Copyright: J. Hardy Carroll
Here we are again and this week we’re gathered near children playing Pin the Tail on the Donkey. We’ve come together to discuss our original stories for the week. This is the Friday Fictioneer’s group. Our hostess for the gathering is the talented and gracious author and artist, Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. The challenge for each of us this week and every week is to write a story with no more than 100 words, not counting the title. It’s supposed to have a beginning, middle, end, and be inspired by the picture prompt for the week. This week’s prompt was provided by J. Hardy Carroll. Thanks, J. Hardy. To read the other stories by group members, just click on the link given below, then on the smiling blue frog. Next, follow the given directions. The link for this week’s stories is as follows:
Genre: Memoir
Word Count: 99 Words
My First Dolls by P.S. Joshi
I was born in 1941, so one of my dolls was a sailor. My brother was in the U.S. Navy. I was taught a little song about a sailor boy, popular at the time.
Another doll was about as big as I was. It had real hair and a lovely face. The body was cotton, but the legs and arms were a hard composition material.
I was little, and the doll was big, so her toes dragged on the floor. They got worn down through the painted coating.
My brother named her Suzie Q after my nickname, Suzie.
I know I lot of women from a generation or two that can relate. My mum still has two dolls as big as yours.
Lovely memory you shared.
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Thanks, Tannille. I’m glad you enjoyed the story. I still have that doll packed away in the U.S. in the care of my son. We saw no sense of bringing them here to India. đ — Suzanne
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Wow. Thats a great gift to pass on to a grandchild someday, along with stories about the doll.
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Dear Suzanne,
A very sweet memory indeed. Your brother must’ve been quite a bit older than you, yes? Thank you for sharing.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks, Rochelle. I’m glad you like the story. My brother was born when my mother was 19 in 1921 during her first marriage Her first husband died. My brother was five when my mother married my dad. She was around 40 when I was born in 1941 and my dad was around 44. Many of my first cousins were around my brother’s age. Their children were close to my age. đ — Suzanne
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There is a gap of almost 15 years between me and my brothers as well (I was an “accident”)
One of my nieces is only 5 years younger than me.
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Well, I wasn’t an accident. I think my mother might have waited to try again when the Depression was over. I wanted children but you might say there was no scheduling involved with mine. I called them happy accidents. I delighted the grandparents no end. My mother-in-law was thrilled as Indians hope for a boy first and I had a boy first. She told me I could have a girl next and I did. She just thought I was great. đ — Suzanne
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Worn feet. Poor doll
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Thanks, Neil. Yes, she’s rather the worse for wear. I have a doll collection that’s now packed away and in the care of my son in the U.S. đ — Suzanne
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Sweet little memoir, Patricia.
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
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Thanks, Susan. I’m happy you enjoyed the story. đ — Suzanne
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Worn, but only because it was loved and, I imagine, still is. Delightful ‘Suzie’!
My story – ‘A stab in the dark’
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Thanks, Keith. I wasn’t the only one who played with that doll. The neighbor girl did also. My mother insisted I share my toys. There aren’t many left anymore who called me Suzie. Probably none now. đ — Suzanne (alias Suzie).
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You really stirred the memories. I was born in 1947, so my memories are from stories my parents told. My doll? She’s in the possession of my granddaughter, who I’m sure doesn’t play with her any more, but still keeps her dressed and dusted đ
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Thanks, Linda. I’m glad I stirred good memories for you. So far, I only have one granddaughter who was about ten when my son married her mother so thus far there’s been no one to play with my dolls. My daughter just got married so she may have a child. By the time I found those dolls where my dad packed them, my daughter wasn’t playing with dolls. Anyway, she preferred “My Little Ponies” to baby dolls. She had a backpack with the little lion cub from “The Lion King” on it. đ — Suzanne
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Thank you for sharing a part of your childhood, Suanne.
