Groovy Things

Miss Chrissy here. Well! It’s been a very busy week here in Whimsieville, and nobody has had much sleep! But let’s start at the beginning.

Yes, as Tillie mentioned last time, we have been expecting a new family member, via the E Bay Adoption Agency. Once the paperwork was completed, we knew it would be several days before our new Whimsie arrived via USPS. First, there was the waiting. And waiting and waiting.

The Whimsies were extremely restless during this time, first doing what they could to tidy up and make Whimsieville look as pretty as possible, and then spending an inordinate amount of time trying to decide what kinds of outfits they should wear to meet their new friend.

Since the Whimsie we are adopting was pictured wearing a fancy dress, there was some thought that perhaps the Whims should also dress up in their fanciest dresses, so the new Whim would feel right at home. But Tillie kept saying she felt almost positive this new Whim was her old friend Tootsie, who is quite a tomboy, usually liking to hang out in soft tee shirts and dungarees. If indeed this was Tootise, how would she feel being greeting by a bunch of snooty-looking princess-type Whimsies?? No, it was decided, finally, that the better choice would be to prepare outfits of soft shirts and dungarees—-pardon me, blue jeans.

But a backup plan was also hatched. If the new Whim arrived, and it was determined that she was NOT, in fact, the tomboy Tootsie, but really a snooty princess-type, then everyone would rush back to the wardrobe and quickly change into their Sunday Best. There would be a lot of disappointment if this turned out to be the case, especially for Tillie, who was so hoping to see her old friend Tootsie again— but really, this would have been a disappointment for everyone, because nobody was actually looking forward to a snooty princess-type personality. That just doesn’t really fit here in Whimsieville, does it?

But have no fear! For we have NOT enlarged our group in a snooty way. Turns out, Tillie’s intuition was right all along. Our new Whimsie friend IS, in fact, the tomboy Tootsie, and she fits right in!

Here’s how it happened.

One day, several days ago, the USPS Travel Case arrived at Whimsieville, and the three Whimsies were all aflutter, running back and forth, changing into their dungarees, and checking their hair in the mirror. It was decided that I would take the Traveling Case and open it on my own, without the others around, so as not to alarm the poor traveler with too much commotion at first. You see, after being stuck in a Traveling Case for several days—all three Whimsies have informed me—it’s somewhat disconcerting to finally be let out, to stretch your arms and legs, and see the light of day. It’s sort of a scary thing, traveling that way, not really knowing where you’re going, and getting all jostled around. So we wanted the new Whim to have a pleasant transition into her new surroundings.

As the three Whimsies waited anxiously in the next room, trying to keep their whispering to a minimum, I put the box on the table and carefully began to open it. But before I even had much of a chance to say or do anything, the traveler popped up from the inside of the box and exclaimed, “Hello there, kind Human! And thank you so much for releasing me from that Traveling Case! It was starting to get a little stuffy in there!”
Surprised by her forthright manner, I managed to say, “Only too glad to help!”

“I suppose I have arrived at my destination?” said the chatty Whimsie.

“Yes! You have!” I answered. “This is Whimsieville. And my name is Miss Chrissy.”

“Very glad to meet you, Miss Chrissy!” smiled the new Whimsie. Then, taking a deep breath, she added, “And my name, I’m sure you are wondering….my name is…my name is…”

She seemed to falter a moment, as if she could not quite remember her own name. I wondered if perhaps the traveling had scrambled her brain! But then, no…she seemed so personable and in control otherwise. I waited for her to finish her sentence.

Whimsies are almost always smiling, but for just a moment, this Whimsie’s smile seemed to darken, as she finally spit out, with a sort of sigh, “And my name is…Temperance.”

My eyes widened. “Is it?” I asked.

What could this mean? What would Tillie think? But then I remembered what Tillie had said, something about her friend Tootsie having a “real name” that did not at all suit her…

Before I could wonder about this for too long, I heard the scuffle of little Whimsie feet behind me, and then I heard Tillie boldly exclaiming, “Oh, I think not, you Big Silly! Temperance might have been the name someone gave you long, long ago, but as far as I’m concerned, you’ll always be…TOOTSIE!!”

Our new Whimsie’s eyes lit up, and her smile almost popped off her face as she jumped up and down in her Traveling Case, screaming, “Tillie! Tillie! Oh my oh my! Is it really you, Tillie??”

