Chapter Forty Four

Winter has just begun but we Hittys are already getting restless.  Through email Esther discovered that Hitty Elizabeth was already tired of the snow in Connecticut so she invited her to come for a visit.  If we have to stay indoors, it is wonderful to have company.  Several days later she arrived and her sister Hitty Sue came with her. When we helped her unpack her suitcase we saw her new doll. HittyBelle wanted to hold it immediately.  Hitty Elizabeth said we each could hold it later.

We understand that January 22nd has been set as the official birthday for the original Hitty and we wanted to celebrate too.  Esther said that the 22nd was not a good day for her to spend with Hittys because it is the 56th wedding anniversary for her and Russell and they will be spending that together.  On Saturday a group of ladies she had met at the doll club we visited last month were coming over to make rugs for their Hitty rooms, so we thought it a good idea to celebrate the birthday at that time..  Esther told them to bring their Hittys and we would have a party!

The day arrived and we got dressed in our pinafores, all except HittyBelle!  She refused to take off her red dress!  I do not know just how much longer Esther will give in to her wishes but for now she said not to bother her.  We helped set up a table with a cake and a balloon and then brought chairs for our guests. 

Later in the  morning the ladies arrived and brought many Hittys with them.  I think there were two or three to a family.  I had trouble remembering all their names but some do come to mind;  Hitty Jo and Annabelle with her sister Hitty Grace, Hitty Jackie and her sister who had a very long name, HittyPat, Hitty Ruth, Hitty Wilma and Hitty Irene.   Hitty Elizabeth was amazed that there were so many Hittys living in this area.   One of the times she and I had met I had told her there were no Hittys near here.  I explained that we had met these Hittys the night we visited the doll club.

Esther had ordered a birthday cake for the ladies to eat so after we visited for awhile some of us went over to the other table to take a look.  It was very pretty but as you know we Hittys really don't eat real food.  We just hoped we wouldn't get icing on our dresses since I heard one of the ladies say it looked  sticky.

The initial purpose of the group getting together was to have a work day.  After much picture taking and eating their lunch the ladies started making round rugs.  The rugs are made of wool yarn and patterned after the rug that is shown in the last illustration in the Hitty book. Esther explained that they wouldn't finish in one day.   Several of the Hittys decided to join their owners and watch.  I had watched Esther make one quite some time ago so I decided to take the other guests over to our parlor.

Hittys do so much like to visit with one another.  Hitty Elizabeth told the group that she and her sister were going to stay for awhile so perhaps she would see them again. I know the ladies are coming back next month but I know Hitty Elizabeth's Gramma will miss her long before that day. It was such a pleasant time and we all enjoyed it very much.  I am sure that having a birthday celebration two weeks before the prescribed date is permissible and we Robertson Hittys probably will always celebrate a bit early.