What’s Odd Today at Cee’s Oddball Challenge?

Have you ever opened the door to a shop and it took your breath away, it was so …. odd?

My friend Sally Pace and I got in her car and drove east on Highway 198 toward the big trees, Sequoia National Park.  Our mission, as we chose to accept it, was selling advertising for Kiwanis magazine, “What’s Happening in the Foothills.”

We’re volunteers, you know.

You can’t keep a volunteer on the straight path without them turning their work into an event.

“Hey, Sally, look here. The Doll’s Nest. Ever been there?”

“It looks like someone’s house.”

“Let’s check it out anyway. If they’re not there, oh well.”

We almost did not open the door. It WAS someone’s house. We heard a little voice inside, “It’s open. Come on in.”

We pushed open the door and sucked in our breath.

Not me!

I’ve never seen so many dolls in my life.

Most, like 99.95% of them, are imported from Russia. Many of them are decades old and were very difficult to get because of international relations between the Soviet Union and the United States.

Bertha and her sister Marilyn started the Doll’s Nest as a hobby. The name fits the shop perfectly. These nesting dolls nest in their living room. See the little guy at the bottom middle of the picture? That’s my husband with blue eyes.

Little Vince is one of the few dolls who doesn’t nest.

According to Bertha, “nesting dolls are hollow wooden figures, with the top portion of the doll coming off, revealing another figurine.”

The Beetles live here along with other famous figurines.

Some of the dolls have their nesting companions laid out beside them like you see with Mr. Walrus. My favorite was the stressed woman whose mood gradually lightened as she thought cheery thoughts.

Ginny dolls caught my attention on the left side of the shop.

Ginny dolls were my favorite dolls when I was seven. Here is why. We had a bond.

I was born with a double harelip or cleft lip. I had to go to the hospital to have my inner lip separated from my gum where it had been sewn when I was born. At age seven, I could smile normally.

No worries, I came out just fine with Ginny by my side.

My smart momma took me shopping to pick out a new doll. We made a day of it.  She took me out to eat at L.S. Ayres & Co. at their fancy rooftop restaurant where we watched a fashion show. I also got some new baby doll pjs.

I was soooo excited to go to the hospital. I know, weird, huh?

The hospital had a huge bright playroom, so Ginny and I went right there as soon as I got there. I could not wait to make new friends and show them my new doll.

Ginny and I together had no fear.

If you guys ever need a place to spark happy memories, drive up to Three Rivers and visit the Doll’s Nest. hehehe

Don’t tell, but my brother loved my dolls, too.

If you are NOT a guy who loves dolls, think of it as pure history. Maybe there is somewhere to sit down and play video games on your phone while you wait. 🙂

I hope you enjoyed my trip to the oddball shop.

If you liked this post, PLEASE share it with your friends. If you have a doll-loving friend, you KNOW what to do….

This post has all the clickable links to get back to Cee and see other odd pictures or enter for yourself.

In case you missed them, click here.