I have 5 wonderful sisters, but Alice and I were only two years apart in age, so we spent a lot of years together, growing and learning and dreaming of the future.
We played paper dolls together - it was a whole world to us - we saved our allowances to buy particular ones - a weekly trek to the dime store was a treat - sometimes just to look again at the set we were saving up for!! Our favorites were the movie stars and the bride and groom sets - so you could get males to be the fathers in the families in our paper doll world!
At some point, we started cutting out pictures of furniture, appliances, bicycles, toys, and other items to set up for our paper doll world families. We would glue them on to cardboard to keep them together. Then we graduated to photos of rooms - and we started setting up whole houses. We were so excited for the Sunday paper and
The Home Magazine that came with the LA Times - it was the high point of our week.
These elaborate cardboard homes were basically flat, so they fit nicely under our beds - we had to be careful though, because Mom would sometimes get tired of the volume of them and just toss them out! But we would just start over again.
We were a little jealous of Judy next door - her mom subscribed to regular slick magazines, so her paper doll world houses were a bit grander than ours. Her mom also gave her an expandable file box to keep hers in - I thought that was the height of luxury. Maybe that's why I keep buying file boxes!!
Over the years when I've talked to Judy, she has commented that she has never met anyone but the three of us who played paper dolls quite the way we did. I tried to influence my own daughters to do so - but I think it's something that has to
occur; you can't force it.
I am so grateful for a wonderful childhood memory - and a sister and a friend who shared it with me.
And good people to serve with!
Can it have been so long ago??
A blessing that goes on and on!
I was a freshman in college, and we were stunned and horrified at the news. It was like an end of something innocent, and an introduction into the sometimes bleak world of adulthood.
I am grateful for Ara and Ella - the oldest grandkids. I just spent a long weekend with them - and loved every minute of it. Such bright, hard-working, generous girls.
And I am grateful for that blessing in my life.
Bobby is loving and kind. He and June care for their grandkids often. And when you watch them, you can see that they care and are invested in the lives of these lucky children.
I really didn't grow up with Bill - I'm 10+ years older. But I have fond memories of "Billy Boy!!"
We've been away from Utah for 30+ years, and we don't see Richard all that much anymore. But when we do, it's always enjoyable. I called him last spring about my mom's birthday party, and our conversation sort of "picked up where we left off" if you follow my drift.
Mary was always quiet and pleasant to be around. When she went to Ricks College, she often came down to visit me. After Bonny was born, she seemed to come even more often, and loved to tend Bonny. In fact, she was Bonny's first babysitter!! I was nervous about leaving her - she was about 10 days old - and we went to the ballet. Harry wouldn't let me call at the intermission to see how she was doing. He said it would spoil the evening if she was fussing and then I wouldn't enjoy the rest of the performance!
Charley has always been a great brother. He was always cheerful with me anyway!! I do recall an incident when he hit me over the head with a rake, however. It drew blood - and so I got may hair washed and curled midweek - an almost unheard of treat. I soon got over my chagrin as I proudly sashayed to school with my bouncing blonde curls!!
Over the years of living apart and not seeing one another very often, our relationship was not at all close. But he came to my mom's 90th birthday party, and he seemed to genuinely want to change that state of affairs.
Fortunately the passing years put us at a place where we are peers - and we can love and enjoy one another's company.
Tonight the Little Women and Eve are having a Grandma's Sleepover at our house.
We played paper dolls together - it was a whole world to us - we saved our allowances to buy particular ones - a weekly trek to the dime store was a treat - sometimes just to look again at the set we were saving up for!! Our favorites were the movie stars and the bride and groom sets - so you could get males to be the fathers in the families in our paper doll world!
