Hello there everyone: just proving I'm still around, and giving Cy Bear a break from posting!
As our title implies, we had a definite change in routine this week. It's been a while since we had a Patient in the Stuffed Animal Restoration Clinic (Etsy Listing: 79124185). The therapy required - and provided - was not a major drain on resources (nor my time!) and it all began last Monday morning as I was returning home from getting my daily newspaper.
Just before reaching the front gate at The Hospital of St. John - my home for another 8 days - I heard my name being called and saw MrsNW - to whom erstwhile patients The Wagstaff Bears belong** - coming out of her front door on the Village Main Street with a large - very large - Dinosaur in her arms. Now a week or so ago, she'd told me that she would be bringing him around for a quick consultation, but time had gone by and frankly I'd forgotten about him. (I also thought he was a normal-sized Dinosaur!) However, she had espied me walking along on the other side of the road and asked me to give Dino an investigation. His head was drooping and he very evidently needed some extra stuffing. (**The Treatment of the Wagstaff Bears - there were three of them - were described in our posts dated 19/12, 28/12 and 31/12/2012 should anyone like to visit them on the blog.)
So, having handed him over - at the same time expressing concern that I might be worried who would see me carrying a very large Dinosaur along the village street! - we parted company with my promising her that his treatment would not take long.
You can see what I mean by Dino being a Big Chap! My circular dining table is a 3ft 6 ins one (108cms) and his nose and tail dropped off the edge on both sides. Apparently he had been acquired by one of her sons, BW, as a Fairground prize, and his neck had become somewhat floppy since his arrival in their home.
Homewards I went, hoping like made that I WOULD meet folks with such an unusual patient in my arms - and guess what, there wasn't a soul around for me to "advertise" the Clinic's services! Typical - because on a normal day, there are at least a couple of people who are prepared to pass the time of day with one.
Here you can see his problem. While it's OK to have a slightly floppy tail - which Dino did not have incidentally - it's another thing for a Dinosaur to be unable to hold his head up high!. So, it was out with the "Quic-unpic" and a speedy disection of the first available neck seam - without necessarily undoing the whole toy. Sometimes, the stitching is such that it can prove a real problem to cut the thread half way along a seam - but on this occasion that was not the case. The interlocking stitching used by industrial sewing machines may be good for keeping seams together, but are not meant to be cut in the middle!
Dino's existing stuffing was a mixture of polystyrene pellets - and you know just how much I loathe them - and polyester fibre - so making sure that not too many of the pellets took flight, I began to put some more polyester fibre into his neck. (Ideally, I'd like to have taken out his insides and re-stuffed him, but size alone decreed that this was not the time nor place). While doing so, it became obvious that the problem had begun because not enough stuffing had been provided around his shoulders, so a lot more stuffing was needed than had been evident to begin with. His front legs were very floppy as well - and certainly not capable of withstanding Dino's weight when still, let alone had he been required to walk, run or whatever gait his particular species might normally move with.
After about three-quarters of an hour's work, Dino was able to hold his head up high. A speedy telephone call resulted in MrsNW and son BW, together with an un-named friend, all coming round to collect him. After payment for services rendered, Dino was returned to BW's arms and off he went home with his young friends.
Here Dino is, proving that he can hold his head high once more - and that he has rather a nice, happy expression on his face as well. I did think of stuffing his feet too, but it quickly became apparent that the pattern did not call for that. His front limbs were obviously more wings than legs, so the limbs were left floppy!
Before leaving the Clinic, though, he was introduced to Cy Bear - who looks rather a small Bear in comparison.
Cy Bear's normal position is sitting down with a pillow behind him for comfort: but by leaning him against Dino and perching him on his feet, you can see how big the patient was! And the bed on which both are perched is a double one as well!
Relocation Update: there are now twelve cartons fully loaded with a mixture of books and household linen taking up the space in our living room, where the table you see in this post was previously located.
(When we purchased it nearly ten years' ago, Peter had it specially designed so that it could be folded and placed against a wall easily - which is what happened earlier in the week. I'm now pic-nicing, having my meals on a lap-tray!)
