Spring - Chapter 2
by Barbara Lynn Terry

(Author's note: Some of you may be a little confused, but in my pre-adolescence, my birth mother left me to live with her best friend in another state. Even though their last name was different than my last name, everybody just assumed that aunt Caroline was my mother. I lived with my birth mother's best friend's family for 8 years. I hope this clears up any confusion the you may have. I will be using aunt Caroline and "mother" in this story, interchangeably. There also seems to be some question about what age was considered a legal adult in the 1950's. If anyone has ever seen the Bing Crosby movie Going My Way, 1944, you will see that the girl in that movie when she was asked how old she was, said she was 18. 18 has always been considered a legal adult since most people graduated from high school at 17 or 18. That is not to be confused with the drinking age which was always 21.)

As we walked in the door, grandpa Jack was sitting on the couch. When he saw me, he just smiled.

"I said it once, and I will say it again, you make a very pretty girl, young lady."

"Dad, this is Spring," aunt Caroline had said.

"Glad to know ya, Spring. You're very pretty for being so young."

"I get that from my mother." I don't know why I said that, but I had heard some of the bigger girls at the drug store say that.

They both smiled, and said, "you sure do", together. Grandma Dolly came from the kitchen, and just let out a big gasp when she saw me.

"Well, I guess, since I am out numbered, you can live here as the girl you are. What was the name grandpa called you?"

"This is Spring, mom," aunt Caroline told her.

"Well, it is nice to meet you, Spring. Your grandpa is right, you are very pretty for being so young. Well, I will let you all to yourselves, I have to finish my baking." She went back in the kitchen.

"Mom, can I please have my own dresses and things? I would love to have a nice dress for going to church, and a nice party dress for parties."

"I don't see why not. I guess the time has come when every girl should have her own clothes. When we go in to the city to do more shopping, we will see what we can get you. But you seem to know a lot about what young girls your age wear, so I will let you pick out your own clothes. How does that sound?"

"That sounds cool, mom."

"Cool, huh. Yes, I think maybe your grandpa is right. You are five years old, going on fifteen. Where did you hear an expression like 'cool'?"

"From all the boys at school and some of the girls too. Mom, it seems that we aren't as interested in 'being cool' as the boys say it. Why is that?"

"Because honey, we are cool. Girls are just naturally cool. Boys have to work at it. But yes, letting you pick out your own clothes will be cool. But, we won't be going in to the city until after church on Sunday. Do you think Bobbie will let you borrow a nice dress for church?"

"Yes. Bobbie lets me wear anything she has. Even her mother said that I could borrow some of her things. All I had to do was ask."

"Okay, I will call her, and see what dress you can wear. Now, young lady, what are we going to do about your hair?"

"Bobbie's mother gave me a wig to wear. She said it was small for her, so she gave it to me. We can get that when we get the dress I am going to borrow."

"Alright. So, are you going watch Ed Sullivan with us, tonight?"

"Yes. I wonder who he's having on tonight?"

"I don't know, but we will find out. Honey, why don't you take your bath and put on what you are wearing for bed, and come on down. Then we won't have to rush when it is bedtime."

"Alright, mom."

I went to take my bath and get in my pajamas. Then I went downstairs and joined mom.

"I see we are going to have to get you some girls pajamas and maybe a nightgown or two. But for tonight, your teddy bear pajamas will do. The only difference between what you are wearing now and a girl's pair, is the style and cloth. If you noticed when you were wearing Bobbie's outift how soft the material is. That is the difference. Boys seem to love wearing itchy, heavy clothes, while we girls love being in something soft, light, and pretty."

"I know, mom. Bobbie was always saying that I should be wearing something soft and pretty. The boys think so too."

"Honey, you are only five years old, though. Are you sure this is what you want for the rest of your life, even when you get older?"

"Yes, mom, I do."

"What made you decide on being a girl?"

