Friday, April 30, 2010

In Which Meo And I Hold A Contest And I Give Away One Of My Dresses


It was upon waking up this morning that, not for the first time, I noticed the amazing number of dresses that seem to have accumulated on my clothes rack. It is along with this knowledge and the news I over heard Meo speaking of that has prompted me to HOLD A CONTEST!!! It was yesterday, in her cheery voice, I was sure I heard her say to her rolling-eyed husband: “I wonder when Hitty’s house will come in the mail.” A HOUSE! FOR ME? How can this be…I’m only a humble little wooden doll. But, sure enough, I heard her say the same thing again this morning. (Meo does have a habit of repeating herself. Her rolling-eyed has told her this.)
So-o-o-o it is decided one of my dresses will be given away.

Meo has typed out the rules below:

#1. Become a follower of this Blog

#2. Name the correct chapter, paragraph, and line (or lines) the following phrase is from in the book “Hitty, Her first hundred years, by Rachel Field, published in 1929. (I have used the 1st Aladdin paperbacks edition, September 1998.)

“Bill Buckle strode on, carrying her as easily as if she had been a bundle from one of the bazaars.”

#3. Contest ends on May 8th, eight AM PST
In case of a tie all correct answers will be put in a hat and Meo’s rolling-eyed husband has agreed to draw the winning name.

I will be unable to access the internet for a portion of next week, however I will notify the winner no later than May 12th, And your prize will be in the mail directly.
You can post your answer under the comments at the end of this blog

A photo of the dress is presented below; the dress is handmade of 100% cotton in a tiny purple flower print on white background. It has a real button closure in back and is made to fit the body style of the Raikes Hitty. It will come with a small wire hander.


GO-O-OD LUCK!
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Saturday, April 24, 2010

In Which I Am Pricked By A Pin And Saved By A Dog



“Ouch,” whispered Meo. That’s what I had wanted to say, but of course, I couldn’t let my speaking voice be heard. Yes, Meo had pricked herself with needle, but just a bit ago she had stabbed me with a pin. I’m sure she didn’t know what she had done. I’m confident that she is not aware of my feelings. If she was, I’m sure she would have felt very bad indeed, but there again I cannot let her know that I to have feelings, very sensitive ones at that.

Meo was at it again…making me another dress. Well, I guess a doll can never have too many dresses, hats, aprons and such. However, I would simply love to have a nice warm sweater during the wet cold spring we are having. Last night I heard the man on the big screen say that it would be below normal again today. I’m not sure what normal means but it seems that my old pegs are feeling the damp and cold of the northwest a little more than normal this spring.

But back to Meo and her busy fingers; it had all started this morning. Still dressed in her Mickey Mouse pajamas, she had walked down the stairs with that look in her eye. I recognized that look when she picked up her scissors and began cutting the fabric that was to be my newest piece of clothing. It was a sort of far-away, dreamy, foggy look. She has often walked down the stairs in the morning with that look in her eye. I do think she must have dreams. Probably dreams of yet another dress and just how she is going to set in the sleeves or maybe add that just perfect piece of trim.

So as she once again removed my clothes and arranged her sewing tools on the dining room table, I braced my self for a day of pins and needles and near nakedness.


Periodically she would pick up her steaming hot cup of coffee and take a long refreshing slurp. I must say I was happy when one time she placed the cup down next to me. The warmth from that hot cup of liquid pleasantly warmed my body and soon I was feeling rather sleepy. When I awoke from a mid-morning nap it was to the sound of Meo’s sewing machine in the other room.

Later that day, after Meo had dressed in her day clothes and was starting to put the final touches to her newest creation, I began to wonder just how I might look in my new dress. Nearby some of my wardrobe hung on little wire hangers.



I must confess I always feel fairly pleased that I should have so many pretty things to wear. I guess Meo thinks being but a humble little wooden doll does not prevent one from being well dressed. At that moment my mind was set in motion considering how one day I might thank her. Little did I know that soon I would be even more indebted to a dog that Meo and her rolling-eyed husband named Grover.

