My Mother's Birthday, My Sister and the Peacock Princess!

Today, January 6, 2025, would be my mother's 108th birthday! Sadly, she's been gone from us, but happily into heaven since 2006, which is almost 19 years already.  It's hard to believe she's been gone that long, but one thing I've learned about the death of our loved ones, even though they are gone from us physically, I never really feel like they are gone from us in a spiritual sense. I don't mean that to be morbid or weird...but if you've lost someone very dear to you, you understand what I mean.  You feel their presence in so many little ways...sweet memories, things you do and say that make you stop and say, "I sound just like my mother!", sweet fragrances that remind you of the things she loved...the scent of lilacs, the welcoming aroma of an apple pie baking, or warm cookies fresh out of the oven...or perhaps the way you appreciate the beauty of a spring day with flowers blooming...or the sound of the autumn leaves crunching under your feet as you walk through the woods on a crisp fall day...or the joy of taking a walk through freshly fallen snow, bundled up and marching around and around as the snow gently falls on your face and makes your cheeks rosy and your nose so cold...These are just some of the ways I remember my Mama...these were things she loved, and when I've experienced any of these events or fragrances or sights I think of her and how she would've loved being there too.  And so today, on her birthday I want to honor her memory...and also share something else that we have in common...

Dorothea May Tedlie Mursch, January 6, 1917~May 7, 2006.

This picture was taken when she was 70! Yes, you can say it...she was beautiful, and she never looked her age! I used to brag about how young she looked and I would ask my friends to guess how old she was, and they'd always guess something at least 10 years younger than she was, and then I'd tell them how old she really was and they'd be amazed. My mother would get upset with me for telling her age, as that was not proper to do. But I was proud of how beautiful she was and I wanted to share that amazing information! LOL.

Here's a few links to other posts I've written about my mother:  (I share them here also for my own recollection of where to find these posts when I'm looking for them!)

Celebrating My Mom

 Link to some family memories of my mother

Link to "Remembering Mama"

The Pie Legacy

The Autograph Book and my life verse

So I've written all this to bring us to another facet of my mother's life that has trickled down into my own life...her love of dolls!  My mother had a beautiful collection of Madame Alexander dolls that she enjoyed displaying for people when they'd come to visit their home, many of whom came to also see my father's toy train collection. They both enjoyed their hobbies during their retirement years, and their love of these collections sort of rubbed off on me...not to the extent that they collected these things, but my appreciation of them stems from their interests.  Sadly, I cannot find a picture of my mother's doll collection. I know I have one somewhere, and when I do find it I will share it, but it's proving to be more challenging than I thought and I don't have to time to keep searching right now or this post will never get written today!     I found a picture! It's not the best, and I'm sure this was early in her collection because I know she had more dolls than this, but this will give you the idea:

What used to be "my sister's and my bedroom" in my parents' home became my mother's "Doll Room" and sewing room after we both got married and moved out.

HERE is a Link to the history of Madame Alexander Dolls

I was also given some Madame Alexander dolls as gifts throughout my childhood and later years. Here they are, because, yes, of course I've saved them all these years:

This is my first "Wendy" Madame Alexander doll. She is called "Wendy", because that is the design/face of this particular doll.  My grandparents gave me this doll when I was quite young, maybe 7 or 8 years old. She's 8" tall, and had several outfits, but is wearing the one I remember most. It also came with a white fur muff, but I think that is long gone. Sadly, this dolly is sitting in the china cabinet because her moveable/bend at the knee legs eventually came loose and fell apart. I still have them, and if I was smart I'd figure out how to fix them, but for now she is happy to sit among the china and crystal of the antique china cabinet. You will notice that she has red hair, which was significant for me as a redheaded child.

Somewhere along the line of life my mother gave me these next two dolls, which are also in the same "Wendy" face design, but they are dolls that represent different countries. This first one is Miss Scotland...

And this little red-headed lass is Miss Ireland. 

