Vermont's 20^th Open Studio Tour is about two weeks away. Never has a to-do list and a calendar been such a stimulus. Okay, first we register and then we attend a marketing meeting. We always learn something and share our nearly ten-year experience. This year is different.  There is a hype.

One thing does not seem to change. Lew and Bonnie are the "leaders" of our group

of six Chester-Andover artists - a new contemporary arts gallery in town, a talented abstract artist, a wood turner, a glass blower, a VT landscape artist and a doll maker. We picked up all the YELLOW directional materials and maps, collected our groups' pieces for a glass case at the Guilford Welcome Center and wrote the press.

Perhaps the most fun was celebrating the twentieth year with marvel director of

VCC, Martha Fitch.  Poppy and Grammie took granddaughters Beatrice and Shiloh and their namesake Bundles to the Vermont State House last weekend to witness the proclamation of May being Vermont Craft Month by Governor Shumlin. Guess who outshined the artists! Lunch was devoured at the Culinary Institute Restaurant and we just had to have Wilcox (yummy) ice cream at the Capitol Grounds. We left a message for former Green Mountain UHS principal Norm Stevens who was being honored in the Great Principals Hall of Fame, and delivered Emily and her artist invitation palette to the Montpelier Visitor Center to invite visitors to Chester.  We missed William's first baseball game, but yes, our girls wrote thank you notes to the Governor.  Saturday night we celebrated with Madeline Kunin, Martha, and the geniuses behind Open Studio at the National Life Building in our state capital, again enjoying the fixings of the Culinary Arts Institute.

Back home, we cut off 58 dead daffodil heads; we hung our beautiful new vinyl front door welcoming banners (thank you, Paul Gordon of mountainlakecreations). They mimic our sweet new brochure and its calico VT map. We had time to share our historical epic story at the Springfield Adult Day Care Center, entertain ten quilters from Massachusetts and host the Happy Homemakers of Ascutney. Lew and I squeezed in fine editing work on our website, using facts and figures from Google Analytics and where viewers got stuck. And finally I had time to finish Kam's birthday doll, Morgan.

Now it is about filling our gallery display with our precious product and letting you know that visiting us will be a treat (and our five other compatriots). As a come-on we are offering seven flower girls, including the first motif, April, at $20 off to celebrate twenty years of welcoming eager visitors into our Vermont  galleries - especially those in homes - to experience a very special connection.

Sunday afternoon I missed a telephone call; by the time I retrieved it, the caller was in the driveway.  She wanted to be sure we were open, it being Sunday. Church and all. Our new, classy open sign reassured her we were open and our sassy daffodils waved at her. With her was a passenger who had asked to come visit me. For nearly two hours we were totally engaged and everyone was happy. Even Silvio.

Alice and Estelle were the first two visitors who that resulted in sales in the fall of 2008 from a fabulous Yankee Magazine article about how three towns in Vermont celebrated the Christmas.  Estelle, 95, is full of spunk. She went around the displays to meet the dolls, picking them up, making a comment, perhaps, like most visitors, having a difficult time making a choice. She kept returning to Missy. She told me she had purchased Emily on her earlier visit but it was a Missy (confirmed by my trusty doll register) who sits on a chair in her bedroom. With a new carpeting she was tending toward blue to go with her décor. She found her. Abigail. Her daughter chose Honey to go with her Claire back home.

Choices made, we talked, shared pictures and stories about our families, toured the downstairs, chatted about our art and especially Maxfield Parrish (our coffee table book), and our cats. Alice was interested in upcoming events like Open Studio, the Quechee Hot Air Balloon Fest,

Saint-Gaudens, and our big reunion in July and provided literature.  I shared a homeschool art/writing project we did with the grandkids, and I told them of my love for writing children's stories. We agreed a great story could be told about the new Bundle sisters, Honey and Abigail, recognizing their sisters, Missy and Claire as family, back in Massachusetts! I just might do that.

I gave Estelle a Birthday Doll Workshop Calendar hoping she could celebrate her 96^th birthday here. Estelle, the doll maker and the dolls were photographed. Estelle was pretty excited about Abigail cuddled in her arms and left me with a hug and an "I love you."  So did Alice. What sweet connections.

