A Teatime Doll and Playset

Note: This blog post is for the upcoming CC auction. Pictures posted here are for those interested in purchasing this teatime set at the live auction. Thank you.

This is a Teatime Doll and Playset. The package will include a handmade doll by Scarlet Elfcup. Scarlet Elfcup dolls are made with all natural materials and each doll is individually handcrafted and uniquely made. Penelope (the doll) will come with three needle-felted macarons (handmade by Scarlet Elfcup), a porcelain tea set and a small suitcase filled with extra clothing for the doll. All of the clothing is handmade, hand knit by Scarlet Elfcup and will include a hat, a hand knit sweater, a play outfit and a sleep outfit, and an extra pair of hand knit shoes. The clothing items shown in the pictures will not be the actual clothing items. Actual clothing items will be available for viewing at the live auction. There will be documents included in the package to provide detailed descriptions of the doll and clothing, instructions for washing, beeswax application for the doll cheeks and a story that goes with Penelope. This set is recommended for ages 8+.

And Then It Was Teatime.....Tea for Three

A passage from Anne of Avonlea by Lucy Maud Montgomery:

"But oh, won't you stay and have tea with me?  Please, do." said Miss Lavendar.  Anne replied promptly,  "We'd like to stay...if it won't inconvenience you.  But you are expecting other guests, aren't you?"

Miss Lavendar looked at her tea table again, and blushed.  "I know you'll think me dreadfully foolish," she said.  "I AM foolish...and I'm ashamed of it when I'm found out, but never unless I AM found out.  I'm not expecting anybody...I was just pretending I was.  You see, I was so lonely.  I love company...that is, the right kind of company...but so few people ever come here because it is so far out of the way.  So, I just pretended I was going to have a tea party.  I cooked for it...and decorated the table for it...and set it with my mother's wedding china...and I dressed up for it."

Diana secretly thought Miss Lavendar quite as peculiar as report had pictured her.  The idea of a woman of forty-five playing at having a tea party, just as if she were a little girl! But Anne of the shining eyes exclaimed joyfully, "Oh, do YOU imagine things too?"

That "too" revealed a kindred spirit to Miss Lavendar.

"Yes, I do," she confessed, boldly.  "Of course it's silly in anybody as adult as I am.  But what is the use of being an independent old soul if you can't be silly when you want to..."

And so here we have...three friends playing pretend...they had a tea party.  They cooked for it...and decorated the table for it...and set it with Lamoge...and they dressed up for it.

Penelope:  I had no idea there was anything approaching good taste in these remote areas. It is quite a surprise to me.

Makena:  I am afraid you judge of the country too harshly.  Personally, I believe there's nothing half so nice as living in the country.

Salemina:  I could and would do without a set bath-tub.  I wouldn't mind living in a cabin one day.  May I pour you more tea?

Penelope (with elaborate politeness):  Please, thank you.

Salemina (sweetly):  Sugar?

Penelope:  No, thank you.  Sugar is not so fashionable any more, is it?

Makena:  Sugar for me, please.  And lots of cream.  I love milk with my tea.

Salemina:  Homemade macarons, lemon cookies or an English shortbread?

Makena:  One of each, if you don't mind.

Penelope:  Macarons, please.  Lemon and shortbread cookies are rarely seen at the best houses nowadays.

Makena:  Mandazi and samosas are my favorites for teatime when I lived back home in Kenya.  They are nothing more than flour and sugar cooked in a lot of grease.  

Penelope:  In Japan they eat rice cake for tea.

Salemina:  And in Moscow...it is Prianiki, a sweet gingerbread cake.

Makena:  How about Fiji?  What do they have for tea there?

Penelope:  I'm not sure.  Good question?...breadfruit?

Salemina:  Is that a kind of bread?

Penelope:  It's a fruit.  I hear it tastes like potato or freshly baked bread.  And when it's very ripe it becomes sweet.

Makena:  Delectable!

And so, these three enjoyed a lovely afternoon in each other's company, under the shade of a tree, drinking tea and musing about the global tea traditions.

They are the best of friends, these three.  Yet, they are as different as different gets.