And I know you've seen this young lady before in some of my posts. This doll came from my mother's collection after she died. It's the only one that I wanted. Many of the others were given to other female members of our family, especially each of my mother's granddaughters and great-granddaughters. Any left over were sold in my family's estate.  But this one is special because she is the "Anne of Green Gables" doll, and I've told you many times that my mother named me for Anne because she always loved reading her story, and when my mother saw that I was a redhead, she said that my middle name would be "Anne" after Anne of Green Gables. So that is why I am named Pamela Anne with an "e", if you understand the significance of that "e" from Anne of Green Gables' stories. (click that link for more about this story)

And so now this all brings us to the next chapter of today's story. Yes, it is about my mother to celebrate her memory on her birthday, but it is also about her love and my "collection" of the Madame Alexander Dolls and it's further reach into my life today.  Many of you have seen the stories about my dollhouse, "Pamela's Victorian Cottage". If you click on the link in the right column of my blog page for Pamela's Victorian Cottage, you will find the whole history of it from the beginning.  Here's a link  to one special time when my sister Doris came to visit and we enjoyed "playing" together like little girls again...which is appropriate for this post, because my sister also shares the love of these Madame Alexander Dolls, and she is the amazing benefactor "Auntie from the City"

who keeps bringing new members to the family at Pamela's Victorian Cottage each year at Christmas! (these pictures are from 2023)

And this year is no different, even though my sister has been sick with a bad cold bug and couldn't come visit in person, she sent her sweet little gift by way of my sister in law last week when we met.  So here's the gift you've been waiting to see:

Isn't she beautiful?  Yes, this is a 2024 Hallmark Christmas ornament created with the Madame Alexander doll design.  Every year Hallmark comes out with a new Madame Alexander doll ornament, and my sister started giving me one each year for Christmas quite a few years ago. I think I just counted 11 of them, to be exact!  Some of you have asked me before where my "family" members came from for Pamela's Victorian Cottage, and now you know!  This particular doll is called "Peacock Princess", and so I had to look that up because I had no idea who she was. I don't have any little girls in my life who want to see all the princess movies or read all those stories, so I am out of the loop when it comes to Princesses.  

Here is a link to the Wikipedia info on the original Peacock Princess story.   

And this is the "AI overview:

"The "Peacock Princess" story, often originating from the Dai people of Yunnan Province, China, tells the tale of a beautiful princess who is often depicted as a magical peacock maiden, where a young prince falls in love with her, usually by encountering her while she is bathing in a lake; however, due to a trickster or evil force, the couple faces challenges, often including a separation where the princess must transform into a peacock to escape danger, ultimately reuniting with her prince and overcoming obstacles to live happily ever after."  According to the Wikipedia story, "The Dai people worship peacocks as being messengers of peace, kindness, love and beauty."

I looked up some other references to fairytale stories about the Peacock Princess, and some were good, and some tended to embrace a kind of woke and new age legend, and I was not too impressed with those.  So let's just enjoy our beautiful new addition to our family and make up our own story, shall we?

As always seems to be the case, right on Christmas day there is a wonderful mystery guest waiting at the front door...

Waiting around the corner of Pamela's Victorian Cottage is someone we've seen before...

Yes, the beautiful "Auntie from the City" has arrived, and as always she brings some exciting gifts for the little family at Pamela's Victorian Cottage...

But she is not alone...she has brought along some "Heavenly Messengers" to help out in presenting this wonderful "gift"...

Yes, our angel friends have flown in just for this very special occasion! 

They want to make sure that our special new visitor is welcomed with open arms...just like Mr. Snowman is ready and waiting with "open arms"!

Pretty soon the little Mama comes to the door, and is totally surprised to find this beautiful little girl dressed in a peacock blue coat and hat, and carrying a bag made of peacock feathers!

"Oh My Goodness!" She exclaims!  "Where did you come from?"

She looks to her left, and then to her right, and sees the little angels that she has become very familiar with over the years!  "Oh Dear! It looks like God has sent us another new little girl to live with us!"

Then she looks around the corner of the house and sees her sister, "The Auntie from the City", standing there with a big smile on her face!

"Oh Dear Sister, I should have known you would have something to do with this!"  "Well, let's don't just stand out here in the cold..."

"Let's go inside and meet all your new sisters, who are anxiously waiting to welcome you to the family!"

"Come on in and warm up with a cup of hot tea".

They are busily getting things ready to make you feel right at home...

And you are all welcome to come and enjoy our Christmas day with us!

There's plenty of food and gifts and love for everyone!

And for our beautiful little Miss Peacock Princess, there will always be a very happy ending for your story!  God has brought you to a home filled with love and laughter and the love of Jesus in every room.  And here we can all be His messengers of peace, kindness, love and beauty."

Galatians 5:22-23 

"22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 

23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law."

