My four-day weekend went by much too quickly, and that was the last of my Friday's off for the summer. Now it's back to a regular work week, and I'm feeling more than a little sorry for myself.
In a way I am looking forward to getting back to a routine of sorts. I am starting back to choir this week, so every Sunday will be spent singing until next May. In a month or so we will already be deep into the practices for our big Advent and Christmas events. I can't wait to see what music we will be singing this year...
In the meantime, I have signed up for a couple of fun events on a Chatty Cathy group on FB that I belong to. We are having a Chatty Cathy Pajama party in September. There will be Cathy's there from all over the globe - how fun is that! All 4 of my Cathy's are involved so this past weekend I had to make some PJ's. I am happy to say I make PJ's much better than dresses - they turned out great!
Now I will set up a photo shoot with the dolls in a PJ party theme, and these images will be shared with the other group members on the Pajama party day- how fun is that!
We are also having an outfit exchange and I decided to knit a couple of outfits. Actually one sweater/skirt combo and a coat and hat and scarf combo. Not sure yet which set I'll send, I'll have to wait and see how they turn out first.
I tried to do some writing on the weekend as well, and I did get some more the Cathy's story done.
So here is the next bit...
Enjoy!
Chapter two
LET THE FUN BEGIN.
Life with Wendy was exactly how I imagined it would be. Wendy and I spent every moment we could together and when Wendy had to be away from me, I still had my friend Chatty to hang out with.
The only place I was not allowed to go with Wendy was to her school, except for show and tell day, but that didn’t work out too well because all the other little girls brought their Chatty Cathy’s to school that day too.
When Wendy went visiting to her cousin’s home - I went too. When Wendy went to piano lessons, I went along and sat in on the big lumpy davenport in the teachers parlor, listening to Wendy trying to learn the piano.
I went to swimming lessons, girl guides, skating lessons, and even once to a movie theater to see Cinderella. That was fun - I had never been to a movie before. We went to the park often where we would play for hours on the swings, slides and teeter-totters, and in the winter time I even went sledding for real... not pretend like the dolls in the Easton’s store window.
Yes, my life was good.
Both Chatty and I got new outfits often, but I never did get the red coat with the white fur collar. One of the dolls down the street did though - and she wore it every time I saw her - I think she did it on purpose just because she knew I wanted one so badly!
Wendy’s family moved around a lot, her father was in the Air Force. Sometimes it seemed we would just start to know other girls and their dolls and then we would be moving again. Moving so often, upset my Wendy - but she always had me to help her feel better once we got to the new house.
We went on a lot of family vacations. The car was always crammed with kids and toys, it was a noisy time, but it was usually fun.
Chatty and I never were left behind, we and some favorite outfits were always packed in a bag and set on the floor of the back seat of the car for the trip - unlike the other toys, like the coloring books and the old-maid cards that had to travel in the trailer behind the car.
One time we went camping to a lake for a week. The family had a tiny little pull trailer where everyone stayed and slept in. It was fun, but very crowded. At night all the girls and their dolls would pile in the same bed. I always ended up on the floor in the middle of the night because there wasn’t enough room for us all. I had a sore back for days after that that trip.
One day Wendy decided I should go swimming in the lake. I was afraid it would ruin my voice box so I really didn’t want to go, Chatty didn’t want to go either because she was afraid she would drown in the lake.
Wendy put me under her arm and headed off towards the water. I could just feel the sweat breaking out on my back. What if I got all wet and then my voice wouldn’t work anymore? What if I couldn’t say “I love you” anymore?
Wendy was in the water up to her waist and I could feel my feet getting wet. I didn’t know what to do so I just clung on for dear life. Suddenly Wendy looked down into the water and gave a loud shriek.
“Daddy, there are leeches in the water,” she yelled so loud she almost made me dizzy and then she almost dropped me in her hurry to get out of the water. She ran as fast as she could back to shore and almost dropped me twice in the process, but finally we were safely out of the water.
“Wendy you can’t take Cathy in the water,” her dad said as he lifted us both up into his arms and examined her feet. “No leeches on you,” he said with a grin.
“What about Cathy? Check her feet too, okay!”
He ran his hands across my feet. “No leeches on Cathy, either. Now you two better sit and play in the sand.” He put us down and handed us the sand pails and shovels.
For the rest of the afternoon we made sand castles, although Wendy’s brother kept smashing them to bits. I felt like booting him one in rear for pestering us all day, but finally he decided to bug someone else and we were able to play together for the rest of the day. It was the most perfect day, ever; and I never had to go swimming again.
While my life was almost perfect, Chatty’s was anything but. Wendy’s sister, Ursula, was not always a nice girl, like my Wendy. Ursula was a brat - plain and simple. She was spoiled rotten and for some reason she never seemed to get into trouble for the mean things she did.
We all shared the same bedroom. I always slept in Wendy’s bed at night with my head on her pillow and the blankets pulled up to my chin, but Chatty always spent the night face down on the carpet - sometimes even under the bed!
When the girls went off to school Chatty and I talked.
“Are you okay, Chatty?” I asked one morning just after the girls had left the house. Chatty was lying on her back on the floor, her right arm bent back behind her head. Her dress was torn where the buttons had come off and her hair had not been combed in weeks.
“Oh Cathy, I wish Wendy was my girl. She looks after you so good. Look at you, in your pretty pink dress and shoes. Your hair is always nice, you always have ribbons in your hair!” Chatty sighed loudly, “I’m sorry Cathy, I shouldn’t say those things, but sometimes I get jealous of you.”
“I know, Chatty. I feel bad that Ursula is so mean to you.”
“She never loved me the way your Wendy loves you - never!”
“I heard Wendy ask her mother if she could give us a bath tonight, that would be nice wouldn’t it Chatty?"
“Yes, but she won’t bath me because I’m not her doll. Oh Cathy I wish Ursula would lose me and some other little girl would pick me up and take me home.”
“You don’t mean that, Chatty!”
“I sure do. I know just the house I’d like to live in too. That Maureen down the street is a really nice girl. She has a Chatty Baby and some big rubber dolls, and they are all very happy there.”
“Is that the girl who has the pretty green doll stroller?”
“Yes, isn’t it something? The rubber doll that rides in it always has the brightest smile on her face! She told me the other day that her girl has asked for the new type of doll to play with. It's a fashion doll, whatever that is!”
“You mean Barbie?”
“That’s the one. They say she will me more popular than we ever were. Do you think that’s possible, Cathy?”
“I doubt it. There will never be a doll as good as us ever again. You remember that while you are lying down there, Chatty.”
“Don’t get mad at me, Cathy, I’m just telling you what the rubber doll said.” Chatty closed her eyes and I knew our conversation was over.
“I’m not mad at you Chatty, I just don’t believe any new doll will someday replace us.” I sure hoped not, I didn’t want to think of the day when my Wendy no longer wanted me.