"Mom, this is who I am, as I heard the older boys at school say. Donny, he's in the 5th grade, said you have to be who you are in your heart. Nobody can tell you who you can be, because they are not you. Nobody can tell you how to behave, because they are not you. You, and only you, can live your life, how you feel you should live it. He was always talking about things like that. He once told me, that if I was older, he wouldn't mind having me for a girlfriend. Of course, I just kinda went ewwwww, because I don't need boy's cooties." Grandpa Jack and aunt Caroline laughed a little.

Just about that time, uncle Johnny came home from his whereever. When he saw me, he just smiled.

"Well, who do we have here?"

"Johnny, this is Spring."

"Hiya Spring. You look very pretty for being so young. How old are you, Spring?"

"You know how old I am uncle Johnny," I said, giggling.

"Yes, your fifteen. Right?"

"I'm five years old, uncle Johnny."

"Uhm, yeah, five years old going on fifteen. You're very smart for a young ... person. What happened to Ronnie?"

"Ronnie left, John, and Spring took his place."

Uncle Johnny gave me a hug. "Well, welcome home, Spring."

The dress I was wearing was a church dress, and I needed something to change in to. "Mother, I don't have anything to change in to."

"You're right, Spring. We will get you more clothes tomorrow. Oh! I forgot, you need to borrow a dress from Bobbie. Tell you what, I will call her and see if I can pick one up, and another set of under things." Mom called Bobbie's house and Bobbie's mother said it would be alright if mom picked up a dress and underthings for me. "I'm going over to get the dress and other things. I will be right back." She wasn't gone long, so they must have had the clothes waiting.

Mother would get more clothes for me tomorrow when she went in the city to get supplies for the drug store. I am not sure what phase means, but if it means it is something for now but not always, then they all have a surprise coming, I have always liked surprises. Tomorrow I will go to school in the dress I borrowed from Bobbie. I only hope Miss Spencer thinks I'm pretty.

It was lunch time, and I just had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a glass of milk. Grandma Dolly was at her stove cooking something. She put up a lot of marmalades, jams, peaches, beets and anything else you could put in a Mason jar. I always watched her whenever I could, so I could see just how she did things.

"Well Spring, would you like me to show you how to put up preserves? It really isn't that hard to do."

"Yes, grandma I would like that."

"Well, making jam is easy. Let me say you want to make strawberry jam. I will tell you what, get the three quarts of strawberries out. I will show you how to cut them, and remove the white part in the center." I got out the strawberries and set them on the table. "Now get out the potato masher that I use to mash potatoes with." I got that out, and set that on the table. "Now, I am going to rinse off these strawberries very well, and then I am going to cut off the ends. See the little green leaf?"

"Yes, grandma."

"Well, you cut that off. Now these strawberries are nice and big, so I can cut them in half. See that white center?"

"Yes."

"We cut that out. then we put the rest of the strawberry in the pot. Once I have done all of this with the strawberries, I mash them with the masher like this."

"Oh, like making mashed potatoes."

"Yes, dear, except we're making strawberry jam. Now, when I get them all in, I want to mash them so that there are small chunks left. I want this on a what is called a medium heat at first, then mash them as they cook in the pot. Now while they are cooking, I take the Mason jars and I want to put them in a pan and heat them up, so the hot jam doesn't crack them or make them burst when I pour the jam in. Then, once the jam is poured in to the warm jars, I let them set at room temperature for about five minutes, then I put them in the root cellar."

"May I try to mash the strawberries?"

"Not right now, dear. You should wait a few more years, and then I will teach you a lot more too, like how to make dinner rolls, bread, cakes, eclairs, jelly donuts, and all kinds of goodies. But you can be a big help to me if you help get the things I need."

"Alright, grandma Dolly."

"See dear, I wouldn't want you to get burned. But we will do this together. After we get the jam put up, then you can help me make dinner."

"Okay."

"Oh, dear, I forgot to put a cloth out for the jars. Would you get that small checkered cloth from the linen closet?"

