Cream Puffs
by
Madelyn Anderson Shields

I must have been about four years old, with blue eyes and blond french braids looped and tied with a bow, that Mother made so tight that they wouldn't think of coming loose. Now, I was a very active child skipping, bouncing,  hopping on one foot, showing off all my talents; I mean who could actually hop on one foot as good as I could!?


My Grandmother Grace work downtown at a place called "The Homemade Bakery." Grandmaw made all the fancy, delectable pastries like napoleons, eclairs, danish rolls and cream puffs. So, if you don't know what these pastries are you are simply missing out on the finer things of life!

Mother got all dress up in her pretty dress, nylons with seams up the back of the leg, beautiful hair do,  a hat and  purse that matched. She was so beautiful... and dressed me up in my little print dress, Baby Doll shoes and white cotton socks folded down around my ankles just so. Karen was already in the first grade so she was busy doing her own thing.

We walked from the Upper Room where we lived all the way up town, several city blocks, to The Homemade Bakery, shopping along the way. Mother didn't buy much of anything...she said she was window shopping. Funny thing was, we never seemed to find the window we wanted. But she loved looking and window shopping!

We finally arrived at The Homemade Bakery...with its big, tall sign hanging out front of the store. It was located on the second floor of this big building. We walked up the stair, me hopping and jumping as I went, and entered into this big room with tables and chairs for the customers to eat their food at. We made that long walk back to the bakery cases...OH MY GOODNESS...The prettiest sight, all the colors in the case, brown, white, red, yellow....YUM!

Mother said, "Madelyn would you like something?" My heart leaped within me and made my mouth water. Oh yes, and as I looked at those gorgeous pastries I because so befuddled...so many choices...
Mother got an eclair and then she said give Madelyn a "Cream Puff." We sat down at the table and that was the longest prayer of my entire four years. Finally, I slowly raise the cream puff to my mouth and licked the whipped cream.

Mother taught me so many wonderful things like window shopping. Why, you say, is that a lesson?   Well... I  fell head over heels in love with window shopping a bakery case for cream puffs!

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