Tootsie jumped out of her Traveling Case and bounded off the table and she and Tillie flew into each other’s arms, hugging and laughing, and eventually crying because they were so happy to finally see each other again. It was very emotional.

After that, there was a lot of Whimsie jabbering, talking so fast that I could barely understand what either of them were saying, and this went on for quite a while, until finally, I noticed Tessie and Trixie slowly tiptoeing into the room, almost afraid to break up the happy reunion, but at the same time, so anxious to meet their new friend.

Tillie saw Tessie and Trixie and exclaimed, “Oh Tootsie! Tootsie! Now you have to meet my new friends!”

They all met together in one big conglomeration of Whimsieness and again there was all that jabbering that I couldn’t keep up with, so eventually I just sighed and laughed and left the four of them alone.

Some hours later, the four of them came to me, still jabbering about all kinds of things, and it soon became clear that the fancy dress was in fact somebody else’s idea of making Tootsie look more presentable for the Adoption Agency, and the poor thing couldn’t wait to get into some more comfortable clothing.

It was determined that after so much time in a dusty attic (Tootsie will tell you more about that soon, when she settles down and gets to join us here on the Whimsieville website) and also after all that time traveling, the thing Tootsie wanted more than anything else was a bath. So she got all cleaned up, and since blue is her favorite color, Tillie chose the lovely polar bear jammie for her to wear.

Looking so much more comfortable, Tootsie said that before she did anything else in regards to exploring her new surroundings, she just wanted to Rest and Relax for a little while. The others joined her, also changing into soft jammies.

At first, Tootsie and Tillie sat together on the couch and continued their Gab Fest. There was so much catching up to do! Tessie and Trixie understood, and didn’t mind being excluded for a while. They each recalled what it had been like when they first got to Whimsieville. Tessie remembered how she felt when she discovered that her old friend Chrissy had actually adopted her, and how happy she was, and how much catching up there was for us to do. Then Trixie remembered how it was when she arrived in Whimsieville and found that she had been reunited with her old friend Tessie, whom she had known for some time in the Hoard. All in all, this was an evening of many, many happy remembrances.

But the evening wore into night, and there was still so much jabbering going on, that in the middle of the night, I had to tell the girls on the couch to “Shhhh…” because nobody was able to sleep. They apologized and lowered their voices, but when The Man and I woke up in the morning, we found the two of them still whispering up a storm!

The Man and I had to go off to Work (because our lives make their lives possible), but when we got home later that day, we found that the four Whimsies were now hanging out together as a group, still jabbering. My goodness! Would the party never end! It seems this went on for another day or two, and several times I still had to go into their room and tell them to “Shhhh…” but eventually they all calmed down, and then they all slept and slept for hours and hours on end.

At last! Peace and quiet in Whimsieville!

Now the Whimsies have awoken again, and things seem to be just about back to normal. Tillie and her pals are taking Tootsie all over, showing her the library, introducing her to Mr. Squee, playing with the pet dinosaurs. There is so much for our new Whimsie to see and do and learn!

But that’s another story, which we’ll get to eventually. For the moment, it’s enough to say that we have a new friend here in Whimsieville, her name is Tootsie, and she’s fitting in just fine!

You can’t possibly imagine how excited we all are here in Whimsieville! We are adopting a new Whimsie!! And not only that, she’s not just any old Whimsie, but I’m fairly certain she’s a friend of mine from long, long ago!

Let me calm down here for just a moment and see if I can relate the details as they happened. As you know, all of us Whimsies came here to Whimsieville by way of the E Bay Adoption Agency. Miss Chrissy started looking at Whimsies, and first she found Tessie (who was an old friend of hers, from long, long ago) and then she found Trixie, and finally me. One by one, our adoptions were set up, paperwork was processed, and we were each sent on our journey to our new home.

Miss Chrissy has always maintained that Whimsieville is just about as full of Whimsies as need be, but still, she continues to look at the E Bay Adoption Agency’s website, to see what Whimsies are up for adoption. We asked her why, and here’s what she said: One, because she just likes looking at Whimsies, and Two, because you never know when a Whimsie might come up for adoption that for one reason or another would make a wonderful addition to our little family. She’s not actively looking to adopt another Whimsie, but if all the signs are pointing in the right direction, she would consider it.

Well, this past week, I happened to look over Miss Chrissy’s shoulder while she was visiting the Adoption Agency on the computer, and my jaw dropped and I gasped as I had never gasped before! Never in a million years did I expect that I would ever again see Trudi or Tootsie, my two Whimsie friends from way back, when Jennifer and I used to go over and play at her friend Patty’s house, or they would come over to play with us. But there, before my very eyes, on the computer screen, was a Whimsie who looked for all the world like my old friend Tootsie.