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You’re welcome, John. It was really a different time. So much has changed. some for the better and some for the worse. —- Suzanne
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So true.
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My first dolls name was “Susi” called “Doosie” by me when I learned to talk.
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That’s for sharing, Lady C. Susi or Susie must be a popular nickname at times. Doosie is really cute. My dad’s stepfather was named Tommy and I used to call him Toddy. đ — Suzanne
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Lovely memory, thanks for sharing.
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Thank you, Iain. I’m glad you liked it. đ — Suzanne
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Thanks for sharing this sweet memory!
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You’re welcome, Alicia. I remember a lot from my childhood, some of it from when I was very young. I have one of those memories. Things must have made an impression on me. đ — Suzanne
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You have a good memory. But the larger doll must have been unforgettable.
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Thanks, Patrick. I have a good memory for the past but recent names and places sometimes slip out. My dad also remembered a lot from his childhood so it must run in our family. My brother must have spent a lot on that doll. She was lovely. My mother used to comment on the “real hair”. đ — Suzanne
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some dolls are kept in a glass case. i’m glad you enjoyed yours. đ
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Thanks, Plaridel. No, my parents didn’t believe in glass cases. There were some small figurines on shelves above my reach when I was little. đ — Suzanne
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So endearing. I can visualize you with your dolls as a little girl. So sweet. Did you ever do tea parties with your dolls?
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I had a small table and chair and little tableware in the “new” plastic but I didn’t do tea parties. I don’t remember my playmates doing that either for some reason. In those days we were in and out of each other’s homes and playing outside a lot. We got our first TV set when I was nine. đ — Suzanne
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Nostalgic moments from down the memory lane.
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Thanks, Abhijit. Yes, way back down memory lane. I’m glad you liked the story. đ — Suzanne
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I remember having stuffed toys almost as big as I was. They seemed to shrink as I got older, though đ
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Thanks, Ali. Yes, it’s funny how that happens. đ — Suzanne
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Such a lovely memory, Suzanne.
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Thanks, Dale. I’m glad you like the story. đ — Suzanne
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A very nice story of sweet memories. So glad you kept the dolls, even though they are packed away. As we also lived ‘overseas’ we have precious memories packed in my parent’s attic. Someday … =)
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Thanks, Brenda. I lost many things moving around. Some of it to a leaky basement in one house. More from moving from a house to a flat and not having enough storage and bringing too much to India at my husband’s insistence. He didn’t realize things had changed and you can get most things in India now. He was bipolar and didn’t always use the best judgment. When we moved here the packers were not good and my high school class ring I’d had for about forty years went missing. We had our stuff shipped by boat and the shippers had to repack everything at extra cost to us. The farmhouse where we were staying temporarily had no screens and mice came in by the droves and chewed and chewed into our cartons which were there with us. It took us five years of renting to get my husband’s brother to give up the key to this flat. It was my husband’s flat but his brother had lived here for a time. He wasn’t living here just storing stuff in it. Other relatives finally helped us get it back. My son told me now is not a good time to come back to the U.S. I can afford a caregiver and cleaning woman here. I use a walker due to arthritis and sciatica. The only problem is this flat is forty-three steps up and there’s no lift. There’s a place for one but the other families didn’t want to pay for one. Things could be worse. I can live on my Social Security here without going into poverty. My husband was terrible with money, especially toward the last. My son handles the money in the U.S. and put my husband on a strict budget. Most of the money he sent to me. I had a seperate account here. Sorry, this ran on so. —- Suzanne
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Sweet memory, I like that
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Thanks, Shrawley. I’m glad you enjoyed the story. đ — Suzanne
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Memories are the best. I don’t collect things anymore, but I love story memories. Nice story.
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Thanks, Shirley. I’m happy you enjoyed the story. I’m sorry this comment is late. I get behind in answering them sometimes. —- Suzanne
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Theere is something touching about having a sailor doll and a brother in the Navy. The toes dragging on the floor and getting their paint chipped off is a great detail, emphasizing the littleness of the girl compared to the doll.