Makena is a joyful soul.  She loves just about any type of food and she'll eat just about anything.  She used to live in Kenya in a large compound with lots of family and extended family.  So, she is used to being around a lot of people all the time.  She doesn't mind being crowded out of her space.  And she flows with just about anything.  That's Makena...easy going, always open to new things.  Makena also loves nice things. She thinks that one must always look her best.  And so Makena likes to dress nice a lot of the time...always in her best, most respectable self.

Makena is a 14" doll, made with natural materials and one-of-a-kind.  She is made with premium quality cotton interlock imported from Europe and firmly stuffed with bio-wool.  Her seams are sewn twice for reinforcement.  Her hair is made of Malabrigo Gruesa, a super bulky hand painted 100% wool yarn and Cast Away Knit Collage, a super thick hand carded handspun 100% wool yarn.  She has an embroidered and simple facial expression.  Her cheeks and nose are blushed with red beeswax.  She is a sitting doll with sewn joints that are made flexible for easy movement and changing of clothes.  She has a sweet belly button and an oh so soft bummie.

She comes wearing a neutral colored linen dress that opens and closes fully on the back with pearl snap-on buttons.  The dress has a peter pan collar and decorated with velvet flowers.  Makena has on a pair of hand knit shoes.  The shoes are made from Heritage Cascade Yarns, a sock yarn made of 75% merino wool and 25% nylon.  The shoe straps are made of velvet ribbon.  Makena comes bearing some goodies to go with tea time...three needle-felted macaron pieces (these were a lot of fun for me to make...made me want to try recipes for the real thing) and a tin can of Nia's Tea.

Makena is recommended for ages 3+.  If you are interested in bringing Makena home and giving her a warm and nurturing environment, she is now available for purchase through the Etsy shop.

Next is Penelope.  Penelope is a very mannerly young lady.  She was born in the big city. She is used to city playgrounds, access to interesting eateries, libraries and museums. She loves the noise that a city has to offer. In the country, when things get too quiet, it spooks her a little.  She's just not used to it. Penelope is good with her "pleases" and "thank yous" and is a little girl who crosses her t's and dots her i's you might say. She loves reading and you might also say she's very well read for someone her age. In fact, she learned to read at a much younger age than most children.

Penelope is a 14" doll, made with natural materials and one-of-a-kind.  She is made with premium quality cotton interlock imported from Europe and firmly stuffed with bio-wool.  Her seams are sewn twice for reinforcement. Her lovely locks are made of mohair boucle (otherwise known as loop) yarn. She has an embroidered and simple facial expression.  Her cheeks and nose are blushed with red beeswax. She is a sitting doll with sewn joints that are made flexible for easy movement and changing of clothes. She has a sweet belly button and an oh so soft bummie.

She comes wearing a sweet cotton dress made from a modified Fig&Me dress tutorial. It opens fully on the back with one pearl snap on button.  Penelope has on a pair of hand knit shoes. The shoes are made from a Madeleine Tosh merino wool yarn and embellished with a flower. Penelope comes bearing some goodies to go with tea time...three needle-felted macaron pieces (these were a lot of fun for me to make...made me want to try recipes for the real thing) and a tin can of Nia's Tea.

Penelope is recommended for ages 3+.  If you are interested in giving Penelope a home, she is now available for purchase through the Etsy shop.

Then, there is Salemina.  Salemina is an old soul.  She is a bit introverted, very curious, always open to learning new things and new ideas.  She's the one who loves living close to nature's heart. She loves her friends and her family. She stays close to home, finding enjoyment in the little things surrounding her daily life. She likes being comfortable in her clothes for she's always running and jumping and climbing. Therefore, you're less likely to find Salemina is fancy dresses or shoes.  She's a practical one, this Salemina.

Salemina is a 14" doll, made with natural materials and one-of-a-kind.  She is made with premium quality cotton interlock imported from Europe and firmly stuffed with bio-wool.  Her seams are sewn twice for reinforcement. Her wonderful maine is made of mohair yarn...lots of it for combing and styling as you wish. She has such thick hair that she asked for a headband to keep it out of her face. So, I made her a headband to match her dress. She has an embroidered and simple facial expression. Her cheeks and nose are blushed with red beeswax. She is a sitting doll with sewn joints that are made flexible for easy movement and changing of clothes. She has a sweet belly button and an oh so soft bummie.

