Hi everyone,
I’m back in town and thank you for the much needed break… It seems you all carried on just fine without me but I do have several questions I wanted to answer… maybe I’ll get to them tomorrow.
We had a wonderful time visiting with family at my brother in law’s Memorial service and got caught up on what was going on each other’s lives. I even met some new relatives of my hubby’s and got to know them… My hubby spoke at his brother’s service and did a very nice job. We woke up at 2:30 a.m. the morning of the service and talked until 4:00 a.m. He had his flashlight in bed going over his notes… “just one last time…” he said, but I caught him again at 6:30 a.m. going over them again. I told him I’d pray for him as he got up to speak. Well, the first sentence out of his mouth got me to crying and I totally forgot to pray for him. I’m sure the angels helped carry him through, because he did such a touching tribute to his brother.
We had 33 people on Friday evening, but a few more came in Saturday morning, so I’m guessing we had about 40 family members there besides friends who came. It was very nice…
We got there early Friday afternoon and began putting up the new ceiling fan in the living room. I was just a “fan assistant” for this job. His nephew helped with some assembly and then with a few bits of advice from the ground. He also helped hold the ladder in place as it was a pretty high ceiling fan…
I see that look, honey, and yes, this is probably going to be on my blog post… I think he’s gotten used to it by now…
It’s the 4th of July today and Linda so graciously sent me a picture of her girls dressed up and waving their flags. I thought you’d like to see them. It’s the only “Patriotic” thing about my post today! Thanks Linda!
I received a picture from the winner of Felicity’s dress. She told me her Felicity doll was packed away in a hard to get to place, but she got out her Elsie Dinsmore doll and dressed her in the dress. She found Elsie at her Goodwill for $3.99 and fixed her up…isn’t she adorable? She even told me she started crying when she saw her doll dressed up in her new dress…. awww… that touched me so much and made me so happy that I was a small part of bringing joy to her.
A few people couldn’t believe we were getting tomatoes back at the end of May… we were… and I took some pictures the day we got our first ones… We ate the big ones before I took pictures of them… oops! These were just a few cherry tomatoes that I snapped a picture of. I’ll have to show you in a few days what we are getting now… :o)
I took my “baby name book” with me in the car as we traveled… My hubby saw me reading the book and asked why I was looking at baby names? If I had been younger I could have milked that question for all it was worth… :o) but since I’m not so young, I told him it was for a doll… I guess that satisfied him because he didn’t ask me anything else. I did run a few names by him, but they were either old girlfriends names, or names of girls he remembered in grade school, so I passed on a few of them.
I think I have it narrowed down for my new #55 American Girl doll that I received the day before we left… Here she is again…
As I looked through my book, I looked at the meanings of the names too. They aren’t super important to me, but it would be fun to find that name that perfectly fit the doll. I found one that I liked a lot… it meant “beautifully dressed” but the name was Alida and I didn’t see me calling her that…
I didn’t get very far in the “A’s” when I stumbled upon Aubrey… it was Old French and meant “blonde ruler” or “elf ruler.” That really didn’t fit her but I loved the name…I always have. I think it sounds feminine and girlie…
Then I came upon Nora… It was Greek and was a form of Eleanor or Helen and meant “light.” It sounded old fashioned to me but could be modern too…
The last name on my list was Sadie. It was a Hebrew name and meant Princess. It’s another older name but seems kind of timeless to me.
As I looked at my doll and said each name out loud, I think she looks like a Nora the most, but I’d love to hear what you think… I guess I shouldn’t make this so hard… just pick a name you like and go with with it.
Maybe she looks like something else to you?
Well, I’m going to have to stop here. I have more to share… we went to an antique mall on the way home and I took pictures of the dolly things I saw… but I have a baby shower for Bithar this Sunday plus I’m helping someone move into an apartment and I have to spend some of my time helping with that. So I have to use my pictures sparingly as it is looking like a busy week for me and I’m not sure anything will get sewn… :o(
Thanks so much for not abandoning me while I was gone.
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
Abandoning you?????!!!???! Would I ever or anyone else do that? NO! I’m SO happy to see you back, Jeanne! It was a little lonely here the past couple of days without your blog showing up first thing in the morning. I’m getting used to the routine of reading it first thing, with my cup of coffee!
George is handsome as ever! He seems to be a keeper—as if you didn’t already know! I’m so happy that you got to visit with his relatives and meet new ones. I’m sure George’s words at the Memorial service were just what the family need to hear.
Felicity’s dress looks so pretty on the new doll! I’d be crying tears of joy too, if I ever was able to win a dress that you made!
Thank you for showing my dolls! They sure keep me busy changing them all the time!
