Oh, she's beautiful.

Our doll Judy looked like she had a skin disease. Joan and I would put band aids over the holes in her skin when the sawdust started leaking.

I don't remember the names of your dolls. I think we only ever had generic dolls as I'm too old for the Barbie's. I had a "bride" doll but mom made her wedding gown and trousseau and I had another baby doll that wet it's diaper and mom made her layette as well. Maybe she bought the dolls at a second hand store and then made all their clothes? I don't know.

I was such a tom boy, it wasn't unusual for Santa to bring me a doll and a cap gun for Christmas

Me too about the tomboy.
I think I only ever had about 4 dolls.

But the use of sawdust for stuffing is something I'd forgotten till it was mentioned.

me too Sharon, I hadn't thought of Judy for years. Good memories

Yup. Sparkle Plenty was named and designed from the comic strip, Dick Tracy. She was the little girl in it. Maybe Dick Tracy's baby girl.

Wow. Sawdust.

Loved, loved, loved this article! Thanks for sharing even more about wood artistry. I suppose I've mentioned that my Dad is a retired carpenter, and he had an awesome workshop as well. I was chuckling at the shop vac... gotta have a good vacuum! Dad eventually had vacuum hoses that hung from the ceiling that he would use to get the sawdust up. He built us all lots of things, my most precious is a cradle that he built for my son when he was born (of course I asked him to build it, and he did!). My son is 30 now, and that cradle has cradled all of the grandchildren and great grandchildren that came after my son. It lives at my Mom & Dad's house now... waiting for the next great, or great great grandchild. I have a cutting board that Dad made for me with all different kinds of woods layered... when he gave it to me there was even a 'legend' that told what each wood was. I love it. Dad is also a perfectionist, Vic... no nails. Glued, pegged, and sometimes screwed together. In the house I grew up in (which Mom & Dad built) we had pegged hardwood floors throughout all of our bedrooms. Your article has sparked many happy memories, thank you both Sharon and Vic for bringing it to us!

So good to hear from another tree/wood lover, Brenda.

Nice article! Thank you, Sharon, Vic and Hank. The pictures bring the words to life. My hubby works with wood, but doesn't start with trees and logs. He recently built an oak Shaker style coffee table. All of the cupboards in our house were built by us. Yep, I'm the cabinet makers helper. Hubby has built several sets of cabinets for other people. I agree, some of the tools are incredibly noisy, and his hearing has suffered. Mine too, but not to the same extent as I haven't spent so many hours working with them.

Oh Brenda, now your story brings tears to my eyes - happy memory tears Thank you for you kinds words.

I'm so glad you enjoyed the article Mary. Please post photo's of what your hubby has made. I would love to see them.

Mary, I'd love to see a picture of that coffee table.

Nice article Sharon and Vic.

Karen

Thank you Karen

Thanks from me too, Karen.

I keep getting attracted to the title of this, "Trees, hearts and bones"!

What a great title, not just for the article but also for this thread. It says it all.
Ya'll sure have shared a lot of feelings, offered lots of input. I like it!

Shoe

Translates into Caring and Strength.
About a lot of things.

We all seem to have a lot of both.
I appreciate you, Shoe, you put me onto this train of thought.

The title picks up those people along the way who fit the words.

"The title picks up those people along the way who fit the words."

Oh yeh...like a magnet! We're magnetized with this topic! And mesmerized!

:>)

I'm thanking Sharon, Vic, Hank, Shoe & the Trees for this heartwarming article. Sharon for writing it. Hank & Vic for lovingly tending the trees & showcasing their beauty in all their forms. Shoe for being the catalyst sparking Sharon in this article. And the Trees for all the reasons and then some.

Thank you.

Ann - bless your heart - thank you so much.

I can't even imagine what life would be like without trees. I know there are parts of the world that don't have trees and they use other materials to build with, mud, ice and son on.
I am so thankful for all the trees around me.
I have my grandmothers cedar chest, a little maple slipper rocker that was given to my mom when I was born and wonderful maple rocking chair my parents gave me before my first child was born. Each are treasures to me. I love the feel of piece when I touch them.
We also have a number of the Native American flutes Cliff makes from fallen trees, old wood from other structures and left over scraps from other peoples projects. He has such a love for each piece of wood and he loves to see the grain & color of the wood come to life as he works.

Haiti is a great example of what life would be like without trees -- theirs have all been harvested, and that's part of why the hurricanes are so devastating to Haiti and not as rough on the little country that shares that island with them (Dominican Republic?) that still has plenty of trees.

That's what I've been told, anyway.