Grace visits San Francisco!

Hello! Mummy took me with her to San Francisco from 

July 26 - August 2, 2018.

I just loved it there! I don't feel the cold like Mummy does, so I didn't mind that it was only 12 C. Most mornings it was grey and thick with swirling fog. This is because right behind San Francisco there is desert, and this clashes with the hot air and the cold air to make fog.

I loved going on the bus to see the Painted Ladies. The hills are very steep. The Ladies are Victorian homes.

My favourite thing was the Golden Gate Bridge.

We could never see the top of it though.

Here it was really cold.

More of the bridge. We are on it a little way.

This was a sunny afternoon. It's much prettier in the sunshine.

One day we took the cable car and hopped off to see Lombard street, which is the world's most crooked street. It was very short.

Here are the switchbacks that the cars crawl down.

We loved Chinatown too. It was really interesting here.

San Francisco was a very neat place to visit. 

Celebrating the British Royal Wedding on May 19th, 2018!

May 19th, 2018 was an exciting day.

Prince Harry, Lady Diana's youngest son, was married to an American actress; Meghan Markle.

She is divorced so I hope their wedding will last for 70 years like Prince Harry's grandparents.

I made some special items for a doll tea, which I set up on the window seat in the living room. I used Samantha's table and chair set. I placed a paper doily on the table as I couldn't locate the tablecloth!

Alika was so excited to be chosen.

(due to her darker skin colour)

The tea sets don't match, but apparently that's the in thing!

The paper items which I printed came from this blog. They turned out so cute! I simply downsized them for the dolls.

I used my miniature teapot with the Queen's photo on it, which celebrated her 50th coronation event. It's the only Royal thing I had!

I made a fascinator hat for Nanea.

She was thrilled. 

I used part of a ribbon holder which had broken off, for the base; a round cardboard circle! I glued an oval shaped netting piece under the lace, and glued flowers and a lace butterfly on top. It was very easy to do.

I used a bobby pin to attach it to Nanea's hair.

What do you think of my background full of ancestor's photos? I finally put them up last year when a cousin from Australia came for a visit; I love to see them each day.

It was a very special event. I got up at 3 am to watch the wedding. Did you?

By Loretta Houben

Mini Grace in Ham Hill, Somerset

I never did finish writing about Grace's adventures in Europe. She had a grand time! 

(when I remembered to photograph her)

Here she is with me and Robert and our new friend, John Chant who lives in Stoke sub Hamdon, and who kindly drove us there, and to Ham Hill.

I had read somewhere that the standing stones were very old. Well, they are, but they were erected in 2000 for the Millennium celebration! I was rather upset when I heard that. I still haven't been to Stonehenge or Avebury, so I'd hoped to see an ancient site.

But this place was lovely. The stones are Ham stone; very old and rare. Many of Stoke's buildings are made out of this stone. A new excavation is taking place where some more Ham stone has been found. It's very valuable.

The most exciting thing about Ham Hill is the monument at the top. My ancestor, Alfred George Palmer, has his name inscribed on it! He's my paternal Grandma's first cousin. He died at age 21 on May 31, 1916 in the Battle of Jutland and is buried at sea. It was so thrilling to visit this memorial but it was very windy and shortly afterwards it began to pour.

Here I am beside a standing stone.

I really loved this place.

By Loretta Houben

Happy Canada Day!

Happy Canada Day!

Canada is 149 years old this year, 2016.

Next year is the Big Celebration for the 150th!

These photos were taken in 2005.

I can never dress up my dolls in Canadian clothes as I always sell them off their backs!

The is the entrance to Fort Langley BC.

This is where British Columbia was born, in 1858.

Loretta standing with one of her Chatty Cathy dolls in the old Fort yard.

A member of Fort Langley who wished to hold Chatty Cathy!

My parents with Chatty Cathy.

It was my Dad's 76th birthday.

Chatty Cathy inside the old store.

She is a prototype doll, made in 1960. She was the most common Chatty doll made.

She has lovely tan limbs which never fade, and blue decal eyes and blonde bobbed hair.

One of the original stores, built in the 1840's which for BC is very old.

A Chatty Cathy size cannon.

Mmm....a delicious cake!

One of the descendants of the Metis holding Chatty Cathy.

It was a fun outing.

By Loretta Houben