Please vote for Raggedy Andy for the Toy Hall of Fame!

12 Hours of John Muir report will be coming soon, probably when my visiting friend leaves town!

in the meantime, please humor me as you read this.... you can just read the next two paragraphs if you'd rather not read the whole story.

Raggedy Ann sits alone in the Toy Hall of Fame, without Raggedy Andy! How sad! I got a mailing last week asking me to vote for Andy to enter the hall of fame. I was reminded of this yesterday when my visiting friend Tawnya and I went walking around E-town to see how it has changed since she moved away. We saw a window display at a toy store with lots of Anns and Andys, which charmed us both. Then today I read in the Chicago Tribune that at the Raggedy Festival over the weekend in Arcola, IL, they had a big push to have people sign petitions to put Raggedy Andy in the Toy Hall of Fame alongside Ann. This is Raggedy Andy's chance to join his sister!

So I am asking you (even if you think it's kind of silly) to go to the Raggedy Ann museum site and sign the petition to put Andy in the Hall of Fame! You can have your name appear as "anonymous" if you check the box. And uncheck the second box if you don't want junk mail from the petition site.

http://www.raggedyann-museum.org/

Why am I asking you to sign this petition?

When I was about one, my grandmother gave me a Raggedy Andy. It became my favorite toy, and it wasn't long before Raggedy Andy was joined by a Raggedy Ann. Andy stayed a favorite, even when his entire mop of red hair fell off in one piece one day! Even bald, with a dirty face, and a little the worse for wear, Raggedy Andy, along with Ann, was one of the best toy friends a little girl could have. Eventually I had a whole family of them in different sizes, like other girls collected Barbies. One of them would almost always go along on family trips and other outings. They were so much more lovable to me and such better companions, from my point of view, than alot of the other more "fashionable" dolls out there.

Eventually their arms would be hanging by a thread, then would fall off, from being carried around by the arm, and would get sewn back on. When Andy "broke" his leg from jumping off a ledge or fighting off the bad guys, I would wrap the leg with gauze or even toilet paper, to the embarrassment of my mother, I am sure, who had to be seen in public with me. I would spend hours drawing Raggedy Ann and Andy comics, and I would force my poor parents to sit through "performances" (really boring plays) that they would act in.

As I got older I got interested in things like bicycles (really? you're kidding? bet that was a surprise to you!!), collecting Matchbox cars, and other kid stuff. But I never lost interest in Raggedy Ann and Andy. I had the books and the bedsheets and a wastebasket and so on. When I grew up, I didn't think much about Ann and Andy, but I kept the old ones, most of them stored at my parent's house along with my old Matchbox and Hot Wheels collection.

When my friends started having kids, I had the dilemma of "what do I buy for a gift?" After some thought, the answer seemed obvious! Raggedy Ann and Andy, or at least one of them. The friends who had triplet boys (yikes!!) got three Raggedy Andys from me at their shower, and they said that was one of the best presents they got!!

I have somehow become the Raggedy Evangelist when it comes to shower gifts. I would like the kids of this new generation to at least be exposed to old-fashioned Ann and Andy, and they can make their own choice about whether or not they like them.

Then my little nephew came along, and it turns out he loves Ann and Andy, and usually sleeps with at least one of them. Then my mother got him a big Andy, whom he absolutely adores. That gave me the idea to do a photo book of "Raggedy Andy's Adventures in Chicago", so he would think that his Andy went on an exciting trip to see his aunt and grandmother. He has a duplicate Big Andy at my mother's house for when they come to town to visit. So I have borrowed Big Andy #2 and have been taking pictures of him in various places, intending to either assemble a photo book myself, or to use Apple's mac.com website to make a "real" bound book for him. Andy has even attempted to learn to ride a bike, with limited success, due to short legs! (thanks to Mike S. for patiently helping with those Andy on a bike photos) Someday you might even see Big Andy on the start line at a WORS or WEMS race.

(photos coming soon)