INA AND THE GINGERBREAD PAGEANT -- DAY 9

Here it was Saturday, the 9^th of December – Christmas coming closer with each day. Even though Ina didn’t decorate until just before Christmas, there was still work to be done so that the house was ready. With Shirley Anne tagging along, they dusted and mopped all morning long, the little girl chattering away all the while. Ina had forgotten just how much a child could talk.

As soon as the noon meal was finished and the dishes done, Ina set about to make her mother’s recipe for pork cake, an old-fashioned fruitcake that was a family tradition on special occasions, including Christmas. Ina wasn’t sure she really liked pork cake, but like I said, it WAS tradition. Ina set Shirley Ann to work chopping nuts and such other helpful tasks as were safe enough for a youngster to perform. The wonderful aroma of baking fruitcake soon filled the house. Perhaps that was the best thing about fruitcake.

 

It seems fairly quiet in this world of 1933, doesn’t it? Well, things will soon change. KW

INA AND THE GINGERBREAD PAGEANT -- DAY 8

It was dull day – no sun – but the frost clinging to the pine trees made the grove a fairyland of beauty. After Shirley Anne left for school, Ina sat down with her crochet hook and a skein of yarn and made a little pair of slippers for the child. It didn’t take long, and once the slippers were in the closet, Ina set about her other chores. Today she baked several loaves of bread and an “old-fashioned” gingerbread.

Shirley Anne was delighted with the new slippers. “I think they go with my new robe very well, don’t you Aunt Ina,” she asked. She politely didn’t mention that the spring-like design on the nightgown didn’t fit the winter theme so well. Shirley Anne knew her manners – and her place.

After their dinner of fresh bread and milk – you know, rich warm milk poured over buttered bread and sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon – Ina once again coached Shirley Anne on the poem. She now suggested gestures and movements to enhance her performance. Then the little girl sat with Uncle Jack before the fire as he read to her from Mother Westwind’s Children while Ina unraveled the yarn of an old sweater. KW

INA AND THE GINGERBREAD PAGEANT -- DAY 7

Christmas did not come early to Ina’s world. Oh, there were preparations, such as planning gatherings for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, buying or making gifts, writing letters, etc., but bringing in the tree and decorating happened Christmas Eve. Ina didn’t mail her gifts early either, even though the Post Office wanted her to. 

Ina was contemplating the gift that Shirley Anne would find in the closet today, when the front door opened and Bertha breezed in with the fresh air. “Ina, it’s cold, and we need to make sure little Shirley Anne is warm enough. I made this robe for her out of an old flannel shirt.”

“However did you find the time?” asked Ina, and the sisters looked at each other and giggled.

When Shirley Anne peeked into the closet after school, she was delighted to find the new robe. It couldn’t be said that the robe was beautiful. Bertha did love to make frilly things, but this robe needed to be practical and serviceable. And Shirley Anne loved it just the way it was.

After supper, Shirley Anne put on her new nightgown and robe, and Jack lifted her onto the upside down wooden box that he had brought in for her. From there she recited her verses from The Little Gingerbread Man. “Don’t sing-song,” Ina admonished, saying the lines more evenly and with expression. Shirley Anne obediently repeated. Her performance was improving with every practice. KW

INA AND THE GINGERBREAD PAGEANT -- DAY 6

Ina and Jack are long gone, but I still imagine them in this old place.

The fire in the old wood range had been well-stoked and sent welcome warmth into the house on this cold day. Ina chuckled in spite of herself as she ironed Monday’s laundry. The memory of Shirley Anne finding the nightgown in the “magic” closet was so satisfactory.

Cottonwood Butte from apple tree at the pond

Yesterday’s trip to town had put Ina behind in her household chores. Thank goodness she had found a candy cane at the Merc to put in the “magic” closet today because she had no time to sew, not even in double time.

When Shirley Anne came in from school, Ina immediately saw the note from Miss Johnson pinned to her coat. “Please help Shirley Anne memorize these verses for next week. Selection for parts in our Christmas pageant will be based on this recitation.”

“Wouldn’t it be wonderful,” thought Ina to herself, “if Shirley Anne could win a good part?” Ina knew competition from older girls would be stiff. Shirley Anne would have to recite flawlessly and with good inflection were she to have a chance. The old teacher in Ina came out, and she resolved that they would try hard.

Here are the verses that Shirley Anne was to learn:

Once on a time there was a King

As cross as any bear,

He shook the cook and often took

A handful of his hair!

(And this was quite a shame because

He hadn’t much to spare.)

But then, a wretched cook he was,

Which complicated things,

And sure as whales have fins and tails

Poor cooking makes poor Kings!

Now, this one flung folks right and left

And scolded without cause,

And perched upon his throne, he made

A lot of dreadful laws.*

They set to work that very night, and Ina was pleased to discover that Shirley Anne was a willing worker and quick learner.

Near the barn looking south

*From The Little Gingerbread Man, produced by Royal Baking Powder Co., 1923

[Where past meets present: Mike and I drove to the farm to check on things today, and also to pick up a few things I needed for this advent project. There was no snow to speak of, but it is cold -- highs in the 30s, lows in the 20s. It was a bright day such as Ina enjoyed.] KW

REAL TIME UPDATE: END OF AN ERA

A couple of years ago, Mike decided it was time to sell or trade his 1965 Barracuda and began the process of seeking a deal. As of 2017, he’s had it for 22 years, buying it in 1995 and then spending many a Saturday night in a friend’s garage rebuilding it. We had some fun with it – drove it to Boise a time or two, put it in shows, and most important, drove it to Seattle in 2009 for Hallie and Nick’s wedding. Wherever we went, it was a conversation piece.

A fond farewell

Today we took it for one last drive to a VW dealership in Post Falls where we traded it for a 2015 GTI hatchback. I thought the drive was rather bittersweet, especially since once again it drew admiration from nostalgic onlookers. “Are you sure you want to trade it?” I asked Mike. He assured me he was ready.

A new beginning

Well, time moves on and so do our interests and needs. We enjoyed driving home in the GTI. Now all we need is a kid to help us with the electronics. So much has changed . . . KW