Ronald McDonald House Open House

Today was the Open House for the Ronald McDonald House in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Ronald McDonald was even there to celebrate the opening. Julie Edwards gave us the Grand Tour of the facilities. Julie has been working with me on the Hitty donations. Since we got such a good turnout, we will be giving the children and their siblings something for Christmas this year.

Tomorrow, the family rooms will open for parents of critically ill children in the hospital and neonatal units.

Everyone must check in here to enter the McDonald house unit. Notice the glass under the window. Throughout the unit there are glasses with what I would call tiny limbs with copper buds just waiting to bloom.

I thought the walls and light fixtures were wonderful but the furniture....oh my! This is only half of the Family room. They were filming in the other half of the Family room so you are seeing just half of it.

One of the visitors summed it up perfectly. "I want to live here, but never need to live here!" 

My kitchen breakfast nook never looks like this!

Kitchen cabinets with more glass and what I call twigs inside.

One of three rooms to try to catch a nap while waiting for a miracle for your tiny child.

A second room to try to catch a bit of sleep.

The reading room with a chaise lounge and shelves for books to read and a computer to send emails to loved ones about your child and to catch up on news.

The artwork on the outer hallway lends a warm feeling.

Our Hittys and friends will be given away Christmas Eve by Santa. All total, we were able to collect just shy of 1700.00 worth of Hitty and friends.

I have to thank all those that made it possible. And to think, I almost didn't do it because I was told it wouldn't work to ask for donations in multiple groups. I am so glad I listened to my heart and pushed on to make this Christmas memorable to kids dealing with sickness and sorrow.

Thank you all and God bless.
Wanda

Is it really November?

Oh my where did the time go? It seems like only yesterday that Lester decided to pack all of us into the big van and head off to Murfreesboro Arkansas, home to the only public diamond mines!

We stopped in a friendly little RV park near the mines. Lester got out the big map and we talked about all we would do there.

Of course, we all wanted to go in different directions. Melinda wanted to get up close so she could see where they were. She had been sleeping while the others were taking turns keeping the two humans awake and watching for deer, whatever they were.

Some went to the diamond mine while others just loafed around camp. Lester and Jenny took their own tools so they could look too. The weather was perfect to look for the treasures.

Jenny and Lester dug and sifted in the strange looking dirt. It wasn't red like most of the Oklahoma clay was. The humans were nearby digging themselves.

The mister went off on his own to dig and sift for the gems. The mine was filled with lots of people hoping to strike it rich.


We found the prettiest rocks you ever saw, but not a diamond was to be found. We decided to pile back into the big van and drive up the mountain to one of the quartz mines. Our people had done that many many years ago.

The soil changed a bit in looks. There were quartz crystal shimmering all around. The whole gang went out to gatner them up from the road, the hills and beyond.  The crystals are covered in clay much like out Oklahoma red but with a yellower tone. They will have to be washed and scrubbed and then placed in an acid bath to remove all the clay and minerals that hide their beauty. The buckets got heavier and heavier as we found so many of the quartz crystals.

Our persons found more clusters of quartz and soon our baskert had to be taken to the big van and emptied.  We had to help our persons.

We loaded our buckets and tools into the van and decided we needed to get home. 


We barely had time to decorate the cabin for Halloween and now....

....it is time to put our Halloween photos into the album and go clean up the cabin .   Of course, wouldn't you know it......

those bonehead twins decided to hightail it out to the local biker bar to get them a big ol' steaming chili dog loaded with onions, peppers mustard and relish. 

If things go as planned, next time we will have pictures of the new McDonald House as we present all the wonderful gifts from the girls at hitty.com  ,  the carvers from woodcarvingillustrated.com  , the boy scout in Ma.  , and friends and neighbors that learned of the need.

So if you ever wonder to yourself late at night,

"Is there really a Santa Claus?"

I will smile and say.....

"Why yes there is as long as we keep the spirit of giving in our hearts."

Fall Adventures

Since the old log cabin is still under construction, Jenny and Merilin decided to turn it into a neighborhood haunted house for the kids. Lester pulled the boxes of decorations out of storage and let the girls decorate. They put on thier costumes to get into the spirit.

                                                                        

"Oh my!" Merilin cried as a mototcycle pulled up in front of the cabin.

Jenny laughed and said, "Don't worry, they are some old friends of ours! They come for a visit every year to help out with our Fall Festival and Halloween party."

"Hello guys, you are just in time to help us decorate the old cabin." Jenny said as she went out to greet the three fellows.

Merilin snickered because she felt Gnome William hiding behind her.

Of course, the Momma cat and kittens some person dumped at the cabin came out to greet the group too. The kittens were a bit frightened, but the Momma cat said, "It's ok."

"Come on boys and you can help us decorate." Jenny said.

Of course, they wanted to set up the old cemetary first.  Jenny had cut the thick stryofoam into rugged shapes and coated it with medium with grit and then added coffee grounds and moss all around. She used some old ceramic hands to come out of the mounds of moss.

With the boney pair helping and the cemetary going in, the Gnome twins, Harry and Larry decided to check out the roof. 


"Where did Harry and Larry go?" Merilin asked.

"Oh they went up on the roof to check the weather for us!" Jenny laughed then whispered, "They are afraid."

Merilin climbed up in the tree near the cabin and stood on one of the branches.

"Why don't you come on down?" she asked.

"We are fine here. Larry said.

