Going to play at Martha's house was quite different than at my house. It was quiet, mine never was, and I remember it as very big. I know now it wasn't such a large house, but because it was two stories high, I thought it was. I remember it so well, I could tell you the layout of it today, except for the front door entry. That is a mystery my mind can't unfold, probably because I always went in the kitchen door!
One of our favorite things to play was "store" or C"cooking'. Mrs. Dressler had saved food cans and boxes with the labels on, and entertained ourselves for hours. These were kept down a few stairs on shelves just above the stacks of National Geographics. (When we were in grade school, Martha would pick one up and say "watch". She'd let go of the pages and they would fall open on pictures of half naked African or south American Indian women. We'd giggle and decided that Dr. Dressler must have "looked" them open!)
If we were being good little girls, we got to play with Martha's dolls. They were beautiful little dolls that had their own trunk full of treasures. You opened the trunk and found clothes rods and drawers with dresses and shoes and hats in perfect rows. My dolls always looked like they'd weathered many storms and had part of the clothes they came with.
it was also at Martha's house that we played Uncle Wiggly, and Parchesi as we got a little older. The Dresslers had a beautiful piano which I wasn't allowed to touch. Martha spent hours practising and played very well at a very young age. On their coffee table were magazines I didn't see at home; Life, and The New Yorker. (I learned to love and understand most of the great cartoons at a young age!)When I was invited to lunch at the Dressler's, first you washed your hands in the little bathroom just off the living room. Then Mrs. Dressler would inspect our hands, and often I would be sent back to do a more careful job. At the table there was always a napkin in a napkin ring, and I remember Martha got her daily vitamins out of a little white paper cup that sat at her plate. At my house, we got Fish Oil spoonfuls whenever Mom thought of it!
Martha's mom must have wondered what our household was like, she asked me questions like "what kind of music does your mother listen to? I'm sure she likes classical." I would tell her we never listened to classical music or Broadway tunes like they did, we liked Frankie Lane and boogie woogie. (Mom would have been horrified!)
It was with the Dressler family that I saw my first and only live operetta, "Carmen" in the Commons at Eastern. I have never forgotten the music or the colorful costumes, probably where I got my love of dressing like a gypsy! I also got to go to a showing of "The Red Shoes" at the college with them, and I have always remembered the tragic plot. We cried.
Several times we got to play dress up at Martha's house, and what a treat that was! Mrs. Dressler had saved all her "flapper" dresses, beads and feathers on silk. They were not only exquisite, they fit. Mrs. Dressler was a short woman, and when we put on her high heels, the dresses just cleared the floor. I don' think I've ever worn anything so beautiful and felt so grownup since.
Our best game outside at Martha's was leaping from rock to rock as pirates or cowboys in her yard under the pine trees. In my mind they were 5 feet apart. I must have been only three or four when we started this joyous game, because the reality is these 2' rocks or only about 18" apart. Little legs!
Playing with Martha at my house was very different. As I remember our games were mostly outside in the dirt. The only problem was when Martha heard the dreaded slide whistle her mom blew to call her home, we both knew she wouldn't be able to come back that day because she got too dirty. But we had a wonderful time until she left. One year Dad dug a big hole in our yard planning to add on, starting with a basement. We spent hours sliding down the dirt hill on our bottoms, laughing all the time. Of course if Martha giggled too hard, she'd wet her pants. She just couldn't help it, and home she'd go, in again for the rest of the day. We must have run out of money for building at the Johnson house, so Dad pushed all the dirt back in the hole. That left a huge yard full of soft diggable dirt. Martha and I spent one wonderful day digging tunnels, and making roads and stick bridges and rivers. We used the hose to have water for our boats we made of leaves. Unfortunately for me, when Dad came home from law school that night after dark, he took only a few steps until he was up to his shins in mud and water, good leather shoes covered in goo. Martha was lucky to live at her house that night, I got a spanking!
Mom was our Bluebird leader from 2nd grade on, and of course, Martha was right there with all of us neighbor girls, Jenny Geschke, Susie Gamon Marcia Miller. We performed "Here Comes Peter Cottontail" in song and costumes for the Lions' Club one Spring.(Poppie, my grandfather , was a member). We were all in bunny tails and handmade ears, and carried woven paper baskets full of jelly beans. As we hopped around the room singing, Martha's handle broke and jelly beans went flying. The whole room got the giggles, but only Martha wet her panties. (Mom saved the day with a dry pair out of her purse!)
My saddest little girl day was when Martha and Marcia got to go to kindergarten and I didn't. My 5th birthday was late in November so I had to wait another long year before I could go to school. I remember so clearly sitting on the curb in front of Martha's house waving goodbye and crying like my heart would break.
Through all the times at her house, Martha's big sister Harriette was in and out and yelling at us. She was in High School, so we just mostly got in her way! Dr. Dressler was not there during the day as I remember, and when he was around there was music and some laughter, and a lot of "be quiet'!
Martha and I grew apart as we got older, our interests were different as time went on . But in my heart I've always loved my first wonderful friend Martha. Her giggle and happy self will always be one of my favorite memories. We were lucky little girls to live only a half block away from each other, and to have such sweet First Friends.
