Christmas in 1958

Hi all,
As the season approaches, I am reminded of a Christmas long ago when my first dolly came to live with me and wanted to tell the story for all of you.

I remember wanting a doll so badly like all the other little girls had.. We were very poor and to think about what it would cost my Dad for a doll was just too much, but I did dream of a doll.

I wanted one with hair like mine. I was a cotton top as a child but had brown eyes. I always wished I had blue eyes like my brother so I wanted a doll with blue eyes like his. 

I clearly remember sleeping or not sleeping that Christmas eve night and wiggling around in the bed that I shared with my much older sister....She kept telling me to stop wiggling and go to sleep....    Sleep..... What was that on the day before Christmas? This was the day before I hoped to get my doll.

I heard noises from the living room very early in the morning and wanted to get up then, but my sister said, if you get up now Santa may not leave you anything. I tried so very hard to be good and not squirm around in bed because I wanted a dolly more than anything that year.
I made it to almost 5 o'clock and my sister, in her exasperation finally said,  go ahead and get up.

I was so happy and it only took me a minute to make it into the living room where the big tree was, that we had decorated the night before.... My eyes were as big as saucers as I surveyed the room looking for my one gift. You see, we only got one gift, but it was always something that we really wanted. 

 More important than the gift was the BOX. We took a card board box and put it under the tree for Santa.  Every year he would put fresh fruit in it.  A banana, an apple and orange, a huge coconut.  which we loved to drink the milk out of, lots of mixed nuts of all types, my favorite was the Brazil Nuts which I only got once a year, peppermint candy sticks and lastly, our one gift 

 I scanned the tree for my box among the 6 boxes there. I was looking for any package that looked like a doll of any kind and  my heart sank when I did not see one. 

I tried to be brave when looking in my box but it did not have a doll in it.  The tears were threatening to spill from my eyes and My Daddy saw me. He said , What's wrong Little ole gal?  I said nothing Daddy,  as a big tear slipped down my face.  I turned and thanked my Daddy for the box and all the goodies because I knew how hard it was for a man to raise 6 children alone and how hard he worked every day to make sure we had food and a roof above our heads.

When all the gifts were opened and my brothers were enjoying their little cap guns, my sister with her new dress, and my little sister with a teddy bear, my Dad left the room for a minute and came back carrying a brown paper bag covered box....He said oh, we must have forgotten this one and gave it to me. 

I almost stopped breathing because I was so excited to think of the possibilities inside that huge box. I opened the top and when I peeked inside, I found the most beautiful doll you ever saw. She had big blue eyes and blonde hair.tied in a pony tail, but she had on big girl stockings and real high heel shoes and she was just the most beautiful doll I had ever seen. 

I could hardly thank my Dad enough as I held that box and kept stroking her beautiful face. I found she had earrings and lipstick, forbidden for us to wear, and a shiny silk dress, so unlike any thing I had ever seen. Her tag said she was a Polly Ponds Beauty doll. I had heard of Ponds beauty cream and thought, Wow that is a really fine cream if it makes you look this beautiful. Here is a picture for the group to see. I hope all your Christmas Wishes come true:)   Love, Kimmee

This is my dolly and me at age 5.......