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Thanks, Andrea. I was also taught a song about a sailor. Part of it went something like Sailor sailor, coat of navy blue. I love my sailor and he loves me too. My brother served on aircraft carriers. My dad had been in the navy before, during, and after WWI. đ —- Suzanne
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Lovely recount of a childhood memory Suzanne. Boys don’t have dolls but I had a Lone Ranger ‘action figure’ when I was eight. It stayed around far too long before I reluctantly gave it away to a younger relative đ
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Thanks, Subroto. I’m glad you enjoyed the story. My son had GI Joe action figures and others. When he grew up he didn’t have young relatives to give them to so he sold them to a local comic book store. They became collector’s items, especially the Transformers. He also sold some He-man figures. —- đ — Suzanne
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How lovely to learn a little about your childhood. I can remember the awe I felt as a little girl when I looked at some of the really elaborate dolls in the shops. I can’t remember owning one like this, but i had a little collection that I do remember. I loved to make clothes for them.
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Thanks, Margaret. I’m happy you enjoyed the story. About the only thing I made for my dolls were little baby undershirts my mother taught me how to make. She’d made them for me when I was a baby. My grandmother sewed and made some clothes for a little boy doll I had. I later learned to sew and made clothes and costumes for my children. đ — Suzanne
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You can feel the love in this, Suzanne, great writing
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Thanks, Michael. I’m happy you enjoyed the story. đ — Suzanne
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Nicely done. We all have lovely memories of our childhood. Westerns were big when I was a tyke. There’s no telling how many six-shooters and stick horses I wore out as a boy.
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I had a complete cowgirl outfit with a cap pistol. That pistol item would be politically incorrect today.
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What a lovely story! Can’t say I had dolls really (at least ones I didn’t immediately destroy) until my 20’s and I was dating my current husband. He bought me the first one, a Spock Barbie in a StarTrek uniform, been hooked ever since. I did have one crocheted one I used as a pillow at one of my most favorite foster homes… let me see if I remember her name..wil…wil…ah, Willamena… I found her in the attic.
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Thanks, Bear. My daughter didn’t like Barbie as she was only a blond at the time and didn’t look anything like my daughter. She went for animal dolls like My Little Pony. đ — Suzanne
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I did have a G.I. Joe at one time. As I recall, it didn’t have a hand or feet…
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Lovely memories from childhood, Suzanne!
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Thanks, Penny. I’m glad you enjoyed the story. đ — Suzanne
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Wow! What a nostalgic trip down memory lane is this! Thanks for allowing us a peep into your childhood. Very beautiful memoir, Suzanne.
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Thanks, Neel. I’m glad you enjoyed that little part of my childhood. đ — Suzanne
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What a wonderful and sweet memory… I have my teddybear from when I was a kid and he was larger than me.
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Thanks, Bjorn. I’m glad you liked the story. Teddy bears have always been popular. Oddly enough, I didn’t have a teddy bear but I did have a little lamb with a music box inside. The wind stem for the music box was underneath the lamb’s tummy. đ — Suzanne
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Thanks for sharing a part of your childhood. Childhood days are special and so are the dolls for girls. I never had huge dolls and none of my friends had. So i guessed I never craved for one.The dolls are precious even if they are worn out.
https://ideasolsi65.blogspot.com/2019/05/the-dark-horse.html
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Thanks, Kalpana. I’m happy you enjoyed the story. I had a doll collection but in those days when I was old enough, I played outside with my friends and liked to read, draw, and create. My daughter preferred animal dolls like My Little Pony toy horses. đ — Suzanne
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Nice take. Thanks for sharing this piece of you.
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Thanks, Dawn. I’m glad you liked the story. đ — Suzanne
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Cute little memory
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Thanks, Ronda. I’m glad you enjoyed the story. đ — Suzanne
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