Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Please meet Callie, an Artist Teddy bear by Sarah Farrell of Teat Time Teddies

Please meet Callie, an Artist Teddy bear created by Sarah Farrell of Tea Time Teddies in Grass Valley, California.  She was crafted in the late 1990s.   She is made of a grayish blue sparse mohair.    She has all her original tags.  She has glass eyes and is purposefully loosely jointed, making her head slightly wobbly.   She is firmly stuffed and a big girl at 18 inches tall.   She is in excellent, pristine condition.

Callie is a Teddy bear who has never been able to make up her mind, although she would not describe herself that way.   She says she is decisionally-challenged, and that there's nothing wrong with that.    What Teddy bear hasn't stood in front of a bakery counter and found themselves vacillating between the powdered doughnuts and the almond bear claws?   None she knows of.   She isn't the first ted who couldn't decide between the Cocoa Cloud Macchiato  and the White Chocolate Mocha Frappucino.  Don't even bother asking her what her favorite book or movie is.   She isn't sure.  


As an experienced traveler, Callie is hard pressed to name her best-loved destination.   She enjoys watching the sun set over the beaches on the warm evenings in California as much as she adores waiting for the sun to rise at the Jersey Shore.   She's been on thrilling skiing holidays in Norway, but then there was that heart-stopping climb to the hotel stationed on a cliff in Peru.   Who could forget the visit to the Blue Mosque in Instabul or driving the Hardknott Pass where the Ancient Romans once had a fort?   And what about the cruise to the Galapagos Islands with the gigantic sea tortoises?   Callie just can't say which of her journeys was the best.

Callie has many Teddy bear friends, but which one is her best pal, she couldn't say.   She supposes they're all her best mates.   Amanda is her smartest friend.    Steffie has a great sense of humor.  Dory always gives her wise advice.   You can always count on Nora to have the best puddings.   Bradley is a very handy and helpful bear who can fix things in a pinch.   Emma is the most generous of Teddy bears.  When she needs a sympathetic ear, Callie turns to Pamela.   Kennedy can be counted on for a fun night.   Josephine knows just what to say she's feeling down.   Jackson freely gives financial advice and balances her checkbook.   She loves each and every one of them.

Surprisingly, it's in the most uncertain of times when Callie does well.   In the midst of an an emergency, she is able to stay calm.    When she lived in southern California, she once experienced the rumblings of an earthquake.   While all the other bears in  the hug became terrified, she coolly led the teds, in  single file, to safety outside.   If she passes a bruin in distress, she stops to help.   When a free bear hug is needed, Callie is there to provide a big embrace.   In the midst of a violent storm, she remains at peace.   In a crisis, she puts the kettle on, pours the tea, and with biscuits in paw, will help sort things out.

Living in the northeast now, Callie isn't sure which season of the year she loves best, the warm spring days when gardens start to bloom, the lazy hot summers relaxing under a beach umbrella, the warm apple pies of autumn when the leaves change color, or the cold snowy winters when cocoa feels best in her tummy, but despite certainty not being her strong point, she knows she is as happy as she makes up her mind to be.









        
 







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Thursday, April 23, 2020

Please meet Karl, an antique 1950s Anker Teddy bear from Germany!






















Please meet Karl, a 1950s antique/vintage Teddy bear produced by Anker Plush Toy Company in Munich, Germany!!   His soft Dralon plush fur is a reddish brown color.   He has no tags.  He is stuffed with straw, and surprisingly his press squeaker is still working.   He wears a new red ribbon.   He is about 16 inches tall and in excellent condition.

Karl liked to walk around with his nose in the air.   This was not without certain innate  problems:     He was always bumping into things.   Other Teddy bears thought he was a little snooty.   He lost his way, A LOT.   He failed to notice puddles when it rained. On bright days, the sun glare in his eyes was horrendous.  He tripped on any uneven pathways.   Going down stairs was a nightmare.  When asked what his favorite animal was at the zoo, it was limited to giraffes.   He eventually developed a crick in his neck, which led to several courses of chiropractic manipulations.

Of course, the logical solution for him was to at least occasionally keep his eyes straight ahead and to look down when the occasion warranted, but Karl wasn't the logical type of Teddy bear.   He loved to watch birds soar, monitor the skies for any upcoming changes in the weather, fly canvas kites in the park, and observe his beloved giraffes nibble at the top of the trees.  

His friends and family were very concerned about Karl, and from time to time arranged various interventions and offers of help, pleading with the bear to keep his nose facing straight before he suffered dire consequences, but Karl would have none of it.   He simply and stubbornly preferred to gaze upwards.   Ultimately, everyone accepted the fact that Karl was never going to change unless he wanted to.

Employment wise, Karl first made technical drawings for high-rise apartment buildings for a large architectural company, in due course opening his own design firm.  He received many prestigious awards and was hailed in the industry as a maverick, known for his quirky but practical engineering.   Karl was the first architect to create lavender-infused Teddy bear condominiums to greatly reduce dust and moth infestations, and his kitchens invented for the large-pawed Teddy bear crowd started a global trend.

To the general Teddy bear public, Karl was a huge success, but behind the scenes, Karl knew he had somehow lost his way.   He still loved the birds, the kites, the weather and giraffes, but frankly, he was beginning to feel unfulfilled.   He drew himself up a plan.   Nothing radical, just day by day.   The first day he kept his nose straight for one minute.  The next day, two.   The third day, three.   And so on.    Before long, his friends noticed a difference in Karl.   Karl began to notice differences around him, too.   He was less clumsy, bears would greet him with a smile, he didn't get lost as often, he discovered there were small birds perched on branches near the ground, he now watched the weather report on the telly, the cuffs of his trousers are no longer muddy, and there were other interesting animals at the zoo besides the giraffes, and as far as his cervical spine is concerned, it's much improved.  

