Sunday 31 December 2017

THE END OF 2017

Well I have to say that this is a year I'm glad to see the back of. This year's been a year of loss for us, what with Izzy passing in March , then Hamish in September. We still miss them and think Hamish is still here on occasion then realise he's not.
I also lost a good friend and old work colleague in November, she was younger than me and her illness once diagnosed took her quicker than anyone realised it would. She was a lovely person and will be missed.

So not a year I can look back at without a sadness coming over me, but life would not be life if there were not trials to go along with the triumphs. And I give thanks to have had these people and animals in my life to enrich it.

But the year was not just about loss, thank goodness. There were things that made it a good year too!

I attended the Sasha Celebration Weekend in May along with Paul and we had a great time meeting up with people and relaxing and in my case talking dolls!

The Chat n Snap was well attended in October and people enjoyed the day meeting up with old friends and making new ones. Money was once again raised for a good cause, which is an added bonus.

On the doll front, well it's been a very good year with some unexpected dolls arriving like James and Christy, I have to say both of them were not looked for but arrived none the less. Although I have now sold James on , Christy is still with me and I hope for a good while yet.



My other dolls have increased this year, more little Wichtels and Schoenhuts have arrived to build a collection, even though I was not intending to add so many different dolls. A few Natterers have arrived too.


Most of the Schoenhut dolls

The Natterers


The Wichtels

But I have also managed to down size very slightly on the clothing side and also a couple of the less played with dolls.

Also this years been harder to get the stories from my head onto the blog mainly due to work commitments and also faffing about! I'm very good at faffing about and I'll need to get that in check!

We've had a great year with regard to the house and garden and finally managed to start a few long planned changes. The folly is half completed and will be continued once the spring arrives.


Finally the outhouse is gone and the ugly patio and a lovely new space is waiting for the spring so that we can really make good use of it.




And we have removed the wall between the kitchen and dinning room , opening up the space.



Looking at these photos makes me realise just how much we've done this year, so it's been a very productive year for the house and garden.

Of course being us, we now have lots of projects on the go at once but we'll slowly make our way through the things that need doing until it's all done and hopefully looking lovely.

But that's all for next year!

I thank you all for your support this year , your friendship and encouragement with my blog posts.
Receiving feedback via comments or when we meet does help make it worthwhile and although I'd still ramble away if I did not get any, they'd probably be fewer and further between!.....

So come on 2018 we're waiting......



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Saturday 30 December 2017

SHOPPING!

Although the shop is supposed to be closed until the new year I found Bruno letting the little Wichtel girls look around !


It seems, the girls needed to do the M is for Money post on the flickr group for the Christmas word challenge which meant they needed to spend some money!


I think Granny's taught Bruno well because he quickly opened the shop and let them in!


The girls were soon getting excited over the toys and cards !


They wandered all around


The Christmas cards were very popular !


So was the train set!


Toys and sweets were soon being purchased!


and money changing hands!


I wonder if granny can hear whats going on downstairs?



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and here's the rhyme for M

M is for MONEY


M is for MONEY
Which at this time of year
We have in our hands
but soon disappears!
 
Rosie wants Lego
Jimmy wants rocks
Auntie Ellie wants Sherry
Uncle Fred red socks
 
Albert wants Reggie
a puppy Cockapoo
Sally wants Alan
Who lives at twenty two!
 
Apart from the presents
The Turkey and Crackers
the cards and the mistletoe
nothing else matters
 
By late Christmas Eve
our bank accounts empty
but under the tree
there will be plenty
 
Of Prsents and gifts
to give such a lift
of joy in our hearts
way off the charts
 
So remember this tale
when January comes
and nowt's in the kitchen
just stale bread crumbs
 
Dee




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Friday 29 December 2017

SNOW!!

Of course SNOW! Should have known I'd not miss it! So Wednesday back to work , decided not many people would be on roads, so got up later than usual only to find it blowing a blizzard outside the windows.!
So I set off down my 16 miles of twisting country roads to work , mostly traveled alone driving carefully and arrived to an empty car park! Was just wondering if I'd be sitting there a while when a couple of my colleagues arrived. It continued to snow for a few hours but after that turned to rain.

Then Thursday, not snow but ice! again traveled mostly alone, I knew from going home the night before where the dicey patches would be, near a hamlet called Langley where the roads is very twisting back and forth and water was running off the fields the night before and I was right, that section was still covered with snow and added ice, so a very careful drive over that section and again there on the way home.

Thankfully I'm now off until the 2nd, so no early morning winter sports for me for the next few days!