Those tomatoes—I’ll have to see what you have now! I just LOVE tomatoes, but have no room for them in the yard, or a really good place to put them, although I did years ago when the trees weren’t so big. They need lots of sunshine I know that!
I love the name Nora for your #55. I don’t know, it just seems so right for her. In one picture she looks spunky, in another she looks wistful. She really is a beautiful doll!
Happy Fourth of July to you and everyone!
HI Linda,
It feels good to be missed…so thank you very much! Coffee with Jeanne… so that’s how you start your day… :o)
Yes, my hubby is looking more handsome every day…he’s lost 25 pounds and is feeling better. He is a keeper and I plan on doing just that…keeping him!
Awww… Linda…crying over a doll dress from me.. It doesn’t get any better than that for a dressmaker! How sweet of you to say that!
I had to laugh at your story about eating so many tomatoes and now Brian doesn’t like them… gotta wonder…???
I think it’s going to be Nora… something about it. Someone on the AGPT forum suggested it and as soon as I saw it I liked it. I’ve only known 2 Nora’s in my whole life.
Happy Fourth of July to you too, Linda,
Blessings, Jeanne
I’m glad you are home safely, Jeanne, and had a nice visit with friends and family. When someone says something about not liking to go to funerals, or not wanting one himself, I always reply that funerals are for the living, not the dead! (And of course, a believer’s funeral can also be an occasion of joy, knowing he/she is with the Lord….)
Your customer’s Elsie Dinsmore doll looks lovely in the dress you made!! It was sure nice of her to send you a picture to share!
I do think I agree with you, about Nora being the most suitable name, of the three you mentioned, for your new doll. She just doesn’t look like a Sadie to me, although she could possibly be a Sarah (from which Sadie comes) or perhaps a compound name, like Sarabeth or Saramae.
I just had another thought–another form of Nora is Norine/Noreen, and I rather like that for her, too. If you give your dolls middle names (I do!), she could be Aubrey Norine.
I guess you can tell, I’ve had one of MY baby name books out tonight, too!! LOL (I confess, I love names, and I own no fewer than NINE different baby name books!!)
HI Charlotte,
It’s good to be back home but we sure enjoyed ourselves with family. You are so right about the funerals being for the living. Larry’s homegoing was more of a celebration of life and it was sad, but not the bawling your eyes out kind of sad…
Yes, I would have to agree about the Elsie Dinsmore doll… she is really adorable and the dress looks so cute on her. I had no idea it would fit those dolls…
Like I told Linda, I think Nora is going to be her name… it just fits her the best. Sadie seemed too country like to me… Every time I hear Sadie, I think of Sadie Hawkins Day… :o)
It’s funny, but one time I saw an old episode of Jerry Seinfeld and it was about some lady on there and her name was Noreen… and every time I hear that name, I always think of that episode… silly how a memory can follow you your whole life…
NINE baby books? wow…if I ever need to know the meaning of a name, I’ll know who to ask!
Thanks Charlotte,
Blessings, Jeanne
Yup, Nine!! I have mostly generic ones, but do have one of Scandinavian names, one of Jewish names, and one of African/American names. They are such fun to look thru!!
Do let me know if you need to find the meaning of a name (or variations)–I just might be able to help!! LOL
So glad your blog is back. We certainly did miss it. Thank you for the lovely slip with the red and blue stars that I won last week. I second all of Linda’s comments and her pictures are great. I do like the name Nora for the new doll. The tomatoes are picture perfect! You and George are amazing, always helping others. Glad you are safely back home for the holiday.
I’d like to recommend an article that appeared in the New York Times today about Carbondale being the center of attention during the upcoming eclipse of the sun. If you enter”New York Times and Carbondale, Il” in Search, there are lots of articles about the college stadium being the epicenter for lots of scientists who will be gathering there to observe it. I just read the first one. Hotel rooms were sold out as early as March 2016! So be prepared, Jeanne! Hope the weather cooperates. Happy Fourth of July, everyone!
HI Susette,
I’m glad to be back too! Thanks for missing the blog posts! :o)
I hope you liked the patriotic slip! I hope you have a dress your girls can wear it with and hope one of them has it on today!
I’m glad Nora seems to be liked by most everyone… that makes me think I made the right choice.
Yes, the upcoming Solar Eclipse is the talk of the town… with most people… Me? I’d much prefer talking about dolls or sewing or fabrics… but that’s just me. I wrote it down as a possible blog post, because it’s become pretty crazy around here… I’ll tell more later…
Thanks Susette,
Blessings, Jeanne
Happy Independence Day!
