Wednesday 17 October 2012

Cleaning out the drawers.

     Sometimes, in a fit of enthusiasm, I decide to tidy the drawers out.  Yesterday was just such a day.  Worried about my daughter in law I didn't want to sit about (she is home again from hospital and her tests are clear I am relieved to say) so I set to and cleaned out the desk in the sitting room.

     It is a desk I am very fond of as it belonged to my sister and I inherited it when she died.   I tackled the stationery bit first, topping up envelopes,  buying new ones and paper clips, then sorting through various cards.   Then I went through the drawers and during the course of that I came across this lovely little doll.   I bought it in Lunenburg in Canada a few years ago.

     Lunenburg is on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia -such a pretty little port.   St. John's Church, which is made of wood, burnt down some years ago and has been rebuilt.   The enterprising citizens of the town have made various things to sell from the ruins of the old church, and one of them is this dear little doll.   Another one is a cross fashioned from the charred wood of the remains.  I just can't find it, otherwise I would have put that on too.

     But this little doll is a delight.  The label attached to her (she is made completely out of cotton) reads:

My name is Emily.

Heritage dolls like me were most likely made by grandmothers
in the early days of St John's church.

We were also called church dolls.   Little girls were allowed to carry us to church and if we were dropped while playing, we made no noise to disturb the service.

     (Those were the days.)

10 comments:

John Going Gently said...

am liking the header pat
I never liked that bloody hedgehog x

Heather said...

Good news about your daughter-in-law - a relief for you all.
That little doll is so sweet and such a good idea to keep little ones quiet during church services.

MorningAJ said...

In my sort out I keep finding things I'd like to have on show (like your doll) but not really sure how I'm going to go about it. It seems a shame to keep her in a drawer.

Tom Stephenson said...

Oo-er. I mentioned an 'Emily' tonight. Oh well. Give mine a thought before Sunday.

Cloudia said...

a sweet companion post to yesterday's!


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Hildred said...

Such as beautiful town. Almost thirty years ago I did a tour of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and P.E.I., researching lamb marketing, and was so enchanted with the beautiful old buildings and the 'sugar frosted' houses. I bought one of my grandchildren a lovely pewter christening cup at Mahone Bay. It is one of the memories that has stayed with me, so clearly.

Hildred said...

I am so pleased all is well with your DIL. Pat.

Rachel Phillips said...

I am glad the hedgehog has gone too.

Dave King said...

Interesting post. You remind me of a fire engine I had as a boy, made by our local firemen from burnt timbers of bombed out houses in the blitz. I was in hospital and every child there got a toy they'd made from the ruins.

Good new re your daughter-in-law. May it long continue.

The Weaver of Grass said...

What was wrong with mmy lovely little hedgehog, John? I thought you would like them as they eat slugs.
I think these dolls were made in the days when they thought children should be seen and not heard.

Thanks for calling.