Clarissa

Our church used to have Relief Society bazaars to raise money, and the women made and sewed many items to sell. I can remember going to a bazaar with my mother and siblings around age 8. On the way home, Carla, age 3, tore open a bag and found a Raggedy Ann doll with a blue dress. Mother said it was supposed to be for her for Christmas, but let her have it ahead of time.

A month or two later, at Christmas, I received this Raggedy Ann doll wearing a pink dress. Carla was mad because her Raggedy Ann doll was a bit dirty and didn't look as fresh and new as mine did.

I named my doll Clarissa, and added her to the many dolls that slept with me in bed each night.

I have always suspected that my mom had purchased the blue doll for me and the pink doll for Carla (my mom always bought me blue things because of my blue eyes), but since Carla found the blue one she got it.


(I think this was Christmas 1967. NOTICE OUR SILVER FOIL TREE WITH HOT PINK ORNAMENTS! L to R: Cindy standing, Larry, me holding new doll Clarissa, Carla holding a cat. You can see the red hair of her Raggedy Ann doll under the rocking chair. Also, notice the two Madame Alexander dolls in front of me on the floor. I got "Bo Peep", and Carla got "Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary". Cindy got "Pilgrim", which is right in front of Larry's face.) Click on photo to make it bigger.

(Here I am in front of the TV showing "Bewitched". Notice the attractive mallard duck statue on top of the TV.)

I think I can remember, in some old, old memory, that I heard Sister Lovell telling my mother one day at church that she was the one that sewed all those Raggedy Ann dolls, and it was a really difficult job. I appreciate Sister Lovell for doing that.

And I just wanted to mention that I have always had great memories of our 1960's silver foil tree. I have told Wayne about it many times. So last Christmas he surprised me with a little tabletop silver foil tree. Only mine is better than the 1960's version, because it has fiber optic lights all over it that change colors. I LOVE IT!





(Sorry, I still don't know how to turn photos sideways on this Mac.)