it would be about 1956......
I was seven years old....and waiting for my mother to close her
store ..
the maternity shop across from the stone church and bus stop...
on Lyons and Elizabeth....
so that we could do our Christmas shopping.....
even though we were Jewish...
we loved Christmas....
it was hard to wait...
already in leggings...and ready to go...
I would jump up on the huge snow mound in front of her store
and watch the buses and cars in the grey slush...
and then finally we were on our way....
we waited for the downtown bus in the bitter cold...
on Elizabeth Avenue, by the park....
and I was freezing...
my mother would not wear boots...
so there she was in silk stockings and heels
and the bus was always so late...
she would say the only way to make it come was to light a cigarette...
and sure enough...with the first puff of her Tareyton ...
there was the bus!
next stop for us was Broad and Market....
off into the bitter cold...
stepping down into the slush...
ladies in their grey plastic rain deer galoshes
over their high heels...
hats and scarves....
and then the Salvation Army people
and the ringing of their bells...
it was almost more than I could take in...
such excitement!!!
and all the ladies had wonderful shiny Christmas corsages...
bells and snow frosted holly and snowmen...
one lovelier than the next...
my mom had her Christmas club money...
and off we went....
first ...
to Chock Full O'Nuts
for a quick bite....
those amazing datenut and cream cheese sandwiches....
it was Ohrbachs for clothes
and Bams for toys!!!
my uncle, Sandy Fischer...
would meet us by the wrapping desk...
I was always so proud to see him...
he worked in the display department at Ohrbachs...
I felt so important when he introduced me
to the store employees....
Sammy Dee, Frank Melito, Rita Buccini, Ann Bankin...
Sam Steinlight and dearest Hilda Bateman...
but fooey...no toys at Ohrbachs...
and then.....yippee!!!
to Bamberger's toy department...!!!!!!
through those imperious golden doors...
a blast of heat....mmmm!
the big Salvation Army pot...
and into a world of Christmas decorations, shopping bags
and the ubiquitous store chime, paging employees...
up to the toy department....
(I was always scared of the escalators....)
to visit SANTA CLAUS!!!!!
it was a kind of mystical experience...
who was this man?
was he really a different kind of being...
a magical wish granting large elf?
I wondered even then with fear, at his majesty....
I still remember sitting on his lap..
fascinated and terrified.
Bambergers was the place
for poor pearl dolls, tiny tears, Betsey Wetsy, Toni dolls...
and giant walking dolls in organdy dresses...
and even walkie-talkie dolls!!!!
Ginnie dolls ( which I had in a white carrying case and cherished..)...
Betsy McCall dolls...
and then .....the regal Madame Alexander dolls...
....I could not be present for the purchase...
so I wandered a little ways...amazed and enraptured....
then...off to Kresge's toy department
for the ROCKET RIDE!!!!
hurray hurray....I was lonely on it by myself,
waving to my mother, each time around....
but it was great!
(just like the carousel trucks that came by...
and the Dugan cupcake trucks...
and even, I remember the old peddler truck!)
once, Aunt Sarah met us by the rocket ride...
and the biggest treat was getting
the SURPRISE GRAB-BAG....
I loved that the best of all......
then....
we had to start back home...
out into the cold...
past Halsey Street....
and onto McCrorys....
downstairs we would go...
I didn't like the smell from the restaurant there...
past wax flowers...past pink frosted lipsticks..
and Helena Neuschafer nail polish...
with the nail polish sticks on them....
displays with blue waltz perfume..
and down to the toys....
I still remember an enchanted book
of Hansel and Gretel I got there...
and of Raggedy Ann....
and then it was time to go home...
with packages and wet, frozen feet on the bus...
what a day...
how would I know...
that simply going Christmas shopping
with my mother and uncle
would turn out to be one of the most cherished memories
of my entire life....?
I didn't.
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