It's been a busy old week for us in the ColdhamCuddlies Shop (www.COLDHAMCUDDLIES.etsy.com) and as official Mascot for the enterprise, it's been decided that I'm the one to do this post this week.
It's shorter than usual - Isobel is headed for the Helper's Party being thrown for all those who assist the Clergy at St. Barnabas Cathedral, Nottingham, and as one of the regular Readers, she's been included in the mass invitation. Clare, Alan and GrandsonE are also included, and it's the sort of occasion that goes on as long as it goes on.......until the last man/woman decides it's time to go home and resume "normal" life. So, this is being drafted on Saturday, and will be posted when Isobel returns to our Flat "on the day".
It's shorter than usual - Isobel is headed for the Helper's Party being thrown for all those who assist the Clergy at St. Barnabas Cathedral, Nottingham, and as one of the regular Readers, she's been included in the mass invitation. Clare, Alan and GrandsonE are also included, and it's the sort of occasion that goes on as long as it goes on.......until the last man/woman decides it's time to go home and resume "normal" life. So, this is being drafted on Saturday, and will be posted when Isobel returns to our Flat "on the day".
Early in the week, we checked our Etsy Accounts page to find that payment for the Black Plush Baby Rabbit ordered at the beginning of last week-end by MrAP from Neumacher, Aberdeen, Scotland was en route to the Shop's bank account in the UK. So having established which one of these four Baby Bunnies was the one destined to make the journey -
Isobel packed up the selected Toy, wrapped it up and carried out her usual administrative tasks associated with sending a Coldham Cuddly to meet his Forever Friend.
This time, MrAP chose an all Black Baby Rabbit (the one between the white-chested Baby Rabbit and the one with an orange ribbon around his neck) - which can be difficult to differentiate when we are placed close together for the purposes of a Farewell ceremonial photograph. (You can just see him appearing over my right shoulder).
We also established that the said Forever Friend is a Baby (many of our Baby Toys do actually find themselves as gifts to adults, you know!), the usual Farewell Ceremony took place before the wrapped Baby Rabbit disappeared into the polythene postal envelope in which our departing friends make their journeys - globally quite often, but this time as far as Scotland, UK.
Then, excitingly, on Thursday afternoon, we received an enquiry regarding possible restorative therapy for a damaged Puffin Toy, the much-treasured companion for a young boy called NR, living with his family in Rhode Island, New York, USA. DadR had contacted one of the members of an Etsy Team for which Isobel is a Leader, and as the lady herself could not assist him, she introduced DadR to Isobel. Alas, the Puffin had been involved in a "discussion" with a family friend's Dog, and had come off worst in the encounter. Puffin and NR have been very close companions, since NR's first birthday, and DadR was desperate to see if our Stuffed Animal Toy Restoration Clinic
(https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/79124185/stuffed-toy-animal-restoration?ref=shop_home_active_1) could accept Puffin as a Patient.
Some photographs were sent showing the extent of Puffin's injuries, one of which is shown below:
Some photographs were sent showing the extent of Puffin's injuries, one of which is shown below:
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DadR provided three pics, but these are the ones indicating the worst damage.
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The excited canine had torn poor Puffin and had a great time extracting the stuffing! By the look of the injuries, it seems a not insurmountable task, so Isobel said she'd like to have a go at meeting the challenge of restoring Puffin to his former look.
DadR gave us the following information when we last heard from him on Friday evening:
DadR gave us the following information when we last heard from him on Friday evening:
"We plan on taking Puffin to the post office in the morning, pack him with some travel treats, and say good-bye while he undertakes the trans-Atlantic journey from Rhode Island to Kirby in Ashfield. It will be a Puffin adventure worth telling for a generation."
We'll be able to give DadR a better idea of what will be involved when Puffin reaches us, but the main problem is likely to be finding the right matching fabric with which to undertake the necessary repairs. Permission has been granted for us to provide a blow-by-blow account of the treatment here in the blog as it proceeds, so we've got at least a couple of posts for you to look forward to in the not too distant future. As usual, day to day care of our prospective Patient will be left to me.
See you all again soon:
Your friend,
Cy Bear.