To date, Karl hasn't met the love of his life, but he remains hopeful.  The thing he knows for sure is things are looking up.

       


  







  
          

Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Please meet Hamish, a very rare Teddy bear created by artist Gary Nett of Bears

Please meet Hamish, a very rare Teddy bear created by artist Gary Nett of Bears by Nett of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.   He's from the late 1990s.   These bears are typically limited editions, but his paperwork has been lost.   He is made of mohair, and as a bagpiper wears an incredibly detailed outfit with a black embroidered jacket, red tartan kilt with little sporran, red and black socks, buckled brogue shoes and a feather bonnet.   His bagpipes are made of wood and the bag itself is a dark blue tartan.    He is in excellent condition. 

Hamish might have been born near a Civil War battlefield in Pennsylvania, but his heart belongs to Scotland.    From the time he was a young cub, he was enthralled by the stories he heard from his father, who emigrated to America soon after adult bearhood.    Hamish imagined his forebears raising hundreds of sheep on common pastureland surrounded by lochs and glens and romantic castles, a world away from the hustle and bustle of a city bear's life.

The first time Hamish traveled to his ancestral home, it was overwhelming.   First, he had to adjust his ears to the burr of the Scottish accent.   He hardly understood the Teddy at the reception desk of his hotel.   It sounded like, "It's awfy dreich ootside the day," whatever that meant.   Then he made the mistake of renting a car.    It was quite the adjustment driving on the left side of the road, let alone shifting the car with his left paw and tackling all those roundabouts.   He kept his eyes peeled on the road, unable to enjoy the scenery, so when he finally reached his father's family farm, he was exhausted, but happy to arrive in one piece. 

The moment Hamish pulled up to the farmhouse, the front door opened and out streamed Teddy bears of all sizes and colors, extending their paws in greeting.   They were just as excited to meet Hamish as Hamish was to meet them.   Introductions were made all around, and the bears headed over to the pub for a wee dram of the best single malt in the house.   His cousin Angus taught him how to play snooker, and before the night was over, Hamish felt like he was accepted as an honorary member of the Scottish clan.

Early the next morning, Hamish was awakened by the bleating of four hundred Black Faced Scots.   The nearest Hamish had been to sheep was at the yearly Wool and Fiber Festival in Maryland.   Now he had the opportunity to see a crofter's life up close.   Following a breakfast that included eggs, bacon, toast, and a serving of black pudding, he was greeted by his cousin Fergus and two border collies in the yard.    They rode an ATV up to the fields above the farm, where the two teds and two dogs gently herded the animals into a new grazing area.   Hamish never experienced anything like it before, and nothing like it since.  The time he spent with his relatives in Scotland created the best memories of his lifetime.  On the evening before he was due to return home, Hamish listened to the sound of the bellwether sheep, as she led the flock into the next field.   He might not be a native Scot, but he was delighted and proud to have these Teddy bears as his family.

He returns to Scotland every year on holiday, and he's even become accustomed to the Glaswegian accent.   Well, for the most part anyway.   After years of study, he's now an accomplished piper, and at every family gathering, in America or in Scotland, he'll be dressed in his kilt and brogues and feather bonnet, playing his bagpipes, like his heart belongs to Scotland.           




Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Please meet Kris, a 2006 Steiff Limited Edition Father Christmas Teddy bear

Please meet Kris, a Limited Edition Steiff Father Christmas Teddy bear.  He was manufactured in 2006, and he is number 434 of 2006 produced worldwide.  He retains all his tags.  He has soft white alpaca fur and wears a hooded green velvet coat that is trimmed in white faux fur and closes with a stylish gold cord.  He has an unusual red nose with gold thread accents.   Kris also has a music box inside which plays, "We Wish you a Merry Christmas."  He has flat feet, and he can carefully stand on his own.  He is 10 inches tall and is in excellent, pristine condition.

There are a lot worse things in life for a Teddy bear than being part of the Steiff family.    You could be one of those bears that are packed away in a box when a child has lost interest, spending years collecting dust with moths eating away at your unmentionables, or you could be on an online auction block for a few pennies doing your best to keep smiling, hoping some sad sack, lonely person clicks on the Buy-It-Now option, or even worse,  end up in the dustbin headed for the crematorium.

Steiff has produced millions of Teddy bears and all sorts of woodland creatures and dolls  since Margarete Steiff sold her first toy elephant in the 1880s in Germany.  When you're an ordinary Steiff bear, there's always the possibility you will be deemed a valuable heirloom and handed down from generation to generation in a bear-centric family.   When you're a Steiff limited edition holiday Ted like Kris, you are definitely a very special Teddy bear.  Rank certainly has its privileges.

Kris loved his green velvet coat and took special care to ensure its longevity.   Other Teddy bears regularly commented on the quality of his bright white alpaca fur, and as part of his morning ablutions, those threads of gold on his nose were kept looking primped and polished.   His daily exercise regimen, which consisted of simply touching his toes ten times in the morning, kept his body nice and plump as a Teddy bear ought to be.   He set his standards very high.

