Kewpie doll and microscope made memorable childhood gifts

I’m afraid that this time of year I become rather nostalgic — is it only me? I think not.

What a great time to sit and reminisce with family and friends. And the Foley (Mcclellan) Loveland contingent will gather with Sharon and I for dinner and to put up our tree.

It’s not a big tree, so we leave it decorated year round, and when Christmas is over it is returned to our basement storage room, where it continues to spread cheer to the furnace, spiders, and the occasional mouse or dust bunny.

If you still recall the column of mine from a couple of weeks ago, that included a photo of myself at 4 years old, sporting a pair of stockings on my hands in lieu of mittens. If you were to look directly behind me in the photo, you’d notice an open porch, with a space under it where there was an old tire and wheel and some other junk that had been shoved under the walkway.

For some reason, Mom figured that I needed a doll for Christmas, and I was gifted with one of the most popular (with girls) of the time, a Kewpie doll.

It was “cute” to some observers, but not to this recipient.

Living nearby were two little native Indian playmates, sisters around my age. I will always recall their names: Kootieone and her sister, Bobbintee. I kid you not, those were their real names.

Anyway, they dropped by Christmas day, and I reluctantly showed them my Kewpie. They had a great laugh, thinking a rugged male like myself, stocking mitten equipped, should get a DOLL!

With them as witnesses, I took the aforementioned doll under the porch and proceeded to bash in Kewpie’s “composition” persona on the old wheel. (In order to save “strategic materials” such as plastic or rubber for the “War Effort,” a composition of hide glue and sawdust was forced into doll-shaped heated molds, and when cured, were removed, then painted.) They looked durable, but were not by any means sturdy, nor waterproof.

I had redeemed myself — with Kootieone and Bobbintee. Needless to say, Mom wasn’t too happy. As a matter of fact, I don’t recall anything else I received that Christmas.

One big event for us kids was the arrival in the mail of the Sears and Roebucks Christmas catalog.

“The Wish Book” is what it was dubbed, and there were many items shown inside that I wished for.

They featured sections for Mom and Dad gifts, a section for girls that had girlish items, and a boys section.

I was already drawn to the electric trains, but that obviously was something to be passed over — reluctantly.

It was the winter when I had already turned 10, and I moved on to the section showing the Gilbert chemistry and microscope sets.

I sort of fancied myself a junior scientist. I circled the photo of a microscope set about 10 times and shoved the well-worn page in front of Mom and Dad enough that they got the hint.

Well, come Christmas morning, I may have been more than a little surprised to find a pretty hefty package under the tree, which I hoped was the microscope set.

I recall the color of the case; it was a light green, and very nicely crafted from wood. Inside was a microscope, a few made up slides of various specimens, such as a fly’s wing, a human hair, a bug’s leg and other interesting things to study.

The kit included everything needed to create my own slides, including glass blanks, dyes and a variety of needs for the junior scientist.

I was reminded of how much the outfit cost: $13.95! In 2022 dollars, translated to probably $150-plus. I was given instructions on how to take care of it — or else.

Well, I loved it, and used it until I finally entered high school. And, I’m afraid I never became a scientist, but I can tell you exactly how a fly’s wing looks enlarged 100 times — should you be interested.

And by the way, Merry Christmas to my loyal readers.