There are another two and a half shelves of books to pack (a further 16 cartons were delivered this morning) and by this time next week, I hope to have all the unbreakable items, including all the books, securely packed in them. (The daily timetable is that early each day, the boxes are made up and between 3-4 boxes at a time are packed - I'm not seeking to break any records. Then I get on with my normal daily routine, which now requires a lot more dusting of cupboards etc!!).
With the second armchair, a side table, a book case and a Persian rug all now safely ensconced with Philippa in High Wycombe, not only do I have somewhere comfortable to sit when I go to say with her - scheduled for the last week-end of this month! - but she will be able to use it when I'm not there too! It also means I've moved my chair over and given myself more working space for carton-packing.
(When working in a limited space, strategic decisions are required in order to achieve the final objective!! )
The filing cabinet is now empty - and I've shredded enough material to fill three large bin bags. The contents are destined as nesting material for my next-door neighbour's chickens. Two bags have already been delivered and the third will accompany me when I go round for a quick bite to eat at lunchtime on Tuesday (after my last Zumba session down here). Some of the files related to events as far back as 1992!
(I attended a Zumba class in Kirkby-in-Ashfield last year while staying with Clare for five weeks to celebrate her 40th birthday, and other family occasions, so expect I shall continue my weekly sessions once I've got my bearings in the new place.)
Another, last post from Heytesbury is planned before we all leave on August 11 - however, one never knows what may happen in the intervening 7 days. I plan to take photographs of the Cuddlies being prepared for their travels northwards, and maybe that could form the basis of the next installment.
Until then, or until the next time, Good night and Good Bye from both Cy Bear and myself. Isobel
Greetings Everyone: Cy Bear with you once more.
This seems to be developing nicely into a weekly blog post that Isobel manages to do on a Sunday afternoon, while we get ourselves organised for the upcoming translocation from Wiltshire to Nottinghamshire. In my last contribution, when we introduced Jasper Teddy Bear (Etsy Listing #197033773), I forgot to remind Isobel to put Update No.2 in the title. Perhaps, she'll get round to doing it when she's finished helping me this afternoon.
Towards the end of last week's post, I mentioned that all Coldham Cuddlies Teddies will henceforth have a tie, bow or other decoration around their necks. The five current Coldham Teddy Bears have now got their own ribbons, but it was decided I would not have one. All of their necks move around, and we thought it might help their Adoptive Friends if a bow is under their chins to begin with - to help decide which is the Bear Front and which the Bear Back. The way us Cuddlies can get treated - if Isobel didn't wrap us up well with tissue paper and bubblewrap - could mean that they arrived with the head in the wrong direction! (The reason I declined to be so adorned is purely because my head is firmly sewn on and doesn't move, and besides I don't like the feeling of being constricted in that area of my torso.)
Earlier today, Isobel went into the garden here at The Hospital of St. John and chose a conveniently placed bench which was also not too exposed to the bright sunlight we are currently experiencing hereabouts. It's been lovely but all the humans are saying it's a bit too hot in the middle of the day, so the photo shoot didn't last long, and Isobel wanted to get on with lots of other things too.
Unfortunately, she didn't realise that the skirt of one of her friends was in the picture too - but it's actually very appropriate that this lady does appear in this photograph. MrsEP is someone Isobel often visits and she is also a very valued critic of every Cuddly that has been made since the COLDHAMCUDDLIES were set up. She has extremely definite views as to what she likes - or doesn't, as the case may be - and her criticisms have been extremely helpful in the eventual outcome of how we all end up! She lives on her own, is nearly ninety years of age - so she knows what she is talking about - and actually has a Mummy Hedgehog (Etsy Listing #956533310) and a Baby Hedgehog (Etsy Listing #95653745) of her own. They sit on the back of her recliner chair, I am told.
Now, allow me to introduce each of my Teddy Bear Friends in turn - complete with their new neck gear. Some of the ribbons are a little long I think - so, too, does Isobel - but the detail is going to have to wait until we reach the other end, and a new toy-making and blogging routine is established. As I thought, the idea of a Teddy Bear Parade and photo-shoot appealed, because it was relatively quick and easy to do.
First in the line-up - going from left to right is Silvery Grey Bear (Etsy Listing #95205668) with his apricot coloured bow. As a normal rule, Teddy Bears in this family tend to be Boys - but there's no reason why they should not be Girls. So, perhaps the fact that Silvery Bear's ribbon tends towards the female colour spectrum may suggest a Girl could easily become his Special Friend sometime soon. His fur is incredibly silky to look at, as well as feel, and he always looks optimistic - whatever everyone else's mood might be!