"Yes, grandma Dolly."

I really liked helping grandma Dolly. She was always cooking though. Either she was putting up things in jars, or cooking the meals. She was like grandpa Jack because she had a wonderful sense of humor. But grandpa Jack had that guy sense of humor and expected me to laugh at his jokes, which I did laugh at some, but most were not funny to me. Grandma Dolly always told nice jokes, or found humor in something that we were, or shoud I say, I was doing. But I enjoyed helping her because she was teaching me everything a girl needs to know.

I watched how grandma Dolly poured the strawberry juices and pieces into the jars, and then put the lids on. She did have one that she was going to let set for us, but the rest she was going to put in the root cellar. When the jars had cooled enough, we took them downstairs, and grandma Dolly showed me how to set them on the wooden shelves grandpa Jack had built. We went back upstairs. Grandma Dolly asked me if I would help her get the things ready so she could make dinner.

"Yes, grandma Dolly."

"Then be a good girl and get me five big potatoes." I got the potatoes and put them on the table. "Now get me three carrots, and the butter." I got the carrots and the butter. "Now I need the pork chops." I got those and put them on the table too. "Now, I am going to show you how to use a potato peeler. Do you think you can peel the potatoes for me?"

"Yes, grandma Dolly."

She showed me how to use the potato peeler, and it wasn't hard at all, peeling the potatoes. When I had those peeled, she showed me how to peel the carrots. After the carrots were peeled, she just told me to sit at the table and watch what she did with the pork chops. She got out what she called a cookie sheet, and smeared butter on it, then she put something she called seasoning on the pork chops. She set the pork chops on the cookie sheet, and then in the oven.

"You must always cook your meats at three hundred and seventy five degrees. When you get a little older I will let you do that."

She put the potatoes in a pot she had boiling on the stove. Then she sat down, and sipped on a cup of tea. Grandma Dolly didn't drink coffee. I had a glass of apple juice. While we were waitng for the potatoes, grandma Dolly and I talked.

"So tell me, Spring, how do you like being a girl and learning all the things we go through in the kitchen?"

"I like it. Grandma Dolly, if my friends and the boys call me a girl and treat me like a girl, then why can't I be a girl? I mean, I don't know how to say this properly, but when I wear dresses, or skirts and blouse, and girl's underthings, I feel really nice inside. I'm just like that lady that was a boy and came back as a girl."

"I guess this means that you are going to be Spring all of your life then?"

"Yes, grandma Dolly. I feel really good when I am dressed like this and when people call me a young lady or a good girl. Grandma Dolly, why do some people call me names?"

"Because they don't know you, dear. They think that because you were born a male, that you have to act like a boy. So when they see that you are a boy dressing and acting like a girl, they think that calling you names will make you act more like the boy you were born as."

"But I don't understand. Why can't everybody get along? Why can people let people live the way their soul tells them to?"

"That is a good question, Spring. It is a question that has been asked for centuries, that means hundreds of years. Nobody has found out why people on this earth can't get along, but we accept you, because God tells us not to judge others falsely. I'm afraid if we did judge you, it would be a false judgement, because you are so innocent in what you say and do."

"I was listening to the sermon when Fr. Paul was reading from Matthew and he said do to others as we would have others do to us. So if that is what God wants us to do, why can't people get along?"

"Sweetie, if I knew the answer to that question I would very rich. Nobody seems to know why people can't get along. It seems that no matter how good things get, there is always someone that starts something bad. It is like being good is boring and being bad is an adventure. But if you ask me, I think everybody should get along too."

"There is school tomorrow, and I want to wear my new dress."

"Alright, dear, you may wear your new dress. But tomorrow I want you to get up early enough to take a nice bubble bath."

"Roses?"

"Yes, dear, I will use the rose scent."

"Now, dinner is ready, so tell everybody to come and eat."