I, too, am glad you are back but I am glad you had a break and were able to connect with family.
The dress looks wonderful on your customer’s doll. It looks like it just belongs on her (which it does)!
Your tomatoes look wonderful! It must be delightful to have fresh ones whenever you want.
As for names, she doesn’t look like a Sadie to me although I like the name very much. I think Nora fits her well.
I hope you don’t have too much work to do. There always seems to be so much to do after being away for a few days.
Have a good day!
Take care.
Happy Independence Day to you too, Charlotte! I hope you are enjoying your day!
I think the peachy dress looks so sweet on the Elsie Dinsmore doll. I learned something too… my things fit other dolls.
It IS fun to go out and pick some tomatoes for our salads or for BLT sandwiches… yummy!
Enough ladies seem to like the name Nora so I think I’ll stick with it! Now to figure out what to make her for her first outfit. ???
I do have lots to do, but I’m hoping to spread it out over a few days so I don’t get stressed out.
Thanks Charlotte,
Blessings, Jeanne
You are such a helper Elf! You spread the love of God by your actions! As for the name, when you said Nora I thought of my father’s mother whose name was Ellanora. I always thought that was a pretty name…it flows! She was a wonderful farm wife and very sweet lady.
HI Sissy,
As soon as I saw Ellanora as your father’s mother, I immediately thought of Elnora in A Girl of the Limberlost… one of my very favorite movies ever. It’s about a young girl living in Indiana who is as poor as they come. She ends up collecting butterflies, but has a really rough life. I would highly recommend the movie!
Maybe when Nora’s mom gets upset with her, she’ll call out “Ellanora or Elnora!!!” Thanks for the memory!
Blessings, Jeanne
Jeanne,
Thanks for sharing about your and George’s time at the service and the time you had with relatives and friends. It was good to see George safely on the ladder, doing his very kind act of help.
Linda’s photo of her patriotic, celebrating dolls is a good reminder that there is much to celebrate in having a wonderful country to live in.
My husband just picked our first tomato…unfortunately, it had some rot on it but we have more to look forward to. It was lovely to see your beautiful cherry tomatoes. It is hard to believe that by late May you had tomatoes!
Nora has my vote too for a name for #55. She is so lovely.
Enjoy your time of serving others later this week. That is something else that you are very good at-service with a smile.
Blessings.
HI Becky,
George wanted to do more for Gloria besides put up the fan, but she wanted him to visit with family… so our projects were put on hold…at least for now. Some lights were ordered but they hadn’t arrived when we got there. I think we’ll be going back again sometime to help out.
I don’t like it when you go to pick a beautifully looking tomato and on the back side it’s got a hole in it or a rotten spot. I feel for you! :o(
Yay! Another vote for Nora… It’s meant to be…
I managed to get a lot done toward the shower yesterday, but now I have other things to do… I hope I can keep that smile on my face all week! :o)
Thanks Becky,
Blessings, Jeanne
Glad you’re safely back.
Love Linda’s photo. Perfect for today!
Never heard of Elsie Dinsmore, but she is a cutie.
As to dolly names, what about Eleanore? with an E. Know a wonderful lady, almost in her 90’s with that name. My elementary school friend was Nora.
Happy 4th!
HI Joy,
It’s nice to be back home and it was wonderful to sleep in my own bed! :o)
I had never heard of Elsie Dinsmore either, but I have to agree, she is a very sweet little doll.
I’ve only known 2 Nora’s in my lifetime. One was a little girl whose dad used to buy her dresses from me at Farmer’s Market. He loved to see her in my “country romantic” style dresses and bought them as often as I had on in her size.
The other Nora is my nephew’s little girl. I made her a dress for the wedding a few years ago.
Happy 4th to you too, Joy!
Blessings, Jeanne
Glad you are home safely and that you and George had quality time with family.
Enjoyed all the pictures. George on the ladder, and Linda, your girls are all ready for the 4th.
Oh, the tomatoes look so good. It’s been awhile since I had a really good tomato.
And the winner’s doll looks perfect in her new dress. It’s a nice picture taken outside.
My #55, Linda, said she is related to “Nora”. Cousins, I believe?
I too love names and still use my original baby name book used for our children, to name my dolls. ( it’s 35-40 years old) I like most of the names I’ve chosen for my dolls and I try to find something right for the era, as well as the meanings. Sometimes I think I get dolls to fill the list of names that I like.
Have a happy 4th !! Love our country!!
HI Paula,
Maybe choosing names for your dolls is something most doll lovers/collectors do. I guess I never thought about it that much. It is an easy way to “try out” names… before you actually settle on one. :o)
Yes, Nora and Linda can be cousins! You’ll have to send me a picture of Linda some time!