I hope you enjoyed this little story of the Peacock Princess finding her new home at 

Pamela's Victorian Cottage.  I think my mother would've loved this story and this sweet little doll, and this is a fitting tribute to her on her heavenly108th birthday.

And a special thanks to my sister Doris, the "Auntie from the City" who has made this sweet story possible.  

Oh! I almost forgot...there's one more little gift that she gave me for Christmas...this adorable little trinket dish:

Awwww, I love this, don't you?

Thank you, my sister Doris.

And thank you to our mother, who instilled us with this love of playing with dolls from the time we were little girls.

My sister Doris, our Mother Dorothea, and me, Mother's Day 2003

And Thank You, Jesus, for giving us the joy of living and loving!

Amen.

Wednesday Treasures From My Grandparents

So, here it is Wednesday again, and a time to share with you some of my special "treasures"...things that I've saved from childhood, or other collections of particular items of interest. And after last night's debate (did you stay up and watch it to the "bitter end"? I did....wow, what a brawl!) I thought we might need something pleasant and sweet to look at this morning to take our minds off of the craziness.

 I wasn't sure what it would be for this week, until I thought of something that I hadn't seen in a while and wanted to pull it out of it's box in the closet and enjoy it for a little while.

Yes, that is a set of bunk beds, doll bunk beds to be specific, made especially for me by my Grandpa Mursch when I was a little girl. (My paternal grandpa).

He was a skilled craftsman, and built other nice toys and things for his other grandchildren too. I believe my sister had a lovely high-chair for her dollies. I'm not sure if she still has it, as when our family moved to Florida from Pennsylvania back in the 1950's, we had to leave some things behind in storage at my uncle's farm, and I'm not sure we ever got everything back from there that we had left behind.

But somehow I managed to keep my doll bunk beds. And I've managed to keep them well over 60 years, through many moves in my own adulthood.  I never had a little girl to play with them, so that is probably why they are still in such great shape.  

(P.S. After getting ready to post this, I realized that those bookshelves behind the doll bed were also built by my grandpa!! They hold my collection of favorite old antique books. Another treasure!)

My grandfather doesn't get all the credit for this lovely set.

My grandmother also had a part in making it so nice and comfy for my dollies.

She made the lovely mattresses for the beds:

This is a closeup of the sweet little rosebud pattern on the mattresses:

This the underside, where she stitched them together with pink yarn:

Now doesn't my little "Sandra" doll look comfy and cozy? You met Sandra HERE last week. She was lovingly created for me by my maternal grandma Tedlie. Maybe my grandmas got together and collaborated on these special gifts...I really don't know, but I am happy I still have them!

The cover on the mattress above is an old embroidered pillowcase, made by my husband's grandma, 

"Nanny Martin".  I thought it was cute to use as a sheet over the mattress.  So it seems I've gotten all the grandmas in the act here today! LOL.

But I actually wanted to focus on the things that came from my paternal grandparents.

Here they are in a more casual moment. I loved seeing this photo of them. I'd never really seen them this "playful" together before . Kind of gave me a new insight into their relationship.

Here is another treasure from my grandma.

She loved tea and teacups just like me. Or maybe I liked them just like her...probably that is the way it was...anyway, she gave me this delicate rosebud teacup and saucer one year for either my birthday or Christmas.  Isn't it lovely?  The pattern is "June Bouquet", by Duchess Bone China, made in England. My grandma must have also loved roses and rosebuds, since that is the pattern on the little doll bed mattresses as well as on this teacup!

And here is another special little treasure from my grandparents:

This is a Madame Alexander doll, "Wendy",  and she is so lovely in her pretty gold taffeta gown and brown velvet jacket. She used to have a little white fur muff and hat to go with the outfit, but they are long gone. She is a bit worse for the wear. This is the kind of Madame Alexander doll that could bend her legs at the knees. However, her little legs came apart and are no longer connected. I'm sure they could be restored with proper rubber bands and someone who knows what they are doing. But for now she must stay seated in the pretty glass bowl in the china cabinet. You will notice that she has red hair. That was because I also had red hair. I've probably had her since I was about seven or eight years old.

(I just noticed that there is a photo bomber in this picture! Ha ha. That was unplanned! The china closet has a mirrored back)

And this is another special little doll, "Ginger". I'm sure many of you remember the Ginny dolls.