Of course, in some ways she looked just like Tootsie…light brown eyes, two cute little ponytails, that ever-present smile…but what was she wearing? The Tootsie I knew was such a tomboy! She loved to run and climb trees, and could usually be found wearing “dungarees.” (Back then, blue jeans were called “dungarees.”) But this Whimsie was dressed up all pretty in a cream-colored dress with a green silky bow. The Tootise I knew never ever wore dresses! You can’t climb a tree in a dress! You can’t play kickball in a dress, and even hopscotch is a lot more difficult in a dress.

But then suddenly, as my mind traveled back to those wonderful, whimsical days of long ago, I seemed to remember something. Tootie had once told me a big secret, that “Tootsie” was not her real name. It was only a nickname that Patty had given her, because she loved to go outside after the rain and run around barefoot in the wet grass till here “tootsies” were completely refreshed by the cool rainwater. It’s sort of an odd behavior, because in general, though most Whimsies are not totally terrified of water (like Trixie), still…it’s not a Whimsie’s favorite thing. But Tootsie liked to live dangerously.

As I looked at the picture of this Whimsie and wondered if it could possibly my same friend from long ago, it suddenly came back to me that Tootsie had told me what her real name was. It was…Thelma…. or Temperance …or Tallulah …or something else like that, which sounded very fancy, and totally did not fit her personality.

But then I reflected…well, sometimes people change, don’t do? And Whimsies…do they change too? Was my old friend Tootsie now a proper lady, happy to wear a dress? Well, I have no problems with dresses. I like dresses as much as I like blue jeans, or dungarees, or sweat pants, or whatever other kinds of clothes one might wear. And even though I never supported Tootsie’s penchant for climbing trees and running around barefoot in the wet grass, we could still be friends (as long as she didn’t expect me to join her in these outrageous behaviors–which she didn’t.)

But then again…maybe Tootsie had not changed at all, and she was just dressed up all fancy like this to make a good impression at the Adoption Agency. There are occasions when it’s appropriate to put on your “Sunday Best,” and this would certainly be one of those occasions.

I spent many hours looking at this picture at the Adoption Agency, and told Miss Chrissy the whole story, and went back and forth wondering and wondering if this could possibly be my old friend. At times I would look at her and be totally convinced this was Tootsie, and other times, pretty well convinced this was not her.

Miss Chrissy saw how perplexed I was and felt bad, and went so far as to email the Adoption Agency to see if they could reveal the name of this Whimsie. The reply was that her name was not known. That was very disappointing news.

Later on I found out that because she did not want to increase my disappointment, Miss Chrissy secretly began the adoption paperwork on this Whimsie. She kept it a secret, because sometimes the adoption works out, and sometimes it does not, and she didn’t want me to get my hopes up in case it didn’t work out. But a few days more passed, and then…guess what? Miss Chrissy came to me and said, “Tillie, I have a surprise for you. You know that Whimsie at the Adoption Agency you feel pretty certain is your old friend Tootsie, but nobody knows her name for sure? Well, you yourself are going to get to ask her what her name is, because she’s coming to live here with us in Whimsieville!”

I was overjoyed to hear this!! Whether she is in fact my old friend Tootsie, or whether she is in fact Tootsie, but has changed so drastically that she now prefers dresses to dungarees, or even if this is not Tootsie at all, but some other Whimsie who just looks like her—no matter what happens, we have a new friend coming here to live with us!!

I guess I should also mention that Tessie and Trixie have been in on this the whole time, and they are equally excited. But not as excited as I am!! We have only a few more days, and so much to do to get Whimsieville all spruced up for our new friend’s arrival. Whether this Whimsie ends up being my old friend or simply a new friend, it’s always a wonderful thing to welcome in more friends!

Already our New Year’s Resolutions are working out for us! If you’ll recall, last time Trixie promised that she was going to try to be a bit neater. Since then she’s spent a good deal of time cleaning up our room, and once the bed was cleared, Miss Chrissy surprised us with a special blanket! Not only is this a groovy new blanket for us, but it also has a deep History. And I’m going to tell it to you now.