Of course, Kris enjoyed his Father Christmas role, and when he cried "ho-ho-ho" with his booming voice, there was no greater feeling than to see a young bear cub's eyes light up with excitement.   But there were times throughout the year when he shed his festive attire and went into the world wearing a hat to cover his ear flag and button and a jacket that hid his chest tag from view.  He just wanted to be part of the regular Teddy bear crowd.   It gave him a sense of freedom when he wasn't constrained by any preconceived expectations.   

He remembers one day in particular when he observed a group of Teddy bears who were huddled together in the park.  They were trying to organize a pickup game of American flag football, but they needed one more player.   Before he realized it and against his better judgment, he was recruited.    He didn't pretend to know all the rules, and with those flat feet of his, he worried he couldn't run very well, but his fellow teammates encouraged him as they ran up and down the field, chasing the ball carrier, trying to remove the flag from his belt.    At the end of the day, he was an exhausted, slightly muddy and very, very happy Teddy bear.    He invited his new friends out to his favorite ice cream parlor, where they ordered everything on the menu, sundaes and banana splits and gelato and even frozen yogurt.   Afterwards, he bid them goodnight with a spirited "ho-ho-ho."   Rank does indeed have its privileges. 
   







       






Monday, April 20, 2020



Please meet Pansy, a super cute One-of-a-Kind Artist Teddy bear made by Donna Hodges of the Bearons of LaJolla in California.   She's from the early 1990s.  Her mohair is bright pink, but at some point in her life, she was exposed to lots of sun and so she has a little bit of fading on her upper back.  She has her original tush tag and wears a little pink hair ribbon.  Her tummy is filled with pellets, so she's is a little slumpy.  She is 10 inches tall.  She is in overall excellent condition.

Pansy was for the most part a small but serious Teddy bear.  Her fluffy pink fur coat made other Teddy bears think otherwise.   One quick glance at that little bow on her head, and she was dismissed as silly and juvenile.   Her voice was high and squeaky, too,  which didn't exactly inspire confidence in the little bear.   Plus, it didn't help that her nickname was "Pansy," and she considered rebranding herself with a different moniker when she was old enough, but changed her mind, as Teddy bears are wont to do.  She decided she was happy she was named after her great-great grandmother, Panzer, another tough cookie who was built like a tank.

The Bearon clan, of which Pansy was a member, was known in the bear society for its honesty, dedication, devotion, strength of character, intelligence and the ability to spell words with more than ten letters without hesitation, but Pansy rarely used her surname.   She didn't want to use it as a crutch.   She was determined to achieve success without the trappings of family lore.   Once she set her sights on a goal, she went for it.  If she failed, so be it.   At least she did her level best.

Naturally, there were failures from time to time.    As a young bear cub, against her father's wishes, Pansy joined the local swim club.  After watching the Summer Olympics one year, she had a strong desire to be the next freestyle champion swimmer.   Unfortunately, the beads in her abdomen made her sink to the bottom of the pool, and the chemicals in the water left her fur looking less than glamorous.    Her two-year stint playing professional miniature golf at the beach, although exhilarating, left her permanently faded, and on her curriculum vitae there's no mention of her disastrous employment as an accountant.   She has rightly come to the conclusion there are some jobs Teddy bears are just not cut out for. 

Pansy's career path took many surprising twists and turns.   As she gained more life experience, she became more focused.   No more did she make snap decisions with the consequent regrets.   She concentrated on what her particular skills were, and when she interacted with other bears, whether they be for a potential  job offer or a romantic encounter, she spoke with conviction, and the teds who perhaps once misjudged her as a fuzzy-headed bear, were pleasantly surprised at how self-assured and bright she truly was.

Today, despite a lack of personal name recognition, there are millions of Teddy bears around the world who would recognize the corporate empire Pansy established.   Bearazon Enterprises is a global leader in specialty baked goods for Teddy bears, selling everything from ahi tuna to zeppoles.

As for Pansy herself, she has retired to a small coastal town in California.   She sold the Bearazon business several years ago, and after wisely investing the proceeds of the sale in an almond tree farm in the northwest, she has enough of a nest egg to keep her in more honey than she can eat for many years to come.   Despite the pink fur and that little bow on her head, everyone now takes her very seriously.                     







   




Saturday, April 18, 2020

Please meet Delia, a One-of-a-Kind Artist Teddy bear by Canna Paint Bears.

Please meet Delia, a One-of-a-Kind Teddy bear by Canna Paint Bears, created by the very talented Margaret and Kelly Zimmerman.  I believe she was crafted in the 1990s.  She is made of a rust colored, wavy mohair with airbrushed accents to her face.  She has that Steiff-like style, with long arms and suede paw pads.  She is very firmly stuffed and is about 12 inches tall.   She is in excellent condition.

Not long after Delia moved into her new home, the Teddy bears referred to her as "a nosy parker."   When they walked by her front gate in the morning, she would often be weeding in the garden.   If she noticed a bear ambling down the lane, she would wave them over and ask what felt like 150 questions.  Most Teddy bears would keep their furry heads down and pass her little cottage at a brisk pace and avoid catching Delia's eye.   Some bears even started wearing earmuffs all year round or used earbuds despite having left their mobiles home.   Teds who were more polite or didn't know better would stop for what they thought was a short chat and then were late for work or for scheduled appointments, promising to return another day.  They never did.

