As I told you, Garden Grove grade school had plays throughout the year, some as a result of 4-H competitions and some just school productions. We had two buildings, one housing 1st through 4th grades, the other housed 5th through 8th, but remember there were never more than about 20 kids in the whole school. That meant that every child was needed in the play. If they were not needed for an actual speaking part, they would always be used as a choral group.....OK, they just sang.
The play I remember the most was "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. My little brother played Tiny Tim, probably got the roll because he was a boy! (It's a man's world....Can't get that song out of my head now.) Being a little guy, probably helped a little bit, too. Wow, what a choice roll, huh? I was a little envious that he got the "aw, he is so cute" roll. He had the cutest limp with the help of a board in the leg of his pants; and his crutches, how cute. Remember the 4-H picture a few months back? The boy in the back roll was the ghost. Even though we all knew who played this part, when the lights of the school were lowered and he started rattling his chains, it was terribly scary.
For a small grade school we really put on some great plays. We had two teachers who really knew how to put on a production. It was a community event and they wanted us to do our best and those plays were certainly our best.
After we finished the play, it was time for Christmas presents. We always had the biggest tree with those soft opaque lights........beautiful.......and the smell of the cedar.......wonderful. Christmas! Santa would come and deliver a present for each of us provided by our parents, of course.
Memory: The last Christmas present I received from my teacher, the last year we were at Garden Grove before being transferred to Prague, was a beautiful set of Evening in Paris. It was the prettiest present anybody ever gave me.......those gleaming blue bottles. She got a set of Evening in Paris for every girl in her building. I remember thinking how extravagant. Now I realize they were extravagant gifts, but my teacher never had any children of her own and we five girls were "her" girls, and sadly, it was the last time we would ever have a Christmas together, so she doted on us. I will never forget that generous present. My daddy used to tell people, "Regina loves anything wrapped in a shiny package." He might be right; I loved it when sequins went from evening to day wear. Do ya' think I might be gaudy???? Borrowing from a line by Jenny Joseph, "When I am old, I shall wear purple."
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