As you know, “Tie-Dye” was a very popular theme in the 1960’s—back when Miss Chrissy was a girl. But, no, wait! This is not her blanket! This blanket actually belonged to her daughter, Mary, when Mary was a girl, back in the 1990’s. What does that tell us? That some things, that are truly groovy, never really go out of style, they just keep looping around and around, for each new generation to enjoy.

Mary enjoyed this blanket when she was a teenager, but now she is grown, and planning soon to move Cross-Country with her husband. She has held on to this blanket for all these years, simply because it IS so groovy, and because it has Sentimental Value. So she doesn’t want to get rid of it altogther, but at the same time, when you are planning a Cross-Country Move, it’s not always possible to take every little memento with you. Sometimes you have to make some harsh decisions.

But Mary is a smart girl (just like her mother,Miss Chrissy!) and came up with a way to “Have Her Cake and Eat It Too.” You see, a few days after Christmas, Miss Chrissy and The Man took a trip to visit Mary in the next state over, and while they were there, the Tie-Dye Blanket made an appearance. Miss Chrissy admired it, and said, “If you’re planning to get rid of that blanket, I’d like to have it! It would look great in the Whimsies’ room!”

Mary said, “I’m not planning to get rid of it, but tell you what: would you ‘babysit’ this blanket for me? The Whimsies can enjoy it as much as they like (as long as they promise to take good care of it), but it ever happens that I want it back—”

And Miss Chrissy said, “Yes! Yes! That will work perfectly!”

So, in this case, everybody wins. Mary wins because she has one less bulky blanket to pack up for her Cross-Country Move. Miss Chrissy wins because she now gets to enjoy this beautiful Tie-Dye blanket which not only reminds her of when she was a girl, but also reminds her of when her girl was a girl! And we Whimsies win, because we have a groovy new blanket here in our room in Whimsieville!

And one more thing: Miss Chrissy says she also wins because if it ever happens that Mary says she is ready to have her Tie-Dye blanket again, instead of simply boxing it up and sending it Cross-Country, she may just have to consider whether or not it’s time to make a Cross-Country vacation to deliver that blanket in person! Not that she ever needs an “excuse” to visit her daughter, but such a situation could be the proverbial “Killing Two Birds With One Stone.”

(Editior’s Note: No actual cake was eaten, and no actual birds were killed during the writing of this blog post.)

So, here we are with our new blanket! Actually, it’s not our blanket, it’s Miss Chrissy’s blanket, but she found it the other day when she was cleaning out the Linen Closet, and said we could use it. You see, till now, we’ve just had this very thin, very light blanket to cover us when we sleep at night, and that was just fine during the hot weather months, but now that the weather is getting colder, sometimes we need to cuddle up a little more! And this blanket does the trick.

You see, it’s not just a blanket, it’s actually a quilt. Actually…a patchwork quilt! That means it has many layers of material, and they are all held together quite nicely with a lot of stitching. And there’s some padding in between the layers. Miss Chrissy knows, and told us all about it, because, you see, years and years ago she actually made this blanket! Years and years ago she liked to sew a bit, and even had a sewing machine! And it was simply fascinating to cuddle up under this blanket and listen to her tell the stories of all the different patches in this little quilt.

First of all, do you see all the sort of orange patches with little ducks on them? That’s from a skirt she sewed for herself. And do you see the sort of turquoise striped patches? That’s the leftover material from a dress she sewed for herself from years ago when she was pregnant with her son. It was during the Summer, so that material is very light, not only in color, but also in texture. It was a pretty Summer dress that also gets to live on in this little quilt.

Now take a look at the crazy stripes just below Trixie. That one has a good story! A long time ago, when Miss Chrissy’s kids were very little, they had a white couch, and as anyone knows, you should never have a white couch with little kids. Too many spills! So one day when Miss Chrissy was in the store she found these king sized bed sheets at a very good price, and took them home and cut them up to make covers for all the couch cushions. In fact, she covered the whole couch! And then, if there were spills, she just took off the covers and washed them. It was a lot of work, but the couches looked great and stayed fairly nice, and were extremely comfortable. Afterwards, when they got new couches, she didn’t need to covers anymore, but saved a few pieces of material to work into this little quilt.

Now, another material that figures prominently in this quilt is the pink and white stripes. Miss Chrissy thought for a long, long time about that pattern, then finally had to admit…she has no idea where that material came from! But it certainly does look nice.

Anyway, we are just so happy to have this new little quilt (which is really very old) because it’s very warm, and just perfect for us! This one definitely goes down in our book as one of life’s “Groovy Things”!