Sunday, July 22, 2007

Bear Necessity

This Diary Is A Reflection Of Life


I'm used to writing review of single blogs. But someone who writes three blogs? Now that's a tough challenge, mate. The ``mother'' of a little British teddy bear named Bob brings us the heart-warming blog Bob's Diary.

Bob's mother just happens to be the most creative person I am in touch with across the internet. I write one blog and have my hands full, but she writes three and does so with flair and individuality. Her other two sites are Dilly's Castle and Sketch and Colour.

In any summation of her huge spread of talents, a critic would have to take into account another salient point. She has been refreshingly open about her issues, but I see none of these. That is not denial on my part. That is not a push-it-to-the-backyard-so-we-can-pretend-it-doesn't-exist attitude. No, I recognise her open admission of what is sometimes an uphill battle for her. And despite all of that, I see only a never-ending well of creativity, a passion for entertainment without damning satire, without bitter revelations and without sardonic comments.

She offers slice-of-life writing and a novel way of looking at life which sometimes touches the most creative people with occasional dark clouds of self-doubt. She transcends all that she speaks about so openly about. And she transcends those factors in a fashion that pays tribute to her Muses and her creative impulses.

She makes us smile in a way few can emulate. Some people can be funny when writing or talking about real life. Some writers can be funny when pointing out foibles of others. She does it with ease, when writing about imagined lives of inanimate objects - as much as we could be permitted to call the inimitable Dilly or Bob ``inanimate'', for they possess more life and soul than many.

She brings us nose hugs and tissue-issuers, dwagons in their castles and toys who speak their own distinctive language. Most fittingly of all, she brings us the agony ``uncle'' as well, with cheery advice, delivered by Bob (pictured above, right) on a variety of issues.

She is the A.A. Milne of the internet. There are many similarities between her own creations and those conjured up in the magical world of the Hundred Acre Wood. In both realms, stuffed animal toys have feelings and personalities. In both realms, humans are present but do not overwhelm the toys' interaction in any way. In both worlds there are bouncy, ebullient characters like Milne’s Tigger. And in both worlds, there is an occasional, but not critical, reminder of stark human frailties, such as the depression implicit in the utterances of the thistle-eating, deeply introspective Eeyore.

If Bob or Dilly ever wanted to look for an agent or a publisher, I would be the first person to help in that quest. Surely there is a book or three in the adventures of these plush toys who grow appealingly more animated with each day and each tale that passes.

Most crucially, I would never trivialise health issues, but I do appreciate the superhuman effort made by someone, day in and day out, to not only face the day, but to conquer it in more ways than one.

Bob and Dilly's mother speaks not just for herself, but she speaks on behalf of people of many races and beliefs from continents stretched across this earth we inhabit. The darkness of self-doubt, or questions of self-worth or of self-esteem can be assuaged in different degrees by different trigger factors.

Writing - and by extension, communicating - have given new purpose to this gentle, gifted artist and teller of tales. Hand on heart, she tells us that some people need a purpose to get them out of bed each day to face new challenges. Hand on heart, we can truthfully assure her that she has indeed found her personal purpose.

I'd like to remind her (and any publisher who reads this) that there was another British writer in a different era, who not only brought animals to life in her gentle stories, but had the talent to sketch and paint them as well. Her name was Beatrix Potter. Perhaps we have in our midst a modern-day Potter, who imbues animals with more life than we could ever imagine - and quietly and unobtrusively sketches them with aplomb. The sketch of the cat (above, left) is from her Sketch and Colour blog.

We, her audience, are grateful to have her. She deserves a much wider audience, just as much as she deserves a badge of courage for winning her own battle.

God bless her. God bless her amazing fortitude. And God bless and protect her many Muses.

9 comments:

Mrs Mac said...

Oh my! Well I just hit my head on the ceiling!

Thank you for your continued encouragement and help- and also to those that visit and those that comment, you all keep it going. And as David has hinted at here, that helps me keep going too ;^)

Bob is in bed at the moment. He has had a long day planting his marigolds. But he'll be frolicking to know that he has been compared to Winnie The Pooh, as he is one of his Heroes, what with being a Bear, liking honey and having the same middle name and all....

Thanks again. I'll have to bookmark this page for the next time I need picking up.

Helena

david mcmahon said...

Hi Helena,

What can I add to that, apart from thanking you for those wonderful blogs you share with us.

It's not just me who is always there for you, but all your loyal readers as well.

You deserve it all - and more.

God bless

David

Victorya said...

Wonderful! You know, it wasn't till just a few days ago I figured out all three were by the same person? That's a testament to the amazing abilities helena has for sure. I'd been tooling around the animal ones a bit and just wouldn't have guessed they were one person, such were the different personalites presented.

Perfect tribute/review.

Anonymous said...

Lovely review, just lovely. (sniff, smile)

Shrink Wrapped Scream said...

When Helena told me she was Bobs mum, I automatically replied talent must run in her family, and that she must be proud to have a son who could create such a wonderful character!! She had to tell me several times over, she WAS the creator of Bob.

We are all in love with her and her writing, and I can't agree more, it's high time she had a much wider audience than us..

Anonymous said...

but I am Bob and Dilly's dad, and while I thank David for his kind appreciation, I can assure you all that the smiles and thoughtfulness that Helena brings to the internet are only a tiny fraction of the kindness and joy she brings me every day.

B.T.Bear (esq.) said...

OI!!!!!!!!!!!!
WAT D'YU MEAN, "INANIMATE"??????

Anonymous said...

This review opened a window to 3 of the most creative blogs I've visited.

Kudos to Helena.

Anonymous said...

Oops David, I forgot to let you know that the link to the 3rd blog "Sketch and Colour" gave an error message the last time I clicked on it.