Monica has been asking for the dolls which we had started collecting for them long ago, so Rich went out to the trunks and brought in a couple of boxes of them. For some reason, the Peggy Nesbit boxes are there but not the dolls (Henry VIII with a broken foot and Ann Boleyn for one girl, Elizabeth 1 and Shakespeare for the other). Since I doubt someone stole them but left the boxes, we must have stashed the dolls somewhere else. There are many others, though. There are two Barbies, and I don't remember who had what, but Genevieve can actually play with one of these. The others are display, not play... there are two tall Chinese dolls, two Indian dolls from a Cherokee gift shop in Oklahoma, two Colonial dolls, two Pinocchios (with stretched string) from Italy, and two European costume dolls. (I think one is Polish, but don't ask me what the other is). We will let Monica remember which were hers this weekend.

There are also two Shirley Temple dolls, but unfortunately only one box. These are not originals, but are from the late 40s, for Rich's sister who died. They were never played with.

Also in the boxes, a Terry doll that belonged to me with the only remaining costume I had, a Girl Scout uniform, old style, with the beret. EBay? Garage sale? There are a couple of others, not paired, that Bernadette can have if she wants.

Finally, my heart sank when I discovered the bag of doll clothes, and later the doll, Scarlett O'Doyle. This was my aunt's 12th birthday present from my Mom. She was in her mid-20s, took a doll, put a wig of her own hair on it, and made all kinds of South'n belle clothing for it, by hand. There are ruffled pantalettes, and petticoats, a hoop skirt, many dresses including a summery ruffled one, hats to go with (the velvet curtain dress, for instance, and a picture hat, and the little Chinese hat to go with the kimono (I know, I know, but don't tell me)).

It's gorgeous. The clothes need ironing, but they're overall in good shape considering they're 60+ years old. My heart sank because my aunt asked for this doll a few years before she died, and I thought she'd lost her mind. I knew I'd remember if we had this doll (I don't remember even yet why we had it. Did my Mom take it? Did Patty give it to me for the girls to play with, not that we'd have allowed that?) so I insisted we didn't. I lied to my aunt! Now I have a dilemma. She had two daughters, one unmarried, the other with a son. I'm thinking of taking Scarlett to the unmarried one, who might eventually pass it on to her sister. The only girl in this whole foster-family is a toddler living in the South with her mother, with my nephew long separated from them. He never knew any of these people, and I can't see the doll being treated with any respect. My single cousin would probably treasure it (so would the one in Benicia, but I think we'll have to go with age here.)

Patty, wherever you are, please forgive me.