Grover is one of two dogs that share this space with Meo and her rolling-eyed husband. He has always seemed to me to be the friendlier of the two yet both strike fear in me especially when they run about and bark, which they seem to do a lot of. I do remember hearing them referred to as “yappers” by one of the visiters that often stop by. At this very moment the smallest one they named Zoe was barking fiercely at a young boy passing by on the sidewalk outside our door. Her piercing yelp was very loud indeed.

Just now though Meo seem so involved in her sewing project it looked as if she was successfully ignoring ZoĆ«’s yipping. Often, when Meo worked she would became what people refereed to as one-track meaning that she would forget some things, sometimes very important things. I think that might explain the sign on her cooking stove that reads “Meo, Turn off the stove!”

It was but a few moments later that Meo’s cell phone began to ring. Meo, in a mad dash to answere it, carelessly placed me on the back of her leather sofa right next to Grover. Grover seemed to ignore me at first. But soon, to my discussed, he started licking my arms and legs. As luck would have it while he licked I was slowly being pushed headfirst down behind the cushions of the couch. Further and further I slid until only my feet could be seen. I could hear the barely audible sound of Meo’s cheerful voice as she talked away on the phone to what I think was her daughter about her grandchildren. Then just when I was sure she would come back to retrieve me she ran up the stairs to talk with her rolling-eyed husband about something which I’m sure she thought of utmost importance. So here I was, hidden from view, upside down reeking of Grover slobber, lost to the world save Grover. It may have been the lack of clean air but my mind began to drift and soon I was deep in thoughts of what seemed like long ago… “another sofa: this time horse hair….the sound of little girl voices, did I remember one saying…” I slowly began to drift off.

Then my thoughts were interrupted. I could plainly hear Meo’s voice. Meo was franticly yelling, “OH, MY GOSH!!! WHERE IS MY HITTY?!!!!” I am sure she was near to tears. Soon Grover frantically began digging into the space between the cushion and the couch. Then began the tugging and pulling, he was surprising gentle. When at last I could see the light of day, I understood that a rescue was underway. After pulling me free Grover sat quietly watching Meo as she became increasingly distressed.



Then, to my amazement, over walked her rolling-eyed husband. He picked me up, “Honey, Is this what your looking for?” he asked, with a smile.








Me in my new dress.



Tuesday, April 20, 2010

In Which I Am Taken On A Road Trip In A Red Corvette



At last Meo is taking me with her. I had over heard her tell her husband that they were planning a road trip to the ocean with their corvette club and Meo said, “I am taking Hitty.” I did notice that her husband rolled his eyes. But I also caught a bit of determination in Meo’s eyes. I am very well aware of how headstrong she gets when she makes up her mind; sometimes it turns out well for me and this time it did.
I had never experience anything like this…we sometimes drove very fast …there were many, many corvettes along with us, and I was privilege to attend a rather rowdy party…but I’m getting ahead of myself.
We left on a Saturday morning, and I heard Meo say it is too bad the sun isn’t out so we could take the top down. I wasn’t sure what she meant by this but I assumed that she was referring to the lid on the car. Right above, where she had tucked me neatly behind the “grab bar”, I could see what looked to me like leavers to help open the top.


Just below my dangling legs I could make out the letters imprinted in the leather. Even though they were upside down I could read “Corvette” I will forever remember those letters as representing a wonderful, sometimes scary, fun, fast ride. We drove on wide roads, narrow winding roads, (in which I think Meo’s husband drove rather well but very fast at times) roads that skirted the ocean, roads that bordered cow fields and even a road that took us by just-burned-out-house out in the country. Most of the trip we followed and were followed by many other corvettes. I think I heard Meo’s husband say that there were 29 in all!
Well, after a few stops at what were called rest stops we pulled into a parking lot of a restaurant. Oh my! What a show…and a thrill as I was now able to see all the corvettes parked in a row.

