George Washington's
Rules of Civility
and Decent Behaviour

27th:   Tis ill manners to bid one more eminent than yourself be covered as well as not to do it to whom it's due.  Likewise, he that makes too much haste to put on his hat does not well, yet he ought to put it on at the first,  or at the most the second time of being asked.  Now what is herein spoken, of qualification in behavior in saluting, ought to be observed in taking of place, and sitting down for ceremonies without bounds is troublesome.

Yesterday's Entries

2000: Laughing Sal
2001:  Orkney-Day 1
2002:  My Feng has Shui'd
2003:  Nice Weather for Dolphins

CURRENTLY READING

Trace
by Patricia Cornwell

EGO STUFF

I'm a proud

Sheila Video 1
    ("See Sheila Run")
Sheila Video 2
    ("Meet Barkley")
Sheila Video 3
    ("Play time")
Sheila Video 4
    ("The Green Monster")
Sheila Video 5
    ("Sheila's Tongue")

IT WAS BEARY, BEARY FUN

20 September 2004

Well, with all this talk of gloom and doom, and all the angst over discovering that I am classified as "elderly," by the psychiatrist for whom I work, I had to take some time today to be a little child-like (not childish, but child like).

We are coming to the end of the second round of books for the Altered Book group and we decided to do something different when Round 3 starts.  It's evolved into a complicated sort of project, but it should be fun.  It blends two different ideas.   One person suggested that she wanted to decorate a thing instead of a book.  She suggested a "Bendi doll" (something else I was unfamiliar with).  

In all honesty, I wasn't that thrilled by that, because I can't find a needle in a haystack and I feared that my own doll would look ridiculous. 

But then someone else suggested that we do a travel book, taking pictures of our doll-or-whatever in places where we live and then send the thing on with the book, so that at the end of the round, we will have a book with pictures of our doll taken in all the spots that are important to all the people on the list.

I still wasn't thrilled with doing a Bendi Doll, for whom I would have to create some sort of outfit or ensemble, but then Sharon said that she had built a bear at the Build-a-Bear Workshop and she would be sending her lavender bear, Charlotte instead of a Bendi doll, and my eyes lit up.

Last Christmas, when I was in San Francisco, I stumbled across the Build-a-Bear Workshop and it was only because I didn't have time that I didn't build a bear then and there.  It looked like great fun.  Whoever came up with this idea must be making a bazillion dollars because it's brilliant.

You go to the store, choose an empty bear body, fill it with stuffing, and then buy clothes for it, and take it home in a nice little traveling case.

Of course the bears are reasonably priced and the clothes are ridiculous, but are so cute that you can't just walk out with a bare bear.  You have to buy something to cover up the creation you've just made.

So, I checked the Internet and discovered that there was a Bear store in Sacramento and, now that Walt is home again and I have a car, I set off to Sacramento.

The first thing you do when you get inside is to choose your bear from among this huge selection.  I was going to do a traditional bear until I saw the Koala and then decided I had to make a Koala for myself.  But I was making two bears, so the second bear was a regular bear.
	After you've selected your bear, you take it to this guy and he helps you stuff it.  This was Mr. Personality and could easily make it as an actor (which he probably is, on the side).  He tries to talk you into buying a recorded message (I passed; it was an additional $8), but you get a free heart to imbed in your bear--and you have to rub it and send love and good thoughts with it. He makes quite a production out of it--I know that the kids who are making bears must eat it up.
This is my bear, Aussie (you have to name the darn things and I wasn't that swift on a moment's notice!). Note the price is only $12.  It's all the other stuff that ends up costing you a small fortune.
	Here are my two bears, in a basket, waiting to go shopping for clothes.   I forgot to take a picture of the racks and racks of bear clothes.
Then this friendly  girl helps you dress your bear, shows you how to make an nice birth certificate for it, and then claims your firstborn child in payment for all the fun stuff that you've bought for your bear (sorry, Jeri--you have to quit your teaching job and come live in a Bear Workshop in Sacramento now). Then she packs each bear in its own nice little traveling case, with windows in it so they can look out and see where they are going, and you're off for home. I wish I could show you the clothes for the gift bear, but I bought it for someone (someone not related to me, and not Peggy) who occasionally reads this journal and I don't want to spoil the surprise--but it's the cutest thing ever.  After it is delivered, I'll print a photo of it.

The Build-a-Bear Workshop holds bear stuffing parties for kids.   When I arrived, a group of kids was just leaving, having posed for their photo in front of this display.

So today I felt like a kid again and I had a great time making my bears, and especially shopping for clothes to dress them in.  I wasn't even 35 today.   I was about 10--and loving it!

I stopped at Michael's Craft Shop on the way home and indulged in far too many fun things for craft projects I'll probably never do, but I was still in that mentality of being age 10 and being carefree and looking ahead to playing with my new toys.

Website of the Day

Oh those wacky Germans.  A German TV station is going to start broadcasting the news in Klingon.

And please, please read this.  Funniest thing I've read in awhile.

PHOTO OF THE DAY

My "teddybears' picnic" page--
an appropriate choice of pages for today's entry!

 

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