But it wasn't her inquisitiveness that was the problem.   As we all know, bears are naturally very curious creatures.   The fact was Delia never revealed anything about herself.   She regularly popped into her neighbors' homes, where they would discover her helping herself to a chocolate biscuit or a cool glass of lemonade or having a little look-see around their gardens, sometimes pocketing a cutting from their border plants for her own flowerbeds. And yet no one had a memory of Delia ever having guests.  The local Teddy bears realized Delia repeated what she heard, clarifying any information she gathered, so if a mama bear mentioned her son's dilemma with his lady bears or her sister's health issues, the entire neighborhood would soon know about it, too.
 
At times she appeared scatterbrained, stopping mid sentence, jotting down a few lines in her well-worn notebook, then disappearing back into her cottage at the slightest distraction.   Whatever Teddy bear was in conversation with her at the time would simply take a deep breath, consider themselves fortunate and be on their way.

On the positive side, however, Delia was the most well-informed bear in the village.   If a bruin wanted to know who was the new resident two streets away or when was the best time to catch the mayor in his office or which pub had the most delectable desserts, Delia would have all the answers, but an excuse needed to be at the ready if they wanted to get away quickly, or else the entire afternoon would be spent in front of Delia's home instead of  more important things being accomplished, like making extra strawberry jam or posting fun pictures on Bearstagram.

When I knew Delia, she was just the same way, asking too many questions, secretive,  making notes in a little notebook, maybe sometimes a little scatterbrained, but knowledgeable about current events.   She was evasive when I asked about her personal details, and on a number of occasions I found her in the kitchen helping herself to cookies and lemonade.  I also noticed several plants in the garden had missing sections of new growth.

The day she left our hug, as per usual, a sending-off party was held for her by all the cuddly toys.   She thanked each and every one of us personally, and whispered to me she knew she would enjoy her new assignment.   Oops.   I mean, her new home.      









  

Thursday, April 16, 2020

Please meet Klik and Klak, two antique Japanese Teddy bears.

Please meet Klik and Klak, two antique Japanese Teddy bears.  They are quite small at 2.75  and 3 inches.   They are made of a dense cork material with a cloth, almost velour-type covering.   They are probably from the 1950s, or maybe even before.    They have pin joints, so little metal rods go through the body to the side of each limb, and their arms and legs move together.   Their heads are stationary.  They both have celluloid eyes, and Klak, the black one, is missing his nose, although he does have his "Made in Japan" sticker, which is pretty rare.

Klik and Klak are often mistaken for brothers, but they aren't related at all.   They just grew up in the same small village in Japan.   When most Teddy bears think of Japan, Tokyo and Osaka come to mind or maybe a few other large cities, but the truth is, there is a portion of Japan that is largely rural, especially the area nicknamed the Japanese Alps.   Today millions of tourists and hikers flock to the area, but despite its fame in Asia, many bears in the west haven't even heard of it.

Klik and Klak lived on neighboring farms in the foothills of the Hida Mountains, where both soybeans and buckwheat flour were grown, as well as strawberries, apples and blueberries.    There was a natural hot spring nearby, and after a long day in the fields picking fruit, the bears would enjoy the luxuriousness of the steam with their friends before walking home as the sun set over the mountains.   It was idyllic.

As time moved on, however, the younger bears in the small enclave of homes moved to more urban areas where there were more job opportunities and a faster paced, cosmopolitan life.   Neither Klik nor Klak forgot their roots though.   Klik entered college and received a degree in organic agriculture and managed a large commercial honey bee farm, while Klak studied new farming technologies and sold environmentally friendly harvesting equipment to berry farmers.  Klik and Klak were more acquaintances than friends during their professional careers.   Sometimes their paths crossed and they would occasionally reminisce about life back home, but they never imagined they would form a partnership.

But form a partnership, they did.    It all came about because they both attended the same TED Talk.   While most of the other Teddy bears applied to these seminars just for the yummy food halls, Klik and Klak had a higher calling --  sustainable farming.   They happened to be seated next to each other in the conference hall, and the two bruins renewed their friendship.   Over a glass of tea with honey and a warm blueberry cobbler, Klik and Klak decided they had enough of the stressful city life.   They agreed to pool their resources and start their own farm in the very same small town where they spent their childhood.

Teddy bears have always enjoyed honey and berries.   Now that Klik and Klak have established The Beary Best Bee and Berry Farmstead, they look forward to meeting all sorts of bears from around the world.  They don't plan on retiring any time soon.  They  just look forward to watching the sun set over the mountains again and again.

  

Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Please meet Bailey, an antique 1950s English(?) Teddy bear

Please meet Bailey, a 1950s antique Teddy bear.    Based on his short arms and his pointed feet, I believe he's English, but he's not exactly the chatty type of bear, so he's not saying.  He has had some loss to his mohair, and his face is an odd golden color, which probably is a result of his face being against a piece of metal for an extended period.  He has a mild attic smell to him, but it's not offensive.   He's had repairs made to him by others, over his right eye and by his right cheek, but it's hard to notice.   His paw pads are corduroy, and he wears an old red ribbon with a bell.   His head is stuffed with straw, but his body is a softer material.   He's about 14 inches tall and in relatively very good condition for his age.    

The first thing you notice about Bailey is the heavy discoloration to his face, a weird orangy color.   When his childhood friend and owner Miles moved out of the family home to start a new life abroad, he was stored in a large steamer trunk in the attic with other toys.   He was a mite disappointed, but he couldn't say he was surprised.   He saw it happen to other toys over the years.   At least he didn't end up in the dustbin.   There were nice wool blankets to keep him warm, but he was placed facedown over a little collection of steel army men and his forehead and cheeks changed color with time.    