I'm still taking part in a photo challenge on Flickr, this time for the word Christmas I managed to get up to S before my cold and today finally did T , above is one of the photos I used of Constance O, my Jerry Berry doll sitting in our Twig Christmas tree.
I usually do my entry with a rhyme.


I did a good rhyme then somehow managed to wipe it! so had to start again. So this is the second one I came up with.

T is for TREE

Yes I know it's a TWIG
but this TWIG we dig!
I know it looks bare
except for the dec's
of babbles and bears on candy not chairs
below there's not earth
but pretty wrapped parcels
that wait for the family
all to be marshalled
into the room for present giving
with shrieks of delight or groans
of misgiving
But when it's all over and the rooms gone all quiet
this tree will sit waiting
knowing it's fate
will be back in the box
until that next date
when a twig tree is needed
when space is a not there
for placing a massive tree
which is so rare
for when you design your room for living
do you say wait ! wheres the tree to go for giving
of presents at Christmas we must leave a space
so big and so round near that fireplace!
No we do not , which is why
now and then
a TWIG TREE is king of Christmas ..amen!

Dee

I will wait until the new year to continue Granny Fortuna's Christmas Tale because I will need to use the Table to set up her bedroom but I also need the table for family who are coming for New Year! So Granny's tale is on hold but please don't worry about her, I've heard that she managed to find supplies to keep her fed and watered until such time as her tale starts !

No idea why this is in capitals as it's not when I go in to amend! so it will have to stay that way. plus I've just added this in lower case, so wonder what i'll find when I publish again!


I thought I'd share this photo of Milo our 15 year old moggy, taken by my daughter Lindsey this morning as he lounges on her bed! He is such a poser!


Well I'm off to change a few dolls into winter wear and take a few photos to share over the next few days and try and avoid buying things !

In the words of Arnie.. I'll be back....


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Tuesday 26 December 2017

26th DECEMBER FROM DARKEST PERU...

Yesterday  my daughter Lindsey gave me a small present which upon opening I found a pair of socks.

Then I heard the front door bell chime! My first thought was that is was probably our neighbours popping in to say Merry Christmas but when I opened the door I found...


This young  chap from deepest darkest Peru! via Paddington Station ! My daughter, who invited him, tells me it's taken him from 1972 ( date of birth ) to arrive!


He had his ticket, so he didn't get lost.


a most unexpected but extremely welcome addition to our bear family.


I hope you have all received an unexpected but welcome gift this Christmas or something to add to your doll/bear / toy collection. I'm off to buy some Marmalade, it's the only thing he'll eat!


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Monday 25 December 2017

MERRY CHRISTMAS


                     MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM EVERYONE AT THE SASHA VILLAGE.

WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEARRRRRR !

Sunday 24 December 2017

CHRISTMAS EVE...






That mum she had a tale to tell
But just because she's been unwell
She's left me here in my sick bed
for days and days I've lain my head

Upon these pillows big and white
waiting bored night after night
coughing sneezing feeling sick
wondering just what date she'll pick

To tell this tale for Christmas time
that will have come and gone like
this rhyme
before she gets her act in gear
to bring along some Christmas cheer!

So after Christmas now she says
She'll start the tale of Christmas days
I'll have to tell it from my bed
looking back now not ahead

So if you have the time to spare
please drop by but beware
who knows how long that Mrs Mum
will take to finish what she begun...


Saturday 23 December 2017

23rd DECEMBER CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS

Well a couple of days back I mentioned my idea of sharing a few special Christmas decorations and I have to say that despite everyone rushing around getting all those Christmas jobs finished, you very kindly took the time to send in some photos for everyone to share.

I am putting them on in the order they arrived, so here goes.


This is a magical Fairy.Made by little Miss Lorna despite Rosie not actually putting it on the tree every year it appears by magic !


Here is the reverse  showing you that it's the Allbran fairy, now laminated, made back when Lorna was very young and full of Christmas magic power.


From Steve and John at Gregoropolis, whose blog gave me the idea for this post, we have...I'll let Steve explain

 I think our strangest ornament would have to be this Star Trek themed one.  It's Mr. Spock performing a Vulcan mind meld with an alien creature called a Horta (which looks a bit like a giant lump of sweet potato casserole, so there is a holiday connection).  It's from the classic TV episode "Devil in the Dark", and it even plays some dialog from that show when you press a button.  As a big fan of Star Trek, and Mr. Spock in particular, Patrick loves this ornament.  He calls it the "Hortament".  




Next we have Leni with her Christmas tree top fairy! Just loving that sparkly outfit!



plus another on a beautifully made slice of Christmas cake , made at preschool by her son, who is now 42 so it's lasting very well for it's age !