I went to tell them, and they had to say something about how pretty I was, or how like a little lady I was. Grandpa Jack and uncle Johnny, I guess, were trying to make me smile. I guess I liked the attention. I had seen the older girls get really giggly when their boyfriends would comlpiment their hair, or the dress they were wearing, or like one boyfriend siad; "you have such a beautiful smile."

Grandpa Jack said grace, and uncle Johnny gave me my plate. I had to tell him not to put too much on it though, because he would put a lot on it. He ate most of what grandma Dolly made. He put small portions of everything on my plate, and cut the meat for me. I thanked him, and started eating. Everybody was watching me, and grandma Dolly and auntie Caroline couldn't get over at how feminine I was.

"Mom, boys don't get to be that feminine at that age unless it is in them to begin with. That is what Christine Jorgensen has been saying since she came back from Denmark. I think Spring is not going through a phase. I think this is who she really is."

"But how can you tell, sis?" Uncle Johnny asked, looking lost.

"Because Spring doesn't play like the boys do, but like a girl would. She helped mom put up the preserves today and then helped get the things out so mom could make dinner. The boys I know would be out playing and not care about when dinner is ready. They just wait to be called in. But Spring seems to enjoy helping in the kitchen. I mean, she won't be doing any cooking for quite a while, but she can help just the same."

"Like you used to, sis?"

"Yes, exactly."

"Spring, when you are outside with your friends, how do the boys think of you?"

"They say I am too pretty to be a boy and that I should be a girl. I mean, the aren't mad at me, but they just wanted me to know that if I tried to be like them, I couldn't. They said I was better off with the girls. But grandpa Jack, when I am with the girls, it seems I know what to do, but when I am with the boys I get really nervous."

"Nervous? Where did you learn a word like that?"

"I had heard one of the older girls say that and I asked Miss Spencer what it meant."

"Well, there is one thing that everybody seems to agree on, Spring. You are five years old going on fifteen."

"Oh, grandpa Jack." I giggled.

Dinner was over, and grandma Dolly always did the dishes with auntie Caroline. But today they wanted me to help. I was very happy.

"Spring, auntie will wash, I will dry, and you can place them in the dish rack so I can put them away."

"Yes, grandma Dolly."

After the dishes were done, I washed off the table, and mom made sure that the floor was swept and mopped. After the kitchen was clean, we all went in the living room to watch television. We had a little time before Ed Sullivan came on. He said his special guest onight was a surprise but first he wanted to tell us about the Nicholas Brothers, and then he introduced them, and they came out dancing. They were really great, the way their shoes made those clicking sounds. After they were done, there was a commercial, and then Ed Sullivan introduced Frankie Laine. I heard a couple of girls in the audience scream a little, and Frankie Laine did his song. After he was finished, he talked with Ed Sullivan for a bit, and then Ed Sullivan said that his next guest had a very special treat for us. He said his next guest was 14 years old, and had made this song when he was 12, and that he was going to sing it tonight. He then introduced Jimmy Boyd singing, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus. The audience clapped and there were a few whistles like the ones from guys when they want someone's attention. When the show was over, and it was a school night, I hugged everybody and said good night and that I loved them. I went up to bed, and got under the covers.

Spring at School.

(Author's note: Like some teachers do today, some teachers when I was growing up, kinda followed us through school. What they did was go from grade to grade as the students went from grade to grade. My favorite teacher, let's call her Miss Spencer, did exactly that. She followed my class from kindergarten through the 6th grade.)

Grandma dolly came in the next morning and woke me up with a gentle kiss on the forehead.

"It's time to get up, Spring. I have your bath all ready for you. Use the soap I put in the soap dish at the end of the bath tub. When you are finished, come back in here and I will have your clothes all laid out for you. Do you need any help getting dressed?"

"No, grandma Dolly."

