Medium Impression by Violet Bloom

This chic sleepy-eye doll belonged to “Grammy Lily Mae.” In life Grammy was a very strong woman with a colorful history. She had beautiful long legs and was an aspiring dancer. Right after graduation, she moved to the big city and started looking for work. She knew it would be hard work, but she hoped good luck would follow her. She had a few auditions, but she didn’t get any call-backs. She found a room at a boarding house and got a job as a waitress at a big night club, which had great food and entertainment-musicians, singers, and dancers plus a dance floor for customers. Lily Mae caught everyone’s eye. She had a beautiful face, a big smile, and she was an excellent waitress. She

introduced herself to every table and asked everyone’s name. If she heard someone’s name once, she remembered it. She dazzled her customers. Regular customers loved that and mentioned what a gem she was to the nightclub owner.

He knew she loved dancing and asked her if she was willing to dance with customers on the dance floor. He said this was something new. He said lot of out-of-town businessmen frequented his restaurant and he wanted a few pretty girls, dressed to the nines, mingling in the crowd on Friday and Saturday nights. He said he would pay an hourly wage plus the girls could earn tips. He told them they were there strictly ONLY for DANCING. He wanted his customers to have a good time, but he wanted everything done in good taste. He expected his girls to act like ladies, and dance without leading anyone on. On the other hand, he had plainclothes security guards, “better than the Secret Service,” keeping an eye on everyone. If someone got a little too touchy-feely, they would protect the girls and intervene before things got out of hand.

Five girls would start working the floor. He gave them the name and address of a friend who owned a dress shop nearby. He said the shop owner was expecting them and she would help them select four different dresses, shoes, and accessories-and she would send the bill to him.

Lilly Mae picked out four chiffon dresses-one aqua blue, one rose pink, one daffodil yellow, and one pale violet. She wore her hair swept up and she looked gorgeous. Her bosses’ idea was a big hit. And Lily Mae and the other girls never made so much money, never made so much money in one night.

But one night a shy good-looking young man, who had just joined a local company, was mesmerized by Lily Mae and he asked her to dance. They had instant chemistry. About three weeks and a dozen dances later, the young man asked Lily Mae if she would join him one evening for dinner. The rest, as they say, is history. He was the love of her life.

They got married and raised a family. When she was out Christmas shopping Lily Mae found this sleepy-eye doll. It reminded her of her dancing debut at the nightclub. She bought it for one of her daughters. When Lily Mae passed away, her grandchildren noticed that the doll sometimes batted her eyes. And if you listen very carefully, you may be lucky enough to hear her humming “Till the End of Time” recorded by Perry Como in 1946. It was the first song that Lily Mae and her husband danced to years ago at the nightclub. She loves bright lights, 1940s/1950s music, and chiffon gowns. And if you don’t play some old oldies, don’t be surprised if you come home and the radio is playing. For communication, you can depend on telepathy, dreams, and possibly dowsing rods.