humour

Bear-sur-Ciel

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By Truffle McFurry

(Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom )

 

Hello everybody, Truffle here!

Yesterday I said in my Facebook page that Miki would stop for a long time to paint Teddy Bears, because we we go soon on a painting trip to Portugal, and when we come back, she would have to paint serious stuff like boats, houses, churches, streets, etc… People buy this kind of things, you know, but they don’t buy Teddy bear paintings, and Miki has to earn money for us.

But today she could not resist… she did another one! She really can’t live without us! We saw this one while we were in the South of France, last time, in a lovely village called Cordes-sur-Ciel.

It means Cordes-upon-Sky. I don’t why, because we were climbing and climbing and we never arrived above the sky. But the name is nice. She and my Dad were impressed by the  monuments, but me, I don’t really like old stones,  I much more prefer the toy shops. There was a lovely one in Cordes-sur-Ciel, full of old toys, as old as the stones. Most of them were white, as if they were made out of snow. Or of clouds.  They were so cute!

I wanted so much the little dog with the black spots, but Miki said a very loud NO. She said, dogs are nice, yes, but if we had a dog, we wouldn’t be able to travel where we want any more. Dogs are not like Teddy Bears, she said, one can’t take them everywhere… and one cannot abandon them again when we don’t need them any more…

I called that Bear “Bear-sur-Ciel”… a lovely name for a French bear, isn’t it?

Bear-sur-Ciel S

His Bearness

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By Miki De Goodaboom

(Illustration based on a photograph by “Pete”, from the UK)

I can’t tell much about this motif, except that a certain “Pete”, from the UK, sent me a photograph of his Teddy bear, dressed as a basketball player from the Chicago Bulls.

Pete only told me that he is a fan of the Chicago Bulls, of Michael Jordan and that he is somehow related to one of the players from an earlier time.

I personally don’t know much about basketball, but I do know from the legendary Michael Jordan, of course, and that one of his nickname was “His Airness”. Which is why I allowed myself that wordplay and called Pete’s  Teddy Bear “His Bearness”!  🙂

His Bearness S

The Oxfam Camel And Teddy Bears

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By Miki De Goodaboom

(Illustration based on a photograph by “Go Teddy!”‘s reporter Kev Le Chat)

It is wonderful to have these reporters, such as Ann La Mar and Kev le Chat, so dedicated and committed to our cause in “Go Teddy!”. Every time they sent me some Teddy photos, it is an immense joy for Truffle McFurry and for me. We love so much to see all these bears from around the world!

Kev le Chat who often goes to charity shops, mostly in search of books, has noticed that there are great motifs for “Go Teddy!” there. And this is true. Most of the time, the bears and other soft animals he sees in these places are quite old, and look so different from all the modern Teddy Bears. Having started very late (only 3 years ago) to be interested in Teddy Bears, it is a whole new fascinating world opening to me. I really do not know how Teddy bears looked like in earlier days…

When I see these Bears from earlier times, I feel that they carry many stories with them. You can feel that they have been cuddled many times, that they have comforted many children (and adults like me probably), and that they have listened to many secrets. They are so touching!

And it is so interesting to see how different they look like and feel. They are less sophisticated than the modern ones, and made out of different material. Material that last forever, I guess. I was amazed as I had once in my hands Benjamin, Truffle’s oldest cousin. He felt so unusual, it was because of the stuffing. I think it was made of real straw. And there was the other one – I don’t remember which one it was,- he was so heavy, I think he was full of lead pearls!

Here is a wonderful motif coming from OXFAM, in Derby I think. A camel and his Teddy Bear mates… judging by the looks, from many different eras!

The Oxfam Camel And Teddy Bears S

Dory The Fish And The Teddy Bear

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By Kev Le Chat

(Illustration based on a photograph by “Go Teddy!”‘s reporter Kev Le Chat)

 

“Mmm….” thought Dory, ” I’m going to swim, swim, swim down to the
bottom of the ocean today”

Halfway down, she wondered what she was doing there, and very nearly turned
around and headed back up where the shafts of sunlight pierced the deep blue like tiny daggers…

….but something had caught her fishy eye down in the depths…a small figure..
It seemed to be waving at her…

So she swam and swam, and the small figure came into focus..it wasn’t really waving,
It was the gentle currents on the ocean floor making its arm move to and fro.