She smiled when she said, "I didn't think you would." I went in a took my bath, making sure not to get my hair wet, and when I was finished I got out of the tub and patted myself down, like Bobbie's mom had showed me. I then wrapped the top of the towel under my arms so that it covered my whole body. Bobbie's mom said that was how a girl wrapped a towel around her. I went in my room, and grandma Dolly had Bobbie's dress and the underthings lying on me bed. I saw the Mary Jane's that I wore yesterday on the floor by the bed. I'm going to need my boots with these.

I made sure I was really dry before getting dressed. After I had on the panties, slip, and the dress. I sat down on my bed and put the ankle socks on. Then I put my Mary Jane's on, and after I was all dressed, I made sure my slip wasn't showing, and went down to breakfast. I am not much of a breakfast person, but today grandma Dolly told me I was having a bowl of oatmeal with my jelly toast and milk. I made sure not to get any on my dress, and when I was done, I put my dishes in the sink.

I didn't know that mom had also gotten one of Bobbie's coats for me to wear too, and my boots couldbe for a girl or a boy. It was good though because it had gotten really cold out over night and had snowed some. The school was only two blocks from our house, and we didn't have a sidewalk by our house, but the road was clear. So was the sidewalk that went to the school. Even though my legs were cold, they soon warmed up in the school. Mom dropped me off at Miss Spencer's kindergarten class, and then gave me a hug and said be a good girl. When I hung my coat up in the coat room and set my boots on the floor under it. I went to my desk, everybody said it was about time I dressed like a girl. Even Miss Spencer said I was pretty.

In Miss Spencer's class, she taught us how to print the letters of the alphabet. Some of the boys were playing around, and Miss Spencer asked them if they would like her to call their parents. They didn't make a sound after that. Miss Spencer said that before school let out next summer, we would be able to write our names in cursive. She then asked how many of us knew our address and phone numbers. Most of the girls and some boys raised their hands. Miss Spencer said it was very important that we knew our addess and phone numbers in case we ever got lost. Of course, where I lived you couldn't get lost, but if you were anywhere else, you could.

We were then called on, one by one, to recite the alphabet by heart. That meant we had to look at the windows and not the chalk board when we did recite it. Some of us made mistakes, and we all laughed. Miss Spencer said that by the time we were out for the summer in June, we would know it like we would know our addresses and phone numbers. We had picture books that had some words in them, and we were asked to read the words. I have been going to school since it started, as my birthday is in August. I knew some of the words, but the ones that I had trouble with, Miss Spencer said to sound them out. That was the best way to get to learn a new word. Miss June Spencer was a nice teacher. She always had her blonde hair in some kind of a neat style. Mostly she liked her hair in a pony tail. She said it was easier than having to curl it all the time. She always wore dresses or skirts and blouses, never any pants when she was in school. Her shoes though were basic black flats and very shiny. Sometimes she would wear penny loafers. Even though Miss Spencer was strict with some of the boys, she knew how to make school fun. Then the bell rang for lunch, and Miss Spencer had us line up at the door. Then she said that we were going to walk in twos to the cafeteria. This cafeteria had sections for the kindergarten class. But the other classes could sit any where else. Miss Spencer made sure we all had our trays, and then she gave the lady our money. Lunch today was some kind of spaghetti, and I was taught never to waste food. I ate my lunch even though grandma Dolly's spaghetti is way better than this, whatever it is.

After lunch we all got our coats and boots from the coat room and went outside for recess. Richard Ames was a sixth grader, and thought he was tough. He found an old snake skin lying by the building, and then called my name and threw at me. I picked it up and threw it back at him, and he jumped. That made everybody who saw it, laugh.

"That will teach you Richard Ames. Don't try that again."

"Yes, Miss Spencer." He looked like he was going to cry, but then he went by his friends and didn't pay us any mind.

Bobbie, Sheila, Rosemary and I continued playing double Dutch. At least it was something we liked and it kept us warm. The bell rang ending recess and we lined up by the door. Richard Ames just had to stand behind me.

"Spring, I was only having fun."