When Miles returned to England, Bailey was taken out of the trunk and given a huge hug, and a new ribbon and bell was placed around his neck.   It had been a long time, and Bailey was very excited to see his old friend.   That night, he proudly sat on top of a chest of drawers, and the next morning, Miles placed him in the front seat of his automobile as they drove down the high street on the way to a special local shop in the village.   They were headed to Clare's Bear Care Repair for a consultation on Bailey's condition.

"I've given him a good stare, and I have an opinion to share," said Clare.  "I'll be fair and square.  I dare say this bear has much wear and tear, but don't despair!  I swear there's rare mohair here from Weston-On-Mare somewhere.  Put him there on that chair, and under my care, he'll soon be a debonair bear.  Are you prepared for his repair?  Do you need some fresh air?"

"Thank you for your thoughts," Miles responded.  "This is quite overwhelming.  Let me think about it, and I'll be in touch."

"That's fair.  Take care," said Clare.

"She's full of hot air," Miles whispered to Bailey.   "I like you just as you are, orange face and all."

Bailey giggled.   "Now, given the current state of affairs, if you dare, how about we share eclairs at the Apple & Pear.   Is that fair?"

"Yes, Bailey," Miles answered, "For you, I have plenty of time to spare." 




                    

Tuesday, April 14, 2020

Please meet Dottie, Steiff's Dally Dalmatian!

Please meet Dottie, Steiff's Dally Dalmatian!!   She was produced in West Germany between 1953 and 1969, so she considers herself a vintage puppy.   She does have her Steiff button in her ear, but no other identification.  She's made out of white mohair that has airbrushed spots.   She is stuffed with straw and only her head is jointed.   She is about 6 inches tall.   There is one loose stitch on her nose, but she is otherwise in excellent condition.   

Dottie always was one of those creative types.   You know, the kind whose imagination runs in overdrive.    From the time she was a young pup, Dottie was obsessed with color.   Yes, your typical dog can only distinguish different shades of blue and yellow, but Dottie was different.    She dreamed in rainbow hues.   When she was dashing through the garden, the red, pink and purple flowers would blur together until her head started to spin.   The colors made her so happy that she would burst out with a loud yelp and roll on the ground twisting and tossing and turning.

Her littermates didn't quite understand what Dottie was talking about when she described a ball she was searching for on the edge of the property one day after a game of fetch as a bright purply red color.   When she finally located it and proudly brought it home, her brothers and sisters thought it was rather gray.  

At the age of eight weeks, Dottie was adopted by an older couple on Long Island, New York.   Bart and Margarite Thompson owned a Labrador Retriever named Dutch, and Dottie was to be his companion.  Shortly after she settled into her new home, she was sent to puppy camp for behavioral training.   At the end of the first week of instruction, when she told Dutch about her day with the orange cones she had to run through, and how she sped up and down the yellow ramp on the obstacle course and the green frisbee she tried catch but missed,  Dutch just stared at her in disbelief.   Though Dutch loved her enthusiasm, he just rolled his eyes when she related her experiences in Technicolor.

To celebrate her first birthday, the Thompsons shepherded Dottie and Dutch into the car and headed toward New York City for the weekend.    They stayed at the Park Lane Hotel on Central Park South in dog-friendly accommodations.  She couldn't believe the sounds as she lead the way down Fifth Avenue.   The restaurant they ate at on Madison Avenue made her drool for more, and when she saw those tulips down the middle of Park Avenue, it made her bark with delight.  But the best part of the weekend was when they visited Central Park.    She threw herself down in exhaustion after exercising on the great lawn.   She never saw so many different breeds of dogs in a city:   Big ones, little ones, mutts, show dogs.   There was no end to the variety.   She even had the chance to sniff at Jeff Koons' puppy sculpture outside the Guggenheim.

Today, now that she's a little older, she lives a quieter life, but she still enjoys vibrant colors.   Much to Bart's amusement and Margarite's distress, Dottie took up painting of sorts.   When the opportunity arises, she sneaks into his workshop, puts a paint brush in her mouth, tips over a can of paint, dips the brush in, and starts dripping paint on the floor.   Dottie has become quite the artist.  Dutch is of the opinion her splattered paint is beginning to look a lot like a Jackson Pollack masterpiece.



    

Monday, April 13, 2020

Please meet Whittington P. Bearsford and his little friend Boo, two Cute Boyds bears.

Please meet Whittington P. Bearsford and his little friend, Boo, two cute Boyds bears.   Whittington, who has all his tags, is the larger of the two, stretching out to 16 inches, and very soft, and Boo is a petite 7 inches with a rougher coat under his little Halloween-themed sweater.  They make a great pair together and are quite inseparable. 

Whittington and Boo met several years ago at a swap meet in Fullerton, California near Cal State University.    At the time, Whittington was collecting old music albums and vintage toys, and Boo had an interest in classic guitars and model train sets.   There was always plenty to see and do there, all sorts of geegaws, from furniture to antique board games.   The food vendors were terrific -- from fancy foods like caviar crudites to cotton candy and corn dogs from Iowa.   It felt like the aisles of stuff went on forever.   It was surprising they ever made contact at all.

The first Sunday of every month, they both headed from their respective homes, located in totally opposite directions,  to see what bargains they could find among all those items.  Boo, being a littler shorter than the average ted, was at a bit of a disadvantage and sometimes had to push other bears out of the way to climb on top of  the tables to get a good look, while Whittington was more patient and would bide his time and strike up  conversations with  different dealers, figuring if he was on a first-name basis with the sellers, he might be able to get himself a good price.   Sometimes it worked, and sometimes not.

