Heartbreak

Hello everyone. Cindi here.

It is with a heavy heart and deep sorrow to let you all know that my dear friend Vanessa Morrison passed away Wednesday, 10/11/17, after an 8-year battle with cancer. Many of you followed her on her blog, Van’s Doll Treasures, where she posted stories about her various doll families in Morristown. She also showed us photos of things she made, treasures she found and doll bargains she discovered in her travels. She also kept us updated on her health condition.

I was first introduced to Vanessa’s blog in the Autumn 2012 issue of Fashion Doll Quarterly magazine. There was a 4-page article in there that featured her and her doll collection. I started following her blog shortly thereafter.

Later on, I started thinking about doing my own blog. Since I didn’t know anything about how to do that, I sought Vanessa’s advice. She was very kind, patient and helpful with my myriad of questions. After that, Moreville Life and Times was born, and she became one of my first followers. Without Vanessa’s encouragement and support, this blog wouldn’t exist.

When her dog Buttercup had puppies, she posted pictures on her blog. She was looking for homes for the puppies at the time. We immediately fell in love with the one she called “Blackie” since she didn’t have a name for him. We named him Bruiser.

Here's a photo of the little guy.

After several emails, we agreed to meet Vanessa in Buford, Georgia on a cold January day to bring Bruiser home with us. I immediately recognized her by her big, beautiful smile – truly a smile that could light up a room. We had a nice visit that day. We were hoping to get together again sometime in the future. Sadly, that never happened.

The last time I spoke to Vanessa on the phone was this past August. She sounded happy but tired, so we didn’t talk long. It was so good to hear her voice. In her last email to me, she was excited about starting physical therapy so that she could walk again. She was determined not to let her illness bring her down. She stayed strong for as long as she could.

They say that people come into your life for a reason. I know why Vanessa came into mine. She taught me the power of a positive attitude, no matter what challenges life throws at you. She taught me to enjoy life each and every day. I told her this last Christmas. She cried. Now she’s an angel, lighting up God’s Heaven with her bright, beautiful smile. Her light shines through the darkness.

Rest now my friend. The battle is over. I love you and will miss you always…

New Residents

Several new residents have moved in since my last post. Some are new students attending Moreville College. Let me introduce you to them.

This is Daniel and his friend Tiffany. Both are freshmen. Daniel is studying computer science, and Tiffany is undecided. She is the Birthday Wishes 2017 Barbie, and he's one of the new Ken fashionistas.

This is Helena. She's a graduate student in Psychology. She's the Queen Hippolyta doll that I was lucky enough to get on clearance at Wal-Mart.

This is Suzanne and her friend Nancy. Both are studying to be teachers. Both are new Barbie fashionistas.

This is Diana and her husband Trevor. They're from the Wonder Woman Gift set. Though I'm not a fan of painted hair for the guys, he was too handsome to pass up.

This is Gloria and her best friend Nichele. Gloria has been here in Moreville for a long time. Nichele just moved in. Gloria is one of the So In Style dolls. I'm not sure what doll Nichele is, but I found her at a local thrift shop.

It's Ladies Night at Casey's. The four bffs, Alexandra, Maya, Janet and Miranda enjoy getting together as often as they can. These dolls are not new, but they were having such a good time, I couldn't resist taking a picture.

All the new residents have been re-bodied for better posability. 

I'm sorry that it's been so long since my last post, but I've been very busy. Thank you all so much for your patience and for continuing to follow me. :-)