"I know, Richard. But I was always told not to touch those dirty things. You don't know how long it has been there, or even if the snake that left it was still around."

He looked like he was going to scream, but he didn't. There were a lot of garter snake skins lying around our town from the snakes that shed their old skins to grow new ones. When we are little we are taught about the snakes around our town and in our state. Most of them are garter snakes, but there are some Massasauga rattle snakes too. Not many, but there are some. We are taught that even though this is the only venomous snake in Michigan and Ontario, it still can kill you if you don't get to a doctor or hospital right away. In Michigan it is simply called the Michigan Rattler. We are taught this from the time we can walk. Mostly they are in lower Michigan, but they can be found in the U.P. too. (Upper Peninsula of Michigan.)

When we got back in class, Miss Spencer decided to give us a talk about snakes.

"Children, how many here know about the Massasauga rattle snake?" We all raised our hands. "That is good. I found a picture of one in this encyclopaedia and I want you all to take a look at it. If you see this snake, go around it, it will avoid you if it can, but if it can't it will bite you, then you have to go to the hospital. When this snake bites an animal or a person, it has poison that it puts in the bite marks. This can make you bleed inside very badly.

"The reason I am telling you this now, is because one of the boys threw a garter snake skin at Spring. I am telling you now, playing with snakes is very dangerous. Even though a garter snake bite only hurts for a bit, the bite of the Massasauga rattle snake can actually kill you. You boys are always playing with things like frogs, or toads or snakes. I am telling you this for your own good. Leave the snakes alone. How many here like getting stung by bees?" Nobody raised their hand. "That's good, just think of a snake as a bee that doesn't fly but crawls on its belly. Another thing to remember too is, a snakes hiss is not worse than its bite. Richard, do you understand what I just said?"

"Yes, Miss Spencer. I already told Spring I was sorry."

"That's good. Alright class, I think we can actually do a little art work. Make sure that you don't get any water colors on your clothes." Miss Spencer let us go to the art cabinet and get what we wanted to do for art. Some of us, me included, liked coloring, so I got out a coloring book and a box of crayons. Mom always colored pictures with me and showed me how to stay in the lines. Of course, I still needed to work on that some, but mostly I did very well. I colored a horse a light brown with white stockings, and sort of off white hooves. There was like a diamond shape on horse's face, and I made that white. When I was done, I showed it to Miss Spencer, who then took it out of the book. she told me to print my name on it, and take it home and show my mom and grand parents. Everybody in town knew mom, because she worked at the drug store, and even made deliveries to people who couldn't get out to get their medicine. Grandma Dolly was known too, because she always entered her boysenberry pie at the county fair pie auction. Grandpa Jack did jobs for people in town and even in Houghton and Hancock. Uncle Johnny was a good mechanic and when he wasn't at the air force base, he worked at the only garage in town that fixed cars.

The bell ending school for the day rang, and mom was right there to get me. I showed her the picture I colored and she gave me a hug and said I was getting better at my coloring. When we got home, grandma Dolly said that was a very good picture, and she taped it to the refrigerator. I went to my room to my coat and boots away. I went back downstairs to the kitchen.

"Grandma Dolly, may I help you with the dinner?"

"Yes, sweetie, you can. We're having meatloaf tonight, so get me one green pepper, one onion and one celery. Put them on the table for now."

After I set everything on the table, grandma Dolly took a sharp knife and sat down. I sat at the table and watched what she did. She cut up everything really small that I had put on the table. She put it in strainer, and rinsed everything off really good. She put the strainer on the table then took the meat out of the refrigerator, and put it on what she said was a cutting board. she started mashing with her hands, and put all the vegetables in, and mashed it some more. Then she made into what looked like a loaf, like bread would be. She put it in a greased bread pan, and brushed a little butter on the top. She said it made the top crispy.

"Spring, please get out four potatoes, and I will bake them with the meatloaf. What would you like for a side vegetable, peas, green beans, carrots, or spinach?" I turned my nose up at the spinach.

