Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Merci, Eric..............and back atcha! Lets hope next year will be only GOOD for everyone!
huggies
Maria :hug:  :hug:

Merry Xmas, Tami,  to you and all your family!
We've had plenty of snow here and some pretty COLD weather (it went down to minus 33C in some parts of Germany earlier in the week)
but right now - the shops will all close in an hour or so - we've done all our shopping, so BRING IT ON! :dance:  :dance:
big huggies
Maria :hug:  :hug:  :hug:

ooooohhh - you MEANIE, Lyn! They don't look too amused, but they DO look awfully sweet!
Have a great Xmas!
big huggies
Maria :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:

About flippin' time, indeed, Jane! But oh, Pat .........now you've got me worried again! THREE months..........sigh,,,,,,,,,,,
huggies
Maria :hug:  :hug:

Lovely card, Wanda - as always, your bears are so gorgeous!
A very happy Xmas to you too
huggies
Maria :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:

Big thanks, everyone :hug:  :hug:  :hug:
and I'm glad the bear amused you.........that slightly manic look of panic just "worked" for our Xmas card!
Have a great time, all of you
big huggies
Maria :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:

Thankyou, Ann-Marie - and a very merry Xmas to you too!
huggies
Maria :hug:  :hug:

Congratulations, Tami - a really lovely award, and well deserved :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:
huggies
Maria :hug:  :hug:

A VERY Happy Xmas to you, Paula! GREAT pictures.........but for my money,  a picture is the best place for snow - or maybe thru the window of a nice cosy room........... We haven't had TOO much yet, but it has been COLD - down to minus 30 C or worse in some parts of Germany - NOT nice!
Stay warm and enjoy the festive season
big huggies
Maria :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:

Have a great time, everyone!
big huggies
Maria :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:

Thanks everyone......it really is an early Xmas present - even if I have to wait a while for the actual return!
Strange -  I very much MISS some of the bears which leave me to go to their new owners - but I know they'll be well  looked after and loved - but this bear going missing was SO upsetting.
Ho hum - postal service ain't what it used to be........
big huggies
Maria

They look SO lovely together, Peter.........I hope they got their hot chocolate tho!
It's looking pretty much the same here - "winter wonderland" - and set to continue........

huggies
Maria

I got an email this morning to tell me that the long-lost Taiwan comp bear finally arrived! I really was beginning to give up hope......
So much for the post office's  eight to ten days delivery time.....he was posted in October!
Hopefully he won't take as long to return to me......he's a nice bear and I'll be really happy to have him home.
huggies
Maria

Great bears, Marsha........and it's so nice to see the companies donating too! I hope that the auction raises LOTS for the poor Moon bears
huggies
Maria

NICE one, Tami  
huggies
Maria

Must have missed this one earlier! Aren't they CUTE????????       I can't get over their huge, toothless mouths..........and yes, the claws - one can only hope they don't use them too much on their poor Mum.
thanks for posting these
big huggies
Maria

Thanks, Dawn
I finally found my copy of the rules, and I think you and I will have to agree to differ over our interpretations of them, as they are written.
I  don't want to sound ungracious or petty, but I still think this matter should have come up earlier, and certainly before the nominations were announced.......I WOULD have withdrawn the bear, as I still feel that he didn't belong in a Dressed class.......
"spilt milk" and all that - it's done and dusted, and it's time to move on........
hugs
Maria

KAREN
thanks for your comments - I appreciate them!
big huggies
Maria

Hi Cheryl
even if it IS the service provider's problem, it would have been nice if Bear Pile had alerted everyone to the problem..........hope you can get it sorted
huggies
Maria

She is utterly adorable         how could anyone resit that appealing face! Lucky , LUCKY you - you are going to have such fun with her.........
huggies
Maria
who will also be expecting lots ofpiccies!

Tthank you so much Shane - you make me feel a whole lot better about it all! You really are a sweetie, and a good friend
great big hugs
Maria :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:
ps it's too b......... cold to hang about naked!!!!!!!!!!(sign or no sign) :crackup:

WELL DONE, Santa Sarah :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap: ..........and it all looked such FUN!
Thanks for sharing , Jane - you must be a very proud Mum..........what am i saying - I KNOW you are!
big huggies
Maria

I got a second place - I should be really pleased, but I'm rather upset about the whole thing..........
I was told last week that my Black bear (my current avatar) would be moved to the DRESSED category because of his "do not feed" sign.
I have ALWAYS tried to stick to the rules of a competition, but it seems they can be interpreted in more than one way - to my mind the bear IS undressed. If this matter had come up right at the beginning, and certainly BEFORE the bear had been nominated in the undressed category, I would have just withdrawn him from the comp - perhaps I should have done so last week ....ho hum........
If I had  a bear in a DRESSED category, and got beaten by an UNDRESSED bear, I wouldn't have been best pleased - so I feel really awkward and embarrassed about it all.
Maybe I'm being a bit paranoid especially as this comes on the heels of the total disappearance of my Taiwan comp. bear, but I'm just left feeling upset..........and I always thought that competitions were FUN!
On a brighter note - HUGE congratulations to everyone - it's lovely to see so many friends amongst the winners! And such GORGEOUS bear - well done everyone :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:
And big thanks to Olive for taking my bears in..........I KNOW you are lurking out there - come in and take a bow!
big huggies
Maria

Really wish i could come too! Don't be nervous, girls - sounds like you are going to have a terrific time.
ENJOY :dance:  :dance:  :dance:
huggies
Maria

I'm another one who really gets DOWN in winter......and these past WEEKS of endless gloomy wet weather have been really bad.
I'll be very interested too, to hear if any of you have tried the SAD lamps.........and I'll be picking up some vitamin D supplement tomorrow!
I keep telling myself that my current state of mind is due to me having been a bear in a previous existence - I really should just hibernate thru the winter............

huggies
Maria