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In all honesty, reading this post is the first time reading anything on any forum that I have started to cry.
Your grail doll will always be a wonderful keepsake from "Aunt Betty's last Christmas gift."
(I'm laughing while crying at the "SPEND IT!" That sounds like something my grandmother might have said!)
What a sweet reminiscence. Thank you for sharing this.
They're not dolls, they're action figures!
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 What a moving story. So kind.
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A very touching tribute and I'm sorry for your loss. Thanks for sharing the lovely photo and story with us.
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This is a beautiful tribute. I am very sorry for you loss. I am sending you big digital hugs. I remember you talking about her and wanting to visit her. On the other hand it was wonderful that you had two sweet aunts who chose to be your aunt. Just that is the biggest gesture of love.
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Beautiful and sweet tribute for a beautiful and sweet Auntie. Eventhough I only see a photo of a photo, it's absolutely clear that she has been a most wonderful person. I'm very sorry for your loss, and I'm sorry you won't get to attend the funeral, but I'm sure she would want you to stay safe. Hugs!
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A lovely sweet tribute to a wonderful woman. I'm sorry you won't be able to pay tribute in person, but the weather isn't going to cooperate with you and the timing.
My Girls: Alice Mint du Jardine (Lottie), Brand New Purrezza (Amelia), Ayanamei Rei (Evie), Princess Ann/Roman Holiday (Kit), Aquel (Becky), Scarlet (Izzy), Meg (Jo-Meg), Laura (Antimony), Nahh-Ato (Shala), Chicca (Maeve), Peter Pan (Meredith), VeryBerryPop (Daisy), SDCC2016 Wonder Woman (Diana), Taffy (Tansy), Amelia (Beatrice), Steampunk Cheshire Cat (Antoinette), Arietta (Ashli), Naoko (Zoey), Mocha MIO (Nyxie), Steampunk Mad Hatter (Hattie), Sapphire Princess Knight (Roni), Steampunk Alice (Lizette), Asoka Sorayu (Nova), Steampunk Taeyang Dodo (Theodore), Steampunk Isul White Rabbit (Finn), Tiphona (Felicity), Anthy Himemiya (Ester), Mocha MIO (honey), Alte (Bethan)
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A beautiful tribute. I'm very sorry for your loss.
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Aw. That is a great photo (and written) tribute. Hugs to you.
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Thank you, everyone 
If I'd really scrambled Friday night when I heard, I maybe could've gotten out of here before the snowstorm (which did wreak havoc; the roads were impassable). I'll regret not trying harder to go. Although I know she would've told me to stay home. Anyway, she deserved to have people know how lovely she was.
Tonight I got a note from the niece of my "other" honorary aunt, a university friend of Mom's, informing me that she died in January. Jeez. "Aunt" Margaret lived farther away and we only ever met in person a few times, but she did send me cards every year, (we have the same birthday) and after Mom died she continued to correspond. We spoke on the phone a couple of times recently. I'll miss her cards and notes too
She looked very much like Queen Elizabeth in the latter's happy smiley photos.
Well... dolly photography as therapy again, I guess.
This week's pic is double-dipping with the Dal House challenge because I have soooo many photos to deal with right now. If you have a Dal and want to join some fun, the current month's challenge is a photo scavenger hunt with a variety of themes. The first one is "Favourite Things".
One of Samantha's favourite things is, little sisters.
![[Image: 47253230222_99b26c8514_b.jpg]](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7813/47253230222_99b26c8514_b.jpg)
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Cute with the littlies around the bigger sister. And chocolate is great therapy too.
Sorry that your other “aunt” also passed away in January.
My Girls: Alice Mint du Jardine (Lottie), Brand New Purrezza (Amelia), Ayanamei Rei (Evie), Princess Ann/Roman Holiday (Kit), Aquel (Becky), Scarlet (Izzy), Meg (Jo-Meg), Laura (Antimony), Nahh-Ato (Shala), Chicca (Maeve), Peter Pan (Meredith), VeryBerryPop (Daisy), SDCC2016 Wonder Woman (Diana), Taffy (Tansy), Amelia (Beatrice), Steampunk Cheshire Cat (Antoinette), Arietta (Ashli), Naoko (Zoey), Mocha MIO (Nyxie), Steampunk Mad Hatter (Hattie), Sapphire Princess Knight (Roni), Steampunk Alice (Lizette), Asoka Sorayu (Nova), Steampunk Taeyang Dodo (Theodore), Steampunk Isul White Rabbit (Finn), Tiphona (Felicity), Anthy Himemiya (Ester), Mocha MIO (honey), Alte (Bethan)
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Pastime with good company! They're cute, and they're making me crave chocolate.
I'm sorry for yet another loss!
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This is been a brutal few months for you when it comes to losing people close to you. 
They're not dolls, they're action figures!
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I'm sorry for your loss.
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I am so sorry, you're having a really tough time of it.
The photo is adorable.
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Thanks everyone. Yeah, it's been a s*** few months... few years really, ... a reset was necessary. And probably another one still is. Sigh. Through it all, taking dolly pictures has continued to be a nice escape from whatever else was going on. Photography always was; adding dolls brought a whole new dimension to my photography hobby.
It took forever to download some 1600 photos and Sunsette will be writing about our Hawaii ex-pedition when I do some more sorting, but here I'll catch up on the 3 missing pic-a-week photos, and yes, they were taken in the right weeks 
Week 6
Aloalo is apparently "hibiscus" in Hawaiian, and appropriately, our first Airbnb in Kona had a red one. There are too many Hawaiian words for "red" for me to try to finish that phrase 
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Week 7
The retreat center near Hilo was possibly the most perfect spot one could find, with a magical garden (will leave that story for Sunsette). Here are the girls at sunrise meditation.
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Week 8
And here's Aloalo in Lahaina in some nice warm late-day light after our visit to Lanai.
![[Image: 40368656333_5ecefc2a7c_o.jpg]](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7911/40368656333_5ecefc2a7c_o.jpg)
Yay. All caught up now 
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