Meanwhile, back at the Flagg's ....

When we last saw the Flagg's Patsy and Bucky were very busy. They didn't mean to be naughty. They were just curious and having fun, but Mrs. Flagg was not pleased and now they are having a time out on the stairs. Patsy is glad she has Bucky for a friend. A time out is not so bad when he is with her. She wishes she could have another orange.



















When the door bell rings Mrs. Flagg in in the living room cleaning up bread crumbs and orange peels. The carpet was such a sticky gooey mess that she had to send it out for cleaning and put a new one down. She likes the new one better though. It is very elegant, and all hand made.















"Mom, there's a guy at the door in a cool outfit," Patsy calls. "Maybe he's another delivery man." Bucky growls excitedly. He isn't afraid of this uniform.



















Mrs. Flagg is curious and worried to see a Mountie at her door. "Hello Officer," she says. "What can we do for you?"

"Well, Ma'am, I am here to investigate your missing person report. I believe you reported one Bob Flagg missing. Can you tell me when was the last time you saw him alive."

"What do you mean 'alive'? You can't possibly think Bob is not alive, can you? My sweet, dear, considerate husband. The best friend a woman could ask for and a wonderful father for Patsy. He just disappeared one day, and now you think he is dead!?!"

"Calm, down ma'am. I didn't say he was dead or that you had done away with him. Just the facts please. When did you last see him"?




















Before her mother can answer Patsy yells. "Mom, the delivery man is here again!" He is bringing us a person!"

What?!" says Mrs. Flagg. Then, "BOB!!! Bob, is it really you?"













"Betty!" shouts Mr. Flagg.

"Bob!!" cries Mrs. Flagg

They run to each other and embrace.

















































"Bob, I was so worried! I thought you were dead." says Mrs. Flagg. "Where have you been?"

"It's a long story," says Bob. "But I'm home now. I missed you."

"Hi Daddy," says Patsy. "

















"Patsy, my girl!" How are you?"

"I got a dog. His name is Bucky, and we ate the bread, and oranges and Mommy got mad." says Patsy as she hugs her daddy.





















"You mean the bread and oranges the my sister, Felicia, and I sent from California?" asks Mr. Flagg. "With the note saying I was coming home?"

"We didn't get the note." says Mrs. Flagg. "The delivery man lost it. I had no idea you were coming home."

"Well, ma'am," says the Mountie, "It looks like I have solved another case. If everything is fine here I will be on my way. Hey, delivery guy, can I get a ride with you?"

"Sure, hop on," says the delivery man, realizing there will be no tip, even though Bob was one of the heaviest deliveries he has done in years and it was mostly uphill on the bicycle.

















The Flags wave goodbye and call their thanks. Mrs. Flagg feels like she is in a dream. Mr. Flagg is happy to be off the bicycle seat. It wasn't very comfortable, and the delivery man grumbled and complained the whole time. Patsy wonders what her father brought her and if he has any more oranges. Bucky wonders who this new guy is and if he will have to guard Mrs. Flagg and Patsy from him. Bucky is a very good dog.

"Let's go in the house and open that lovely bottle of California wine to celebrate," says Mrs. Flagg. "Bob, I can't believe you are home."





















When the family is settled on the couch with the bottle of Rosé and a glass if milk for Patsy Mr. Flagg starts to tell his story. It is a long, long story, but it has a happy ending.
















Will we hear of Mr. Flagg's adventures in a future blog? We will have to wait and see.

Hugs,
Susan

Blossoms

I haven't been able to blog for a while, so until I get some new pictures to share I am posting pics from Daphne's and my adventure - our road trip south to find spring (and dollhouses).

We have been home just over a week now and spring has found us. I have blossoms on the trees in my back yard and leaf buds on the trees in the front. They are lovely.

All pictures shown here were taken in Washington, DC's tidal basin on Easter Monday. The temperature was 80+ degrees. We got there just in time to see the cherry blossoms before they disappeared.

Enjoy,

Hugs,

Susan

Time to go home - Let's pack the car

Daphne supervises the loading.

Can you believe we got them all in? And the luggage too!?

Daphne and her driver left the DC area with five dollhouses in the car.

Three Keystone types. a beautiful mid-seventies Lundby with all the furniture and a garage sale Plan toys (it had to be taken apart to get it in). See my previous posts for pictures

And ...

Believe it or not. they picked up two more on the way home.

Just between you and me - I am starting to think Daphne has a problem.