The next to Silvery Bear is Jasper - about whom I wrote last week. He's settling in very well with the other Bears, but is a little apprehensive about this move of ours. Am sure it will all be all right, because it's the second time all of the Cuddlies have visited where we are going to live and they all came back safe and sound -except those who found their Forever Homes. They appeared at a MacMillan Cancer Coffee Morning in September 2013 at MrsPL's home. That now is at the bottom of Clare's garden, three doors away from where we are going to live. (Clare and Alan recently moved into what was MrsPL's house!)
Here is Happy Bear, who is made with the original Light Brown Faux Fur Isobel began making Teddy Bears with when COLDHAMCUDDLIES (www.Etsy.com/shop/COLDHAMCUDDLIES) first came into being in January 2010. (Well before I came on to the scene, too!) He's got a rather smart striped tie, with dots on it, in a nice brown and gold colour scheme. There have been several versions of Happy over the intervening period, and he also has a twin whom I call Grumpy Bear.
He's not really grumpy, but looks a lot more serious than Happy, and he too has a Yellow Ribbon around his neck, which Isobel hasn't really arranged in either a tie (like Happy has) nor a bow. Not sure why that's happened, but, as I said before, there are lot more important things for Isobel to think about at the moment, and such matters as arranging ties, bows etc for us Bears can wait! It's the starting LOOK we talking about here! Incidentally, another difference between Happy and Grumpy, is that the former does prefer to sit, whereas the latter can be persuaded to stand upright for sometime!
Then finally, but by no means the least, comes Goldie Bear (Etsy Listing #120705327) - named as such for pretty obvious reasons! His maroon bow looks the smartest of the lot of them, but I think could still do with a little bit of a trim. He looks (and actually is) a bit smaller than the rest of Family, as well as when he's measured against me. However, although the same pattern is used for all of us, the thickness of the fabric pile which each of Bear has been made from does vary - and results in some of us looking fatter than each other, as well as smaller, as is the case with Goldie.
Moving Saga developments: Part 3
The Bear Parade now being over, I'll just update you on this matter. I'm told that "the cartons" are being delivered tomorrow afternoon. This means that there's going to be even less room for Isobel to move around in throughout the flat, but she's come up with some strategies to cope with that problem. Meals are not going to be eaten at the dining table (which will be folded up and stored against the wall in the living room). The four chairs will be stacked against the wall and on each other, leaving a space in which cartons can be packed one at a time. She will use her cushion tray (whatever that is) to put her plates on until the move is over.
On Wednesday of this week, one recliner chair, a side table, a bookcase and the Persian Rug will all be picked up by The Van Man from Warminster and taken to Philippa's home in High Wycombe. That will give Isobel some more space in which to move (and fill with more packed cartons!). The initial idea was that ALL the packing would be undertaken by the removal firm. However, Isobel decided she would go "stir crazy" surrounded by books and things she could pack in her own time - and thus speed up the eventual departure of our goods and chattels on Moving Day - which is August 11, 2014.
Between now and Wednesday, there will be lots of shredding undertaken and the collection of books severely trimmed. There are apparently quite a large number that are simply out of date, Isobel has never used a recipe from a considerable collection of cookbooks, and so on. One of our friends from the village is coming round on Wednesday afternoon to give Isobel a lift to Warminster, where she will distribute some stuff at the dump and other books etc at the Barnado's Donation Depot. Rumour has it that that charity is "crying out" for books and Isobel would love it if someone can really use them when she cannot.
I'm exhausted just thinking about all this. So, to cut a long story short for this week, I'll end with a final picture of the Bear Gang - this time sitting on a comfortable leather chair in the sitting room of one of our near neighbours. MrsJB used to make lots and lots of Teddy Bears, and still has a considerable number arranged around her flat. I've never met them, but she had to stop doing them when her fingers got so badly affected with arthritis that she could no longer handle a needle and thread safely. She too has been a tremendous help to Isobel in critiquing us Cuddlies as we appeared on the scene, but she doesn't have quite as strong views as our other neighbour (referred to earlier in this post).
Until the next time - have a great week everyone. Your Friend, Cy Bear.