She got a little bit excited then, it was orange and white striped, was it her friend Nemo??

No! She swam closer and saw that it was a Teddy bear wearing an orange and white striped hoodie – which made him look just like her friend! Now, Dory didn’t really know what a teddy bear was, and even if you told her, she would forget almost immediately, but she DID think it was cute!

She swam alongside his soggy fur, and he gurgled “I can’t really drown, but I would really like to get back to the surface and let the sunshine dry my fur”

“Okay!” Said Dory, “I can do that! let’s swim, swim swim together!”
So Dory helped the teddy off the ocean floor and they headed for the surface where the sunshine sparkled like diamonds.
“What do you want?” Asked Dory suddenly when they were halfway there.
“Err…” Said the confused bear. He didn’t realise fish had short memories, and Dory’s was shorter than most. But as it transpired, Dory even forgot that she’d forgotten who he was and continued to swim to the surface. Eventually, they emerged into the sunlight, Dory splashing and jumping in and out of the waves.

She nudged the little soggy bear to a nearby beach, and they spent many happy days with Dory playing in the surf and teddy sunbathing and diving in and out of the ocean.

Surely there has never been a more unlikely pair of friends, or indeed a happier one!

 

Dory The Fish And Her Teddy Bear S.jpg

Big White Rabbits And Teddy Bears In An English Flowershop

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By Miki de Goodaboom

(Illustration based on a photograph by “Go Teddy!”‘s reporter Kev Le Chat)

“Go Teddy!” ‘s reporter Kev Le Chat sent me that charming photo from his recent bear photo safari in Derby, in the UK.

I was amazed that the giant rabbit and the little bears were sold in a flower shop… amazed and very pleased as I have the feeling that Teddy Bears are taking the whole world over. One can see them everywhere nowadays!

My Own Teddy Truffle McFurry was a bit upset though… never saw such a big rabbit and such tiny bears, and he said, somehow it is not right. I tried the usually comforting phrase, telling him that it does not matter, that it is never a matter of quantity in life, but of quality. He said:

“No, it is not true… there are many bears around the world, a big quantity, and each of them is huge quality, and the world would not be such a beautiful world without all these bears!”

Again he is right, my lovely Truffy… Anyway, what upset him, is what made me want to paint this motif: I loved the contrast between the rabbit and the bears sizes!.

Big White Rabbit And Teddy Bears In A Flower Shop S

The Bears From The Yorkshire Moor 03

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By Miki de Goodaboom

(Illustration based on a photograph by “Go Teddy!” s reporter Ann La Mar)

This will be my third and last painting of these wonderful creatures which are the Teddy Bears from the Yorkshire Moor. At least for now. In August this year I will travel to Yorkshire and visit them in person, introduced by “Go Teddy!”s reporter Ann La Mar. And no doubt that some of them will inspire me to new portraits.

These ones today are really a weird mix of races and I love it. As Coco Nofrio – Truffle McFurry’s cousin from the USA) so beautifully commented to the first Moor Bear painting I presented in “Go Teddy!” some days ago:

“Such a fabulous variety of Teddy Bears! What’s especially wonderful is that they are all different colors and they don’t care! They are all friends that enjoy each other for who they are on the “inside.” A lesson some humans still need to learn. Tanti baci!”

Coco Nofrio, you are SO right!

The Bears From The Moor 03 S

The Bears From The Yorkshire Moor 02

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By Miki de Goodaboom

(Illustration based on a photograph by “Go Teddy!” s reporter Ann La Mar)

 

My Teddy Bear Truffle McFurry presented recently the first group portrait of The Bears from the Yorkshire Moor. But there are so many of them that I had to do another painting featuring them.

