed specifically for it.  There was an OUTHOUSE, for crying out loud!  I don't know why that tickled the soup out of me to see that tiny outhouse, but it did.  Hey, pioneer dolls need to go too!

At the library where I work there is a child's book called This Is My Dollhouse.  The book deals with a little girl and her very unique family of dollhouse dolls, and how she uses her imagination and ingenuity to create games and items for her dolls.  The house itself is a cardboard box with brick-printed paper on the exterior, and DIY rooms fashioned within.  The girl loves her dollhouse, but is a little self-conscious about it until her best friend comes over to play.  It's a cute book, and one that gives me an idea about fashioning my own dollhouse.  Hey, who said a dollhouse had to be Trump Plaza???  Comfort takes priority over luxury in my book.  But...I don't really have room for a dollhouse.  We're in the process of clearing out the back bedroom at Uncle Man-Child's place, but I'll need room for Shirley's birdcage (Laverne died in November) and my old toybox.  No room for a dollhouse there, not right now!  But that too could be in the future.  I just gotta wait...and waiting is not something I'm good at.  I've learned from a very reliable source that patience is for wimps.

Love,
RagingMoon1987