Dr Bear And Dr Bear

January 4, 2017January 4, 2017 / Miki de Goodaboom / Leave a comment

By Urso Arctos and Jo Du Nor

(Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom, based on a photograph by Jo Du Nor)

Hello ! Do you remember me, Ursus Arctos, from Sarajevo ?
When I arrived to France, I was not in a very good shape…
I would like to present to you the so nice doctors who took care of me : Jo and El Bear, 2 brothers who worked together in the hospital where my parents confided me for my care.
In this period of joy and love for Christmas, I have so much pleasure to thank them for what they made for me ! And I wanted to say it to everybody.
I give big hugs to all of you.

dr-bear-and-dr-bear-s

Noel and His Christmas Friends

December 8, 2016December 8, 2016 / Miki de Goodaboom / Leave a comment

By Ann La Mar

(Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom, based on photographs by Ann La Mar)

As usual every few weeks I meet my friend for tea. This evening was just the same I set off early to avoid the rush hour traffic as it is normally gridlocked at this hour. To my surprise there was little traffic and plenty of parking spaces. I was now fifteen minutes early and my friend was sure to be five minutes late. I decided to go for a walk in the high street and headed towards the town Christmas tree, it was all blue and sparkly and looked lovely against the dark sky. I knew Miki would like it and we are having a sort of virtual Christmas so I took a picture to send her. It has become a favourite pastime of mine to find festive things she would like. The Christmas tree was on the cobbles outside the Oxfam shop. I have discovered that charity shops are a great place to find Teddy bears, although it is a bit sad because they are all there to find new homes.
This evening I was not disappointed, the window had three festive teddy bears displayed all sitting looking out at the Christmas tree. I just had to take pictures of them to send Miki later.
The next morning I was telling MIki about my evening and sent her the pictures. A few minutes later I heard my phone beep, it was miki saying how gorgeous the bears were and a message:

“Ann, is there a chance for me to get this one? But only if it does not mean too much work for you to go back there. I want a Christmas bear, Christmas is so special this year with you sharing everything with me…”

I needed to go to town so I set of on a mission to buy the Christmas bear, hoping he would still be there. If so it was meant to be and Miki would have her bear. As I parked another message arrived…the bear already had a name…

“If I get the bear, I will call him Noel… this is Bernard’s second name… always loved it…”

Now I must get Noel…I didn’t have a plan B if he wasn’t there and Miki would be devastated now he had a name. I got to Oxfam I hardly dare look in the window….what a relief he was sitting waiting for me. I went inside and asked the man if he would take him from the window for me…he was so gentle with him and said:

“ Isn’t he a lovely chap!”

I could tell he was a bear lover so I told him he was going to live in Spain with my friend who is an artist and paints teddy bears. He was genuinely interested and he said:

“Well he is dressed and ready to travel, he will have a lovely time”.

I payed and he gently handed him over. I was and am so happy to get him. I cannot begin to explain my feelings as I know how much Noel means to Miki.
I was now carrying Noel in his fine Christmas outfit in the high street…lots of people smiled at us…I’m sure it cheered them up on such a dreary day. I got him back to the car and took his picture to send to Miki with a message..

“Merry Christmas …get ready to welcome Noel!”

Not long after she replied:

“OH MON DIEU!!!! HE IS GORGEOUS!!! Even more from front! I adore him! And a robin!!! and he is going on a drive with Audrey and Ann!!! I am so happy Ann!!!! SO HAPPY! Can’t take my eyes from him, he symbolises so well that special Christmas for me...”

I had to go and visit my dad so Noel came with me in the car (Audrey).
He looked so cute sitting by my side..I wanted to hug him.
As soon as we were home we went to see all my bears and take some pictures for Miki…I’m sure by now Truffle will have seen pictures of Noel his new family member..
It was decided that he will spend Christmas in the UK with his cousins before travelling to Spain in January. We are all delighted to have him stay with us and we will give him a lovely Christmas. Miki and Truffle will get many pictures. Noel is quite happy with Fluffle and Travis…he will sleep in ‘Miki’s room’.

noel-and-his-christmas-friends-s

Father And Son Santa

November 28, 2016November 28, 2016 / Miki de Goodaboom / Leave a comment

By Truffle McFurry

(Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom, based on a photograph by Ann La Mar)

We are all coming into Christmas craziness here! Ann la Mar has just bough a giant Canadian tree, and she sends us all the time photographs from Christmas in England. This is so kind of her to share it all with us. We haven’t such beautiful Christmas decorations in the shops here in Spain, he does not really feels like Christmas. But in England they are all getting crazy!