The October day they met, it turned out they were there for the same reason:   Picking out birthday presents for their significant others.    Whittington was hoping to find a classy rhinestone necklace for his girlfriend Rey, short for Audrey, while Boo was looking for the perfect hat for his beau Hortense, nicknamed Hoo.   Providentially, they arrived at the same booth at the exact same time.    Whittington spied a beautiful choker he thought Rey  would adore, and Boo found a felt cloche hat with a silk hatband and matching silk scarf which would suit Hoo.

As Boo watched Whittington examine the sparkly jewelry with a loupe, he couldn't help but notice how sharp the other bear was, asking all the right questions and negotiating to a good price.   And when Whittington observed Boo trying on the hat and scarf, he may have raised his one eyebrow just a little bit, but he admired Boo's fashion sense.

Boo caught Whittington's eye.  "I'm shopping for a birthday present for my honey," he shyly explained.

"Same here -- my girl's birthday is tonight," Whittington admitted.

"And we're going out for an elegant dinner this evening," said Boo.

"We are too," Whittington said.

"At the River Cafe," said Boo.

"I know it well.  Maybe I'll see you there," replied Whittington.

"Seven p.m. reservations?"

"Why, yes!"

"Name's Boo," said Boo, reaching out his paw.

"Whittington P. Bearsford.  Pleased to meet you."

And so, a friendship was born.  They discovered not only were their girlfriend's born on the same day, but the two bruins had the same taste in music, sports and politics.   Every year thereafter, they'd meet at the same vintage booth, pick something up for their mates, and wave to each other while eating at the same fancy restaurant, and their girlfriends would ooh and aah over each other's presents.   The two couples became close, eventually opening up a vintage Teddy bear clothing shop, Hoo-Rey's, on the main avenue in town.

If you should drive by in the evenings, you may see the two lady bears' heads together, discussing the most recent fashion trends while sorting the clothes, but in the back of the store, you'll find two Teddy bear best friends, one playing an old music record, the other playing along on his classic guitar.       



Friday, April 10, 2020

Please meet Elke, a Steiff Teddy bear hand puppet

Please meet Elke, a Steiff Teddy bear hand puppet.   She has no identification, but she swears she's a Steiff, and I believe her.   According to my research, she would be EAN (European Article Number)  0317,00 and was produced between 1959 and 1967 in West Germany.   She wears her original pink ribbon.  She's made of brown mohair.  Her head is excelsior stuffed, and she has glass eyes.  She is six inches tall and in excellent condition.

Elke has a very serious facial expression, but don't let that fool you.    She's one of the funniest bears you'll ever meet.   (How do Teddy bears cool their homes?   They turn on the bear conditioning!)   She's a very gregarious Ted, and she's always the life of the party.   She's like a magnet for attention.  She has a warm, wonderful laugh and is never afraid to tell an old joke. (What’s a teddy bears favorite pasta?: Tagliateddy!)

When times were tough and money was tight, Elke loved to have fun.  (What did the Teddy bear say when he was offered a second helping? “No thanks; I’m already stuffed!”)  Her family was a cheery bunch and would swap tall tales around the dinner table after noshing on bowls of berries and honey.   That's where she learned about life and was able to practice her silly routines.   Sometimes when she offered a new joke, the other bears would just shake their heads and sigh, but she was not discouraged.  (What's a Teddy bear's favorite drink?   Coca-Koala!)   Life was supposed to be an adventure, wasn't it?

It's not that Elke couldn't be serious.   She was a really good student and graduated school at the top of her class, but when giving her valedictorian speech, she couldn't help herself from throwing in a one-liner just for pure entertainment of the crowd.   (What do you call a Teddy bear with no teeth?  A gummy bear!)  

When she started her first job as a portrait photographer, she wouldn't ask her subject to say, "Cheese," but would get them to smile another way.   (How do you get a bear to stop charging?   Take away his credit cards!)   She works now as a photojournalist for a famous news organization, and she's very much in demand.    She has a sunny disposition, but she also knows there's benefits to doing a good job.   (Why did the Teddy bear get fired from his job?  Because he would only do the bear minimum.)

Sometimes when she's off on an assignment and it's been a long day, she gets in her car, heads for her hotel room, puts on her favorite movie, opens up a bag of popcorn,  and just sits back and relaxes.  (What doesn't a Teddy bear use a GPS?  They never lose their bearings!)   She calls home from time to time just to make everyone giggle.   (Why did the Teddy bear quit her second job?  Because she wanted koala-ty time with her family!)    

As far as relationships go, she's waiting for that special bruin to show up in her life, but for now with all the traveling she does, she's content to be on her own.   (Why did the two bears break up at the North Pole?   They were polar opposites!)   

She's looking forward to a bright future with lots of chuckles and chortles.  (What kind of car does a successful Teddy bear photojournalist drive?   A furrari!)  I think she's on her way.



 





Thursday, April 9, 2020

Please meet Daniel, a handsome Artist Teddy polar bear handcrafted by Carrousel bears by well-know Teddy bear experts and artists Terry and Doris Michaud in Chesaning, Michigan.   He's made of white mohair and is a limited edition bear, number 22 of only 100 made, and he wears a ribbon to prove it!   He has a pronounced hump and is solidly stuffed and very clean.   I believe he was made in the 1990s.   He is 14 inches tall, and is in excellent condition.

