A Trip to Gatlinburg

Greetings Dear Readers! It has again been quite awhile since I wrote. I have been in the mountains of Gatlinburg and back again since my last post.

Myself and some of my dear companion friends accompanied our people to a cozy little cabin far up in the mountains.



We doll companions got a nice comfortable place all our own with a lovely mountain view. Most of us stayed there in our safe little cabin. Of course, as designated Travel Doll, I did not. I rode in a "fanny pack" on my person's side through many adventures. I even went horseback riding through a mountain trail, although I don't have pictures of that since cameras were not allowed.

I was able, however, to document other adventures. Some of which, I would rather have not tagged along for. This was one of them. We rode up the mountain in a little seat swinging high above the ground. I refused to peek out of my pouch for most of this trip.

The view from the top was quite spectacular, but I would have enjoyed it more if not for the worry of the trip down again in the little swinging seat. My person was not much comfort since she spent most of the trip clinging to the little seat herself for dear life with her eyes shut. It was her husband's idea to have this little outing. I was glad he didn't get anymore such ideas the rest of the trip.

We DROVE up into the mountains the next day. A MUCH preferable means of travel. We stopped and waded in a mountain stream.
I enjoyed some rock climbing....

And hanging about the water.

It was quite an adventure, but I was glad to return to our little home afterwards. After all, no matter where one may wander, there is no place like home.

Hitty Rowan

New Arrivals, New Hair, and New Dresses

Greetings Dear Readers. I am afraid I have no exciting adventures to report. However, I do have little things that are rather notable in the life of a doll to share.

We have (another) new arrival. This is Dolly. Unlike most of the companions here, Dolly came to us the conventional way...through the mail. Although her arrival was not particularly adventurous, she is a dear, sweet little thing and we are quite fond of her already. Dolly is a real...uhh....doll!


Ellswyth finally received a new dress and a new hair style...and color. We think it suits her quite well!

Sarah also received a new, very fancy dress for the most formal of occasions. At the moment, I can't think of any such occasions happening here, but for a young Victorian lady it doesn't hurt to be prepared for any circumstance. At least, that is what Miss Merriweather tells us. One never knows I suppose, although our person is busy making Sarah some play dresses, more likely to suit the happenings around here. But, we did think she looked positively lovely in her dress and our person rather likes to play "dress up" with us at times so Sarah will at least get to wear the dress some. Unlike some of our more...active....young ones here, Sarah does not mind playing dress up and tea parties. Miss Merriweather could not be more pleased!
Well, next week we really shall set out on an adventure and I will have more to write. But still, the little stuff of life is worth sharing sometimes too.

Hitty Rowan

April Updates

Well dear readers, time has flown by once again since my last update. So, let me waste not a moment more in telling you about the recent happenings in our world.



A few weekends ago we were "On the road again" to visit our person's father in Tennessee.



We happened to be near the Tennessee Aquarium and were fortunate enough to make a visit.



We saw all manner of interesting creatures!



Master H. even got up the nerve to feed some of the creatures in the uhhhh....aquatic petting zoo. He was braver than the rest of us!Unknown to us until we arrived home and started to unpack our luggage, a couple of stowaways hitched a ride home with us.

We tried to convince our little penguin friends to return to the aquarium and an environment more suitable to them, but they seemed to like our environment just fine. Oh well, the more the merrier. We also found Melody, a little pink bear, along the way on our journey. She was actually invited home with us....unlike our other new residents.

In other news, we have an older companion who our person FINALLY after 12 YEARS decided to take travelling in the future and to give a permanent place in our home to call her own. This is Sarah Crewe. Poor Sarah has bounced between our companion households for 12 years. She really always wanted to be a travel companion to our person, but our person thought her too fine and fragile to do so (even though she was actually MADE as a travel doll). We finally nudged our person to at least sit and visit with Sarah awhile and the two became quite fast friends. We only regret it took our person this long. Sarah, patient dear that she is, is just happy to finally be "discovered." Now Sarah is our permanent "desk" companion. She enjoys being with our person so much of the time as she catches up with friends on-line and even gets changed into her nightgown (which, we must add, our person never so much as even put on her until now) every night. Sarah will be accompanying us on outings in the future and finally allowed to become the travel doll she was actually made to be.

