Back in August of 2010 (on Marika’s birthday, in fact), I wrote a post inspired by Toy Story as well as a dream I had. Those two things led to my purchase of a couple of vintage Arco Gasoline Dolls of the World to replace those I’d been given as a child: Spain and England. I had six in all, and I’m not sure when they left my life, but dreaming about them left me feeling nostalgic.
During the apparently unending (thanks to misguided, willfully ignorant, dishonest, cynical, or callous humans–don’t get me started) pandemic, I decided to replace the other four dolls I’d once owned.
The boy doll in the photo below represents one of my characters in my work in progress. He’s currently spending time with me as my muse while I write two new chapters featuring him that are necessary because I’ve changed how the books are divided (three books now becoming what I think will be four? I’m not sure at this point) before I continue the saga that will be ongoing (but in a more positive and creative way) even longer than COVID. I’m eager to know how many books will actually come from the original book I wrote first in 1979-’80 (from stories that started in 1970 or ’71), then rewrote in 1988-’89, and now again in 2019-’20-’21-?. When I look at all those numbers, I get dizzy. When I think of all those words, I get fatigued in a giddy way.
From left to right, the dolls represent Colonial America, Sweden, Spain, MY LIFE’S WORK, Scotland, Holland, and England. There were more Arco dolls, and who knows, I may one day purchase France and Ireland even though I didn’t have them as a kid because they are relevant to characters in the Neverending Saga.
I hope you have a spark of creativity or a tiny bit of whimsy in every one of your days.
I loved going back and reading that old post. And i loved hump day happy. And it always makes me smile when I think of Dash’s hidden love of all things old lady. Thank you
Ha ha, Dash used to get the craziest answers!