"Green beans."

"Alright, will you get me two cans of green beans?" I went and got the beans. "Alright, Spring, now we wait," she said as she put everything in the oven, but kept the green beans in the cans. "I will open the cans just before the meatloaf and potatoes are done. How was school today?"

"It was good. Miss Spencer talked to us about snakes and that we should stay away from them. She did that because one of the boys threw a snake skin at me during recess. He said he was sorry, but Miss Spencer still talked about the masaga rattle snake."

"I see and it is Massasauga or Michigan Rattler. Here honey, let me get you a piece of paper and show you how it is spelled." When she brought the paper back, she printed the letters on it like we did in school. "What did Miss Spencer say about the rattle snake?"

"She said it will avoid us if it can, but if it can't it will bite us then we have to go the hospital. She told us that when the rattle snake bites us it puts poison in the bite marks."

"Yes, it certainly does. When that happens you need to go to the hospital and get it taken care of. The venom of the Massasauga is very lethal, or deadly, that is why you need to get it taken care of quickly."

"Anyway, I picked up the snake skin and threw it back at the boy, and he jumped. Miss Spencer told him to let that be a lesson to him." I giggled.

"After dinner, we are going in to the city, and get you some clothes, so you can keep what your wearing, on." Grandma Dolly checked the meatloaf and the potatoes and the opened the cans of green beans, and heated them up. She called everybody for dinner, and grandpa Jack said grace.

"I like your picture, Spring. That's a mule, right?"

"Yes, uncle Johnny and it's going to kick you in the seat of your pants." Everybody laughed or giggled.

"I guess I had that coming. It is a beautiful picture, Spring."

"Thank you, uncle Johnny."

"Spring, after we let our tummies rest a bit, after dinner, we are going to go in to the city and do a little shopping at Marchand's. We are going to get you the clothes you need for school, church, and maybe even a nice party dress. Would you ike that?"

"Yes, mother, thank you."

"I also think we should get you some girls slacks too, so that you don't have to wear your dresses or skirts when you are in your snowsuit, playing outside with your friends."

"We really don't do a lot of playing outside, unless we build a snowman, or go sledding with the boys."

"With the boys?"

"Yes, mom, we go over to the hill by the train bridge and slide down on our sleds."

"Do you ride on a sled with one of the boys?"

"Oh, no. We use our own sleds."

"Well, is everyone done? John?"

"Yes, sis, I'm done."

"Spring, let's get the kitchen cleaned up, and by then our tummies should be settled.

Part 2 - Shopping.

Mom told me to get my coat and put my boots on. She said we were leaving to go to Marchand's department store in the city. Mr. Marchand is a nice man, and when we got in the store, he said hello.

"Hello, Mr. Marchand."

"How are you, young lady?"

"I'm fine, sir."

"Another young lady with manners. It really makesmy day when I see young people who have manners. Well ladies, I must be off, the owner's work is never done." He smiled at us and the walked to another part of the store.

Mom and I went to the second floor. This store was divided into three parts; a ladies part, a girls part, and a baby part. Mom took my over to the girls part, and told me to look around for dresses, skirts and blouses that I would like to wear to school, or just to go visiting in. I looked around, and found several that I liked. I told mom and she put each one on her arm to carry tothe changing booth.

Inside the changing booth, I tried on the dresses, skirts and blouses, and mother said they would do just fine. The first dress was cream colored and came to my knees. Mother said that was a proper length for a decent young lady. The sleeves were kind of puffy, and the skirt part had bunnies on it. The next dress was a very light blue color, turquoise mom had called it. I was just plain with what mom said was a scoop neck. It zipped in the back and came to my knees. While I trying on the dress, mom peeked in the changing booth, and handed me three full slips, she called and four half slips. She said that these are worn under my dresses or skirts. Then she handed me a package of panties. She said that I would need these. The skirt I tried on was what mom said was an A-line, which meant when I was wearing it, it fanned out at the bottome, and narrowed at the waist. Mom was telling me things I already knew, but I never told her that. One dress was a sundress, and it was made to be worn with a blouse underneath it, but over the full slip. We left the store with five dresses, five skirts, and five blouses, plus the pantie. Then mom took me to a shoe store, because she said she wanted me to have better shoes than what they sell in department stores.