She comes wearing an adorable cotton outfit composed of a simple top and knit pants with lace trim. Salemina has on a pair of hand knit shoes.  The shoes are made from Heritage Cascade Yarns, a sock yarn made of 75% merino wool and 25% nylon.  The shoe straps have a functional wooden button, but the shoes can also slip on and off just as easily without opening the buttons.  Salemina comes bearing some goodies to go with tea time...three needle-felted macaron pieces (these were a lot of fun for me to make...made me want to try recipes for the real thing) and a tin can of Nia's Tea.

Salemina is recommended for ages 3+.  If you are interested in bringing Salemina home, she is now available for purchase through the Etsy shop.

You're Invited....

"A board, propped on two blocks of wood, stood in the middle of the walk, covered with a little plaid shawl much the worse for wear, and on it a miniature tea service was set forth with great elegance.  To be sure, the tea-pot had lost its spout, the cream-jug its handle, the sugar-bowl its cover, and the cups and plates were all more or less cracked or nicked; but polite persons would not take notice of these trifling deficiencies, and none but polite persons were invited to this party.

On either side of the porch was a seat, and here a somewhat remarkable sight would have been revealed to any inquisitive eye peering through the aforesaid keyhole.  Upon the left-hand seat lay seven dolls, upon the right-hand seat lay six; and so varied were the expressions of their countenances, owing to fractures, dirt, age, and other afflictions, that one would very naturally have thought this a doll's hospital, and these the patients waiting for their tea.

This, however, would have been a sad mistake; for if the wind had lifted the coverings, it would have disclosed the fact that all were in full dress, and merely reposing before the feast should begin."

- Louisa May Alcott, Under the Lilacs

With the arrival of this invitation, the girls ran about the house in disarray with excitement and glee.

One found undies, one found none.  One shoe on, one shoe off.

One found a pretty shawl, another found pearls.

What excitement rings throughout the house as these ladies prepare for a party!

Cosette...Born of the Sea

“He always thought of the sea as 'la mar' which is what people call her in Spanish when they love her. Sometimes those who love her say bad things of her but they are always said as though she were a woman. Some of the younger fishermen, those who used buoys as floats for their lines and had motorboats, bought when the shark livers had brought much money, spoke of her as 'el mar' which is masculine.They spoke of her as a contestant or a place or even an enemy. But the old man always thought of her as feminine and as something that gave or withheld great favours, and if she did wild or wicked things it was because she could not help them. The moon affects her as it does a woman, he thought.”
- Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway is another of my very very favorite books.  Like The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery I've read The Old Man and the Sea time and again and I never tire of it.  It has been long since I read the book last, but in recent months it's been on my mind a lot.  Perhaps it is the summer sunshine and warmth that brings on dreams of the sand and the sea.  Not only this, but a recent visit to the Bahamas and a local tidepool are the inspirations behind the creation of little Cosette, sea explorer.  More about Cosette later in the blog, but for now, here are some dreamy pictures of the Bahamas.

Cosette...born of the sea, wild and free.  She has flaming red hair and a personality equal in temper to the flaming hair.  Her eyes are born of a green seen only in the deep wide ocean, in places where only mother Earth could create such vivid colors and beauty. 

There is no one more in her element by the sea than little Cosette.  She is an ocean explorer, this one.

What she loves about the sea is the smell of salt in the air, the damp of mist and dew, the plethora of textures and colors, and the ever soothing sound of the water and the waves.  Only here can Cosette ever feel tamed and subdued.  

A natural born explorer and curious little doll, Cosette loves to study the living creatures of the sea whether they be alive or skeletal.  When she plays by the ocean, she is keen on hunting sand dollars, sea urchin skeletons, sea shells, starfish, kelp, barnacles, sea anemone, rocks of all colors and patterns.  Here are some photos of that which makes Cosette happiest.  May you enjoy these as much as she does.

Cosette is a 14" doll, made with natural materials and one-of-a-kind.  She is made with premium quality cotton jersey imported from the Netherlands and firmly stuffed with bio-wool.  Her seams are sewn twice for reinforcement.  Her hair is made of wispy natural mohair yarn.  She has an embroidered and simple facial expression.  Her cheeks and nose are blushed with red beeswax.  She is a sitting doll with sewn joints that are made flexible for easy movement and changing of clothes.  She has a sweet belly button, cute little ears, and an oh so soft bummie.