Daniel is slightly embarrassed when other bears refer to him as handsome.   Of course, when you're only one of one hundred polar bears in your clan, it does make you rather special, but Daniel has never thought of himself that way, though he does have his certificate on hand in case some black bear questions what he's doing in Michigan.    He knows there are other polar bears out there more deserving than him.

Polar bears love to travel, and Daniel is no exception.   When his friends ask him about his favorite place to visit, with no hesitation he mentions the White Chapel Memorial Cemetery in Troy, Michigan.   He can tell you all about the large marble statute of a polar bear erected in 1930 to honor the forgotten heroes of the Polar Bear Expedition during World War I.  

Near the end of the Great War, the local Army Regiment was sent to Archangel, Russia in September of 1918 to fight the Russian Army in an attempt to keep stockpiles of supplies from falling into enemy hands.   The commanders thought being from Michigan, they would be used to the cold, but Daniel knows even polar bears wouldn't like temperatures 40 degrees below zero.  The Russians had 45,000 troops compared to the American troops of only 5,000.  Even after the war was over in November 2018, they were in conflict with the Red Army and spent the coming winter there, fighting in deep snow.  Just like real polar bears, they had white coats so they wouldn't be seen too easily.  When they were finally recalled by President Wilson in July of 2019, more than 200 men had died on Russian soil and over 300 were wounded.   Until 1983, there were memorials held at the monument, but all the Polar Bears have passed away now.

Daniel knows he would be hard to find in the snow with his white fur.    He's quite comfortable in the cold, but he wouldn't want to go to war in Russia.   He is glad to he's learned about this little-known Allied intervention, and he hopes others will discover it, too.  

Sometimes Daniel sits below the memorial on a hot summer evening, thinking about the men from Michigan Polar Bears who suffered and died in Russia and lifts his frosty ice drink in a toast, proud to be a polar bear himself.


 


Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Please meet Doris, a Lovely Chad Valley Chiltern Hygenic Teddy Bear

Please meet Doris, a lovely Teddy bear made by Chad Valley Chiltern Hygenic Toy Company in England.  She has a green side label which was used for only a short time when Chad Valley acquired Chiltern in 1967.   Her mohair is thick and luxurious, so she was well cared for.   She is quite hard stuffed and has a nonworking squeaker, but wears her original orange ribbon.   She is about 14 inches tall and in excellent condition.

Doris is very pleased she was so treasured.   She grew up in a home on the outskirts of Birmingham where there was no central heating, so she could often be found in the kitchen near the old, hot Aga, while the children were doing their homework around the table.   She remembers many evenings when a cold wind was howling outside, but inside, the home was warm and cozy.   She loved the feeling of her toes being so warm and toasty.   She didn't like to put  her delicate paws on the cold stone floor, so she was carefully transported between rooms.

She was crafted in a factory in the West Midlands by the largest toy manufacturer in England at the time, and Doris wouldn't want to live anywhere else.   She has walked the Malvern Hills many times, with its breathtaking views over the Severn Valley.   Well, okay, she hasn't really WALKED, more like tagged along with friends who were kind enough to carry her up to the summit, but still, she feels a sense of accomplishment every time she reaches the top.   And who could blame her for wanting to cuddle up with a few companions in a fine local pub afterwards?  She loves being the center of attention. 

When summer came around, Doris would often travel to the southwest, staying in caravan parks on the Jurassic coast.   She was careful to avoid the direct sunlight and would wear a big floppy hat.   She wouldn't want to get sunburned, but she did so enjoy the sunshine.   Even when she stopped for an ice cream cornet (with a flake, of course) at her favorite treat shop, she was careful not to drip anything on her fur.

Doris always made sure to keep herself very clean, since too much dust can wreak havoc to a Teddy bear's coat.   One very light brushing a week and an occasional spritz with water has kept her mohair in beautiful shape.   She's seen plenty of bears from her generation  look ragged with age, but she wisely prefers to take care of herself.   You'll find be no wear on Doris' paws, and all her seams are pristine.  She's a very health-conscious bear.  Still, there have been a few times when she wished she threw caution to the wind and indulged in oat cakes slathered in honey or loads of strawberry jam on toast.

Ah, well, to each its own, she supposes.   Now that she's an older bear, she tries not to be too judgmental.   When she spies young bruins lying in the sun at the beach on their phones with ear buds in the furry ears listening to podcasts (whatever they are), she just smiles and waves.   New Teddy bears are just not what they used to be, but that's perfectly okay.

Before she climbs into her bed at night, if there's a little chill in the air in the north of England, Doris heats up the water on her old Aga and fills her little hot water bottle.   She often thinks about past times while she's settling in, getting comfy under her wool blanket.   She likes those toes nice and toasty. 


   

Tuesday, April 7, 2020

Please meet Priscilla, a Cherished Teddy bear from Enesco

Please meet Priscilla,  who was made for Enesco's Cherished Teddy line.   She is unjointed, and when she's in her preferred sitting position, she's about 9 inches tall.   She is very softly stuffed and is made of a short-pile tan plush.   She wears a pink ribbon on her head and has a little pink heart on her chest.  She would be a perfect companion to the young Teddy bear collector.

