Life is good and so is Barbie

Many times in the last few weeks I’ve asked myself if I will ever be able to blog again on a regular basis. The question has gone unanswered for the most part. Life is busy. Life is full of ups and downs. Life is good. I am thankful.

In the past few weeks (after the much prepared for dog show) I’ve had days of much needed rest and slower activities. I’ve dealt with a sick dog and spent several hours and many dollars in the ER vet clinic as well as caring for him afterwards – and did I mention worrying about him? He is recovered today and I am thankful. Diagnosis: gastroenterocolitis.

Next crises was with my car. I know nothing about cars and don’t want to know. They are scary and lifting the hood and knowing the ugliness underneath gives me the creeps. And the times I’ve had to rescue a child’s ball from under one are best forgotten. I just knew the car was getting harder and harder to stop, both forward and reverse. I limited my driving and when I did drive, drove like a little old lady. I use a local repair shop near my house and they diagnosed the trouble as something called a “master cylinder” and it is in the shop this afternoon. Brakes are fine. I am thankful because buying a new car is not an option, even if I wanted one.

If you blog or write or do anything on a regular basis, then you know it is a commitment of spending time on that activity. Writing time has been elusive, so the commitment dropped by the wayside. The desire, however, has still been strong with blog posts being composed mentally, but never transcribed. Now I feel the commitment returning and I know that I will be able to slide in at least small times of writing.

One of the things I’ve been wanting to share revolves around Barbie. Noto about the highly marketed Pepto-pink glitzy modern day Barbie, but about the Barbie I know. I’ve tried to get the pictures I wanted to share, but that hasn’t happened, yet. But why wait? Just post what you have, dear, and move on I tell myself!

I don’t remember if it was Christmas 1962 or 1963, but Santa left me a Barbie doll under the tree. A Barbie with Titian red hair in a bubble cut and a strapless black and white swimsuit. I didn’t know what a Barbie doll was, but I quickly learned! In time, I acquired a few more dolls and cases, and of course, a modest amount of clothes. My parents didn’t lavish toys on me like some parents so I never had a Barbie house or car. My mother bought a pattern and duplicated many of the outfits I wanted.

I spent many hours playing Barbies with friends. Many. Even in my teenage years I remember taking the dolls out a few times and changing outfits and tidying things up. I didn’t care that Barbie had an hour glass figure and a pretty face. To me, Barbie was sophisticated. And that was what I wanted: nice clothes, hair, and makeup and that air of confidence she had. She wasn’t glitzy or silly, just sophisticated.

My sister played with these Barbies and probably added a few things. My daughter played with them many years later although they didn’t appeal to her. She was into bike riding and roller blading, not dolls.

When the Barbie craze started this summer I decided to pull out my Barbies. Excitedly expecting to see the dolls in their cases with clothes hanging neatly and shoes and accessories in the little boxes I was horrified to see what was inside.

It wasn’t pretty to see my beloved Barbie and friends in such a disastrous state. How could this have happened I wondered. Then I remembered letting my precious little twin granddaughters play with them one night. Most likely when one of their parents helped clean up they just stuffed everything in the cases and zipped them shut. I could not bring myself to start sorting through the mess.

Despite being well loved and played with Barbie still looks very nice. Over the years I gave her a few makeovers which fortunately did not have too much effect on her hair or makeup. That hair cut and style is a little ragged, but it still looks like a bubble cut. Her clothes need to be laundered (after being sorted out) and I need to find her some shoes.

A little Internet browsing told me she was indeed made in 1962 – isn’t she remarkably young looking? To me she is still beautiful and I’m glad I kept her because she represents some of the best times of my childhood.