She comes wearing a cotton dress that opens and closes fully on the back with snap-on buttons.  The dress has colors that match that of the sand and sea...gray for the color of pebbles, coral for the color of sea plants, yellow for the color of shells, white for the color of all things that have come to pass.  The dress collar is lined with bias and the dress has a simple capped sleeve.  Her dress has pockets, for all sea explorers must have pockets by which to stash their treasures and findings.  Her pocket has a gather that is set in place by a yellow velvet ribbon.  There is also a button by which the pocket can close so that treasures and findings do not wiggle themselves out and get lost.  Cosette has on simple yellow wool felt flip flops lined with printed cotton fabric that matches her dress pocket and straps that are made of velvet ribbon.  Cosette comes with a small bag of sea treasures...

• a starfish made of wool felt, lightly stuffed with wool, and decorated with french knots
• a sea urchin skeleton made of needle felted wool and wool roving, then decorated with french knotted embroidery floss
• a sand dollar made of wool felt, lightly stuffed with wool, and decorated with embroidery stitches
• a sea shell made of wool felt, decorated with wool roving and then embroidery stitched

Cosette is recommended for ages 3+.  If you are interested in bringing Cosette home and giving her a warm and nurturing environment, she is now available for purchase through the Etsy shop.

If you are interested in purchasing Cosette via the website, please complete and submit the form below.  Her price is $165 USD.  Purchases made through Scarlet Elfcup's website will be invoiced by PayPal and shipping fees will be waived.  Payment should be paid and cleared within 3 days of purchase.

Form has been deleted.  Cosette has found a lovely family that is welcoming her home.  Thank you.

Flowers for Emma

"Will there be flowers and sunshine where I am going?", she asks me.  I tell her that I'm not sure..."it depends on where you are going."  I reassure her that no matter where it will be she is sure to love it when she gets there.

"Can you make me a pretty dress for my journey?  Something filled with the color of a flower I love and something filled with sunshine and summer."

"What is the flower that you love?", I ask.

"The peony....pink."

So, I made her a yellow polka-dotted dress filled with flowers and sunshine.  And for her lovely hair I made her a peony...in pink.

"How about shoes, mum?  Can you make me something with more flowers.  Make them really comfortable because it might be a long journey and my soft feet will need comfort." 

"Darling, I can make the most comfortable and pretty shoes for you to travel in.  How about wool felt slip-on shoes with a yellow peony and an infinity stem?"

"I like," she says so simply.

"Are you nervous?...about your journey?", I ask her.  She doesn't respond.  She just looks out into the world lost in thought. 

You see, our little Emma is not so much of the worldly type.  She's a bit of a homebody.  What she loves most is flowers in her garden. 

When she's not in her garden, she's in our library pouring over books about flowers and other things of the natural world.  As to be expected of all young children this age, when she loves something, she really loves something...almost an obsession really.

"Mum......one more thing....can you make me flowers to carry along on my journey?  I'd like to bring them...as a gift and as a piece of memory for me."

How sad that made me feel to hear those words...a hint of departure...the bitter sweet emotion of a child leaving home, especially one who has never gone into the world.  But, as all parents must do...we let them go so that they may grow and learn and discover all the beauty that is theirs to enjoy and experience.  And so, I made her one last request....a lovely bouquet of flowers in a basket.  These are flowers for Emma.

Emma is a 14" doll, made with natural materials and one-of-a-kind.  She is made with premium quality cotton jersey imported from the Netherlands and firmly stuffed with bio-wool.  Her seams are sewn twice for reinforcement.  Her hair is made of wispy natural mohair yarn.  She has an embroidered and simple, expressionless face.  Her cheeks and nose are blushed with red beeswax.  She is a sitting doll with sewn joints that are made flexible for easy movement and changing of clothes.  She has a sweet belly button and cute little ears. 

She comes wearing a cotton dress that opens and closes fully on the back with snap-on buttons.  The dress collar is lined with bias and her sleeves are cuffed and puffed.  There are two decorative wooden flower buttons sewn onto the front of her dress.  She has on lovely yellow wool felt shoes lined with printed cotton fabric that matches her dress.  There is an adorable french poufed flower, stem and leaf design on the shoes.  Her headband is made of a light cotton twill.  Attached to it is a french poufed flower made of cotton knit.  Her flower bouquet is made of a variety of cotton fabrics.  The stems are made of floral wire glued in place by a piece of wool felt.  Her bouquet is tied with a beautiful moss green ribbon and comes with a basket made with dried twigs and floral wire wrapped in paper for the handle.  Please note that the bouquet is not a toy.  It is made of floral wire that is not covered on the ends.  It is meant as decoration only and advised to be treated as such.

