Blog archive
November 2023
Connecting with Priyanka Kumar
11/27/2023
Cultural Explorations Plus a Potluck
11/27/2023
From the President
11/27/2023
Loneliness Kills, Social Connections Heal
11/27/2023
Sages and Seekers: Create Intergenerational Connections
11/27/2023
Welcoming the Holidays with Wisdom
11/27/2023
What To Do When the Lights Go Out
11/27/2023
Current Events and Exciting Presentations ahead
11/20/2023
Current Race Issues
11/11/2023
Discussion of Wokeism and CRT
11/06/2023
Humiliation and Degradation
11/05/2023
October 2023
Vintage Celebration Thanksgiving Poem
10/31/2023
Vintage Celebration: Aging in Place Like a Fine Wine
10/31/2023
New to the Village
10/27/2023
Real Life Event with Racism
10/26/2023
30 Years of Changes in Education
10/25/2023
Connecting with the Creative Hannah Rough-Shock
10/24/2023
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging – Pasadena Village's Journey
10/24/2023
Aging Gracefully in Pasadena
10/23/2023
Don't Be a Scam Victim This Holiday Season
10/23/2023
Interns at The Village
10/23/2023
Pasadena Village Visitors – Another Benefit of Community
10/23/2023
Ping Pong Pals
10/23/2023
Two Local Stories
10/16/2023
Conversations with African-American Art
10/09/2023
Racism 1966 in Pasadena
10/05/2023
September 2023
A reminiscence for baseball fans
09/30/2023
Dealing With Loss
09/30/2023
Schmoozendoodle Is "Serious" Fun!
09/28/2023
Vintage Celebration: Aging in Place Like a Fine Wine
09/28/2023
Covid-19 Season Is Here
09/27/2023
What Is Ergonomics?
09/27/2023
Rumor of Humor # 24
09/22/2023
Various Perspectives on Racism
09/16/2023
Rumor of Humor # 23
09/14/2023
A DIfferent Perspective
09/10/2023
Racism I Have Experienced
09/05/2023
1619 " Rump" Session
09/04/2023
August 2023
1619 Project Discussion Group explores the Arroyo Seco
08/28/2023
Beyond the Village - Judith Harris
08/28/2023
Board of Directors: Strategic Planning Updates
08/28/2023
Men's Time Brunch
08/28/2023
One Village, One Book
08/28/2023
Pasadena Racism, Past and Present
08/28/2023
Profile of a Leader: Ron Stoffers
08/28/2023
Remember John and Thelma Orr
08/28/2023
Volunteer & Leadership Training
08/28/2023
Gardenias
08/21/2023
Current Events Including the RICO Indictment of Mr. Trump
08/19/2023
Shining a Light on Current Racial Inequities
08/07/2023
Shining a Light on Current Racial Inequities
08/07/2023
RofH#22
08/06/2023
July 2023
Arroyo Seco Development, Past and Present
07/24/2023
From the President
07/24/2023
Rumor of Humor #20
07/23/2023
VMC Conference 2023
07/21/2023
Strategic Plan Progress: Program Teams
07/17/2023
From the Executive Director
07/14/2023
Reflections from Villager Monica Hubbard
07/14/2023
SCOTUS: Rulings on Cases with No Standing
07/10/2023
History and Future Development of Arroyo Seco
07/09/2023
What I Like About Being a Villager
07/09/2023
June 2023
Dick and Sharon, Mixed Race Marriage
06/19/2023
Conversations with West African Art
06/09/2023
Bridget Brewster Discovers Village Benefits
06/04/2023
Communications Project with Cal State LA
06/02/2023
Creative Aging
06/01/2023
May 2023
One Villager's Story
05/31/2023
Pasadena Area Liberal Arts Center
05/31/2023
Pasadena Village Responds to Rainbow Flag Burning at Pasadena Buddhist Temple
05/31/2023
Plan Ahead - And Be Prepared
05/31/2023
Tuesday, May 23 Pasadena Celebrated Older Americans
05/31/2023
Reparations, Social Justice Activity
05/24/2023
Rumor of Humor #14
05/19/2023
Rumor of Humor #13
05/12/2023
Issue #12
05/09/2023
Science Monday - Review of Meeting on April 10, 2023
05/09/2023
Conversations Re African American Artists Before 1920
05/08/2023
Beyond the Village – Suzi and Phil Hoge
05/01/2023
Congratulations Wayne April! Honored at UNH
05/01/2023
Table Topics
05/01/2023
Volunteer Appreciation at the Village
05/01/2023
“ACCIDENTAL HOST—The Story of Rat Lungworm Disease”
05/01/2023
April 2023
Jumbo Joy
04/24/2023
Pasadenans Recent Experience With Racism
04/23/2023
Recent Events Reflecting Racism
04/23/2023
Photography for Social Justice
04/11/2023
Issue #8
04/07/2023
BEYOND THE VILLAGE - Catherine Deely
04/06/2023
Creative Writing in Older Adults
04/06/2023
Gifts of Love
04/06/2023
March 2023
February 2023
2023 DEI Progress
02/27/2023
BEYOND THE VILLAGE - Doug Colliflower
02/26/2023
CONVERSATIONS WITH ART
02/26/2023
GREAT DECISIONS
02/26/2023
OLDER ADULTS RESOURCE FAIR
02/26/2023
The Important, Influential Books in our Lives - Revisited
02/26/2023
History, Resolution of the 710 Freeway
02/19/2023
Eminent Domain, 710 Highway
02/13/2023
Bernard Garrett, 710 Freeway
02/06/2023
Men's Times Gatherings
02/03/2023
January 2023
Pasadena's Senior Commission
01/30/2023
BEYOND THE VILLAGE - JIM HENDRICK
01/27/2023
GRATITUDE - IT'S GOOD FOR YOU!
