I've been good

This year has been kind of miserable, but in a lot of ways I have been good this year. And so, appealing to the ghost of my childhood belief in Santa Claus, I have ordered myself  a couple of Christmas presents (the one may not arrive 'til after Christmas but that's okay):

1. A Folio Society order. Three of their "new Christmas books" were ones that appealed greatly to me: "The 101 Dalmations" (another case of the book being more enjoyable, in certain ways, than the movie - though honestly the movie was pretty good*). And "Five Children and It" which I first encountered as an adult, but still loved. And "The Folio Book of Food and Drink" which is a series of anecdotes and passages from other books.

(*Edited to add: I mean, the animated movie from the 60s; have not seen the recent live-action-style remakes. If I ever refer to a movie that was made in the 50s/60s/70s and then recently remade or rebooted, just assume I'm talking about the earlier one)

This might not get here before I leave for Christmas but it will wait at  the post office for me if that's the case, and I'll have it in January.

2. An Orange Blossom doll, in her vintage-reproduction (Bridge Direct) form. Because the price on Amazon dropped to a more-reasonable $18 from the ridiculous early-issue $35. And this one comes Prime, so I should have her Monday.

I had one of the original Strawberry Shortcake dolls, and one of the original Angel Cakes. I always wanted Orange Blossom but low allowance meant I was perpetually broke and also I was a young teen then, trying to seem sophisticated, so it never happened for me. But now, as a nearly 50 year old woman, I finally get Strawberry Shortcake's "African-American Friend" (as they used to say about Christie and Barbie, though I think then she was "Barbie's Black Friend").

She's a cute doll, anyway, and I like her dress. And she will make my little Strawberry Shortcake collection more complete.

***

Because I think it is good, sometimes, to indulge the child in you, especially at Christmas. It is good to enjoy innocent things, especially in a world where it seems innocence doesn't exist much any more (all the Famous Men alleged or known to be abusers of one type or another, for one example).

And I think there is something rather nice about getting, as an adult, something you wanted and never had as a child. It's not quite the SAME: I will never again experience the sort of excitement a kid has on Christmas getting the very, exact toy that they dreamed of and wanted so much but thought maybe they didn't have a hope of getting because a recession was on, or they knew their parents were budgeting hard, or it was hard to find in the stores, or, they were afraid they hadn't been quite GOOD enough....

(Though now I think of it, when I was a child? There was never a year at Christmas where it turned out I hadn't been "good enough" to get at least one of the things I REALLY wanted. And I wonder, if in some households at least, if Santa's "forgiveness" of the typical childhood things - fussiness, or a messy room, or arguing with your little brother - wasn't designed to mirror the forgiveness the kids were learning about in Sunday School? I don't know. But it did seem back in those early days, Santa came through and got us at least one thing we wanted - though never EVERYTHING, because I do think it's not good for a person to get EVERYTHING they possibly want).

(I also have a Pony or two on order, and they are supposed to come this afternoon, which is nice, given that tomorrow is going to be a slightly woeful day: lots of work and a long long drive. Perhaps I should check to see if there's anything easy to get to but worth checking out in Shawnee; that will be on my way home and if I get off early enough to trust I won't be driving unfamiliar territory in the dark, I might be able to stop, briefly.....)