There seemed to be many colors but I did notice a lot of red and yellow and all so shiny and clean. A bit of pride swelled up in me as I suddenly realized that I was included in this group.
Meo didn’t take me with her into the restaurant. I was left in my spot on the dashboard but I was very tempted to wiggle out of my tucked-in place and sit behind the steering wheel of this fast car. I could imagine how fun it might be to drive a car so fast and powerful. But I tempered my enthusiasm and quietly waited for Meo and her husband.
I may have napped a while because the next thing I knew I was being carried into a room that I had never seen before. Later I discovered it was a room to a motel. There was a big bed and a big window that looked out onto the ocean. Oh, the ocean! I could almost feel the wet sand in my little wooden hands. I heard Meo say that she wanted to take a nap, but I was wide awake. She sat me in the window, there I had a clear view of the pounding waves and am proud to say that I was able to stay put while Meo and her husband slept.
An hour or more whent by when finally Meo picked me up and took off my bonnet. Now the sound of the waves hitting the sea shore seemed even louder and the urge to get nearer to the ocean was even stronger. But alas, this was not to be the case. Meo quickly dropped me into her purse and, now again, for what seemed like a very long time, I shared the space with the contents of her purse. The muffled sound of rock music and clinking of glasses as the word “Toast” could be heard. Much laughter was all around; it sounded as if fun was being had by all. They seemed to be a very happy bunch, those people who called themselves Classical Glass Corvette club members.
I think a night had passed when I woke up in a very large bed with crispy white sheets…

I was well rested and indeed more than ready to finally get to play in the sand. When later that day Meo walked on the ocean shore with me in her hand, I am very glad I exercised such control and did not jump out. Indeed it would not have been the time to show Meo my skills in moving about. My patience was rewarded when eventually Meo sat me in the warm sand.

What seemed like long ago memories, almost what seemed to be nostalgic dreams, stirred in me. I know not where they came from, but at that very moment I was so overcome with emotion and was so very,very happy and content that I think I could have stayed in that spot for a long time. But I heard Meo and her girlfriend Jan say that they were ready to walk away from the beach and back to the town. I may have heard them speaking about a party with some of the corvette people in one of the rooms of the motel. I was once again put into Meo’s purse and hoped beyond hope that she would take me to the “party”. I was really starting to enjoy the companionship of the people who drove corvettes for fun.

Later on, I’m sure it was that very evening, I was in for a very pleasant surprise. But now I was once again bouncing around in the bottom of Meo’s purse. The rocking motion quickly help me to drop off for an afternoon nap. Which, now looking back, I am glad I was able to fit in. That evening would indeed prove to be a long and lively one.
My next memory was one of Meo, in what seemed to be in a very fast motion, dumping me out onto the bed along with all the contents of her purse. I heard her whisper to herself “Ok, Hitty, I’m bringing you to the party!” She also grabbed her camera….
We entered what looked like another motel room for it also had a large bed and a window to the ocean. However, there were many, many people in this room, and all seemed to be laughing and drinking what looked like many kinds of liquids. I had heard some of the things that Meo and her husband drank sometimes referred to as milk and water and sometimes even beer and wine, but I had never heard of any drink called a duck fart. I did notice that when Meo and the corvette people once again shouted out a word (this time it sounded like a duck quack) and drank the liquid called “duck fart” that they soon became very happy and laughed and talked loudly. So this was a party?
There was food there too. What I understood to be chips and dip. The dip looked yummy and when I was sure the corvette people were not looking, I couldn’t help but to plunge my hand into it.

It was soft and creamy and cold and smelled faintly of clams. Many times I have been disappointed that I was not given the ability to eat, this was one of those times.
Now the party was getting livelier and I was very pleased when Meo, in her happy voice, began to talk about me to the corvette people. Even though I could see that her husband was rolling his eyes, she did not hold back. Soon she had the whole room’s attention and even began to pass me around. I was very proud and happy as I heard the corvette people talk about me in such positive words. It was then that I realized how truly lucky I was to have taken a trip in the red corvette with Meo and her husband to the ocean with the corvette people.