When I bought Nora, I hadn’t even considered what I’d be calling her… but I agree with you, sometimes I have seen a doll and knew instantly what I would call her if she were mine.
Happy Fourth of July to you too, Paula!
Blessings, Jeanne
Welcome back, Jeanne! We missed you, but so glad you were able to reconnect with family, meet new members, and nurture the ties that bind. I’m sure George’s heartfelt speech for Larry was a very moving tribute for everyone, and all the help you were able to provide for Gloria was deeply appreciated. You and George are wonderful role models who make giving a daily routine. God bless your servants’ hearts.
I love everything you write about in your blog, Jeanne, but I love the pictures, too. It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, and judging by the comments you receive, I certainly think that is true of your photos. I know you like to show at least one picture on your blog every day, but I’m often amazed at the number of photos you show! I still have some of your blogs of fashion shows and parades that I keep to review now and then. I know, too, that at times you have mentioned needing to be careful about your data. Is there a limit to the number of pix you are able to use each month, or just the total data? Your writing helps us know you, but your pictures add a lot of spice! Thank you to Linda for sharing the patriotic picture of her adorable girls, and thank you to the winner of Felicity’s dress, too. Elsie looks simply charming in her new colonial ensemble.
Welcome home again, Jeanne, and Happy Independence Day to you and your readers! May your day be filled with family, friends, fun and fellowship.
Hi Anne,
Thank you for missing me! Everyone loves to be missed and I’m no exception! :o)
We did have a nice time but didn’t get too much done in the way of projects…at least on this trip…maybe in a while we’ll go back to finish up some things. Gloria’s dad was going to stay a few days a go through Larry’s workshop and sort things out for her, getting rid of the junky things first.
I have 10GB of data each month from my satellite and I’m getting better at resizing my pictures before I download them…(something Rebecca showed me), so my data is lasting longer. I DO love to show lots of pictures and this way, I can…
I do like to write and tell stories, but I like to have pictures to back up my stories too!
Thanks for the Welcome Home, Anne! My day has been ordinary so far, but that’s okay with me… I like ordinary! :o) I have something in the crock pot for dinner so I’m good!
Thanks again,
Blessings, Jeanne
Hi Jeanne,
Glad to have you back. I’m glad you got a well deserved break. It’s sad it was a memorial service, but nice that you were able to meet some relatives you didn’t know. That is always nice. I’m sure your SIL appreciates her new fan.
Linda, your girls look so festive for the 4th. Love the firecrackers and Susan’s (Ruthie) baton. She looks like Miss Liberty in her crown.
Elsie looks beautiful in Felicity’s dress. I always liked the Life of Faith dolls by Mission City Press, especially Violet. Elsie’s books are rather harsh in how her father treats her so that aspect isn’t good, but they were written a long time ago.. Unfortunately, they and their clothing/accessories were so expensive when I first saw a catalog (1998). My daughter already had Kirsten, Felicity, Addy, Samantha and Josefina and had been receiving PC/AG items for years that we past on them. She had a friend who had Elsie and her whole collection and another who had Violet and her whole collection courtesy of doting grandparents. I somehow missed when they went out of business and the dolls and clothing were super inexpensive. Besides, I didn’t have dolls at the time. I thought the clothing was elegant. I would love to find one for $3.99 as well. Wow, what a steal.
Nora is a sweet name. My best friend in second grade (1977) was named Nora. I homeschooling family I used to know now have a granddaughter named Norah (different spelling) and very good friends of ours whose daughter is a few years older than mine had her first child last year and named her Nora as well. You can always give her a middle name or two for that matter. My Samantha and Felicity have two middle names even thought they kept their original first and last, and Caroline, Marie-Grace and custom Nellie have complete new names, first, two middle and last. I liked that it makes the doll uniquely yours. I have a complete backstory on each of them.
Happy Independence Day to everyone!!!
A Girl of the Limberlost, I like that movie as well. Have you ever seen The Last Sin Eater? It was accurate to the book by Francine Rivers and historically fascinating.
Thank you Laura,
Even though it was a sad time, we still had a nice time with everyone. Memories were made and new friends were found…
I was glad Linda sent her girls pic to me too…it was the perfect patriotic picture for us all!
I don’t know anything about the Life of Faith dolls but they sure are cute! You say they went out of business? The high prices must have cost them their business… that’s a shame…
I’ll have to pay attention to any Nora’s I hear about…I guess there are more of them around than I thought…since I’m just a doll dress maker and not so much a collector, my girl will probably just be plain ole Nora…with no middle name.
