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"Let's be cheerful"! We have no more right to steal the brightness out of the day for our own family than we have to steal the purse of a stranger. Let us be as careful that our homes are furnished with pleasant & happy thoughts as we are that the rugs are the right color and texture & the furniture comfortable and beautiful"! Laura Ingalls Wilder

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Holly Hobby and A.A. Milne



I mentioned that the breeze here has been chilly in the evening.  Crazy, irresponsible me for not seeing that a lightweight cotton dress and pinafore does not a cozy dolly make.  Poor Holly Hobby was positioned near a window where all night long she would silently shiver.  I'd find her smiling in the early morning sunlight, uncomplaining.  So, the white home spun vest that I knit to match the colorful one that keeps the bear cozy, now sports a clay apple button and keeps Holly Hobby cozy!  I'm pretty sure her smile will be even brighter tomorrow morning...




Everyone recognizes A.A. Milne for his endearing Winnie the Pooh.  But I get at least as much pleasure from his poetry for wee ones.  This is my 1924 edition of When We Were Very Young.  I had this on casette (I know, dating myself again) when my biggles were littles.  They would fall asleep to the lilting melody of Milne's humor in rhyme.

James James
Morrison Morrison
Weatherby George Dupree
Took great
Care of his Mother,
Though he was only three.
James James
Said to his Mother,
"Mother," he said, said he:
"You must never go down to the end of the town,
if you don't go down with me."

James James
Morrison's Mother
Put on a golden gown,
James James
Morrison's Mother
Drove to the end of the town.
James James
Morrison's Mother
Said to herself, said she"
"I can get right down to the end of the town and be
back in time for tea." ...  A.A. Milne

I don't want to tell you what happens when mother does not heed her young son's advice.  The end is quite shocking!

Joining Ginny's Yarn Along
Blessings, Debbie

44 comments:

  1. I have the exact same version of the book. So many favorite poems in there, read to children over and over when they were young.

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  2. Oh! Such a cliff hanger! Now I MUST find that poem to know the ending!!...
    I also wonder if I can find a copy of that book somewhere. My kids would love it too.
    Hugs!

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  3. Holly's vest is adorable and what a treasure in the book!

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  4. I used to recite that one and "They are changing guards at Buckingham Palace" to my mother every night when I was about 8. So wonderful. (I have the cassettes, from my childhood. Guess that dates me too!)

    I think Holly Hobby looks perfect in her homespun, home knitted vest.

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  5. I have not seen a Holly Hobby in years! Do they still make her? I remember sitting and drawing her on notebook paper [instead of doing math]. Cassettes? I still have a basket full of them and my children tease me!
    I love your book! A.A. Milne is one of my heroes along with Dr. Suess.xx

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  6. What a nostalgic post! I am going to start looking for that book!

    And in my childhood, there were no cassettes. Just those large and small flat round things with holes in the middle!

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  7. Adorable little sweater for Holly -- I am sure she appreciates it!

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  8. The suspense is killing me!! What happened to the mother??? LOL!

    LOVE the homespun vest for Holly!!! Beautiful, Debbie!! I know she appreciates it very much. I would love a bit of that cool breeze! blessings ~ tanna
    ps the productivity police will be pleased! ;) LOL!

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  9. I still have a box of cassettes full of stories saved from when my children were young. I also have some 8 tracks and those round flat things with the holes in the middle that Rebecca mentioned. (I do have something to play those records on so will keep those for awhile) Is there a way to transfer cassetes to CD's...must be

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  10. Sweet! Thanks for sharing the white version of the sweater. :) ~Lisa

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  11. Holly Hobby looks adorable! And the A.A. Milne poetry books are favorites around here too. (Why am I not surprised? ;-) One of our favorites: "Forgiven" about Alexander Beetle.

    So last night we watched one of Agatha Christie's Poirot mysteries on public television. How about you?

    Hugs...

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  12. glad to see some sweet whimsy--holly's vest is VERY pretty. my own little HH would likely be jealous!
    we never read a.a. milne when i was a child. my dad loved to read TO me, but couldn't stand milne for some reason. :( that's why i have FOUR kids i guess! never too late for second childhood!

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  13. Debbie, HH will be so much happier now. What a beautiful good deed you have done. I did lots of poetry with the kiddos as a Kindergarten teacher...much fun. It just feels good to read it out loud.

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  14. Holly looks very cozy and happy now, I had forgotten what a sweet face she has.
    So many of the childrens stories and poems of my childhood were horrid when I look back on them now...how funny that we had such fond feelings about many of them. xo

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  15. Very darling! Love that vintage Holly Hobbie - and cherish dear Milne and Pooh. I may have to use some of his poetry in my poetry workshop for my 3rd and 4th graders next spring. But, there is so much in the way of classic children's poetry that I love. tough to choose for recitation/dramatization purposes. Wish I had learned to knit - love fiber arts and textiles, but if I pursued all the arts that I love with abandon - there would be no time to accomplish any one of them well. Trying to trim the ranks this year for more focused creativity. We'll see how that works.
    Joy!
    Kathy

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  16. Oh I still have those cassette tapes and using them still.

    Oh Holly Hobby...had her as a girl and recently saw her on a melt kitchen tray, memories came flooding back.

