A Donation and a Purchase

Woke up to another sunny day today; and decided I might as well get my 'Barbie project' over and done with... I.e. get the dolls off to the charity shop. So I went off on a bus ride (+walk) 'across town' again (I think for the fourth time in a couple of months!). The shop I had decided on is run by the Salvation Army. They have a chain of 2nd hand shops all over the country and a generally good reputation. I had packed the dolls in a double paper bag, with an old bath towel wrapped around them inside for extra protection; and I left it with a shop assistant at the counter, explaining its content briefly: Barbie dolls from the 1960s, individually packed, each with a set of clothes. I think I saw a certain gleam in the assistant's eye when I said "1960s"... - and I added that I'd also left a note about that inside. (In fact I had added a brief note with each doll, stating that they're from the 1960s, not played with since then, and the home-made clothes also from the 60s, but recently washed.) So that was that... Whether my dolls end up with children or collectors, I hope they'll each make someone happy - and bring in some money for the Salvation Army's social work as well. 

As I mentioned in my previous post, I decided to keep two dolls though (one Barbie and one Skipper, plus some of all the clothes my mum made). That I think will be enough to save me from any regrets about giving the rest away!

After I had made my donation, I took a turn around the shop... Have to confess I still prefer buying new clothes - but I found a handbag (with shoulder strap) that I liked: "right size", dark red, and did not look like it had been used much... So I ended up also buying that before I left! (Telling myself that another time, I'll donate some other bags that turned out less useful purchases and were never much used by myself!)

 

It's Been A Sunny Week

 Photos from my walks this week - in between all my various spring clearing efforts...

 

 Cherry blossom in the park (Tuesday)

 

 

The leaves in the photo to the right belong to a horse chestnut tree

 

Pedal boats in the river. (The Bodhi statue looks surprised, because last summer they were"parked" in a different spot...)

 

 

Tulips in bloom now

 

More cherry blossom - across the street from my supermarket

 

 

Another park revisited today

 

 

Still some wood anemones in bloom in shady places (the nights have still been cold, and the days not really warm either, except in sunny spots protected from the wind)

 

..."Shadow Shot Sunday"...

Soooo much birch pollen this year...  Causing problems even for those who aren't normally all that sensitive, I think!  My own confirmed allergy is primarily to grass, and a fairly recent test said nothing about tree pollen - but that still doesn't stop me from reacting with asthma, occasional violent sneeze attacks amd itching eyes after having been out among them for a while... (And in spite of asthma and allergy meds.)

Spring Clearout Continued

 

On the estate where I live, the first Saturday in May (or one of the first, anyway), is traditonally dedicated to a general spring clearout, as we (tenants) then get our annual chance to get items collected that don't go in the normal household waste or recycling bins.

As I'd already been in clearout mode (or mood) all week, I kept at it. Besides various minor broken "tech stuff" that I'd been collecting since last spring (old cords and lightbulbs and such), I also got rid of for example two broken and faded old balcony parasols (replaced with new ones), a self-disintegrating plastic floormat that hasn't served any purpose for years (and never will again), and an electric iron with faulty cord. On top of that, I also said my final goodbye to the old laptop (recently replaced)... As it was visibly deformed (something within it having expanded) I trust it will go straight to "recycling" rather than anyone trying to "fix" it. (But I'd also deleted all personal stuff on it that I could think of.) 

With my first load of stuff today I was lucky and came out just as there was a small vehicle collecting things right at the corner of my building. I then made two further turns with my "wheelie bag" to the parking lot where the big trucks were parked.

With also having cleared out quite a lot of clothes from my wardrobes earlier in the week (to a special container), the week has been rather tiring. (While not walking very long distances, I think I've still been "on my feet" more than usual.) ... But also rather satisfying!

- - -

In the afternoon, I took a well-deserved break and as a complete contrast just sat in my TV chair watching (the later part of) the crowning ceremonies for King Charles III in London...

A lot of people "on their feet" in London too - and in the rain and all!
(Here, it was sunny.)

Wardrobe Clearout and Procrastination

 

I've been having a busy week... Can you guess what I've been up to? 

I'll give you some alternatives:

1/ I had a wardrobe clearout, and found I no longer fit into a lot of my clothes...

2/ I had a lot of laundry to do, and the washing machine shrunk every item...

3/ I felt a sudden urge to revert to childhood and play with dolls...

Actually, the correct answer is a sort of mix of the three ;-)

First, a collection container for clothes appeared in my neighbourhood. It's been a long time since that last happened, and there is also no charity shop within walking distance - which means that over the last few years (the pandemic especially), discarded items of clothing have just kept piling up in my basement storage room - or simply been left hanging in my wardrobes, in spite of not being used. So while that container was conveniently at hand, I decided to grab the opportunity to do a proper clear-out and get rid of quite a few items of clothing that no longer fit comfortably, or that I never seem to end up wearing anyway. So... I've been going for several walks to that container this week. (7-8 minutes or so from home.)

While being in clearing out mood anyway, I also decided to finally deal with a project that I've been procrastinating for ... hrm... 30 years or so... 