Yesterday Ann La Mar wrote to me and told me that story:

“Anyway I think I have gone crazy….I have Christmas fever….I was just coming home in the car and waiting to come onto the roundabout was Father Christmas on a motorbike with loads of presents and flashing lights…I nearly put the car off the road! He followed me all the way to Yarm..I am thinking it is only November should I stop and ask if he is lost…I couldn’t take a photo as I was driving and I hadn’t been drinking wine but even more crazy as I was turning into our road he passed me but now it was 3 father Christmases on motorbikes…I think two must have been security like the queen and presidents have….it was real…I don’t need a shrink….The uk is mad at Christmas…once June and I saw a man in the middle of Northallerton high street in December in nothing but red underpants….he was selling Calvin Klein underwear for the posh store on the high street…“

I could not believe it, but she swears it is true! She said, she could not make it up!

And then she sent us a photograph of Santa and his son… look, even Little Santa loves Teddy Bears the most, among all the toys he could hold in his arms, he is holding a Teddy bear. I am so happy about it!

santa-father-and-son-s

Vampiretta And Teddy Pumpkin

October 23, 2016 / Miki de Goodaboom / Leave a comment

By Miki de Goodaboom

(Text and Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom, Teddy based on a photograph by Kev le Chat)

Recently my Teddy Truffle McFurry and me spent a wonderful week in north Yorkshire, invited by Ann La Mar, one of our star reporters at “Go Teddy!”. We three are right now writing a huge book about that adventure, with many illustrations. Of many places there and, of course, of teddy bears

On my way back I took the train to Derby , where Kev le Chat – also working as reporter at “Go Teddy!” picked me up at the station. He have me as a gift a very cute little doll, disguised as a vampire for Halloween. I call her Vampiretta.

The other day he went again to a Photo Safari and sent me the photo of a Teddy Pumpkin. I guess the Halloween business is blooming up there! Vampiretta loves him, and asked me to paint him.

“If not, I will bite you!”

she said and showed me her Baby Vampire teeth through her big smile.

Who can say “no!” to a vampire? Far too dangerous! 🙂

vampiretta-and-teddy-pumpkin-s

The Truffle From Whitby

October 20, 2016 / Miki de Goodaboom / Leave a comment

By Truffle McFurry

(Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom)

Hallo everybody!

Something incredible happened to me while I was touring The North of Yorkshire: I met another Truffle!

I can’t tell you more, I will be writing it for our book and I am not allowed to tell more now. It is a big secret!

But my Mom allows me to show you the images. So here is the other Truffle. I think he had had a bad accident, don’t you think?

Take care!

Truffle

whitby-truffle-s

Me And Me

October 12, 2016October 12, 2016 / Miki de Goodaboom / Leave a comment

By Truffle McFurry

(Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom)

Hallo everybody!

My Mom and me are very busy writing and painting our two books, it is a huge work! I think it will take ages until we are finished.

One of the books is about our Tour de Yorkshire with our reporter Ann La Mar. I am not allowed to tell you many details, but I can show you the images of the book which have to do with the Teddy Bears or other furry creatures we met.

But today, it is just about me and me. Ann la Mar loves me very much, and has me on her screen on her new iPhone. Miki sent her the photo of me posing as a professional footballer for the Europa Championship, some months ago. She loved it so much that she is looking at it all the time on her phone.

On the painting, I am sitting in a lovely Cafe in Whitby, on the English coast, with Ann La Mar’s phone. More about it in the book.

Be patient!

Take care, love you all

Truffle McFurry

whitby-truffle-and-iphone-s

A Bear In A Bag

September 30, 2016 / Miki de Goodaboom / Leave a comment

By Truffle McFurry

(Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom)

Hallo everybody!