Now, as to other happenings. It has been raining quite a bit lately. Today the sun came out for a little while, but it was still too wet to go outside. Myself and a few other companions decided to at least look outside, even if we couldn't go outside.
We were sadly looking out at the place the old, old snowball bush used to stand. Master H. had to cut it down yesterday after it was killed in the ice storm a couple of months ago. Our person actually wept and could not watch as the bush was cut away. The bush was very old and quite large and full. It was also home to a family of mocking birds that have nested there for generations, according to the houses' previous owners (who lived here almost 70 years). Our person looked forward to seeing the Mocking birds and watching their babies grow up each summer. But, nothing could be done for the poor tree.

The strange thing was, we thought we heard other weeping just outside the back door as the bush was cut down. But, when we looked yesterday, we saw no-one outside the door. Another strange thing was that we washed some of our clothes yesterday and hung them out in the brief sunshine to dry. When I went to fetch them in, one of Birdie's spring outfits was missing. We thought perhaps the wind had blown it away.

Today as we sat looking outside, we again thought we heard soft weeping. This time, when Mirabella opened the door, she saw a delicate little elf, dressed in Birdie's missing clothes, sitting and weeping on the porch steps! We all immediately invited her in.

She shyly and hesitently crept inside our house, looking around as if she had never been inside a home before. We were all quite astonished!

Eilonwy softly spoke to the dear little creature and she quickly ran to Eilonwy and took her hand, sensing a kindred spirit.

With some gentle questioning, our new guest told her story. Her name is Ellswyth. She is a little wood elf who lived inside the old snowball bush. This winter, as she huddled inside the trunk of the old bush for warmth, she could feel her old bush friend and home dying as the ice enclosed it. She knew not what to do. She had hoped to live there in the empty shell of the bush at least as long as she could, but when Master H. (not knowing the bush was home to an elf, of course), took down the bush, she was left without a home. Her clothes were badly damaged from the cruel winter and she was quite destitute, homeless, friendless, and left in rags. She had often peered in our window secretly and knew their were other elves and pixies living within. But, she was too shy to knock on our door and ask for help. She saw our clothes hanging out to dry yesterday and thought to only borrow one outfit until she could somehow find the means to make new clothes for herself. Today, after it rained and she huddled under the porch step for shelter, she could not help but weep in despair. She could not find another suitable bush to live in within our fence and did not want to leave our yard since she had lived here for so long.
I must admit, we were all near to tears when she finished her story. We immediately invited her to share our home. She smiled shyly and admitted it would be nice to have company of the human, elven, pixie, and fairy kind. We told our person of the poor dear's plight and her need for clothes. Birdie's clothes really don't fit the poor dear well, although Birdie didn't mind at all sharing her wardrobe with Ellswyth.

Our person let Ellswyth pick out some fabric for a new dress and is working on it as we speak.

We think the dress will suit our new friend quite nicely, and she is more than happy to have new friends, a new home, and new clothes!

So, that is what is happening in our world! Hardly a dull moment at all!

Hitty Rowan

A Not So Boring Day

Greeting Dear Readers. Today was a peaceful day. We were recovered from the ice storm and the weather was actually quite nice today. Mirabella was settling into our household very well. Master Allanon was having no luck so far in finding Mirabella's shire, but Mirabella didn't seem unhappy at all about that. Quite the opposite. We think the poor dear was getting more attention here than she did being an orphan in a great hall and was quite enjoying her new home.

Tottie and I were catching up on our travel journal.

Ms. Hickory and Lucy were baking cookies and bread.

Rosina Fayette was entertaining Lottie upstairs. Rosina Fayette enjoyed someone listening to her talk about herself nonstop and Lottie just enjoyed hearing someone talk constantly, no matter what the subject.

In the academy, the younger girls were doing art projects and enjoying a midday snack. All were happy and content.

Well, almost all. The older girls were neither happy nor content. They were.....BORED...the bane of pre-teen and teenage girls everywhere. They were hoping to go outside since the weather was so nice for a game of hopscotch or jumping rope or jacks. However, they were told they could not venture out due to the terrible mud left behind by the melting snow and ice. So, they gathered in Amberle's room to discuss their plight. They decided to send representatives to Miss Merriweather and Master Allanon to gather suggestions for entertainment, then vote on the most popular idea.
Merilwen asked Miss Merriweather for ideas. She didn't think "Do your homework or work on your samplers or read something educational" would be popular suggestions with the other girls. They certainly weren't popular ideas to her.
Amberle fared a little better with Master Allanon. He suggested the girls go visit Mirabella to help her feel more welcome in her new home. Mirabella was sitting in the window seat helping our person sew.