It all started with the arrival of the six grandchildren whose parents were going on a date to redeem their Christmas gift certificates in nearby Keene. The children didn't arrive early enough for me to plant seeds with Shiloh, sew with Beatrice or for the boys to play with Poppy's train. But we made pancake batter and set the tables for the Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper at St. Luke's. Grandson William would be Johndawg's assistant, and they would become best friends, flipping over 200 pancakes for fifty some hungry guests who also consumed 120 sausages, 3 quarts of maple syrup, and 20 pounds of fruit salad. It ended with the kids playing hide and go seek and a sugar snow.

Wednesday began with the visits of Eva and Zoe, my two favorite stitching buddies. Eva made her Alice a nightie and Zoe cut out Mimi's pieces and then embroidered her face. Both girls did a stellar job and had a ball; and according to the report from one mom, "It was awesome." Shortly thereafter old friends, the Farrells showed up. Maryann's brother was our Jesuit friend back in the NY years, and they were the reason we chose Westfield, NJ to buy our first home in 1971. Maryann chose a doll for a new grandchild, who will bear the face of Angelina, my newest design in the works.  We were enjoying our visit that was interrupted by the visitor of visitors!

I opened the front door to the gallery and there stood a ten year old girl holding a wad of money in her hand. "I've come to get Ella," she said. It turns out that Anabel saved all her gift money and earned some too to buy the girl of her dreams. The family drives by on their way to skiing at Okemo, and Mom and Anabel went on line and chose Ella from 150 different choices. She knew exactly what she wanted.  It could not have been a lovelier connection.

That night, after the Ash Wednesday service, we revisited the Farrell Family where they were having their reunion. What joy telling and hearing stories about all our children and grandchildren. Especially wonderful was meeting Jessica and remeeting her husband Bill whom we remember so fondly as a boy. The little people put on a dancing show for us. It was nearly midnight when we got home.  We awoke on Thursday morning to a call from Nancy, our sister-in-law. My ailing brother, victim of mesothelioma, was failing faster than we all hoped.  We sped off to PA to say goodbye to John. We spent the last 36 hours with him before he died early Saturday morning, peacefully, thank God. He was a hero.

Returning to VT, coping with Nancy's loss and ours, we were brightened by a very sweet piece of mail from Anabel wanting to share news about Ella. "She and I do everything together (except school and lessons of course.) She helped me pick out new skis and sits with me while eating meals. I love Ella so much and can't wait to tell my best friends." She asked if I'd write back if I had a chance.

Do excuse me, I must write Anabel and Ella.

Many signs lead me to the idea of the Fall Fashion Show and Boutique.  On a Wednesday this summer Zinny and Eva measured all the dolls and made careful pencil lists of their sizes.  More and more customers are asking for outfit switches on their look alike doll. A couple of moms suggested their little Bundle moms wanted to change outfits and dress their girl at bedtime. Then there is that absolute love I have working with children and dolls.

On Saturday, November 19 four children registered for the event - Zinny and Eva, of course, and Eva and Zoe. We had fun with the two sets of sisters about different pronunciation of the E name and that one of Z's was the youngest, the other the oldest. I made bow tie mac and cheese and a favorite, Green Cake for lunch. Remember, there are two sets of sisters and immediately all are best friends.

Alice, Chloe and Eva.  We made the observation that arms are as long as legs; and using the body, sleeve and leg pattern pieces they created their very own pattern.  Off to the fabric cache to pick and choose. And lace too.

Zoe brought her own sewing machine and Eva was sorry she hadn't brought hers.  Scary but pretty sane was the cutting.  A break for lunch. Seconds on everything. Wash hands. Back to work. But first the girls wandered around the gallery looking for the perfect outfit for their doll. Zoe chose Cecelia's; Eva chose Abigail's but in lavender, please.  Zinny loved Sharon's pants and blouse but doesn't need a furry vest. Eva, a serious reader, loved Laura's.  Their $10 fee goes toward the wardrobe item for a birthday gift.

Into the heritage room to Bonnie's Nancy Necchi and Zoe's magic plastic wonder. While I stitched little Eva's nightie with her little foot on the control pedal, big Eva assisted Zoe. The girls learned to pin and press. Lew is not a stitcher; he normally is the stuffing helper, but he documented the event gladly.  We could have used his help because Eva and Zinny have to come back to finish their nighties. Darn! Will I love that! But here are those finished nighties on Stephanie's sleeping bag made by Zoe at another workshop.

