Jennyarn

Saroya loves this new hat. But where did it come from?

Do you ever feel bombarded by media? I do. However you are, you should be different.
If you have light hair you should darken it, if you have dark hair you should lighten it.
Shyness is some crime against humanity and viewed with suspicion. Will I be socially
acceptable if I am thin, extroverted, and enjoy alcohol & caffeine, and baseball?

In grad school I took a series of psychological ‘tests’, many of them art-based since that’s what I was studying. I distinctly remember one of the statements from a personality inventory: does not respond favorably to anything that can be construed as a command. Hey! As much as I dislike tests and attempts to categorize people, I rather liked that result. It also suggested that I was out of step with the norms of the culture, probably a foreigner. Ha! I liked that one too.

Except guess what? Maybe propaganda is taking its toll. Maybe I’m becoming a conformist. Because here’s the thing: I want to think outside the box!

I tried a couple times, unsuccessfully, to get my sister Kim interested in Blythe dolls. And then one day, whilst speaking with her on the phone, I tried again. She was at her computer and saw many photos from eBay and Flickr. She admired one doll, then another. And then it happened: she saw her girl. There was a rush of excitement. She oohed & aahed, and couldn’t stop looking at photos of Cloud 9 Bowl. She phoned me all agog several times that day; Cloud 9 Bowl was all she could think of! What have I done?! She had even selected a name for her girl already!

What could I do? I had my heart set on Ebony. She was one of the least expensive Blythe dolls, and then a few weeks later when I was ready to give her a home, there were no Ebonys to be found! Now when Ebony infrequently shows up for sale, she is prohibitively expensive. I dreaded the thought of this happening with Cloud 9 Bowl. What did I get myself into?! I felt some sisterly obligation to ensure Kim would have her doll. I know, this would be her Christmas present!

Hello..?

Lilah Rae is patiently awaiting December when she can be extricated from the confines of her packaging. I took a peek at her; she is absolutely adorable. I confess to having some covetous thoughts of keeping her for myself! And now my sister will be visiting. And now it seems cruel to keep Lilah Rae shut up inside her box. I have decided to enact a little time traveling and conjure the spirit of Christmas in June.

Is there anybody out there?

There are comic book conventions a couple times a year. That’s what I gather; I’m
no expert. In fact, I’m not even much interested. I went to a comic book convention
anyway, despite the heat, despite a preference for some other activity. It was my
Dad who wanted to go, and I did not wish for him to go alone. I think it made his day.

On entering the giant hall I joked that we were not likely to see any Blythe
dolls there. He joked too, asking if there was a Blythe-from-outer-space doll.
And so we had our father/daughter outing, he examining the classics and me
trolling for ice cream.

I got to feeling glad that I’d agreed to go. My Dad’s health is very bad and his
life is not such that he is able to enjoy much leisure. This meant a lot to him.

We started heading in the direction of the doors to exit. I guess I stopped in
my tracks. My Dad wondered what on earth I found so enthralling, amidst
Darth Vadar figurines and such. He couldn’t imagine I’d be that mesmerized
by something there. And yet I was! Guess what I saw? Two Blythe dolls, in
their Blythe boxes, were perched amongst the miscellaneous gizmos. No way!

One was a tall box and that held an Ashton Drake Blythe. I was too dazed
to remember which one; I think it was Pinafore Purple. She looked enormous
compared with the other doll. Was the other doll a mini Blythe? I surmised
that it was. It didn’t seem right, although I had never put my Medieval Mood
and Hello Harvest boxes side by side. I am still new to the enchanting world
of Blythe dolls. But wait, a Natasha Moore mini-Blythe? Wait a minute…

The young fellow manning the booth explained that both Blythes were of similar
size, but that the boxes were quite different. (He also abashedly mentioned that
he knew more about Blythes than he ever dreamed he would). So that was Natasha
Moore! Without her overcoat and glasses she looked so different! And she looked so
petite next to Pinafore Purple, in their boxes anyway.

I had never seen Blythe dolls for sale in person. I never dreamed Natasha Moore
was so lovely! Her colorings were much more refined and subtle than the photos
I’d seen had captured.

My Dad said, “let’s get her!” I had to protest, but my protesting got me nowhere.
I suppose from a position of being spoiled rotten, they got me somewhere. My Dad
insisted, making light of my reasons against getting her, and he bought her for me.
I am still gasted with flabber. I mean, I am still flabbergasted! What a nice doll. What
an extremely nice Dad. He most certainly made my day. I’m calling her Giselle.