She is also well loved and rather worn, but at least she still has her legs! LOL. Again, another special gift from my grandparents when I was a young girl.

One year for my birthday I received a lovely Cinderella Watch. (The watch is long gone). This pretty little china doll came with the watch. She has had her shares of calamities as well. I had to glue her head back on when she fell and broke her neck. Actually her arms were also broken when she fell, and it appears she had to be glued back together at her waist. Poor Cinderella! I do hope her Prince will come and love her just the way she is! She has had a very difficult life. But look! She's still smiling! Perhaps that young man with the bagpipes standing next to her is making her happy.

He must be a true Prince!

One last special treasure for this day:

This sweet little white teapot and teacup and saucer belonged to my Grandma. I didn't receive it until after she had passed away.  I'm not sure if my sister and I used this little set when we visited our Grandma as little girls. I do remember having a tea party on her front porch many, many years ago when we all still lived in Pennsylvania. Maybe my sister remembers better than I do. My memories from that far back are very fuzzy since I was still such a little girl.

The picture of the little girl having her breakfast with her Teddy Bear is a card that I found one time many years ago and loved it so much that I bought it and have kept it. I guess I like to pretend that was me once upon a time.

I hope you enjoyed this little walk back through my childhood memories. I hope to be sharing more about this particular Grandma in the next few months. She is the one I am focusing my genealogical research on since she was adopted as an infant. Her 125th birthday is coming up in December, and I am hoping to have a more complete story to tell about her by then. So stay tuned!

Here are some words of wisdom for those of us who are grandparents:

Deuteronomy 4:7-9

7.  "For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, 

as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him?

8.  And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day?

9.  Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life.

And teach them to your children and your grandchildren."

Also from Psalm 103:17-18

17.  "But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting

on those who fear Him,

And His righteousness to children's children,

18.  To such as keep his covenant,

and to those who remember His commandments to do them."

The most important gift we can give our grandchildren is to teach them about the God Who loves them...about Jesus our Savior Who gave His life for them so that they can have eternal life and life more abundant.  My grandparents were devout Christian people who lived their lives as good stewards of the gifts He had given them. They were always active in their church, actually were founding members of their church when they moved to Florida and there was no church nearby where they lived. They were not showy or demonstrative people, but lived a peaceful, thoughtful life and set a good example for their children and their grandchildren. I appreciate that "gift" of living humbly and honestly before God most of all.

Pamela's Victorian Cottage Fixer Upper Update #3

Welcome to the third episode of Pamela's Victorian Cottage Fixer Upper!  If you missed the first two episodes you can watch the reruns HERE and Here.  

As you can see above, our cottage is getting a more "welcoming look", and hopefully more curb appeal as we make new improvements every day.

I know I said I was going to try and do all of the furnishings and restoration without having to go out and purchase items.  However, I was stumped on how to create a realistic kitchen for such a tiny space.  The other day we were in Walmart, and I discovered this cute little "Calico Critters" kitchen for their dollhouse.  It appeared to be close enough to the size I needed, with all the little extra pots and pans, food, utensils...so I decided to go ahead and get it.

However, when I tried to put it all together and make it fit my very limited tiny kitchen space, it was a bit of a challenge.  Let me say one thing, do NOT buy this little kitchen for children 3 or 4 years of age. I cannot imagine them being able to maneuver the tiny items included in this set...my first thought was "choking hazard"...so I would not recommend for children that age. And it definitely needs adult assembly skills...although maybe someone younger than me would have been better. LOL. But, that being said, with a few minor adjustments to accommodate my little kitchen, I am now pleased with the results.  It's just too bad that the kitchen is so tiny that you really can't get into it to see everything.  That is why I put the little stove and sink on a small piece of wood and glued them on it, so I can slide it in and out to move the utensils around, etc.  The refrigerator is well stocked with food, but it is too hard to get to it to open it and show you...however, if you look at the picture on the box above, that is how it does look.  It really is cute...just too small for tiny children to play with without destroying it...

Since my kitchen is so tiny, and I really can't put anything on the wall that divides it from the living room, I decided to "add on" to the kitchen.    Basically, I took a picture from an old calendar, (one of John Sloane's "Country Seasons" beautifully illustrated calendars), and I re-worked and decoupaged the picture to a piece of cardboard to make it look like a kitchen/dining room wall in an old house.  This gave our room the desired wood stove, "window", china cabinet, etc., to make our house more homey.  I attached it into a little "shadow box", which right now is all made of cardboard, but eventually if I can get some help, it might become a little more stabilized with wood. I just love the more realistic look this gives our kitchen area...and it makes me smile...