Truffle is following the Brexit referendum, so he hasn’t got any time to write right now. His Dad is in the UK at the moment, and Truf’ is very scared that he wont ever see his Dad again if they vote for Brexit. I have found no way to calm him down.

Ann La Mar, one of our star reporters at “Go Teddy!” sent us some wonderful photographs from the Moor Teddy Bears. They are so interesting, so different from all the Teddies I know. I love to pain them. Truffle was very upset about the one with the red label showing a 25% discount. He asked:

“How can they put a discount on a Teddy bear? This is not a farm animal market!”

I have to admit, that bear looks very sad. And I understand Truffle’s logic. I answered:

“You know, Truffy, when they sell him cheaper, he will find very fast a lovely family who adopts him!”

But Truffle was not convinced:

“Then it will be a family with not much money, and money is important!”

Oh here we are, I thought, that philosophical discussion about money again.

“Yes, Truffy, money it is important. But Love is more important!”

But my Truffle is not daft. One can’t fool him him so easily. He said

“One can have much money and much love as well! Look, if we had no money at all, we could not go to the bear picnic in England this summer and we would not meet Auntie Ann, and ClaireBear, and Georgia, and Pedro, and all these wonderful Teddies from the Moor! This would be awful!”

I gave up. There is no sense in discussing with a clever Teddy Bear, you will always be wrong!

The Bears From The Moor 02 S

 

The Bears From The Yorkshire Moor

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By Truffle McFurry

{Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom, based on a photograph by “Go Teddy!” s reporter Ann La Mar)

Hi everybody, Truffle here!

I haven’t written for a while, I was busy learning reading. I haven’t done many progresses though… I am normally quite fast at learning, so I wonder… perhaps I don’t really want to learn reading? I think I much more prefer when my Mom Miki de Goodaboom is reading stories to me… And anyway: why should I do it all myself? I have already so much to do, I am a very busy teddy Bear taking care of everything here on Planet Goodaboom…

My Auntie Ann sent me a great photo recently. She went on a walk in the Moor where she lives. Don’t ask me what a “Moor” is… I know what a “Moore” is, it is my Daddy.  It looks weird without the “e” at the end, unfinished… but at least one letter less to read!

So, in that Moor, Auntie Ann went to a boutique and it was full of Teddy Bears. She took photographs and  sent me one to show me how the bears look like in her Moor. I have to say, I have never seen something like that! Some are full of long black hair everywhere, some have eyes like my Mom and Dad, with some white on the sides, some are green like Mars men, some look like tigers, some have ears like sheep. And they seem to like living very close to each other, it must be very cold in the Moor! Only looking at them I have to put the air con on here!

I will meet them all in person when I go there in August, I can’t wait!

Thank you, Auntie Ann, you are my star!

The Bears From The Moor S

Teddy Bear Picnic At Preston Park

/ Miki de Goodaboom / 1 Comment

By Truffle McFurry

I Am Over The Moon!

I have amazing news!

On the 14th of August I will take part to the annual Teddy Bear picnic in Preston Park in England!
Miki de goodaboom, -my Mom- and me have been invited by “Go Teddy!” ‘s amazing reporter, Ann La Mar!

We will stay a whole week there, and we will visit many beautiful places, and Miki will find fabulous motifs to paint.
We are both SO over the moon! Well, we don’t know what is exactly above the moon, but sure that it is magical!

Thank you so much, Ann La Mar, you certainly are a star shining on us from above the moon!

 

Preston teddy Bear Picnic

An UnBEARable Journey

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By Kev Le Chat

{Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom)

Kev le Chat here everybody, with another teddy bear tale…As you may know, I travel the world performing, and when I’m not performing, I look for Teddy Bears for “Go Teddy!”

Well, some weeks ago, I was beginning a very long journey back to Spain. It began with a train. The first of several. Now, this train was a local train, and wasn’t late at all. It got me into Swindon station perfectly on time, late at night.

