Right about now I am SO dreaming of summer. The thing I look forward to doing the most, believe it or not, is mowing the lawn. The birds chirping...the warm sun shining down on my skin...and a gentle, cool breeze, as I walk along behind the mower row by row while it cuts and shapes the grass into a work of art.
I know it sounds a little odd, but I get a sort of strange satisfaction from cutting, shaving and mowing. I think it started years ago as I watched my Dad give my younger brother, Alan, his haircuts. It was a family occasion as we all gathered around and watched precious little red clippings of hair fall from Alan's head. I watched carefully how Dad held and angled the clippers; going around the ears and up the neck and back of the head. I knew just how to do it and I knew where the clippers were kept, and it seemed only natural that I try it out myself.
No one was going to let a five-year old with clippers loose on their hair, so I had to resort to practicing on dolls. And having three sisters with dolls, I got a lot of practice! My sister, Rosalin, is still lamenting her beloved dolls...all with buzz haircuts. For Christmas, instead of getting a doll with hair, I began to get dolls with formed and painted hair...nothing that could be cut, shaved or clipped.
No one was going to let a five-year old with clippers loose on their hair, so I had to resort to practicing on dolls. And having three sisters with dolls, I got a lot of practice! My sister, Rosalin, is still lamenting her beloved dolls...all with buzz haircuts. For Christmas, instead of getting a doll with hair, I began to get dolls with formed and painted hair...nothing that could be cut, shaved or clipped.
I still love to cut and I'm counting the days until I'm out there in the sunshine with the lawnmower and the weedwacker.
4 comments:
You are a funny girl! As much as I LOVE to see hair fall, and I do love it, it never occurred to me to cut doll's hair. Instead, I begged whatever man-person who would listen to let me cut his hair. That's real hair! Not doll hair.
I never realized until a few years ago that it was YOU who ruined all our dolls. Bad bad. A shaved headed doll isn't much fun anymore for pretending she is a princess or dance queen. No wonder we had to resort to playing with paper dolls.
It's amazing how life long fascinations get started so young!
I think you were a total rascal when you were little. Just sit back & think of the tricks you pulled around the house back then...shaving off the hair of my dolls, painting your face with my lipstick, gluing Mom's dresser drawers shut & only you know what else. Life was free & easy with not much babysittn' going on to ruin all your fun, huh?
In fact, Gayla told me recently that when Mom layed down with you to have a nap, she decided to play with matches in the laundry room. She lit the matches & watched them start to burn diapers hanging on the wooden drying rack. She couldn't stop the fire on one diaper & it burned up to more diapers, pretty soon the fire engine came & little 5 year old Gayla learned her lesson!
WHAT??? Gayla started that fire in the laundry room? I had no idea...the little stinker.
I think I have been getting a bad rap all these years as being mischievous when all along it was those not so innocent little sisters who were quietly naughty. They make me look as pure as the white driven snow. All the time they were up to their tricks I was out in the garage riding my barrel horsey and pretending to be Annie Oakley. Giddiup!
My reputation is redeemed. Whew!
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