Things to Hug and Love

Yes, I remember my favorite teddy bear with a warm feeling that has never faded. He was probably an ideal companion for me in many ways. I loved the feel of his coat and petted it as if he were alive. His glass eyes were lifelike and always kept me in view.  And, he had cute ears to carry him by. But, best of all I could wind him up and he turned somersaults!  Incredible! I don't remember who gave him to me but I do know my parents were relieved that their squirrelly little kid had something to keep him occupied.... There was a point in my life when I slept with all my animals (somersault teddy among them) and felt safe. At times I had about a dozen animals lined up and tucked into bed with me at night. Of course, my brother made fun of this (ours was not a Beaver-Wally/Ricky-David relationship) but I kept it up for years. Of all those companions it is only Teddy I can remember; I did not let go of him until I was married and gone.  Rosebud, indeed....

Remarkably, as Portland Pandemonium grew and people became familiar with our sincere desire to help find new loving homes for their treasures, we started getting calls to take on large personal collections which frequently included dolls and bears. The downsizers had to let go them, but did not for want them in a common garage sale, or worse, Goodwill. For me, this took on the flavor of becoming an adoption agency and fit right in with my shop's tenets of Reuse, Reduce, Renew, Recycle, Repurpose, Repair, Up-Cycle..... 

An excellent example of this synergistic process is taking place with my shop's current batch of Doll, Bears, & Plush right now.  Last year just before Christmas I got a call from my neighbors who had been giving me various interesting odds and ends they were letting go of during their slow downsizing process. However, this time I was shocked to find they wanted to give me nearly the entire doll collection that had belonged to their aunt, Janie Sturtevant, a famous International Grand Master Doll Maker during the 1980's. When I entered my neighbor's parlor I was overwhelmed: there were dozens of tubs stacked two and three high filled with dolls and doll accessories including clothing and parts. There were dolls Ms Sturtevant had made along with dolls she had collected, as well as dolls that were handed down to her through several generations. It was like being in a museum. Since then, I have facilitated many adoptions with many more ready to go; come visit and see who might be waiting for you...

And, while visiting those lovely dolls, be sure to give some time to the other many orphans like the ones below who have had a rough life and are hoping to find their comforting and loving Forever Home....

 https://www.ebay.com/str/portlandpandemonium/Dolls-Bears-Plush/_i.html?store_cat=38704211017

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