It’s me, your friend Truffle! I told you before, my Mom Miki, Ann la Mar and me we are very busy writing a book about our travel together in Yorkshire. It will be a great book, with many images done by Miki.

We will show you the images before the book is published, but we won’t tell anything about them. If we did, there would be no surprise then, when the book comes out. It would not be fun!

Here it’s me, stuck in my travelling bag in which Miki carries me around when we travel. In the book I will tell you about my thoughts and adventures in that bag!

Take care, love you all!

runswick-bay-truffle-in-the-bag-s

A Bibliophile Teddy Bear In Great Ayton

September 23, 2016 / Miki de Goodaboom / 1 Comment

By Truffle McFurry

(Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom)

Hallo everybody!

My Mom Miki and me have just come back from an exploring and painting trip through North Yorkshire in England. We had been invited by our amazing “Go Teddy!”‘s reporter Ann La Mar. She was the best guide ever, she knew every little corner and road, and she showed us so many beautiful things!

It was so exciting that Miki, Ann and Me have decided to write a book together about our adventures there. I cannot tell you much now, because if I did, you would not want to buy the book, and you need to buy it, because I want it to become a best-seller” I need serious pocket money, but I cannot tell you why now!

I saw that funny bear with the golden glasses in a shop in Great Ayton, where Captain Cook went to school. That bear was a “bibliophile” (Miki told me!), somebody who loves books. I love that word, and I will use it very often, because it is the best way to learn it for ever! I am a bibliophile too, I love books, but I don’t really love reading, I prefer when my Mom reads out loud for me!

Love you all, take care! xx

great-ayton-teddy-bear-s

Petipa, Capuchon and Clopin-Clopan

September 5, 2016 / Miki de Goodaboom / 1 Comment

By Truffle McFurry and Nelle La Belle

(Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom)

Hi , Teddy Bear friends, Truffle here back online with some new bears from “Nelle La Belle” family!

Last time it was Effiloche and Petichourose. Today Nelle asked me to present you:

Petitpa (“Little Step”)
Capuchon (“Little Hoodie”)
Clopin-Clopan (“Hobbly”)

I have translated as good as I can, but really, the French names are so much prettier!

Here what Nelle wrote to me about their story:

“… Petipa lived in the same English shop as Effiloche. She seemed bored and above all, she was lost in the middle of trinkets. She reached out to me..

… Capuchon: his story is sad… He was in a huge display case, all alone… impossible to leave him there! …

… Clopin–clopan was offered to me in a store. I saved him through several moves, but he lost a foot on the way.…”

They are all so pretty and touching, but here, on planet Goodaboom, we have a very special feeling for poor Clopin-Clopan… we just adore him, he is so funny, and we hope he does not suffer too much without his foot. But I am sure that Nelle and her family are taking much care of him!

Petipa And Capucho And Clopin Clopan S

Effiloche And Petichourose

September 3, 2016 / Miki de Goodaboom / 1 Comment

By Truffle McFurry and Nelle La Belle

(Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom)

Hallo, Truffle here, introducing you to new couisns from France!

The other day Nelle La Belle -By the way, it is my who invented her pen name for “Go Teddy!”, I find it beautiful and she loves it too!- sent me photographs of some of her bears.

On one of them are these two amazing bears, called “Effiloché” (The big one) and “Petichourose”(the little pink one). It sounds so poetic and so funny! I know a bit of French, but I had to ask my Mom what “éffiloché” and “Petichourose” means. She said:

“Effiloché means something like fluffly… and Petichourose something like little pink cutie…”

Now this is good. “Fluffly” is a very nice word. My Auntie Ann has even got a bear called “Fluffle”! And Little Pink Cutie is a great name for the little one.

Nelle la Belle told me the story:

“… Effiloché was abandoned in an English boutique type store (hard to describe the style, I think it‘s English. He gave me a look so full of kindness that he melt my heart. And as soon as I touched him, it was over, he had to come back with me :). As well as being beautiful, he is o soft! As he is the biggest of the entire family, it’s almost natural that he takes care of Petichourose, which is the smallest of the family…”