The Barbie Movie

 Well I love how this movie has caused so much angst with some politicians. For what? Culture wars?

I'm not going to go into any of that. The movie was fun and thought provoking and a real look at ourselves as humans. The world is not perfect, we are not perfect even if we want to be. 

The most telling scene is with the old lady at the bus stop. Barbie turns to her and says, "You're beautiful!"

The older woman turns to Barbie and breaks into a great smile and replies, "I AM beautiful!"

The scene is short and touching at the same time. How many 91 year old people ever get that sort of compliment? 

I am me. I am beautiful but not to Barbie Doll standards. 
I may have wrinkles [yes so many!] but they belong to me. What is even better? There isn't anyone else quite like me.

Too often we judge others just by looks? 

Gloria's monologue got to me. When I got home I had to look it up and reread what I'd heard. I will leave it at that.

My favorite character was Weird Barbie. I would have preferred a Weird Barbie to the perfect one I had. The definition of a Weird Barbie is one that has experienced overzealous play. She definitely fit the bill.

I had one Barbie as a kid. A friend of my parents gave one to my sister and I. We did terrible things to our Barbies and often they'd end up in the arms of our full sized G.I. Joes.

Years later, Barbies forgotten, my neighbor's boy decided to take one of his Barbies and create a likeness of me.

They called her Val-Barbie. I suppose a version of Weird Barbie.

After I admired and had a lot of fun with Val-Barbie, along came Rich-Ken.

What can I say?

These for sure are originals!

And they still are around today.

I still find them hanging out together.

I guess I can say I have a one of a kind Weird Barbie and a one of a kind Weird Ken!

Excuse me while I go out to play with my dolls...

See you later!

And so it begins...

Let me start by saying I love photography and quite a few years ago I started experimenting with Toy Stories.

First it was Morris and his toys that had adventures. It was a daunting task getting Morris at times to pose with his toys in the woods and convey a story. But it was fun.  And we'll more than likely do another story this fall. Morris is getting up there in years, but that doesn't mean that he has stopped being playful.

A couple of years ago my Grand daughter Ariel and I had some fun during a Christmas get together that involved My Little Ponies and photography. That morphed into #TheDoeStory. Adventures with a toy doe.

This past winter I was introduced to Val-Barbie by my neighbor and her children.
Well I couldn't let that just go, I worked Val-Barbie into the Doe Story and then it happened.

Things got well...

Complicated.

Perhaps complicated isn't the proper term. When Allie and Carson delivered this box I have to admit, what was going on now?

Oh be still my little ornery beating heart! 

A NEW goofy story line.

Perfect.

Amazing.
Before I go any further I must say that my neighbor, Lauren has an incredible knack for this. I believe she has a great imagination. She can take a doll and actually create an eerie resemblance a character. 
And this is how it all started....

So let the story begin:
One day Val-Barbie was riding her pony called Lil' Richard.
Lil' Richard got a bit feisty and bucked Val-Barbie off.

Well now.
Val-Barbie can face down coyotes and other creatures, but it isn't often that she gets bucked off from her favorite little pony.

Val-Barbie stomps through the fields to find her errant pony.

Meanwhile Rich-Ken is out for a walk when he finds a loose pony. 
He catches it and wonders who it belongs to.

The pony is to Rich-Ken's liking.

Soon Val-Barbie comes upon her horse and a stranger.

He has caught her Lil' Richard!

Val-Barbie is a bit hesitant with this bearded long haired scraggly looking dude, but her pony seems to like him.

So they stand a while in the long grass and talk.

Val-Barbie has decided that she has sort of taken a shining to ... Rich-Ken.

She mounts up and invites Rich-Ken to become a part of her story.

And so we have another fun and nonsensical story to work with.

That is thanks to my neighbor and her kids who have wonderful imaginations also.

Half the fun was taking toys out and posing them for the photos.
I know. It seems strange, but look back, I've had a long history with toys and photos.

What can I say?
Except that I am having some grande fun. And I will need a bigger backpack to include the Rich-Ken doll and Lil' Richard.

Sigh.
Let the fun begin!