That sounded like a good idea, so off the older girls went, inviting Lily to join them on the way. Our person was doing laundry, not sewing at the moment, so the girls chatted with Mirabella about life in the Shire and about being a Hobbit. Then they discussed the not so exciting day. Mirabella had been hoping to go outside too.

She looked out the window to check the state of the yard for herself, only to report it was indeed very muddy.

The girls heard our person coming upstairs and decided to use the "We're bored, can we help you with anything (fun)?" routine. It worked. How could our person resist all their little smiling, hopeful faces?Our person just happened to have a "fudge kit" on hand and wondered if the girls would like to help make some fudge. That is exactly the kind of activity the girls had in mind.

Amberle opened the box as Marley and Claire read the directions.

Everyone was given a job to do.

Lucy would add the milk after our person cut up some cold butter and put in the bowl.Mirabella would add the chocolate chips.

The older girls would stir.

Merilwen and Betsy would add the walnuts.

And everyone would help eat the finished product!

Lucy went first.

The girls waited a minute while our person microwaved the butter and cream.

Mirabella poured in the chocolate chips.
Marley and Claire took turns stirring.

Amberle ended up adding the vanilla. Merilwen and Betsy poured in the walnuts.
And our person poured the fudge into the box. There would be enough for everyone in the house! The girls were a bit disappointed to find out the fudge had to chill two hours in the refrigerator before it would be ready to eat.
But then, our person reminded them of the most fun part ofmaking fudge....licking the bowl!!!
So, it was a not so boring day for the girls after all!

Hitty Rowan

An Unexpected Arrival

Greetings Dear Readers.

My story today begins with a dark and stormy night. Dark because all electricity had went out around our town and stormy due to a "historic" ice storm. Not all history is good.

Both persons and companions of our household looked outside as the snow and ice built up.

The ice coated trees and sent them crashing to the ground with terrible groans.

Our poor tall, proud holly tree was driven to the ground under the weight of the snow and eventually snapped in two. We were quite fond of the tree and very sad to see what became of it as the storm worsened.

In the midst of all this chaos, I heard a small knock on the door. My goodness, WHO could be out in this bitter cold. I opened the door and in came a shivering......child, although there was something strikingly different about her that made me wonder if she were completely human.

Around here we have fairies, pixies, Elves, humans and all sorts of creatures that make their way to our home so finding a not quite human child at our door was not surprising. What was suprising is that this child was out in the cold with no shoes and dressed in a summer party dress. I quickly drew her inside just as Master Allanon came to the door to see who had entered our home.

He studied her a minute in the candlelight before asking, "Why, what is a hobbit child doing wandering about on a night like this?"

Through her shivering, the poor child stammered out, "Mirabella Brandybuck at your service my Lord and Lady."

"Well, Mirabella Brandybuck, however did you end up at our door? There are no hobbits in this part of the world. However did you get here?" Allanon gently asked.

With that, poor Mirabella began to cry. Between sobs she told us her story. She lived somewhere in a small hobbit shire...she wasn't sure precisely where. Mirabella was an orphan who lived in a great hall (underground as most hobbit homes are) with several families. She said no one paid her much mind generally and she tended to wander about in search of adventure. It was summer festival in her world and everyone was celebrating. Mirabella felt rather left out and wandered off. She wandered further than intended and became lost in the forest. Night fell and she saw a pecular shining light. She approached it and suddenly found herself whisked through a portal...and lost in a snow storm. She saw the candlelights in our windows and our little companion faces peeking out. She thought our cottage looked rather nice and cozy and decided to knock on our door. At the end of her story she began to cry even more.

Our person had been searching for more candles by flashlight in the basement with her husband. She finally emerged and caught sight of the hobbit child. We could tell that she was immediately entranced with the child. Master Allanon explained the situation and said he would try to find out where Mirabella lived, but it could be very difficult since hobbit shires are extremely well hidden and difficult even for him to find. In the meanwhile, he suggested Mirabella stay with us. Our person was delighted, as was Mirabella. She immediately whisked Mirabella away.

Unfortunately, our people had to leave the next morning to seek warmth at relatives' house who had a fireplace. She tucked Mirabella into her bed and we companions kept the child company until our person returned.

With nothing to do but sit by a fire for several days, our person was able to make Mirabella some warmer clothes. Hobbits generally don't wear shoes, although out person has sent away for some to see if she likes them.

So, another new member to our household. Around here you just never know who will show up next.

Hitty Rowan