Bedfellow

Cry said in one of the comments about my bad night the other day that she hoped someone would make me a teddy bear so I would sleep better. The thing is though, I have a teddy bear. I've had it for years and years.

Now I never was what you would call a girl who played with dolls and/or teddy bears. I don't know whether I ever had a 'tea-party' where I would invite all my dolls to be present. I don't recall doing that anyway. Although my Mum always tells me I did walk to town one day with a little stroller and my doll. I must have been three.

No, my area of play was outdoors: hide and seek, climbing the climbing tree in the playground, walking over bike racks (don't do that, you fall off and have to go to the dentist), falling in ponds and cycling. When it was raining we would stay indoors and I tended to play more with my brother's lego and race track than with my dolls. At least from what I remember.

When I went to bed though, race tracks and lego went out and Brom (as my bear is called) came in. Because I wouldn't go to sleep without him. On one occasion we forgot to pack it as we went to visit my grandparents. My parents bought me another bear, but it itched and wasn't a good fit. They would have had more luck with a (clean) pair of rolled up socks!

I took Brom with me to Yugoslavia, Italy, Belgium, France and England and he was my bedfellow until I was about 24, when I finally retired him. And the reason for that was that he was getting old: one eye missing, his tail is loose, the side of his head is open and today I found out one of his arms is spilling as well! I don't need a new teddy, I need a teddy doctor!

Of course now you are wondering about the doll in the top photo. Well, from the looks of it, it's one of my grandmother's dolls and was not really for playing I think. She is in Frisian dress though!