I think my sister got The Last Sin Eater one time for us to see at my mom’s but my mom didn’t get it, so we stopped watching it.
Thanks Laura,
Blessings, Jeanne
Dear Jeanne — I am so glad you are back. I know you were where you needed to be, and I’m very glad George’s talk went so well. He’s looking extremely well and I do envy his beautiful thick hair. Mine has grown back but not like it was, though I like the silver color, but his stuck with him through all the chemo and stress. That’s good hair.
Many thanks to Joy and Ingrid for their advice about LD wigs. I feel much more confident about looking now and I do want to try the new shoe site.
I’m quite pleased about Nora for a name for your your new doll. 55 just seemed so generic. I chose Nora or Norah for her name, but it must have been in the message that was lost — I had two that disappeared and I rewrote one, so the Nora one must have been the one that was completely lost. This means we arrived at Nora as a good name independently. When we got a TV, when I was 13 or 14, later than anyone on our block, one of our favorite shows was The Thin Man, about Nick and Nora Charles. I suppose that’s why I like the name. I think the show was before your time.
Speaking of names, Elsie Dinsmore has a past. She is fictional (Martha Finley was the author) and was born in about 1837. Her mother died almost immediately and her worldly father was upset enough that he left for several years, giving Elsie into the care of her grandfather and his second wife. During her early childhood, Elsie became a strong Christian, which caused major conflicts between Elsie and her father, Horace, when he returned 8 years later. It is only when Horace thinks Elsie has died and finds her Bible, that had been her mother’s, that Horace becomes a follower of Christ and a caring father. The series follows Elsie through her marriage and widowhood, as well as the Civil War and Elsie’s restoration of the family home. There is a more modern version, with the dialect of the African-American characters standardized and the worst of the parent-child conflict removed. (see detailed information on Wikipedia). If you look up Google images for Elsie Dinsmore, you’ll find some lovely dresses. Colonial Rose is a perfect Dinsmore dress.
Back to Nora — my mother had Nora’s brown hair and her green eyes, and we always thought they went together very well. She had glaucoma, and the medicine for that promotes eyelash growth, so with time her lashes were thicker and darker than ever — the older she got, the prettier her eyes were.
Hi Marilyn,
George IS looking good…a bit slimmer and his gray hair makes him look “distinguised” to me!
His hair thinned out a lot, but he kept most of it…
I like “generic “55” as Nora too! She’s still standing on my cutting table, just waiting for me to pay some attention to her.
I learned so much about Elsie today…thank you for the information. Her books sound very nice…and I might have to check them out…
I am going to Google her dolls and see the others in their dresses.
It’s nice that your mom’s eyes grew prettier as she grew older. That was probably the only plus to her Glaucoma.
Thanks for sharing Marilyn,
Blessings, Jeanne
Welcome back! I’m afraid I’m working a lot of hours lately and it’s a struggle to keep up with everything, but I do try to go back and read the posts I have missed. I’m happy you and George got to spend some time with his family–I hope he got some closure from the visit and from the memorial service. It’s so nice to get positive feedback from the buyer of your Felicity dress. I’m sure it made you happy to hear it.
Thanks to Linda for sharing pictures. Her girls look very festive and patriotic.
I don’t think I’ve known anyone with the name Nora, but of the three you picked, it probably suits her the best.
Hopefully you were able to get some rest today and do a few things for yourself. You deserve it!
Hi Carolyn,
I can most definitely say I rested today…other than putting something in the crock pot, doing some dishes, making my bed and calling my mom…I didn’t do much else…now it’s time to turn my thoughts to writing a blog post!
Thanks for all your comments, Carolyn,
Blessings, Jeanne
You should feel pretty special seeing how many of your blog followers missed you…I know I did ?
We always say we hate to see our relatives just at funerals but we do get to visit and catch up.
I’m getting a kick out of how serious you are about naming your newest AG . I have liked the name Whitney ever since I heard it but we had boys after that. I’ll have to send you a picture of the little Aubrey that is the daughter of our niece. Nora is one of those older names that is making a huge comeback too. I know a sweet little Eleanor who is just 5 .
Hope you have enjoyed the 4th…rain missed us so the parades happened right on times!
I’m on my way to make a strawberry pie!
Hi Kathie,
A name sets the style of clothes I make for the doll. I could just pick any name, but I do like to think about it and see what I can come up with.
I was watching an old movie this evening (1965), with Frankie Avalon in it and he just mentioned an old flame named Nora…I guess the name Nora was popular in the 60’s.
The rain missed us too…and what time will rhe strawberry pie be served?
Blessings, Jeanne
LOL!!!If you jump in the car now you can have it for breakfast ?