Hugs,

Susan

Lundy - mid 70's perfection

Guess what! One can find Craigslist treasures even on vacation!

This house was offered on Craigslist and even though Daphne is the wrong scale she felt it was important to bring it home too.

The house is from the mid-seventies and came with all the furniture, transformer and working lights.

The lady who was selling it had it as a child and must have loved it very much. It is in pristine condition. Again I will say - how can they part with these things? Lucky for me she did.

The people were purchased at a flea market along the road. Three are Lunby from about 2000, and the mom and dad are Caco - from a period when they tried to save money by putting really cheap clothes on them. The dogs came with the house.

I love everything about this house. Daphne and her friends had great fun setting it up. Then it had to be all packed up again for the car ride home.

Hugs,

Susan

Daphne needs to get a real estate license

Daphne has found another open house.

This lovely 1947 tudor style home is completely furnished.

Daphne takes a tour of the house and falls in love. She has to have it. There is a built in fireplace in the living room and even a cat who comes with the house.

Once again her traveling companion gets out her wallet. (where do I find a companion like that?)

And another house goes into the car. It's lucky Daphne is small. The car is very full and if she were any bigger she would have to ride on the roof.

Another one?!? Another open house???

Daphne has found a second Open House.

She loves the little benches at the front door even though one needs a repair. She's confident she can have it fixed.

She wonders what kind of party blew out the front window, but she doesn't let that deter her from looking the house over.

She's getting to be an old hand at this house business and she doesn't hesitate to ask the price.

$30.00? Well, it isn't quite as nice as the last house, but the benches at the front door have cinched the deal. Again Daphne's traveling companion gets out her wallet. And again the house goes into the car.
As soon as she can, Daphne puts her garage sale furniture in to the house, just to see how it looks.

The scales are a bit wonky, but Daphne knows there is better furniture at home and maybe more will show up in this adventure.

We will just have to wait and see.

Hugs

Susan

The open house

Daphne's adventures just keep on going.

Now she has found an Open House. It is a lovely little Cape Cod. Daphne learns that it was originally sold by a company called FAO Schwarz about 35 years ago.

What a beautiful little home, thinks Daphne as she has a look around.

I'm going to find out what the asking price is.

Daphne is so excited once she finds out.

They want $35.00. Daphne has no money of her own, but she is confident that her traveling companion has enough cash.

Yes, she is right. the deal is struck and into the car goes the house. Daphne is already furnishing the house in her head.

My, oh my. What else can happen?

More to come ...

Hugs,

Susan

Daphne goes garage sale-ing

Daphne finds a sweet little house at a garage sale.

"Is it for sale?" she asks excitedly.

"On, no," says the lady of the house. "My father built this for me. Then it was my daughter's. I could never sell it."

"I understand," Daphne says. "If it was mine I could never part with it either. Thank you so much for letting me have a tour of your charming little cottage. It is very cozy"

"I'm glad you stopped by," says the kind garage sale lady. "Your visit has been fun."

"By the way," she continues. "I do have some furniture for sale if you are interested."

"I like these very much," says Daphne, trying the couch. "And I like the little seal. I'll take him too."

Daphne has one last look around before leaving. She finds the roof of the house gives her a good vantage point.

Next ... Daphne finds more houses, and these ones are for sale. Yikes

Hugs,

Susan

Daphne's Spring Road Trip

As far as I know dolls don't get to go on many road trips, unless children are involved. But there are no children here and Daphne, a vintage Caco lady with somewhat unraveled legs, went on a long journey.

She did things that dolls don't often get to do, like visit Japanese temples, climb trees, tour a mansion, and view lovely vistas of the countryside.

The view from the rest stop was breathtaking, but there were many miles to go. Daphne and her companion were driving south to spring blossoms.

In the urban wilderness of the Nation's Capital, Daphne and her companion went for a walk. They were looking for blossoms.

Daphne climbed a tree a saw a beautiful mansion surrounded by lovely spring blossoms.

As she walked to it she delighted by the lovely grounds, especially the waterfall.

She was particularly taken with the beautiful and exotic orchids.

And she loved the Japanese temple. But all the walking and climbing made her tired, so she lay down for a little rest in a garden.


More of Daphne's adventure to come...

Hugs
Susan

p.s. the rest stop is in Pennsylvania. The mansion, blossom, and other items in the beautiful gardens are in Washington DC at Hillwood Museum and Gardens, the twenty-five acre estate that once belonged to Marjorie Merriweather Post, heir to the Post cereal fortune.