I think I’ve made it obvious that I am obsessed with the color BLUE. I love all its shades (except some shades of teal). So, I am also intrigued by turquoise beads. But this has been a problem.

Any collector of antique dolls has seen numerous examples of antique dolls wearing turquoise jewelry or having it in their trousseaux. It is iconic. From the earliest French fashions to bebe’s to tiny mignonettes, turquoise jewelry transcends the decades.

Several years ago, I found strands of tiny 2mm round turquoise beads on eBay in the perfect color. I bought two strands and shared one with a friend.

Then I used a few of them on an all-bisque doll I dressed and sold (flipped).

I haven’t seen the rest of the strand since then.

The seller was no where to be found, so I bought a new strand of 2mm round turquoise beads from another seller. They were not the same. They were too dark in color.

The friend I gave the first beads to tells me that every time she looks at the beads around the neck of one of her dolls, she debates whether or not she should give them back to me since mine have disappeared. I always assure her that I will find mine one day and do not want her to return them to me.

At the recent Gaithersburg doll show, my friend gave me a lovely strand of itty bitty, natural turquoise seed beads she had purchased in Paris. She also gave me a beautiful hand-embroidered lavender sachet that she found at the Louvre gift shop.

Since she hadn’t seen it in person, I carried my doll-sized casket to the show in a small gift bag. I added my friend’s gifts to the bag, along with the magnificent early peg-wooden dolls I bought. Before I left the show, I stopped by the concession stand, just as it was closing, to buy some tea for the 45-minute drive home.

I was carrying my coat, umbrella and purse, so I set the bag on the counter.

I left the bag on the counter.

I didn’t realize that I didn’t have it until I got almost home.

Saying that I panicked is an understatement.

Losing my friend’s gifts and the dolls would have been a tragedy. But the thought of losing my casket was overwhelming.

The show was closing for the day in less than 1 1/2 hours, the concession stand was already closed. I had seen another friend at the show and knew that she and her mom usually stay all day, so I tried her cell phone. No answer.

I remembered that UFDC had a display at the show and several of the members of my doll club were there. I tried one person’s cell phone, but there was no answer.

Then I called our club’s president. She answered, she had just left the show, but was planning to return and said she’d try to find my bag. My HERO!

Since I was too shaky to drive, DH kindly drove me the 45 minutes back to the show. I called my HERO from the car to give her my cell phone number. She told me that she was back at the show and was checking the show office. No bag.

She let me stay on the phone while she went downstairs to the concession stand. They had it!

Since she was on her way out, I asked her to leave it with another member. So I got it back and it looked like everything was in the bag.

A couple of days later, I wrote  thank you notes to my friend for the beads and sachet, and to my HERO. I mailed them.

Then I decided to look at the beads again and put them in a safe place. No beads. They had been in a box in the bag and must have fallen out.

I am generally careful with my stuff. I don’t lose things very often. Why are BLUE beads so elusive to me? Is the universe trying to tell me something?