Emma is recommended for ages 5+ due to the delicate nature of her design and the small parts on her.  If you are interested in bringing Emma home and giving her a warm and nurturing environment by which she can enjoy flower gardens and books, she is now available for purchase through the Etsy shop.

If you are interested in purchasing Emma via the website, please complete and submit the form below.  Her price is $165 USD.  Purchases made through Scarlet Elfcup's website will be invoiced by PayPal and shipping fees will be waived.  Payment should be paid and cleared within 3 days of purchase.

Form has been deleted.  Emma has found a very loving home to go to.  Thank you.

His Name is Tootles and Hers...Pinker Bell

Very recently I got around to reading Peter Pan and Wendy by J.M. Barrie.  This is the original Peter Pan story.  We do not speak of Disney's contorted version, which, sadly was the only version I ever knew of growing up.  Now, as an adult and a mother I have a new found interest in many children's literature that I was never exposed to as a child.  And what a beautiful and wonderful world it has been to delve back into childhood and experience it anew with all these amazing children's stories and books.

Tootles is inspired by my recent reading of J.M. Barrie's work and Pinker Bell is contrived from my own imagination and intermingling with the story.

Tootles is one of the Lost Boys in J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan and Wendy.  He is the most unfortunate and humblest of the Lost Boys, because "the big things" and adventures happen while "he has stepped round the corner".  This, however, has not soured him.  Instead it has sweetened his nature.  He is the one who shoots Wendy in the heart with a bow and arrow after Tinker Bell (who was bent on mischief on the first night that she returned to Neverland) tells the Lost Boys that Wendy is a bird that Peter Pan wants killed.  When Tootles realizes his mistake, he asks Peter Pan to kill him.  Wendy however survives, and Tootles is spared.  Though "he is clumsy and silly," Tootles is the first to defend Wendy when she wants to return home.  When Peter Pan takes possession of "The Jolly Roger", Captain Hook's pirate ship, Tootles takes Smee's place as boatswain.  At the end of the novel, Tootles along with the rest of the Lost Boys choose to return to London with Wendy.  Tootles eventually grows up to become a judge.

Tootles chooses to return to London with Wendy so that he may become a real boy who eventually grows up.  But, in his heart, he will always be a Lost Boy from Neverland.  After settling home, Wendy and Mrs. Darling (Wendy's mother) tried to teach the Lost Boys the way of the civilized world.  Mrs. Darling had tailored some nice clothes for the boys to wear.  After being cajoled into sporting a civilized look, Tootles decided he wanted nothing to do with nice clothing and all the fancy-schmancies.  All he wanted was to be himself....sporting his old clothes and walking around barefooted.  As a result, Wendy and Mrs. Darling could not do much more to force him into anything he didn't want to do.  So, he stayed as he was.

In Neverland, the Lost Boys "are forbidden by Peter Pan to look in the least like him."  They are not to be named with a real boy's name like him.  And there are so many other rules set by Peter Pan that forbid them many things.  However, one thing they are free to do is intermingle with fairies.  Sometimes, they may even have a fairy of their own, just like Peter Pan.  As such, it turns out that Tootles has his own fairy and her name is Pinker Bell.

Pinker Bell, as you can plainly see, is Pinker Bell because of her lovely pink hair and pink fairy wings.  She is the only one of her kind, which makes her unique and distinguished from all the other fairies.  Unlike Tinker Bell, who is haughty, hot-tempered, ill-mannered and plain grumpy and jealous, Pinker Bell has a much more pleasant and easy-going personality.  She is often quiet, yet very protective of Tootles.  She is not pretentious, but quite humble.  She is lovely and awkward and silly just like Tootles, which is why she happens to be Tootles' fairy.

Just as you find Tinker Bell is always around the corner to protect and defend Peter Pan, Pinker Bell too will never be found wandering very far from Tootles.  The two are quite inseparable.