    I need to see if I can find that book...would be fun with Benjamin and later grandchildren.

    Have an awesome day!!

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  17. Well now I'm curious. And you well know what that did to the cat. Will have to seek out that poem. Recently purchased We Go By Land, We Go By Sea by Milne but haven't read it yet. Been rereading some childhood favorites this summer. They make me feel lighthearted and young again.

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  18. Debbie heads to her book closet to pull down her copy of When We Were Very Young...

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  19. I'm going to have to look that up-we have the same book which was my DH's as a child.
    My daughter loved Holly Hobby. I'm glad yours didn't catch a little cold. She sure won't now!

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  20. Hi Debbie!
    Oh, Holly looks cozy now. I love her.
    We all receive blessings when we read the childlike words of great imaginations like Milne's. That's why I indulge in regular doses of Beverly Cleary. So sweet. So innocent.

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  21. Holy Horse!

    I loved Holly Hobby when I was little. They've brought her back, but it's just not the same as the one I remember. :-(

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  22. Now I have to dig out my copy, because I don't remember. Winnie the Pooh always makes me cry. My son who is 22 when he was small made maps of everything except they looked like the ones in the books.
    I am so glad you had Holly Hobby a warm sweater. She always has such a good attitude and didn't complain about the cold. She looks nice and toasty to me and I love how pretty the sweater is.
    Are you feeling better?

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  23. Debbie, I'm sorry...I forgot. No, I have never trimmed my girls wings. I have a rooster that escapes and take his girls for a stroll. We just catch [with a shrimp net!] him and the girls follow back to the coop. If you have a few that are continuing to get out, then yes, I would clip the wings.
    Beatrix hasn't layed any eggs yet. They should start laying in Sept. or Oct. I hope soon as laying pellet prices just went up in cost around here. They need to start earning their keep...I offer no free rides!xx

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  24. That basket is a treasure trove of adorable.
    I love antique books, they just feel better in your hands.

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  25. We love A.A. Milne. I remember Holly Hobby, but never had her visit my house.

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  26. The second vest is just a beautiful as the first! I'm sure Holly Hobby is thankful for the added layer!

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  27. I have that book and love it! And Holly Hobby looks very comfortable now in her cozy sweater. :)

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  28. I love the poems in that book. I also love your vests. I hope you are feeling better. B

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  29. What cute poetry! And, so good of you to take care of your dolly - who wants to grow up, anyway? Not me!

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  30. I love your Holly Hobby and the vest you knit for her! I love old books too! :)

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  31. I loved the poem! I Can't wait to read those books again when my little is ready. Holly Hobbie looks great! I had a doll like her as a child and vividly remember the day I left her in a Sears bathroom and she disappeared forever. Where ever you are Holly... I miss you! ;)

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  32. I have a book full of his poetry in my son's room and have been meaning to read it for ages. What a really great poem. And I am so glad that Holly Hobby is cozy now--she is so uncomplaining. I am glad someone was watching!

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  33. Oh Holly Hobby and A.A. Milne! Two of my favorites. I had a Holly Hobbie dress up outfit my mother sewed for my birthday one year. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

    Blessings, Elizabeth

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  34. I use to have Holly Hobby wall paper in my room and collected anything I could when I was a little girl! I sadly don't have anything I had collected. But I do have all my sweet memories of her. Thank you for taking me down memory lane. ((HUGS))

    Blessings and ((HUGS))!
    -Mary

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  35. What beautiful book!

    Greetings from Chile.

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  36. what treasures....I had a holly hobbie when I was young. Have you seen her books out now, "Toot and Puddle"? They are precious.

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  37. no fair - once again I am left out - where do get these books -- I've missed out indeed I believe! hugs

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  38. so happy that I stumbled upon your blog through Ginny. I've been enjoying "catching up" and reading your older posts!

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  39. Holly looks quite cute in her vest! =)

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  40. I love A.A. Milne's books. I have them all, but I cannot say that mine are vintage 1924. That is so cool! I still have my Holly Hobby doll somewhere. Yours looks so cute in her vest.

    Blessings!
    Deborah

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  41. My little Wren (doll), wants you to tell Holly, that she will be soo much comfier now. Because when her mama knitted her a shawl with a mother of pearl button, it made her heart swell and warmed her. She also thinks they need to get together and have tea!! Clarice

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  42. My adult kids want the "real Pooh" when requesting books for their children. (That's Milne, of course). They grew up on his works too.

    Sweet Holly Hobby.
    ~Jody

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  43. That is a very cute little doll outfit. Thanks for introducing me to this poetry book. It had never occurred to me to go looking for anything other than Pooh! This is my first time to your site. I found you at Small Things. I participate in the yarn-along too.

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  44. Oh, Holly Hobby's sweater is adorable! My oldest daughter bought me a vintage Holly Hobby doll for my birthday a few years back. Mine is dressed in the aqua blue tones. I absolutely LOVE Holly Hobby's sweet artwork. I have one of her books and a Christmas DVD of TOOt and PUddles, the adorable pigs. I read it to my grandkids often. They love it too! :) Very nice A.A. Milne book. What precious keepsakes you have!!!

    xoxo...Gloria

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