Well it was February again. I was still sick. Oh I was well for a few weeks and it looked like I would be going back to school.,but here comes measles again!
I watched Grammy and Pop come and go to church,shopping and outside. Yes I was still outside and in between sickness Pop would take me for a walk up the mountain or to the �Witch Lady�s� and best of all to Nina�s. That was short lived when I started scratching at dinner one night! Pop went to call the Dr. And Grammy started praying. Unc came up and then he called Mom in Harrisburg.
This was no fair! My birthday was coming and I could just see me now. No body would come around and there would be no �Blackie Chocolate cake�.
Pop was going to Third Street shopping and here I sat. He came into my room and asked if I wanted anything special . I just looked at him and said �No.� Well he just hung his head and walked away. A few minutes later I heard the kitchen door shut. Pop was gone. I felt bad that I talked to him that way. All I wanted was to go along but I knew I couldn�t.
Later that afternoon it started to snow and Pop wasn�t home yet. I watched for him from the upstairs bedroom. The street lights were on and I was still watching and it was still snowing! It was fun watching the snow in the street light. Soon I saw Pop under one of the lights and I flew downstairs to see him .I wanted to tell him how sorry I was for talking to him that way.
I got to the kitchen and Grammy asked me what was wrong. I told her Pop was coming and to open the door. She did . Pop looked like a snow man. He took his coat and hat and shoes off on the porch while Grammy poured him coffee and I dragged the shopping bags in. Good thing they were made of cloth and not paper!When I came out for the last bag Pop whispered to me �come here� I went over to him and he handed me a bag and told me to go up to my room and open it.. I gave him a big hug and said �Thank You Pop!� I ran upstairs as fast as I could and opened the bag. Inside was my favorite food. A Hot Dog! I knew not to tell Grammy. I went into my secret place.(a storage area under the roof ) and ate it. Pop had onions and relish on it . It tasted so good.
I was enjoying every mouthful and then I heard Grammy call. It was dinner time. OOPS. Well I did manage to eat a small bowl of soup. I got away with it since I was sick.Lucky for me and Pop.Phew..she would have been so mad!
Pop managed to get me outside on the sunnier days but the snow kept a comin and so did my birthday!
Well it was almost ok by me that I would miss the cake and all the cousins and aunts coming.After dinner on the night of my birthday Grammy made me take a bath and used some stuff the Witch Lady gave her so that I wouldn�t itch. I couldn�t understand it. Until---I heard the front gate opening and then the front door. Here came Aunt Edie and Uncle Mike and followed behind by my cousin Helen and her Mother. They came !
It was my birthday now and that cake never tasted so good. I was in dire need of more coloring books,crayons and cutouts and socks ! My cousin bought me a beautiful sweater. She always spoiled me. Unc and Aunt Edie bought me puzzles and then Grammy and Pop brought out another big present . Mother had mailed me a beautiful doll from Harrisburg so that I would have it for my birthday. I wish she would have come instead but only a few more days and she would be home !.I asked grammy to save her a piece of my cake.That cake tasted really good this year and we even had ice cream .Pop walked down to Gasdaskas store and bought some.
Just when everything was going down for me,my family picked it up and made it special. Like I said before..Ya gotta love them! I was one lucky kid!.