my doll(s)

My doll is named for Rosette, the 17-year-old young woman at the orphanage who makes so many of our dolls and who also takes the time to teach CTT volunteers how to make them. I first met Rosette in 2006. She caught my eye when the St. Mary Kevin choir was singing songs for me one day. She was very expressive, had a brilliant smile and could dance like there was no tomorrow.

When I returned to the orphanage in 2007, Rosette slipped me a note asking me to please consider her for a Change the Truth sponsorship. We subsequently spent a lot of time talking about her past and her hopes for the future.

I get to know Rosette better and better each year I return to Uganda. CTT has been sponsoring her for three years; she's a hard working student, doing her best to succeed. She's had a difficult life (her mother died of AIDS, and her father was killed in the civil war) but she is determined to make the best of her situation. I admire and adore this young woman.



Rosette makes a tremendous impression on each and every CTT team member. She goes out of her way to make us feel welcome and "at home" in Uganda. She works tirelessly assisting us with our projects. Rosette's heart is huge, and her talents are mind boggling: she's become an expert yogi, she's a "Broadway talented" singer and dancer, and she's a superior athlete.

Rosette usually wears a stocking cap; Jennifer Donze, a knitter from Wisconsin, made the hat for my doll. Rosette also often wears a scarf. I tried to dress my doll in accordance with Rosette's style.

The second doll I'm featuring in this post is my 9-month-old grandson Henry, who happens to be visiting this week. I made this picture of him in my studio.



Can you tell we had fun in there?