Another view from yesterday’s story- Baby Doll’s sister in her box since 1979. Anna(6) set up the dolls for me to photograph and added the birthday card.
You can see which is which. Baby Doll belonged to Erika(b. 1975) and is well loved by daughter Anna(b.2003). The same doll came up on Ebay and arrived in Ohio for Anna’s 6th bday. Smells a bit musty, like a basement or forgotten closet. Sister Dolls separated at birth in the Fisher-Price Factory. Now living together after a thirty year separation.
I’ve fought off invisible germs for weeks now. I cancelled tonight’s plans. All day at school I’d cough, wash my hands. A tear leaked down my cheek. I drove straight to Ruggeri’s Food Shoppe on Northumberland and Shady. Bought the mother remedy. Came home, heated up the soup and applesauce, drank the juice, opened a waxy sleeve of saltines. Placed it all on the hammered aluminum tray. Comforted my cold misery with the salty broth and parsley bits floating. It could be Seagram’s Vernor’s or this time Canada Dry. Missing my mother. Missing my mothering with all the family grown and gone. Came home with a brown grocery bag containing the ingredients for healing at least my spirits if not the sniffles. In bed for an hour already. It is 6:35 PM.
Purchased in 1961 from Mrs. Notowicz’s Gift Shop. All the figurines sat on glass shelves on the sunporch of their home next to Morris Plains Borough School, Speedwell Avenue. This mother dog and her nursing pups was the one I longed for. And bought. And have kept all this time. Barely noticed most years. Hardly dusted. Photographing these fine items allows decision making as it is time to pare down possessions. Paul Notowicz, grade school and high school classmate, we loved your mother’s gift shop.
Driving by the color caught my eye. We turned around and drove back to photograph the garden and yard which stood out as the most colorful and blooming spot we had seen. Every single flower was fake. Stuck in the dirt.
SOUR CREAM BANANA CAKE 2 c. flour- 3/4 tsp. salt- 2 eggs -1 c. ripe mashed bananas- 1 tsp. baking powder- 3/4 c. butter- 1 tsp. vanilla- 1 tsp. soda- 1 1/3 c. sugar- 1 c. sour cream
Sift dry ingredients into a bowl. Cream butter and sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla. Add bananas Add dry ingredients just until blended. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 x 2 pan and bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees.
