Saucy Walker and her Little Sister: A Doll Story

I am no doll restorer, but I can give baths, and I can comb hair, and I can sew. :) That's about it. Anyway, I bought this interesting doll lot a couple of weeks ago on eBay which included a 22-inch Saucy Walker and some friends. (Seller photo.)

When she arrived, Saucy really was in good shape; she just needed a bath, a new wig and some clothes. (Her eyes could use resetting but I'm not bothering at this point.)

While we waited on her wig to arrive from Kemper Dolls, Saucy and I were looking at dolls on eBay and she spotted one that she loved.

"Mama!" she said. "Can she be my little sister? I really want a little sister!" (Again, seller photo. She did have arms, they just weren't in the picture. She is a no-name 19" walker as best I can tell.)

So I bid. And I won the little sister.

Here is how Saucy looks today, rewigged and with a pretty new dress:

And here she is, proudly introducing her Little Sister:

Sisters, together at last.

Talented auction writer

Check out this auction on eBay. Very clever marketing.

UPDATE: Harrumph. It was pulled. I have no idea why; it was an innocent auction.

My beautiful Mother's Day gift

Barry made this beautiful wind chime for me out of copper pipe and scraps of walnut wood. It's hanging outside my office window. After a very frustrating session of sawing teeny pieces of first one pipe and then another, he figured out how to tune it, and now it is quite melodious. I keep finding myself trying to pick a recognizeable tune out of its tones.

I love how it has that Craftsman look to it of a piece made by hands.

What a nice man.

Puzzle Update

It's done. We're still not allowed to use the dining table. My son stands over the puzzle like a smallish timber wolf, growling and snarling, if anyone approaches with a potentially sticky plate.

Walda Appreciation Day

How embarrassing. I nearly forgot Walda Appreciation Day.

Grumpy little thing, isn't she?

"I don't WIKE dese cuwwers, my WEGS are cold and you WON'T make me no pants, my FOHEHEAD has a bwuise, my THWEATAH doevvn't fit and NUFFING is going wight awound hewe!"

Meet So Sorry Sarah. I like her, but I think she would drive a kid nuts. You can't cheer her up no matter how hard you try.

On the other hand...

Meet So Funny Natalie.


"HAhahaha! I awweady wost one of my shoes and I don't even cawe!"

Natalie is annoying for the opposite reason: She's like one of those "morning people" who can drive you nuts at the office or in the dorm or on the phone. She is always hysterically happy no matter how crummy the weather or early the hour or bad the headache.

Mowing in the Snow

Where but the Upper Midwest can you mow the lawn and shovel snow all in the same day?

OK, so that was an exaggeration. But my son's job is to mow the lawn in summertime and shovel the driveway and walks in wintertime, and it took him all weekend to do the mowing because he would no sooner get started but thick heavy flakes would start falling and would quickly clog the mower. Ridiculous! We're all stomping around making sarcastic comments about the weather and I keeping having to send the baby back to change clothes because she comes downstairs in her swimming suit, she wants summer to come so badly. And it's never fun to have your garage sale snowed upon.