" We can watch for intruders up here." Harry said.

"Okay, suit yourself." Merilin said as she climbed down.

"Oh man, this is one heavy jackolantern!" The boney brothers,Bill and Phil grunted as they lifted in tnto place on the mossy stand.

"Put some muscle into it!" Bill giggled.

"I would if I could." Phil grunted back while lifting the heavy pumpkin.

Just then the two burst out laughing and lost their grips. The pumpkin landed with a thud and the two brothers fell down and rolled with laughter.

They laughed and pointed at each other and Jenny and Merilin laughed at them too.

They picked themselves up and got back to work.

Jenny began placing the clay pumpkins and clay Jack O Lanterns her person had made for the fruit stand. Her person sells them and gives them to haunted houses set up for the kids.

Jenny likes the real ones but oh the mess! The clay ones last forever if taken care of and packed away for season after season.

Jenny always decorates the last week of September because her person and her hubby celebrate their Anniversary the first week of October as they have for 36 years.

Their ghostly friend found his spot for the decorations next to the giant carved wooden pumpkin. Phil started sweeping up the packing peanuts from the boxes. William continued supervising.

Merilin got out her favoirite clay Jack  O Lanterns that her person made. She sat the Vampire Jack and the scared Jack on the porch edge. " I love these."



             



Then the box will all the hats in it was opened. Jenny and Merilin tried on a hat.

 

Even William got in on the fun. He chose the Wisard's hat. If you look close, you can see him smile.

Even the ghost tried one on.

"Aww how could someone just dump these little kitties?" Bill asked.                                                "I don't know replied Phil. They get them when they are this little girls size and so cute and funny then when they get pregnant, they drop them off in the country to fend for themselves."                               "I just don't get it how some people get the idea that these house cats can feed themselves when suddenly dropped off in the wild." Jenny said.          "Lucky for them Lester found the Momma and fed her and the kittens. But now, they are old enough to find a home of their own with someone to love them." Bill said as the kitty purred.

 

A couple of the bone brothers friends showed up to keep watch over the haunted house. One decided to sit on the steps to greet the kids. They were late becasue they just got back from a Dead Head concert. Imagine that!

                                                                                     

Just remember, we all got to go sometime, LOL and it is my time to go!

Live long, laugh hard and love to all, Wanda and the Wildhare Hittys

Ronald McDonald House Gift Away

I am re cooperating from a bump on the noggin and thought I would take the time to talk a little about the 4 new suites being built inside Mercy Hospital in Fort Smith for the Ronald McDonald House. This is the first one in Arkansas. These suites will house the parents and family of critically ill children from newborn to age 18. This on site suites allow parents to stay close to their children.

We are gathering dolls and toys to give to all the children of those families to help Christmas be a bit merrier. Any extra's will be taken to the pediatric ward for kids stuck in the hospital on Christmas.

When I started this project, everyone was excited. I only had one person try to stop my project for reasons I still don't understand. I am very happy to say, I decided to put out my call for help to several groups, doll groups, carving groups, boy scouts and anyone that I thought would see the joy this project

 would bring to those families. I am going to show the

 pictures of the donations to date and will add to them

 as more come in. We can use dolls, both Hitty and

others, dresses, pj's , Hitty books, cars and boy

 dolls too.

So please go through your Hitty closets and see if perhaps there is an unloved doll or dress that you can give to a child or their siblings stuck in the hospital for Christmas. 

The Hitty modeling this ladybug nightie is donated too. 

We are going to try to put a book, a doll and an outfit or two in a gift bag for the girls. Imagine the group of young Hitty lovers we are creating! These youngsters may be our future Hitty girls! 

I really shouldn't be amazed at the generosity of you girls and guys too, but it has really touched me. I had a few doubts early on. I wasn't sure if multiple groups could work together.

Well folks, you sure have put those doubts to rest!

I sold the fairy house and fairy and will be buying some toys for the boys and some packaging for the gifts.

Even the son of a friend donated the cars he built and decorated in Boy Scouts.

We may have to find a book or two for the boys too.  I hope someone has some ideas of boy books.

I donated a Hitty dolls and sent two shoulder heads off to someone else to make bodies for and she will send them back clothed too!

So if you have any dresses, pantlets, coral necklaces, coats, books, dolls or a toy for a boy, we can use them.

To all of you that have donated so far, I thank you!

I got excited just opening the boxes of donations. I can't imagine the excitment of the kids getting these toys for Christmas.

The donations are tax deductable so let me know the value so I can get you receipts.

This little kitty was in a resale shop for a whole quarter. I figured the dress could be adjusted to fit a Hitty with a snap or two. She even had a hat.  I removed the dress, can can and hat and decided to use the kitty as a traveling pin cushion. Her name is now Kitty Ow Ow.  I hate to use her for  a pincushion but I don't have one in my travel bag for those long waits at the doctors office. 

 If anyone wants to adopt a kitty, just send me a

pincushion and I will send this sweet kitty .  She says she would like a new dress anyway! Ha ha.

Watch for ourcoming post of all of Hitty Jenny's preparations for Halloween.

The chill is in the morning air and it makes me think

 of  the coming holidays.

 Hitty Jenny is busy turning the log house into

 a haunted house for the neighbor kids, and her too.

She loves decorating. So watch for the post of all of  her goulish  decor.

Have a good day, Wanda and the Wildhare Hittys