Polly and Hedda's Day at the Dolly Spa

That's a hot water bottle under her head.

It's hard to see in the picture, but she has measles.

My mother instilled in me a great love of dolls, doll clothes, doll houses, and all things that have anything to do with dolls.

Mom had agoraphobia (one of those people who are afraid to leave their home) long before anyone knew what it was, so it was never diagnosed.  All Christmas shopping was done by the Speigel catalog.  I looked through the catalog one Christmas season and found these absolutely lovable little dolls, Polly-the-Lolly and Hedda-Get-Bedda.  Polly had pink hair with braids wired to stand straight up in the air.  Hedda had three faces; happy, asleep, and sick with measles.  I dog-eared the page and left the catalog open where the dolls could be seen.  Every time anyone left the catalog closed, I would open it back up to the proper page.  That Christmas Santa brought me Polly-the-Lolly.  Hedda-Get- Bedda arrived the following Christmas.  Now I loved these little dolls!  They were just the sweetest little things ever!  Unfortunately, I loved them so much that after a few years, they were a plastic bag full of stuffing.

As any little girl, I eventually grew up.  I got married.  I had children of my own.  There was always a little empty spot in my heart, however, for the little dolls that passed beyond the veil.  Mom went to a doll show, and who did she see???  Lo and behold, Polly-the-Lolly and Hedda-Get-Bedda apparently were in the first resurrection!  Mom paid more than double the price she originally paid for the dolls, but I received a special Christmas surprise.  She made clothes for the dolls that were as close as possible to the original wardrobe.  I loved those dolls!  A couple of years ago, I found Hedda's original accessories on E-bay and bought them.

Unfortunately, in the busy life that is raising children, I eventually had to put the dolls in my closet to make room for everyone else's "stuff."  We recently became "empty nesters," and I'm reclaiming my house.  I've been through every room in the house organizing closets and cupboards and throwing out the excess baggage that a family of six accumulates over 35 years.  I'm finally down to my closet and the garage.  I started on my closet this morning, and found Polly-the-Lolly and Hedda-Get-Bedda.  They were a tad bit dusty (cough, cough), and Polly's pink hair had faded to almost white.  Hedda's plastic nightcap was cracked because plastic wasn't as durable in the 1950's as it is now.

Needless to say, all work ceased on my closet until my babies had a day at the spa.  Clothes were washed, bodies were washed, Hedda's nightcap was repaired, and Polly's hair was washed, conditioned, dyed, braided, and curled.  They will now be displayed on the spare bed in my office.  (I love saying "my office," as opposed to a kid's bedroom!)

Thanks, Mom!  It took a good number of years, but Polly and Hedda finally have a home -- and I had an absolutely marvelous day!