Here's another view of the "added room", which does not have a roof...it is just an addition to brighten the kitchen corner...

Of course, I needed to cover the back side of that addition with something, so I took another page from the calendar and added this lovely back porch.   Wouldn't you just love to be sitting there on that porch with that darling little girl and her basket of lilacs?    I hope Mr. John Sloane doesn't mind me using my old calendars this way.  I always save these calendars because they have such beautiful pictures, and I figure this is a better way to use it than to just have it taking up space in my cupboard...

Okay, so back inside the house I've been pretty busy this week.  I just added this beautiful old crochet doily that looks like a patchwork quilt to become the carpet in the upstairs bedroom.  It is predominately blues and pinks and some greens and yellows, and makes that room look more warm and homey, don't you think?  All the children are playing upstairs today...but that little boy is still praying.  I think he's praying for a little brother.  At least he has a toy train and red tractor and a stuffed duck to play with.

Mother is downstairs wondering where all the children are. It must be time for supper.  You might notice some added furnishings here too.  We went to the Dollar Tree and I couldn't believe the cute little furnishings they had for a dollar!  The little green chairs came in a set with another little table, but they were bright pink and bright purple.  I decided to paint them this pretty apple green, which goes better in this room, don't you think?  Also, you will see a bench under the window in the back. It was actually a taller table, but I shortened the legs, made a cushion for the top, and now it is a bench for seating.  The little chest of drawers is really cute, and it is made out of wood. I need to paint it but haven't decided yet what color.  I also added a fireplace around the ceramic tiles. It is made from a Kleenex box.  Amazing what you can do with a little ingenuity, scissors, and Elmer's Glue!  I also "framed" a picture above the fireplace. The frame is made from the same cardboard as the fireplace.

The clock on the wall is the face of an old watch that no longer works...

Let's go back upstairs and check on the children.  These two little girls are playing in the garret...

And the other little girls are watching their bigger sister trying on her hat and makeup.
I love to see the imaginations of children at play, don't you?

Speaking of which...Here's yours truly, using her imagination and trying to figure out how to put something else together. Hubby took this picture without my knowledge...

But here he got my attention. I don't really like this picture of me, but it does show you the real me hard at work...and you can see that our dining room table has become a "craft table".  I have to figure out how to get it all cleaned off before Sunday, as our kids will all be here for dinner after church to celebrate our youngest son's 42nd birthday! 

So, I'm trying to get as much done now before I have to move this off the table. I do have a plan for where to put it, but it won't be quite as convenient to work on it when I have to move it ...This program now reminds me of another of my favorite DIY shows, "Texas Flip and Move"...where the "flippers" purchase an old house at an auction and have to move it to their lot to renovate it, and then buyers come to an auction to purchase it, and they have to move it again to their own lot.  Wow! That's a lot of flipping and moving...but that is exactly what I am doing...except...there will not be an auction to sell this house when I am finished with all the work of restoring and renovating it.  At least not in my lifetime as far as I am concerned...

Thank you for visiting today!  Please stay tuned for more home improvement tips on the next episode of "Pamela's Victorian Cottage Fixer Upper".   Until then...why not get in touch with your "inner child" and enjoy doing something fun and creative?  I am finding this to be a wonderful challenge to my brain.  I'm trying hard not to become too obsessed with this "hobby", but I am having fun in the process.

"Then Jesus called a little child to Him and said, 

'Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted 

and become as little children, 

you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child 

is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

Matthew 18:2-4

Oh, I almost forgot!
Happy St. Patrick's Day tomorrow!
I should have decorated this house with some shamrocks and everyone should be wearing green...
so let's just pretend they are, okay?
Maybe next year they will be ready to celebrate the day.
I just put my corned beef brisket into the crock pot to cook.
Tomorrow we will be also having a pot roast with potatoes and carrots to add to the corned beef and cabbage.
We will be celebrating our youngest son's 42nd birthday after church, and he requested the pot roast...so that's what will be cooking! 
Hope your day is filled with much joy,
and may you find that lovely pot o' gold at the end of the rainbow!

(If you find it, you have to share it with me! LOL)