From Karin in snowy Switzerland we have this beautiful Christmas decoration painted by her Sister in Law and given to Karin some years back.



A very talented lady is Karin's sister in law.




From Ginger we have these sweet reindeer which were placed on a Christmas gift by her mother some years back and now Ginger puts them on her tree to remember her dear mother.




Over at A Passion for Sasha, Ginny's youngest daughter Darcy, has made this wonderful sweet reindeer to become part of their Christmas decorating tradition 




Viv's sent us a photo of her Caleb showing these small baubles which belonged to her Grandmother , who passed away back in 1967, so old and fragile that they sit like little sweets in a dish joining in the festive fun.




From Emma we have her baby Kia, holding a Santa given to Emma by her grandmother when she was younger and Ana holding a vacation Santa given to Emma by a friend a few years back.

Now we have Mabel Lucie in her Christmas decoration dress showing you the Villages's strange but in my eyes wonderful Christmas decoration.



A closer look at this elf with attitude! I bought him back in the 90's all my girls thought him awful but I just love him.



Also from back in the 90's/2000's I was also buying these sweet Cherish Teddie Christmas decorations for my tree.



I also have a Cherish Teddie Nativity scene which I have not put out this year.




From Ronnie we have two terror's .. I mean a very interesting Caravan tree decoration.



She tells me in her best Barbara Dickson voice she sings Caravans to the twins while they play with it! ;)



From Jenni comes this sweet snowman that she bought for her father way back in 1959.



and this tree with star made by her son Jake at nursery school over 25 years ago. A very clever idea being a stack of green buttons.




From Linda comes this Christmas teddy given to her by a very kind friend last year.


From Kendal, a photo of a gorgeous plump Robin with Baby Quirky that brings a smile to her face whenever she passes that plump bird by!


So many thanks to all those who have sent in a photo or two for their cherished Christmas dec's, there is still time to add more , if this as inspired you to join in.





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Sunday 17 December 2017

SUNDAY! HOW'D THAT HAPPEN!



Well the best laid plans etc... Maybe one should not make plans because it always seems that if you do something will come along and throw a spanner in the works!
That's exactly what happened this week, Granny's shop should have been raking in the money, stock flying from the shelves, the tale for Christmas well underway.
My house should be sparkling like a new pin with Christmas tree , decorations etc all in place!

However none of the above as yet happened due to coming down with a full blown head thumping cold! So although the spirit was willing, the flesh was decidedly weak!
I did not even venture from the house until Saturday, to collect some items I had ordered for Christmas presents and  needed to collect from their shop and also to select a Christmas wreath for the front door!
Christmas cards finally started to be written on Saturday and some even got so far as to be put into the postbox!

I am pleased to finally have started to recover although this cold's come along with a hacking cough! Now I never usually get cough's so this is driving me nuts! Waking me at 4 am for a coughing fit etc. But hopefully it will all then me gone by Christmas.. hopefully..

So today things are starting to happen on the getting ready for Christmas side and also the brain is now no longer aching, so I can go and see what's happened to Granny and Bruno !

On the Sasha doll front not much happening, coming or going. From my space on the sofa I have managed to keep up with happening here and there on the net. One of which as given me an idea.

Steve on Gregoropolis had a couple of his lad's helping him deck the hall's this week and he showed off a couple of the decorations for the tree.

I have always loved buying at least one new decoration for the Christmas tree each year, This year I bought three  and here are two of them.


I could not resist this little fighting mouse or


his friend .

So here is the idea that seeing Steve's post gave me. I thought it would be great if anyone who follows or pops into this blog now and again , sent in a photo of their favourite, or newest or strangest or even oldest Christmas tree decoration, their Sasha or Gregor could be holding it or pointing it out and I'll share them on a blog post on the 23rd December.

I'll be getting out the one that none of my girls like and one that's nice, although I like the other one too!
So check out the tree and see which one or two you and your Sasha children would like to share and send in those photos.

The Christmas shop tale will continue this week all being well and to that end I wish you all a happy and healthy week ahead!


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Wednesday 13 December 2017

12th DECEMBER

After working long into the night Granny Fortuna and Bruno finally have the shop ready to open..


It's nearly 8 am, Granny likes to open early, so any children can come in to look on their way to school.


Lots of Christmas cards ready to be purchased and sent off to family and friends.


Puzzles and toys waiting for someone to add them to their list to Santa!


But what's this? Where is Granny Fortuna? normally she'd have seen Bruno off to school and be pottering behind her counter ready to entice the children and their parents to a purchase or two !

It's eerily quiet in the shop...where is Bruno? he'll be late for school but where is Granny ? She's never this late......





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