Rescued!

This will probably only mean something to me and to my cousin, Jana.

When we were little girls, maybe 8 & 10 years old, we got to stay over night with our beloved grandmother... as we often did.  We loved to stay with her because she made everything enchanted.  She let us set up houses in her lilac bushes, allowing us to take her bathroom rugs out and our little wicker chairs and stools that she bought for each of us, but remained at her house for our use when we came to play.  She made us warm Tang in cute little china teapots and pitchers and we had cookies and drank Tang out of her real little antique tea cups at our little tea parties.  She took us on shopping excursions to Auerbachs and ZCMI.  We loved riding the escalators (we never took the elevators... she was claustrophobic you see).  We loved trying on clothes and twirling in the mirror for Grandma.  She even bought us beautiful nightgowns that twirled and we used them to dance all around her living room.  And we loved to eat lunch with grandpa and her at the Tiffin Room.  I always got grilled halibut... my favorite... grandma's, too!

Anyway, this time we went shopping with her, we found the most beautiful little baby doll.  She was probably 8 to 10 inches long.  Had a beautiful china head, white long dress like a blessing gown, and a lovely delicately crocheted bonnet.  We begged for her!  And as all good grandmothers do... she bought her for us.  Now, because there were 2 of us and only one of her, she was to remain at grandma's... although I think she may have been allowed a holiday to each of our homes once in awhile ;)

We wanted to give her a name... who knows, we may have even given her a blessing... we named her Zora Cumorah Matilda Isadora... or Z. C. M. I.  We loved her!

When I was older with little girls of my own, I found a doll that looked just like her.  I, of course, had to have her for my little girls!  And I, of course, had to name her Zora Cumorah Matilda Isadora II.   I used her to tell my daughters (and my old Activity Day Girls) about Zora Cumorah Matilda Isadora I.  She sits on my bed each day next to Eloise.  Why I have Eloise on my bed is another family story, which I will have to tell another day, because today is about Z.C.M.I.  Any who... she sits on my bed everyday.  While we were gone this week to Palm Springs for work (and play), my daughter and her husband stayed with the 2 kids that are still at home.  They were good sports to do it for us, especially since they are newly weds!  This morning I went to make my bed... I tucked the sheets... pulled up the quilt... put on the decorative pillows... put Eloise in her spot... where is Z.C.M.I.?  I looked... and looked... and looked.... under the bed... around the bed... under the covers... texted daughter (who was sure the silly dog had taken her) but alas, she was nowhere!   Then I thought about it... everything else had been by my chest of drawers and ... the garbage can... yikes!  Had the truck come yet?!  Was she about to head for the dump?!  I heard a truck coming... looked out... yard clippings truck... hurry, hurry, hurry.... throw clothes on... slip shoes on... run downstairs.... out to the street... garbage can was still there with the garbage in it... lucky for me the bag with garbage from our room was near the top, I recognized it because it had stuff from my dear husband's dry cleaning.  I reach it, pull a few things from the bag (and put them in the recycling container... oh, dear husband) and I hear something hit the edge of the can from the bag I'm still holding, could it be her china head?  It was!!  She is rescued!  My memories are saved!

I wish I knew how to post pictures here (one of my kids will have to show me how someday), because if I did know how, you would see Zora Cumorah Matilda Isadora II sitting next to Eloise on my bed...  no signs of stress... gently sleeping away...
I wonder if she knows that she almost went to the dump?  Like the Velveteen Rabbit... she is loved... so she is.. maybe... just a little... real.