Small Birthdays with Cake, Ice Cream, and Stories

Birthdays were small family affairs. Mom would bake our favorite cake, usually angel food, and we had ice cream. Birthday celebrations were about the only time we had ice cream. Mom would buy three pints; one vanilla, one chocolate and one strawberry; and cut each into four slices. Remember, I said pints, not quarts or half gallons like we buy today. I don’t remember much about any presents I might have received for my birthdays. There are few photos of us from the early years to help us remember. I did get a book once called 365 Bedtime Stories. Mom read me the stories in this book over and over again. I also remember getting a View Master with several reels showing various fairy tales and children’s stories. The only other birthday present I remember is a doll made out of bisque, which I still have. It had yellow braids, eyes that opened and shut, and a cute little pouty mouth. It was the last doll I received, and I must have been eight or nine years old. I treasured that doll and played with it a lot; dressing and undressing it in the little outfits Mom made for it. But, it was finally put away in a box where it remained for many years; all but forgotten. When I moved to 11th Street in Moline, I found it while unpacking boxes and talked to Dee about what a miracle it was that I still had it as only a few precious things were saved at our house while growing up. A few years later (about 1986), Dee took my doll, unbeknown to me, and had one of her friends refurbish it. She mended the body, made her a new dress and gave her a new wig, shoes and socks. Dee put it on a stand and surprised me with it on my birthday. I was very surprised and very happy to see my doll all fixed up. It was one of my best birthday presents ever, and I know it pleased Dee to see how happy I was with it. My doll is now over fifty years old and proudly displayed on my dresser.