Everyone, including Silvio, had a blast.

Words. Important phrases. Directions. Friendly helpers. Teasers. Identification. Clues. All these uses for words put together or standing alone.  In yards. Of stained glass. In fabrics.  On highways. Caution. Wait. Stop. Suddenly here in Chester signs are very, very important.

There are these two special bridges just south of town that funnel traffic north and south, especially the tourists, and they have simply been broken. Now they are being fixed - from May 20 to July 17. That's not really too long, is it? It is a unique situation since Chester is at the crossroads of New England. But every business, especially those south of town, has been impacted. Everyone has bright ideas on how to fix it. Everyone has an experience or story to tell that strikes a negative cord.  The girls here (and a few boys too) love visitors. They are beginning to take afternoon naps with Silvio, our mascot, and move around from seat to seat just to create excitement.

My most important sign is the carved and stained glass that identifies my business in my yard. Given it is in need of an uplift, but years ago Karen Savage made us two stained glass creations of Andro, our logo.  Our little hanging sign tells a passerby that we are "on the web," and we soar in those visitors. Then there is a worn and frazzled Open Flag that tells one that "Yes, we are here when the flag flies." Banners that say Gallery Entrance indicate hospitality. And Andro herself beckons folks into our three-room gallery.

Our visitorship is not measured by driveways full of cars. Ours is measured by the experience of coming to meet the doll maker and her creations face to face in small by mighty numbers. This is not the 1980's when my dolls were $40,  and the local inns all sent visitors who sought a real Vermont-made doll. This year first big occasion for significant visitors is the Vermont Crafts Council Open Studio Weekend. Okay, we were down in numbers of visitors, but not orders. Little Burma Shave-like signs saying, "Sheep grazing." "Cats crossing." Turtles racing." Beware of bears." -- all these words connected the visitor to the motif-eyed dolls during their visit, and I enjoyed telling the stories of how they were created.

Nonetheless, it is quiet in Chester. Some creative businesses have devised a

scavenger hunt for the stores on Route 103--fifteen both north and south, very much affected by the bridgework. Little green triangles with numbers correspond to a leaflet. Finding the doll here in the gallery with the clue will gain a visitor a stamp and a chance at $400 in sweet prizes on July 23d at a celebration when famous Bridges 8 and 9 are open, safe and beautiful. Obey the signs. And as simple as they are, look for the fifteen triangles and come visit anytime.

That's a good thing. We know they return for many reasons.  Quality. Originality. Ageless appeal.  An addition to the family. Color and variety. Yes, some must come back to use their 10% Customer Appreciation Award.  They purchase and get another certificate. Pretty good. Thankfully Bonnie's Bundles are not American Girl dolls, but are made in Vermont, not China. We can make a lookalike but he or she will be soft and lovable and even washable and guaranteed for a lifetime. The truth is my team and I make incredible dolls!

Where do the customers come from? Chester. Small Yankee Magazine ads. The web. Those craft fairs from the summer and fall and the Vermont Welcome Centers. The nice feature is that they come back again and again and again.  Take Denise.  Her eleventh doll this year is an 1880's masterpiece bearing Millicent's beautiful face and her fabulous costuming, including "her bustle."

Chester's Inn Victoria needed a Jane Austen for a special birthday celebration in December. She's a winner and heading into our storybook group. Mr. Gummy Man is the imagination of a four-year old boy whose father added all the color directions so we could make The Man.

For all the custom design requests this year and all the challenge with happy results, it has been an excellent year in other ways too. Imagine half the sales were multiple dolls, repeat customers (some for years), the success of Yankee advertising, fulfillment of Denise's dream of a doll a month and finally, a packed Promise Room. Lew and I realize we love marketing together and are getting better and better about our instincts. Our new beautiful multi-use postcard arrived from the printer today and promises to be versatile as a rackcard and a snail mail piece.  At year's end there are 63 dolls in inventory, the sale is over, and the new price list went up New Year's Day.

We wish you the bounty of family, outdoors, and love in your life for 2011. Maybe we'll see you. That would be very nice.  Thank you for coming to us, and do please keep coming back!