Swindon station at night normally has hardly any staff, so I was surprised to find an usually large amount, milling around the help desk and the platforms.  I asked one of them if he knew if the late service to Paddington ( yes, Paddington!) had a buffet car onboard, where I could get a coffee. He immediately apologised and went and fetched me two bottles of water. When I offered to pay,  he said “Oh no, it’s been a terrible day, and you’ve had a lot of inconvenience”.

Now, I was very happy to get the free drinks, but rather confused. I hadn’t had a terrible day at all!  I sat down in the waiting room and well, waited. I suppose that’s what they’re for.

I looked up at the screen that tells you about all the trains, and noticed that virtually every one heading in the direction of Wales, was delayed, and some by a large amount. I decided that the man who gave me the water thought I was heading in that direction. Funny really, I don’t look Welsh. Well, except for my pet dragon.

I’m kidding I don’t have a pet dragon.

Yet.

Anyway, MY train looked like it was going to be on time. But then the screen changed, and a horrible message appeared:

DUE TO SOMEONE JUMPING IN FRONT OF A TRAIN MANY SERVICES WILL BE DELAYED

This was terrible! I now understood why there was so many staff at the station – to deal with the chaos a sad incident like this causes.  I looked at the screen again. This time, there was a slight delay to my train, about 5 minutes.

Now, I was quite excited about going via Paddington, because  I had a mission. I had heard that there was a ‘Paddington trail’ there, with wonderful statues, celebrating one of the most famous bears in the world! I could almost taste the marmalade sandwiches, as I imagined taking lots of photos for GoTeddy!

I looks at the screen again. Now it was 17 minutes late….oh dear. It was now around 22.30.. Eventually, it arrived, as promised, 17 minutes late. Also, as promised, the buffet car was closed.

As we hurtled through the night towards London, I sat back and relaxed. Plenty of time to wander around Paddington station and take photos, I thought, before I have to head to Victoria for my train to Gatwick airport.

Then, the train slowed….and stopped. Near Didcot Parkway. An announcement revealed that this was in fact where the poor person had been hit by a train.

We didn’t move for some time, and eventually, after long delays, I arrived in Paddington station more than an hour late, and with barely minutes to catch the night bus to Victoria. I sprinted out if the station without seeing neither hide nor hair of a bear!

Also, I missed the bus. Then it started raining. Eventually, a bus arrived and I got on. It dropped me somewhere near Victoria station, which seemed to be surrounded by workmen and barriers. So much so, that I couldn’t find a way in! After about 15 minutes of circumnavigating it,  I found an entrance! I had already missed my train, so was in panic mode. I started to walk in…and was stopped by two rather stern-looking security officers.
” The station is closed, Sir”
“What!?” I exclaimed, “but it’s a main railway station in the capital city, and it’s raining out here!”
They were unmoved.
“It’s closed for cleaning.”
“Well, can’t you clean around me?”
But they were having none of it.

So there I was, no Paddington photos, cold and wet outside Victoria station, hoping they would open early enough to get the next train.

In the event, they did. At a quarter to three in the morning, fifteen minutes before my next possible train. I ran towards the platform barriers, and inserted my ticket. The machine spat it out.  Of course, my ticket was specifically for the earlier train! Nightmare!

I was determined however…I decided on a different tack, and went to the manned barrier instead, gambling on the possibility that the guy was as tired at that time of day as I was, and I vaguely waved my ticket at him. He let me through!

So it came to pass that my final train did in fact deliver me to the airport in time. But as I wandered through the terminal, I was a bit down that I hadn’t managed to get any photos of the fabulous Paddington trail.

But then suddenly, I came upon the Harrods store, and there, in front of me, dressed as a Harrods doorman, was the biggest Teddy Bear I’d ever seen!  He was delightful, and I immediately took his picture. However, my delight didn’t end there, they sold LEMON CURD! Well,  everyone knows that bears and Kev le Chat LOVE lemon curd, so I bought two jars to take back to Planet Goodaboom. As I wandered through the shop, I also found…a HUGE pile of Paddington Bears!  What a lovely surprise after such a stressful day!

Harrods Big Bear S