Mom parked in front of Ladies Wear for the Feet, and we went inside. A lady who was older than mom came over to us. "Good morning, ladies. May I help you?"

"Yes, I want to get my daughter a few pairs of school shoes, a couple of pair to play in, and a few for church."

"Well young lady, do you know what size you wear?"

"A size four, girls."

"Alright, I will go and pick out a few and be right back." When she left to go get the shoes, mom and I looked at other shoes and the different styles. "Here we go," The lady said, pushing a small cart with the shoes on it. "Now, young lady, sit right here and we will try them on."

We tried on all of the shoes and I had to walk around in them to see if they were comfortable. When I said they were nice and didn't hurt, mom said we would take all of them. She then asked the lady if she had any double knit knee high socks.

"Yes, we do. They're right over here." Mom got me four pair. Mom paid the lady. "Thank you, ladies, please come again." Then we left.

When we got home, mom took the tags off of the clothes and hung them in my closet. The shoes she put on the floor, and said I could choose a pair to wear. The socks she put in my top dresser drawer.

After we put everything away, we went downstairs to watch television. After a few minutes, I let grandpa Jack and uncle Johnny watch their show. I went in the kitchen and sat at the table.

"Hey girl, would you like a small Sundae?"

"With butterscotch?"

"Yes, "she said, giggling. "With butterscotch."

"Did I hear someone mention a butterscotch sundae?"

"Spring, even if we would have whispered it, a man can hear it when food is mentioned. Yes, John, we were just going to have a small one each. Dad, do you want a butterscotch sundae too?"

"Yes, I would, thank you."

"Make mine and dad's big ones, okay sis."

"Yes, John, I will make yours and dad's big ones. Spring, I am glad that you seen this, because a man is never full. your uncle John can eat dinner, and an hour later he is hungry again."

"That isn't fair sis, I can go two hours before I am hungry again." Mom and I giggled.

"Yes, John, I remember that day very well. You were sitting in front of the television, looking back at the kitchen every five minutes." Mom and I giggled, again.

"That isn't fair sis, it was every ten minutes that I was looking back at the kitchen." Mom and I giggled, again.

"See Spring, drop a hint and men will tell on themselves every time." We giggled, again.

Mom made the sundaes for grandpa Jack and uncle Johnny. She took them in to them, and then she came back tomake ours. "Spring," she started to say in a low voice. "Always serve the men first, or they will be complaining that we're taking too long."

"That's not true," they both said, together.

"Oh yes it is," mom said back. The we both giggled

When we had our sundaes, mom sat down and we talked.

"Before you go to bed tonight, make sure you know what you're wearing to school tomorrow. How does everybody look at you when your dressed as Spring?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, do they say bad things? Do they laugh at you? Do some of the older boys want to beat you up?"

"No, mom. I have a lot of friends at school. Some of the older boys that are in the fifth and sixth grades tell me it is time I started dressing like a girl."

"Alright, I guess. What does Miss Spencer say?"

"She says I look very pretty."

"You do too. You make a very pretty girl for being so young. Now, I will take care of the dishes, you go and get your clothes for tomorrow. Hang the dress you are going to wear in the center of the closet, and put the shoes you are going to wear right under the dress. Also young lady, you need to wear your snowsuit and boots when you go out of the house. Now scoot, take a bath and get in bed. I will be in to tuck you in."

I did as she said, and she came in and kissed my forehead, and tucked me under the covers. I went to sleep almost right away.
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I usually give clothing descritions when the character is going to wear them for the day.