Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Thanks for those links Ilze...I ended up using Babelfish to translate the small emails from the collector..and ellen to do the bigger ones! Ellen did a WAY better job! 

Brenda..I ended up sending the bear marked $45 as she asked. She said she would take full responsibility if it went missing. I understand where she is coming from now...she said that they pay almost the same value as the item itself if they have to pay customs tax and it makes it too hard to afford anything outside the country. My postal clerk told me that you can't insure postal articles going into Germany anyway, so as it turns out, even if I did state the true value of the bear on the box, I wouldn't get anything back for it if it went missing. Scary thing to send expensive stuff to Germany!

THANKYOU Ellen!!!

Hi All...I haven't been around for AGES! Long story, but I do hope to be back here and posting regularly again soon. I miss you guys!
I am in need of someone who can explain something to a German collector for me...please! She has very limited English and doesn't understand what I am telling her.
She bought one of my bears...for $210. She has asked if I can send the bear marked as a gift and to put the value at $45 otherwise she will have to pay heaps to customs. I am trying to make her understand that although I can mark the bear as a gift, I simply cannot estimate it's value at $45! I always insure my bears no matter where they go and if I insure this one for $45..that's all I can claim if it should go missing. I tried to tell her that if having me mark the true value of the bear on the parcel means she would rather have me refund her money, I am happy to do so. Can anyone explain this for me in German so I can cut and paste it to her? Please??
And incidently...are German customs really that prohibitive?? Seems extreme!
Many thanks in advance,

Hi Bron.
I'm so glad he arrived in time and that you like him. One more thing ticked off the 'list'
Merry Christmas!

Denise...that pic is almost identical to the one I took yesterday morning. We are two hours further away again and yet the smoke is so thick and smelly..my washing reeks!
I posted some other pics under Sarahs thread "We have rain"

Bron...that's amazing that you are seeing colours like that two states and 24hours drive away! I'd love to see a recent satelite photo.

Sarah..I'm so glad you have rain....you must be so excited! I was excited last night to hear the weather report for rain coming too...but it seems now we may only get the very edge of it.   It's so dry here now that everything is crunching underfoot..but at least we don't have the fires. Everything up in the mountains is so tinder dry it's just burning so hot and fast. Last I heard there were nearly 500,000 hectares..that's over 1 million acres of mountain forest and farmland burnt...the pics on the telly are phenominal. We are four hours drive south of the nearest of the fires, and we are still shrouded in smoke most days. Yesterday was really hard to beathe and the smell of smoke was very strong.
Here is a pic I took of the farm and down at the beach which is usually a blaze of colour. We are on an island and we can't even see the mainland a kilometre away.

Pam...Sarah lives about 10 hours east in another state to the fires so she gets any weather changes up to a day ahead of us. The mountainous areas where the fires are, are forecast to get between 10mm and 25mm of rain and even some snow over the weekend, so hopefully it will help to quench the fires. But with the rain comes thunderstorms, which is what started the fires in the first place so if there is more thunder than rain, it could spark more fires. We have a forecast today for another dreadful fire danger day...hot northerlys, 37 degrees cel and low humidity...nightmare! How can it be soooo hot and unbearable today and yet in two days we'll be freezing with snow on the alps only hours away? This weather has gone nuts!
I do hope we get that rain....our reservoir is down to 27% full and is just a puddle...and they say the bottom 15% is just silt that is undrinkable anyway. Heaven help us when the tourists all converge over the Christmas period. Lets just hope they keep to one shower a day instead of three. 
It has just dawned on me that I changed a very happy, joyous post into a depressing, nasty one. Sorry Sarah! Send some of your rain Sarah and I'll dance with ya! I'm still waiting for Celena to send her flood waters from Kuala Lumpar....maybe they got blown east and you are getting them instead!

Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain! :pray:  :pray:  :pray:

Sounds like we'll have to have Christmas in July just so those that got their ornaments late can display them!

I am one of the guilty ones who posted out at the very last minute,....but sometimes life just gets in the way and our best intentions can be tossed. It still had more than enough time to get there in a regular week...but then this ain't a regular week 

I signed up before 'stuff' happened....but I so enjoyed making my ornament...kinda like therapy without the pressure of having to make a whole entire bear.
I vote that the makers display a photo here of the unreceived ornaments on Saturday arvo if their recipients still haven't received them.....we don't have to say who is getting them so it will still be a surprise. What do we all think?
Here in Australia..the post still gets delivered on the Saturday before Christmas...so that leaves today and tomorrow.  :pray:

I received my card from you yesterday Aleta....and spent ages looking at it closely. It's truly beautiful and I appreciate the extra time and effort it took to make it...thank you!!!

Heehee Bron. Someone posted that very story this time last year...I remember having tears rolling down my cheeks reading it.
I'm sure those who haven't seen it before will be in stitches! :crackup:

Thanks Bron! Looks like Patsy has come to the rescue though.
Patsy...I had a rough memory of what it had in it.......but we have a really lame Coles here and no glace pinapple or apricots.
I have everything else...any suggestions where I can get the tricky ones?
Oh...so it's a loaf tin one? I thought it would be one of those flat circle ones. Bron is yours a circle one? Or Patsy could you make yours in a round tin also? It's not that I have 'loaf tin' issues...the round ones are just....prettier.
Thanks!

Matilda and Sandra....the reason everyone is gone is because the party officially ended at 4pm Aussie time. Ya missed it!

I had to giggle...I have this image in my head of you two bursting into the party room, rarin' to go, only to find a mess that looks like world war two and everyone gone home...just a few lonely balloons and streamers.
Still...you can have a quiet drink together...with Sandra's angel friend!

