Today's post is about a little bit of nostalgia that has been traveling with me for over fifty years. She is the Snow Princess, a tiny (1 1/2 inch) ceramic half princess. She dates back to the days when we girls were all being indoctrinated by Disney to be good little princesses and wait sweetly for our prince to show up and make life happen. It must be significant that she lacks her lower half, but I am very fond of her.
When I was a child in St. Louis, Missouri, there was a special treat that outranked all other treats in my mind. About once a year my Grandma would take me downtown to the big department store. It was immensely tall, and we rode the escalators up and up. The lower escalators were broad and fancy. As we went up floor by floor the escalators were older and narrower. The last escalator was quite scary because it was made of wood and was only wide enough for one passenger. It also seemed rickety; it rattled and shook. At the top was a restaurant, a very fancy one filled with dressed-up ladies. My Grandma would allow me to order the Snow Princess.
The Snow Princess was a dessert of unimaginable wonder to a little girl. It was made from a cookie, topped by a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Over the ice cream was piped whipped cream to make a gorgeous ball gown with swags and ruffles, decorated with edible silver balls. Atop this beautiful skirt rose the perfect little princess with her powdered hair. It was almost too wonderful to eat. Best of all, when I had finally devoured the treat, I could bring the little ceramic princess home with me.
Most of the little half princesses disappeared, as small treasures will in the hands of young children. This one somehow has stayed with me all these years, and always makes me smile.
An absolute treasure!
ReplyDeleteYour story of the Snow Princess is so beautifully told.
Makes me want to order a Shirley Temple! :)