Once upon a time (as all good stories start) The Shopping Sherpa was idly wasting time wandering round the depths of eBay (this, dear readers, was before she had a blog to waste time on which is much more fulfilling not to mention cheaper).Then suddenly she saw a doll waving at her and begging to be adopted. This was most odd because The Shopping Sherpa didn't believe she "did" dolls in her houses (if you are a non miniaturist you need to know at this point that there is an ongoing raging debate in the miniature world as to whether your house should be peopled or not). And before she knew it, TSS had adopted Doreen MacGregor.
For that's what the doll's name was, according to the doll. TSS checked with Doreen's previous owner, Charlene, who said she didn't know what her name was and so it was decided.
Doreen set off on her long journey from The USA to her new home in Australia. And as Charlene pointed out in her original email to TSS:
"Boy is this doll in for an adventure and what a great collection for her to live in and it sure is funny that she is German made and dressed Scottish and will live in an English home in Australia"
But it was not to be as the (vintage Triang) house became an eBay casualty, lost in the mail. Doreen, however, arrived safely along with an assortment of necessities for the trip packed away in a small yellow suitcase by Charlene (who thought over everything except toilet paper, much to Doreen's distress) .
Being a stoic Scot she seemed untroubled by the lack of promised living arrangements and wasted no time in sending a postcard to Charlene to let her know of her arrival and of the saga of the missing house. She received a speedy reply:
"I hope when your house arrives you will enjoy living in your new home and I am sure you will love everything that is done for your home sorry you never had a real little house here and I know you will love yours I heard it was something very special coming all the way from the UK WOW! your a lucky little girl. Say hi to everyone and wish them well from your other family. Best Regards Charlene"
Doreen settled into the temporary accommodation happily and TSS thought the adventures and suprises were over.
Then Dennis, the mail-order husband, arrived. As Doreen wrote to Charlene:
"Well the shift Down Under has certainly been good for me - I now have a husband! Shhh! Don't tell anyone but he was a mail-order husband (bet you thought you could only get brides, huh?) and so far we are getting on very well.
The house situation is still not good. No sign of our (I love saying "our") place arriving. But that may work out for the best since we have our eye on a much bigger place (6 rooms instead of just two and a porch) which will give us room for a family eventually. In the meantime I've got rather attached to my cardboard boxes and will be quite sad to leave."
As often happens, the family came earlier than expected with the arrival of Daisy Rose MacGregor on November 11 2004, along with a very generous range of baby necessities, courtesy (once again) of Granny Charlene.
And soon after (luckily) they were safely settled into their larger and newer Triang House.
And so it came to pass that the MacGregor family all lived happily...
ever...
after!
The End.
10 comments :
you are a cheerful lady.. I liked your story very much..
and the details of e-mailing good wishes.. and husbands..and so on..
let them live happily.. ever after..
This is book material, you know.
Are you familiar with "The Lonely Doll" books by Dare Wright? They were kind of creepy. The MacGregor story would be nothing of the kind.
More stories, please!
you're famous now!! i was hoping your dollhouses would get some glory on whip up!
So I ricocheted all the way from whip up back to Australia!
Ah well, the internet'll do that to ya.
As a Sydneysider who's just hit the other side of 40 herself, I commiserate.
As part of my work I make 1:25 scale models (of the architectural variety) do I'm wondering if that makes me a miniaturist?
Oh, heavens to Betsy. Now Whip Up's gone and done it. I've managed to not get sucked into spinning or quilting or weaving, pleasurable though it all looks. But now they, and you, have gone and found my deepest, most secret weak spot.
Miniatures.
I won't, I tell you, I simply won't! As much glee as a teeny-tiny fork or itty-bitty food gives me, I just can't get sucked in to minuatures. The call of eBay is strong, but so is my will . . . for now . . .
In the meantime, I shall enjoy it vicariously through you, if'n ya don't mind. :)
Debbie - Be as vicarious as you want - you might just inspire me to do some more miniature knitting!
Carson - Wanna swap jobs? That sounds like bliss, being paid to make minis all day (although I was under the impression that architectural models were in 1/18 (or 3/4") scale, which I must admit seemed a little odd at the time...
Hmm!
so you didn't 'do' dolls in your youth? Well who was the grand daughter who on receiving a Hornby Train for her fifth birthday got her father to trade it in on a doll???
Dearest Grandmother
I meant in my dolls houses, not in general but you reminded me...
My memory of the story is you used to give me dolls which Mum woould have to take down to Farmers and change for trucks.
Then one year you gave me the most fabulous articulated yellow Tonka truck and I looked at it and said "but I want a doll" so off it went to be traded by a very frustrated mother.
Thanks for the jaunt down memory lane!
Are they any relation to the Mr. MacGregor in the Beatrix Potter books? Myself I am working on a miniature quilt shop since my house has not been beckoning hard enough the past few years. Your family is lovely. As far as the debate goes, I think a house needs a family and vice versa.
Hi Candyschultz
No relation at all (at least not in the past few generations)
Your quilt shop looks like fun - can't wait to see the end photos!
Post a Comment