In the last few days, someone posted about the lovely Christmas Cakes they had made including one made almost entirely of glace fruit and nuts with just enough flour to hold it all together. The recipes were also posted.....but I can't find it anywhere. Can anyone help?

Hi there Tynna...welcome to the party! You're just arriving as I am leaving. Each time the connection drops out, my conscience starts to tingle and I get the guilts...I need to go do something with my day besides sit on my butt reading, posting and drinking coffee!!! :crackup:
It's been LOADS of fun! Thanks all for having me! Off to do the dishes and start on my Chrissie cakes! Yum!
Merry Christmas one and all.
Orlando is officially up for grabs...may the best girl win!  Ready, set, GO!!!

Hi and Bye Karen! Love the bear in your avatar...SO cute!
The smoke has arrived down here on the island too...very depressing. It's hard to get excited about Christmas when half the state is burning. I just wish it would pour with rain and out all the fires out. We are forecast to get 10-20mm on Sat so I hope it comes about.
Celena..send us your rain..we need it so bad!

:doh: Bother..I just wrote a huge reply...and the dratted thing dropped out on me again. Be quiet you lot..
As I was SAYING!!!!! But now the short version.....
Daph...yep I'm with you...George sucks.....and Pen Pen wasn't here last I looked so if any of you want him...just take him...this is a free for all partaaaay is it not? Patty...you can't give Matt to Sarah...I gave her Danny...and I will be most offended if my gift is returned! :twisted:

That's amazing Debbie...thanks for sharing. Youtube may have some rubbish but it has some great stuff too. This is one of my latest favourites...another horsey one. How majestic is this horse! I wish we had this breed in Australia. Bet they sell for a song!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNLuXMk9Nps&NR

We are a horsey family too. We have Magic who is 31 and just retired...Princess who is a rescue and Georgie who is our newest aquisition. Here's a pic. She's a 16hh thoroughbred and belongs to my 13 year old daughter Anna.
Pam I love your horse..he looks pretty big too! And Jezzabelle is beautiful...I love paints. Magic is a roan pinto...looks like a paint but more flecked.

Well! Talk about ungrateful! Find your own date then! Doncha like short bald men? ;)

Soz SJ...gotta take the good with the bad.

Hang on Daph....stick around a bit longer...I'm sure we are better company than the dishwasher...although mines screaming at me to come load it too!
Have a glass of something and stay for a bit...this Irish Coffee's good...want some?

Well Sarah Jane...seeing as though neither Sarah or Patty came right out and accepted Antonio (both too busy wanting what they CAN"T have), Antonio is all yours. Smile for a picture! :photo:

Sorry Sarah...all I have left now is Danny Devito. But beggars can't be choosy. Shoulda been quicker off the mark! And Patty...shame on you wanting Orlando when your hubby will be home soon!

Here we go Sarah...I have the music...just use your imagination to have it play what you want to hear!

Jodi...these ones' are for you.

Now Patty you were not listening.   Obviously you have rose coloured glasses on today! Orlando is not up for grabs...he's MINE today. It was Antonio I was very nicely offering as a second chance date. Take it or leave it...but be quick or I may just change my mind and keep both...one on each arm. Actually.......

Daphne...as far as I know we don't get those bikkies...sounds like we are missing out!
Sorry Ellen..but no matter how nicely you try to dress up that duck, I'll pass. Mind you I may be tempted to try that recpe on chicken! Sounds tasty!

Sorry Sarah and Patty....I got him first for the Chrissie party and he has eyes for me only....at least until my hubby gets home, then you can fight between you for who get's him next.
I had to knock back my other heart throb Antonio Banderas when Orlando accepted first, so I'm happy to hand him on to the first to put their hand up. Don't ever say I never give you anything!
Now be nice...no shoving!

That little shoe is so cute Tammy!

Food on Christmas day? I have had such an upside down kinda December...I was pushing for cheese on toast for Chrissie lunch...but mum said no.
Duck? YUCK! Don't know if it's the brownish colour of the meat, the strong taste, or the thought of what I'm eating...but I have eaten it once only. Where's that chucking smiley?
We will probably go for seafood too...quick, easy and tasty. Although I MAY ask mum about the possibility of KFC.  The kids never eat proper meals on the day anyways...too full of chocolate and fizzy drinks. We have an easy day this year, just us, my folks and my sister...eight all together.

Hi Everyone..I'm Back! I tried to be 'back' an hour ago but couldn't get in...room must have been too crowded! You all talk too much!

I decided it was too early in the morning for champers Aleta so I have bought myself a steaming hot cup of Irish Coffee....thought the heat would kill the alcohol but I actually feel quitelight headed. WHEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!  

I am heading into town soon...decided to make SueAnns' festive fruit cake from her other post...love things with glace fruit and nuts...yum!
Sorry to hear there are a few sickies....hope the collywobbles go away soon!

Hmm...so I need a date for the party? Okay...I've lined up Orlando Bloom. Yummy!   Can we eat our dates? Guess that wouldn't be too polite now would it? Okay, I'll have to settle with just drooling over him whilst swying to the music. Think I need to make my next coffee a straight.
Soz to those girls who like Aragorn and Captain Jack Sparrow...I like my men sqeaky clean and smellin' good...like my legolas  ...not grubby and sweaty.

Looks like the aussies are up and at it and those on the other side of the pond are checking out? Where's all the Kiwis??

Patty...Viggo played Aragorn in the Lord of the rings trilogy. He's the grubby one.