Travel Day

Well, I'm all packed and just waiting for Allyn to take me to the airport. I'm flying to the Bay Area today to help my daughter pack up her belongings and move home. We'll be U-Hauling it back to the desert, and hopefully, we'll be home by Sunday. It's a very, very long drive and I will be glad when it's over.

Ashley's tired of the big city and just needs to come home, regroup, re-energize, and decide if she wants to continue teaching, go to law school, or do something else entirely. She's taught elementary and middle school for 11 years, five of those being in a Bay Area middle school and it's been tough, especially the last couple of years.

So the puppies will be home alone with Allyn checking on them as he can during the day. They'll probably sleep all day if no one rings the doorbell.

Wish me luck...my daughter is a task master!

The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon

The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon
Sunday, October 7, 2007
30th Anniversary

Joseph will be running in the Chicago Marathon in support of his friend, Nikki, who lost her mother to acute lymphocytic leukemia in 2003. Joseph and Nikki have committed to run for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and are participating in their Team in Training program, the world's largest endurance sports training program. Since April, they have been training on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings, and will continue that schedule right up until the marathon in October.

Nikki asked a group of their friends to participate in the marathon and Joseph eagerly stepped up to support her. Now, you have to understand. . .this is a kid who, in middle school and high school, complained about his coaches making his class run around the track a few times. So signing up for a 26-mile run is a really, really big deal! Allyn and I and Ashley are so very proud of his commitment and hard work.

Even if you are unable to make a donation, please visit Joseph's and Nikki's websites to read about their commitment to this worthy cause in their own words.

Joseph and Nikki attend the University of Chicago. Joseph will graduate in August 2007.

A few bears to share with you . . .

I need lots more practice and experience with my digital camera (which I've had for over two years so I should be better at this) and my new Photoshop Elements 5, but I'd like to share a few of my bears with you. They were all created in April 2007.

This guy doesn't have a name yet; I'm just calling him Brown Bear which is not very imaginative so if you have any suggestions, please send them to me. He is made of dense brown batik Shulte mohair about an inch long. The white inserts are from 1.25 inch kid mohair. He has German black glass eyes and he is five-way jointed. He is about 11 inches high in a sitting position. He has bent legs, but if he could stand, he would be about 16-17 inches tall.


This is Petey. He is made of .75 inch dense
Shulte mohair in the softest light minty green
color. My photograph does not do justice to the color. He has straight legs and is about 13 inches long and about 10 inches sitting. He also has German black glass eyes and is five-way jointed.


And this is another guy without a name, so let me know if you have any ideas. He's made of one inch sparse curly matted cream Shulte mohair with teal tips. He is about 10.5 inches sitting and about 15 inches long. He's five-way jointed and has German black glass eyes.

I would love to hear your comments or name suggestions.

Graduation Day

Today is graduation day for my daughter, Ashley. She'll be receiving a MA in Education from the University of San Francisco this evening. I am so proud of her. Allyn is there with her as is Joseph who flew in from Chicago last night.

And this is a picture of my beautiful children.

Unfortunately, for me, I'm home pup sitting. Yes, we'd planned to board them for a few days and have a small family reunion; however, 2 of the 3 had surgeries last week which could not be put off. Emma had a large tumor removed from her front right paw which went from the top of her paw to through to the bottom. Harley had 2 (more) growths removed, one from his hip and another from under his neck.

With both pups in stitches, we thought it best not to expose them to possible infection at our boarding facility, The Grand Paw. So the puppies and I are with Joseph, Allyn and Ashley in spirit as she walks forward to receive her MA. Graduation is to be in beautiful St. Ignacious Cathedral on the USF campus where Allyn received his BA so it's very fitting that he be there to watch his baby girl.

Congratulations, Sissy, I love you very much.

Welcome to my very first post on my very first blog. Since I don't yet have my own website, blogging seemed to be the best way to begin establishing myself in the world of teddy bear artists and collectors.

I recently joined an online forum called Teddy Talk made up of a group of collectors, artists and people who just love teddy bears. I've found great support and friendship with this group and they are always willing to answer any questions I might have.

As is my nature, I fretted over whether to blog or not to blog, but, holding my breath, I have jumped into this new arena, at least it's very new for me, and I hope you'll visit often as I learn my way around and develop a focus for my blog. I'm pretty sure my son, Joseph, a student at the University of Chicago, will read my blog as he tells me he may not have to call home so often.

I must acknowledge and thank Lisa of Twin Cubs, one of my TT friends, who offered to help me get started. She not only helped, she created the wonderful heading you see at the top of the page. Thank you so much, Lisa! Without your help I would probably have become too frustrated to continue.

In addition to Joseph, I have a daughter, Ashley, and I live with Allyn, my husband of 35 years, and our three Scottish Terriers, Talullah Belle, Emma Jane and Harley MacDavidson. Allyn and I have lived in the Southern California desert for 17 years which I find amazing as we only intended to stay in the desert a few years. Ashley teaches middle school in the San Francisco Bay area and she will be graduating from the University of San Francisco this Friday evening with a MA in Education and an administrative certificate. We are so proud of her.

Thanks for taking a look; I hope you'll stop by often.