The Little Fur Coat (My Christmas Story)

When I had small children, I loved making them something for Christmas every year.  Might be a shirt,  doll, animal or whatever.  I loved doing that.  It was an important thing to me.  I think it started, when, my husband was out of a job, for a long time.  So, we had to do the best we could for the kids at Christmas time.  Every year I try to make something special for them.  

Now the question is, how did the little fur coat come about?!  My daughter, Deirdre, remembered a little gray fur coat I made her, when she was very little.  I was so surprised with her remembering that little gray fur coat. (Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of her in the little gray coat.  Only camera, at that time, was my husband 35 mileometer camera, And he wasn't much on taking pictures of the kids.  I didn't couldn't operate the camera)  And she remembered the muff I made to go with it.  She was very little at the time.  She was just a toddler.  But she remembered that coat.  I made it, out of some fur fabric, I was able to get real cheap.  I couldn't afford a coat for her, so, I made her one.   We may not had a lot of money at the time, but she was the best dressed little girl, and my son had the nicest shirts.  My sister gave me fabric, and I had stocked piled on fabric, before we saw the hard times.

When  Deirdre mentioned to me about the coat one year, it struck a nerve.  I decided to make her a little fur coat.  Times was better for us, by this time.  So I was able to be a bit selective on the fabric. .  I went out shopping and bought the prettiest white fur I could find.  And, I always bargain hunted, so I had gotten the fabric at a good price.  I made her this beautiful white coat, muff and hat for Christmas.  The roses were made out of some red velvet, I had left from a dress I made her when she was little.  To say the least, she was surprise to get it.  And as you see, in the picture, she loved it.

Oh, it doesn't end here.. When she got married,  the night was very cold.   She wanted to wear it that night.  She thought it would look well with her wedding gown.  That it did   No, I didn't make her gown.  I wanted to.   It was her choice to go out shopping for one.  That was okay.  It was her wedding, her gown.   Another thing, I was very sick at the time.  So it all worked out.  But, I did make her Tiara she wore and the veil.  .  She was beautiful that night.  Was like a fairy tale.  Only thing that was missing for that night, was a horse drawn carriage.

What she has done with the coat, I don't know.  In the pictures below, she is wearing the coat, as they are getting ready to leave the church.

There you have it, the Story of the Little Fur Coat.

Mikey

 

Mikey

  By Pauline M. Shaffar

 

When I was in 2^nd grade, there was a little boy in my class named Mikey.  He suffered Polio.  Had to wear special shoes with leg braces.  A cute little guy with dark hair. He would stop by every day to walk to school with me.  He was crazy about me.   Everyday, he always brought me a card.  Sometimes, it was a Birthday card, maybe a Mother’s Day card.  It was always some sort of a card.  Funny to think a boy of that age would be so in love with a girl.  He was in love with me.

Mikey was very entertaining in school.  I will never forget the teacher’s name.  Mrs. Spaulding.  She was a typical little ol’ lady with her hair tied back in a bun and the dated dresses.  And not with the greatest personality. Mikey was always hiding from her, and it was easy for him to do so, because he was so much.  He would hide under the desk closet, or under her desk.  She would always go looking for him.  “Mikey, are you in there?”   Well, one day she went looking for him in his desk, as she bent over, he came out of hiding and kicked her square in the butt. 

His family was poor.  He had about 3 or other siblings.  His parents were alcoholics.  Many times, they would leave the kids home by themselves with very little food in the house.  They had been turned into the authorities several times.  There was a condition at the time.  If there was loaf of bread, jar of peanut butter and/or jelly in the house, nothing was done. 

Monday nights, my mother and sister would go to the wrestling matches in Omaha, that was aired on channel 7.  I love going to those when I could.  I thought they were very entertaining.  A Monday night came along I was able to go with them.  It was a cold night.  My Dad heard something on the front porch.  He went out to see what it was.  It was Mikey sleeping on the front porch.  Hungry and no coat. My Dad picked up and carried him into the house.   Warmed him up, gave him a sandwich, then called the police.  The police came, went to Mikey’s home, found the kids there, alone, dirty, starving, no food.  If I remember right, no heat in the house.  The parents were found at the bar.  Which at the time was not a very hard thing to do.  It wasn’t uncommon to have neighborhood bars at the time.  Mikey and the kids were taken away.

I never heard or saw Mikey again.  Yes, it hurt, didn’t have my friend.  I hope he had a better life.  I often think of him and the cards he brought me every day. I have always wondered what did happen to him.  Children orphanages at that time did not have a good reputation, and many foster parents weren’t any better.  I hope he found someone who could give him and his siblings the love and care they needed.

 Here's to you Mikey, wherever you are.  I never forgot the love I got from a little boy of long ago.  The little time I knew you, has always been in my heart.  Happy Birthday, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Merry Christmas.

 

Written by, 

Pauline Marie Shaffar

November 29, 2022