Back in 1992 (!), before my parents moved from my childhood home (well, where I lived between age 10-20), they asked my brother and me to come and go through old toys and stuff that had then (in my case) been sitting in their loft for a couple of decades already. Besides some books there wasn't much I was interested in keeping - but I did decide to also hold on to a big box containing my old Barbie dolls (3 Barbie, 2 Ken / Allan, 3 Skipper / Skooter) + all their clothes and paraphernalia... to go through more properly "some time"...

But of course that box just went into my storage room at the flat where I lived back then; and when I moved to the next flat (in 2008), it ended up in my present storage room... 

Now, finally - after 30 years (or 50+, depending on how you look at it!), I DID IT! I opened the box, said hello to hem all, went through their clothes - and "smelled" them... So put all the clothes (except a few items possibly to fragile, so had to handwash those) into three "laundry bags" for small items, and washed them (together with a big bath towel) on my laundry day this week.

And so I had A LOT of laundry (though very tiny!) to "sort out" and iron this week...

My intention was to look everything over, divide the clothes between the dolls, and prepare to give them away to some charity shop to be sold (individually). Handling all those little clothes, though... nearly all of them sewn by my mum... There are still so many memories attached! So I ended up deciding to keep two: One Barbie, and one Skipper doll. Not so much for the dolls as such, but to also hold on to some of those little clothes that my mum put so much work into making for them (i.e. for me)... (Mum liked sewing and knitting, and also made a lot of full-sized clothes - but I think she probably also really enjoyed making these tiny ones for the dolls.)  

After a rather intense week  of work and memories, I'm now done with the ironing, sorting and re-packing. Just remains to be seen if it will take me another twenty years to actually get at least six out of the eight off to one of those charity shops...!

3 x Barbie

Allan & Ken

Skooter and 2 x Skipper

These are the two I've decided to hold on to for "a bit longer"... The one to the left is my last Barbie doll - she's a bit special because she came with three different wigs. For me, the dark hair was always her "true identity", though ;-)  The blue dress she's wearing here (sewn by my mum) originally belonged to the blond Barbie, who was the first in my collection. (Possibly she arrived together with Ken, I can't quite remember.) The red-haired litle girl was my first Skipper. She originally had longer hair, but got a haircut at some point along the way... I called her Ann - I think inspired by the book Anne of Green Gables, which I read around the same time. At first I was thinking of keeping Skooter, who was the very last doll in the collection, and the only one with bendable legs... But once I got round to having them trying on clothes now, I realised that because Skooter's legs are of different material (not as hard and smooth), it's a hopeless struggle to get her into some of the clothes (especially trousers). So I decided on keeping Ann instead, who is much easier to dress. (Besides, we also do have more of personal relationship, I realised while we were getting re-acquainted...) My mum made that dress she is wearing in the photo as well. (And if you compare with the collage above, you can see that the other Skipper doll had the same kind of dress, just with red instead of blue. - Her name is Cecilia, because I had a classmate by that name who had long blond hair just like that!)

The wedding dress will go with the blond Barbie, I just had to take a photo first... (I just put the dress on top of her here for the photo - it's a more perfect fit in reality.) I also managed to make a crown for the veil, out of a kind of decorative 'stud' I found among my hobby stuff.

I have packed the ones "to go" now; but possibly there will be further modelling of old doll's clothes some time by the two that I'm keeping... They won't be going down into the storage room again. but will stay in a box in my bedroom. (A decorative one that I managed to empty of other things, for that purpose, so won't take up any "extra" space...)

Have you still got any old toys from your childhood?

Slow Progress

 

View from my kitchen window, Saturday

The month of May has arrived, but the progress of spring slowed down last week, and we still have rather chilly winds blowing this weekend. Yesterday was Valborgsmässoafton (Walpurgis Night) here (always 30 April), traditionally celebrated with bonfires and choirs to welcome spring - and the technical upper secondary school here arranging a sort of carnival parade through the city towards evening. With rather chilly winds blowing, I did not feel in the least tempted to be out and about at that time of day, though.

Today is 1st May = Labour Day and 'bank holiday' here, also traditionally celebrated with parades, but of more serious/political kind, and public speeches by politicians. I think there were also some activities in the park downtown for families with children. I did not feel tempted by any of that either, though. 

So I've had a mostly indoors weekend, with just some short walks in the immediate neighbourhood.

Lots of narcissi still in bloom in the old cemetery.

Today I've been emptying my old laptop of its remaining "personal" content. What I've not transferred to the new one I think I've got backed up on separate drives. (And if I've forgotten something, I suppose I shall just have to live with that!) My ambition this time is to try and get some things (photos and documents) a bit better organised... (And that goes for some physical drawers and shelves as well...) Remains to be seen how far I'll succeed!  

Next Saturday is also the one day a year here (on the housing estate where I live) that we have a chance to more conveniently get rid of certain kinds of bulky and/or hazardous waste, as they then come here with two large trucks to collect such items. (They don't drive round the whole street to collect though, we have to take the stuff to a parking lot where they will be parked for a couple of hours.) I usually try to take advantage of that possiblity to get rid of a few things one can't throw in the usual bins. 

I say "a few things" because I know that in reality it won't amount to more. But I'm kind of working with the motto "at least what gets done gets done" - or something like that... ;-)