01/27/2023
JEFF GUTSTADT - FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST
01/27/2023
Bernard Garrett, Incredible Black Entrepreneur
01/17/2023
What is the "Spirit Talk" Group About?
01/16/2023
Same Ol’ New Year, Brand New Me
01/12/2023
Review of 2022, Consideration of 2023
01/06/2023
BEYOND THE VILLAGE - PATTI LA MARR
01/03/2023
FROM THE CHAIR
01/03/2023
WALK WITH EASE
01/03/2023
Christmas Dilemma
By Karen BagnardPosted: 12/03/2020
Christmas Dilemma
Mom and Dad’s bedroom was off-limits for us kids. We were
not allowed to enter unless invited or if we asked first. It was
Mom and Dad’s “sacred place.”
On a rainy day in the spring my sister and I were alone at home.
Since we couldn’t play outside, we decided to play hide-and-
seek inside the house. It was a small house with just two
bedrooms and one bath, a dining room, living room and
kitchen. It was pretty hard to find a good hiding place so, of
course, I chose to hide under my parents’ bed, which was high
enough off the floor that I could easily scoot under it. I would
never be found in this forbidden place!
As I lay under the bed while my sister searched the house,
knowing full-well she would never look in our parents’ room, I
noticed two big boxes under the bed.
These two boxes, identical in size, caught my curiosity. They
were the only things under the bed. I lifted the lid of one box
and, to my delight, discovered a beautiful doll inside! In my
excitement, I gave away my hiding place by calling my sister
excitedly to show her my discovery.
We slid the boxes out and took both lids off. There were two
beautiful 24” Madame Alexander walking dolls, one dressed in
a pink dress and one in a blue dress! We looked at each other
with total excitement and amazement.
We quickly figured out that Mom must have bought them at a
sale and was saving them for Christmas. Mom always shopped
ahead and stashed goodies away for Christmas.
We also realized that we were in the room that was off-limits to
us and, to make matters worse, we had discovered a surprise
that was meant for us! At that moment we put the lids back on
the boxes and slid them back to the very spot where I had
discovered them.
Now what? Christmas was months away and we would have to
keep this secret. If we didn’t keep the secret, we would be in
big trouble for going into our parents’ bedroom while home
alone playing hide-and-seek!
We did manage to keep our secret. In fact, as I recall, we rarely
ever even spoke of it. It wasn’t that hard to keep this secret,
after all, if we didn’t, we’d be in trouble and if we did, there
was going to be a wonderful treat at Christmas! We also made
a pact to act surprised when we got the dolls. A few times we
even practiced acting surprised.
Christmas came, as it does every year. Christmas Eve was fun
and exciting and we got lots of gifts. We did not get our dolls
but we knew they were probably going to be from Santa Claus.
Betsy, my sister, and I were old enough to know that Mom and
Dad were Santa Claus but young enough to still play with dolls
and play the “Santa Claus thing” at Christmas.
When we got up on Christmas morning, we charged into the
living room, fully expecting to see the familiar boxes under our
stockings by the fireplace. Our stockings were bulging and
there were piles of wrapped gifts under each stocking but not
anything that looked big enough to be the dolls.
We certainly had no shortage of gifts and toys but we were
puzzled about the dolls. If not for us, who were they for?
Could Mom have given them to two other little girls? Surely
that couldn’t be.
How could we ask about this without giving away the secret we
kept about playing in my parents’ bedroom? What a dilemma!
Betsy and I put our heads together and cooked up a plan: Mom
was in the kitchen preparing Christmas breakfast. We went in
and very sweetly thanked her for all the things she and Dad had
given us and how wonderful it was that Santa had been so good
to us, too.
Then it was my turn to drop the punchline: “You know what we
REALLY wanted but didn’t get?” I asked my mom.
“What?” she replied, barely even looking at me as she
continued to prepare breakfast.
“We really wanted walking dolls!” I announced.
Mom dropped her spatula and gasped, “Oh, my God!” Then
she quickly added, “Girls, go hide your eyes!”
We ran to the bedroom and hid our eyes until Mom calmly
invited us to go see what was under the Christmas tree.
We scampered into the living room to see two beautiful dolls,
one in pink and one in blue, sitting under the tree! We
squealed and danced around and hugged Mom and Dad and
picked up the doll with our name on it. Mine was the blue one.
Most of all, we were relieved to know that Mom and Dad had
not given them to any other little girls. Many years later, when
we were nearly adults, we came clean with Mom and told her
the story. She loved it!
- Karen Bagnard -