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Mark Twain and Aunt Polly Courtney Dolls

Five dolls were produced in this Courtney doll set – Mark Twain, Aunt Polly, Becky Thatcher, Tom Sawyer, and Huckleberry Finn.

The Aunt Polly doll is about 5 1/2″ tall. She has a white apron and pantaloons.  Aunt Polly was the kind-hearted aunt and guardian of Tom Sawyer.

Courtney doll of Aunt Polly

The Mark Twain doll is about 6″ tall. He is wearing Twain’s typical white suit.

Mark Twain Courtney Doll

#marktwaindoll #auntpollydoll #collectibledolls #courtneydolls

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Celtic Knots




Celtic Knots are an ancient representation of depictions of life and human interactions.  They predate Christianity, but were influenced by Christianity around 450. Although artistic in nature, the knots are wide ranging symbols from motherhood to protection, balance, strength and harmony.  Some examples of Celtic knots include Motherhood, The Tree of Life, and the owl-like Serch Bythol:

#celticknots #celtic #motherhoodknot #treeoflife #serchbythol

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Announcing New Merch Store

I have a new merch store hosted by #Dashery called Numpdog Merch.

Numdog Merch is currently value priced, so check out the Books and Reading themed store category as well as my other fun categories.

Use the ‘Albums’ drop-down to see all store categories.

 

#booksandreading #regardingbooks #bookthemed #bookshirts #bookmerch

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Old Friends and Friends that Grow Old Together

It takes a long time to grow old friends.

Long-time friends are to be cherished. Like a pair of old intertwining vines, friends that grow old together are the best of friends.

It takes a long time to grow old friends. It Takes a Long Time to Grow Old Friends - Teepublic

 

Guy Clark is a sing-songwriter who perfectly describes how valuable old friends are. Just look at the lyrics of this Old Friends title song-track. The melody drives it home as well.

[Verse 1]
It’s like when you’re making conversation
And you’re trying not to scream
And you’re trying not to tell ’em
That you don’t care what they mean
And you’re really feeling fragile
And you really can’t get home
And you really feel abandoned
But you want to be alone

[Chorus]
Old friends, they shine like diamonds
Old friends, you can always call
Old friends, Lord, you can’t buy ’em
You know it’s old friends after all

[Verse 2]
And when the house is empty
And the light begins to fade
And there’s nothing to protect you
Except the window shade
And it’s hard to put your finger
On the thing that scares you most
And you can’t tell the difference
Between an angel and a ghost

[Chorus]
Old friends, they shine like diamonds
Old friends, you can always call
Old friends Lord, you can’t buy ’em
You know it’s old friends after all

#oldfriends #shinelikediamonds #friendships #friendsthatgrowoldtogether #bestfriends

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The Dickens Calendar

The Dickens Calendar 1896

Quotes from the British novelist and social critic, Charles John Huffam Dickens, became the subject of a series of calendars produced by Raphael Tuck & Sons. The company sold pictures, greeting cards, and later, post cards to which they are credited with contributing to the “postcard boom” of the late 1890s and early 1900s.

The first Dickens calendar was published in 1896. Each month page of the calendar illustrates a quote from Charles Dickens. The individual pages are secured on two rings through pre-punched holes.

The Dickens Calendar 1896

Dickens is also known for his iconic hairstyles as evidenced on the January page of the 1896 calendar.

#dickens #raphaeltuck #vintagecalendars #charlesdickens

 

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Original Steamboat Willie Now in Public Domain

In 1928, Walt Disney Studios produced a black and white cartoon short film called Steamboat Willie. The film is credited with being a first in synchronizing a cartoon with a fully produced sound track. Although Steamboat Willie was the third of the Mickey Mouse’s films, it was the first to be distributed. The plot of the short film has Mickey Mouse piloting a river paddle steamship. Other characters in the movie include, Minnie Mouse,  and Captain Pete.

Due to some inconsistencies in the original copyright formulation, this first Mickey Mouse film became public domain on January 1st of 2024.  The depiction of Mickey Mouse from the Steamboat Willie film is sure to be used on many print-on-demand items including t-shirts, mugs, pillows and more.

Ring in the New Year with a shirt, or other POD product, sporting the image of a cartoon character newly entered into the public domain!

See on Amazon

See on Teepublic

 

#steamboatwillie #pickleball #mickeyplayspickleball #funnypickleball #teespublic

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The Nostalgic Fiction of Wendell Berry

Wendell Erdman Berry (born August 5, 1934) is a man of many talents including poet, essayist, environmental activist, cultural critic, novelist, and farmer. He is a very prolific writer with an impressive collection of poems, essays, short stories and novels. He has won countless literary awards from 1958 to present.

I am more familiar with Wendell Berry’s novels and short stories that chronical agrarian, rural life centered around the fictional town of Port William, Kentucky. There is continuous connection of characters in the whole collection of stories, either by farming families or close -knit communities tied together by need, grace and emotional histories.

I never tire of Berry’s descriptions of times long past and the hard work that went into building relationships as well as small farms and communities. His novels evoke such imagery that you can imagine you are there, sharing in the struggles of Mat Feltner (A Place on Earth) or The Memory of Old Jack. I’ve shed many a tear reading these moving stories. Many times after completing a book and closing the back cover, I’ve sat and reflected on the characters to which I’ve felt a strong kinship and longing to go back to a simpler time.

I recommend starting with the very first Port William novel, Nathan Coulter, and continue from there. My favorite Port William stories include:

#wendellberry #portwilliam

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Sunripe Railway Centenary Series of Tobacco Cards

In 1925, Spinet House of London and Sunripe Cigarettes produced a series of 50 train cards commemorating 100 years of trains. The tobacco cards include 50 individual photos documenting the centenary evolution of trains as well as dignitaries of the time. The cards are numbered with descriptions on the backs of the cards. This collection advertises Sunripe’s “extra size” cigarettes that were sold with or without cork tips.

A collection of 43 of the 50 vintage cards is for sale here.

 

#vintage #tobaccocards #cigarettecards #traincards #spinethouse #railwaycentenary

 

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Festus Haggen Quotes

Festus Haggen was a whimsical character on the Gunsmoke TV series that aired between 1955 and 1975. Festus was beloved and yet was ornery, cantankerous, stubborn, and mischievous. Though he was illiterate, he often quoted the Bible, spouted his own kind of wisdom, and sometimes misquoted classic orators. Festus appeared ignorant, but a closer look at his sayings reveals a considerable native intelligence.

Festus was so loved by his Gunsmoke audience that his sayings live on 50 years later.

Here are a few favorite Festus Haggen quotes.

On Amazon or Teepublic On Amazon or Teepublic
On Amazon or Teepublic On Amazon or Teepublic

#teepublic #festushaggen #amazon