Tootles is a 13" doll, made with natural materials and he is a one-of-a-kind creation.  He is made with premium quality swiss cotton interlock and firmly stuffed with bio-wool.  His seams are sewn twice for reinforcement.  His hair is made of mohair yarn.  He has an embroidered and simple, expressionless face.  His cheeks and nose are blushed with red beeswax.  He is a sitting doll with legs that are sewn with lengthy fabric joints which allows full range motion for easy changing of clothes or for playful sitting positions.  He has a sweet belly button and cute little ears. 

Tootles comes with a simple white cotton knit top and striped cotton shorts with patches sewn on.  He also has a beaded necklace made with amber wood.  He comes with a faux fur hat lined with sewn-on felt.

Pinker Bell is made from Scarlet Elfcup's Gardien pattern.  She is about 5" long.  She is made with swiss cotton jersey and stuffed with bio-wool.  Pinker Bell is stuffed less firmly than Tootles due to the miniscule nature of her pattern and size.  She has pink mohair yarn for her hair and an embroidered face.  She comes wearing a light cotton fabric dress, roughly cut and crinkled to produce a woodsie effect.  The raw edges are carefully razor-cut.  The dress is sewn with a cotton trim for the A-line and straps and closes in the front with a nickel-free snap.  Pinker Bell has fairy wings made of fusible web needle felted with wool roving and shaped with floral wire.  The wings are sewn onto her dress strap with live wires tucked away.  Pinker Bell's dress/wings are delicate and require gentle handling.

Tootles and Pinker Bell come as a set.  They are recommended for ages 5+ due to the delicate nature of their design and the small parts on them.  I have enjoyed creating these two in the hopes that they will find their way to a home where they can begin to weave lots of enchantment, imaginative play and memories for the wonderful years of childhood...or if you are like me...for the wonderful years of child-at-heart-hood.

Tootles and Pinker Bell are now available for purchase in the Etsy shop. 

If you are interested in purchasing Tootles and Pinker Bell via the website, please complete and submit the form below.  Their price is $155 USD.  Purchases made through Scarlet Elfcup's website will be invoiced by PayPal and shipping fees will be waived.

Form has been deleted.  Tootles and Pinker Bell have found a home.  Thank you.

Does Anybody Know Who Belongs to This Boy?

He is one who fell out of his perambulator and hence declared forever "lost."  He represents only a sort of a passed baby and therefore goes to live in Neverland for all time....until Wendy came along.

Rather than be given an actual name, he is called by epithet because by the natural law of Neverland he is not allowed to be anything like Peter.

He has a sweet demeanor, beautiful curly brown locks, deep dark round eyes and a nose and ears cute as a button.

When Peter returned to Neverland with the children, this particular boy was the first to pass before their eyes as things went round and round in the absence of Peter.  "He is not the least brave but the most unfortunate of all that gallant band.  He had been in fewer adventures than any of them, because the big things constantly happened just when he had stepped round the corner; all would be quiet, he would take the opportunity of going off to gather a few sticks for firewood, and then when he returned the others would be sweeping up the blood.  This ill-luck had given a gentle melancholy to his countenance, but instead of souring his nature had sweetened it, so that he was quite the humblest of them all."

                                                                                    - J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan and Wendy

Often times when he is off gathering sticks for firewood he would get distracted by the adventures a particular tree might offer or he would take pause to sit under a rock and just feel the breeze.  His relaxed manner is partly why he often misses the bigger adventures experienced by all the other boys.

Like all boys who live in nature, he likes to be without clothing.  Barefooted, bare breast and free is how he likes to be...just as he was when he fell out of the perambulator and into Neverland. 

With time, he had concocted some ideas about clothing because in his preconscience he is after all a boy with a mother.  So, he found some clothes that he borrowed from a pirate and pieced together a suit that he thinks his mother would approve of...that is...the mother that he sometimes wished he had.  His clothing was quite tattered and dirty when Wendy found him.  But, she quickly washed them clean and patched them up so that he might sport a somewhat civilized look.

Do you know this boy's name?  If so, could you please tell me because I would love to return him to a mother who will take him away from Neverland so that he might be raised in a safe, loving and nurturing environment and grow up to be a judge or something professional....only if this is what he wishes for.  But, we don't know if this will be his choice.