Marcus...

I was tres lucky to spend Mother’s Day weekend with TLC! From Friday afternoon until mid-afternoon on Sunday. We got a lot done—in Little Leighton’s nursery. In TLC’s kitchen. Finally found a couple of pairs of sandals for TLC’s expanding feet. Two Liz Lange Target dresses for her expanding waistline. I even had time to find some sandals for myself! Little Leighton might have received two more tiny outfits. She needed them. Promise.

We also went to a movie early Saturday evening. The Five-Year Engagement. My Review: Loved the beginning. Liked some of the middle. Last 20 minutes were very entertaining. I simply don’t understand—and no, it’s not because I’m technically a Senior Citizen—why there has to be bad/awful language and gross stuff. Please don’t tell me it’s for the “younguns.” That’s very discouraging.

My Sweet Hubby and I have been “organizing and purging,” for the past couple of months, our STUFF/treasures?/JUNQUE over at The Loft of our Barn. And in The Barn Apartment. I’d been searching for some items I knew I’d kept. In some box. Somewhere. TLC hoped I’d locate some of her Cabbage Patch dolls and a little stuffed Gund bear MSH had gifted her when she was less than a year old. She didn’t know, of course, until she was 4-ish, the story behind the little bear. MSH had been at a meeting in Dallas for a couple of days and had stopped at Neiman Marcus in Fort Worth on his way home. Since he was already calling TLC “Sugar Bear,” he was determined to find the right one that was from HIM. Only him. He let me pick the perfect name: Marcus. Yes, yes I’m extremely clever and creative. It’s almost a curse.

And so Marcus had an honored place on TLC’s bed for many, many years. She never really dragged him around. He was often one of her “students” when she played school. At some point, he got shoved into her closet. Then into another closet. Then into a box. What box? I had no clue. We’d moved out to the country right at the end of her sophomore year in high school. I was finishing up my Masters’ degree in Counseling at our local State University, so many of the boxes I had packed weren’t labeled as specifically as they should have been. I was certain, though, that Marcus was there. He really had to be.

After two weekends in a row—literally hours and hours…and hours—of searching, I was becoming a tidbit frantic. When he wasn’t with the box of Cabbage Patch dolls and some other treasured stuffed animals, my hopes were beginning to fade.

Can you spot the scary Troll Doll in the background?

How were those ever popular?

Also, this is only a fraction of TLC's Cabbage Patch Dolls.

Clearly I needed to locate a box of clothes. Sheesh.

The Sunday of the second weekend, I was in TLC's closet in her (ex) Barn Apartment room. I had four big plastic tubs to search. Marcus was in the fourth! I'm not gonna lie. There were tears. Bless his little stuffed heart—he looked a mess. But he was alive and well!

I picked out a few of TLC’s dolls and took them, with Marcus, to her last Friday. Having no real room for the dolls—at this point—she sent them back with me. They’ll be re-packed and stored. With a better label!  

We decided we had to try to wash Marcus. He looked, well, sad. First we put him into her kitchen sink for a good soak. (Thank you to whoever invented Biz. It’s simply THE BEST. CeeCee told me about it eons of years ago, when I was learning how to cross-stitch. I’ve used probably hundreds of pounds since.) Next, TLC squeezed him with all of her might. Then we put him in the dryer—choosing “Air.” I checked on him fifteen minutes later. He was okay, but the dryer was full of water! TLC got the brilliant idea to put in a clean, dry towel (Can y’all believe I’d never shared with her what a friend told me—at least 25 years ago? Put a wet towel in your dryer with a load of clothes like shirts and pants. The towel will help knock out the wrinkles. Often works like a dream!). I dried the inside of her dryer—Tee Hee Hee. We set Marcus and the towel on the “Delicate” setting. For 30 minutes. He could not have emerged more handsome. He did need a skosh more drying, but we let that be by literal “air.”

Scrub-a-dub-dub!

A shiny, sparkly Marcus, lounging on Little Leighton's glider.

Perhaps Little Leighton won’t appreciate Marcus' history for a few years—but TLC, MSH and I always will.

A vintage Neiman Marcus Gund bear. FABULOUS!!!

p.s.—MERCI to Precious Lauren for having Brunch with me and TLC Saturday morning! She gave me the sweetest “Grandmother” book. I will treasure it, Lauren. As I will always cherish your dear, dear friendship!