Priscilla learned early in life that some Teddy bears look down their nose at her.    Some of those fancy German bears that cost a bundle and have buttons in their ears, they are very proud their fur is made from the coat of an Angora goat or an Alpaca.   Then there's the antique Teddy bears with their excelsior stuffed bodies and time-worn felt paw pads.  They are well aware their long histories and provenances increase their value.  The Teddy bears carefully and lovingly crafted by artists are thrilled to have websites, magazines and Facebook pages where they are showcased and admired by people all over the world.   Even the collectible bears manufactured in the thousands are a bit conceited whenever they meet Priscilla.   They think she has very little value.   But she knows better.

Priscilla may not have the expensive pedigrees other bears have, but she's learned a lot in her life.   She first lived with a family where she was the best friend and confidante of a  little girl who dragged her around the house all day and whispered secrets into Priscilla's ears.   Priscilla gave all the cuddles she could and she felt she made a difference, but when the young lady entered her tweens, Priscilla was delegated to a shelf with the much more expensive Teddy bears in that very pink room and was occasionally dusted off by the housekeeper.  That's where Priscilla learned what the other Teddy bears  thought of her.   When the family eventually decided to move to a newer, bigger home in the countryside, Priscilla was part of the tag sale and had a sticker on her that simply said, "Free."   She was picked up several times, but no one seemed interested, but as luck would have it, at the very end of the day, a nice woman gathered her into her arms and promised she would take good care of her.

And she did.   Judy had a toy collection like no other Priscilla had ever seen before.   Her bear hug was composed of a dozen or so bears that Judy picked up at garage sales on the weekend that seemed destined to end up at the local charity shop.   But Judy loved bears, no matter what their background.   She was that kind of lady.

When Judy took the bears to a picnic lunch in the park, Priscilla couldn't help but notice how passersby smiled.   At the drive-through, Priscilla was sure the man handing Judy a coffee winked at her with a little grin.  Judy even took all the bears to choir practice one day, the bears sitting in the pew at the back of the church humming along with the music.   Priscilla thought the choir sounded best when Teddy bears were harmonizing.   When Judy's friend was not feeling well, Priscilla went with her for a visit and offered her a big bear hug.   The friend's mood lifted right away.

Priscilla makes sure when Judy comes home from work, all the bears are nice and neat and on their best behavior, which in ordinary circumstances would be a difficult job, but these bears are up to the task.   They all want Judy to come home to a warm loving home.

You see, Priscilla and the other bears have learned a good lesson:   That while it's nice to be important, it's even more important to be nice.     





Monday, April 6, 2020

Please meet Bern, a Hermann Original Teddy bear on wheels!






Please meet Bern, a Hermann Original Teddy bear on wheels!   He was made in West Germany, so he was manufactured before 1988, and is probably from the 1980s.   He is made of brown soft mohair and is attached to a metal frame with rubber wheels, so he can be pushed or pulled around.   He wears a little red plaid ribbon around his neck, and he has all of his tags.  He's about six inches tall and six inches long, so he's a nice compact size.

Bern loves being on wheels.   It makes his day seem to go so much faster.    When he sees other Teddy bears lumbering down a path in a park, he zooms past them at top speed, zigzagging left, right and then left again.   He goes so fast, he can't really make out what they're saying, but he's quite sure it's something like "Slow down there, little bear" or "There's a speed limit for a reason, ya know," or some such comment.

He admits he's a bit of a risk taker and he should slow down, but he loves to feel the wind in his fur on a warm spring day.   He especially enjoys going around a bend in the road when sometimes the wheels tilt just a little bit in the air.   He knows it looks dangerous, and he certainly wouldn't encourage young inexperienced bears to roll so fast and loose, but there's something about the thrill of careening down a sloping trail that makes his heart fill with joy.

It wasn't always that way.   He used to be pulled all over the place and left in the most inconvenient of places:  facing a wall, under a bed, stuck in the corner.   He was often tied to the back of a Radio Flyer.   Every time the wagon stopped, he would bump his nose on the back of the shiny red bumper.   One of the most precarious times he was attached to a toboggan, and by the end of the day he was buried so many times in the snowbank, he was sure his snout would never thaw out.  

There finally came a day when he was tired of being pulled this way and that.   As he tells it, it was late on a Saturday evening in May many years ago.  There was a soft light on in the TV room, and he heard what he thought was buzzing bees.   His curiosity piqued, he rolled slowly through the door, and there on the television was the Formula 1 Race in Monaco.   Watching the cars go through the old town, ripping around corners, with elevations up and down and through tunnels was the most exciting thing he had ever witnessed.   That was the moment when he realized what he needed to get himself out of the doldrums:  A new set of wheels -- and a steep hill.   He knew he would never let himself be pulled around again.

The very next day, he convinced the local Teddy bear repair shop to change his wheels to the latest and most aerodynamic style, and then he headed for a hilltop he spied not far from home.   As he stood at the crest for the first time, he knew he would be taking a chance.   What if he tumbled head over paws and his stuffing came out?    What if he lost a wheel?  Or a glass eye?  Or one of his claws became loose?   He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and started rolling.   When he got to the bottom of the hill, he was feeling, well, giddy with excitement.

Yes, there were tumbles and spills and lots of scuffs to his wheels over the years and little losses of fur here and there, but he just chalks that up to experience.   He may not have the speed of a Bugatti, but he's forging ahead through life at his own pace....whoooooooooosh.

Please meet Callie, an Artist Teddy bear by Sarah Farrell of Teat Time Teddies

Please meet Callie, an Artist Teddy bear created by Sarah Farrell of Tea Time Teddies in Grass Valley, California.  She was crafted in...