A Sight To Behold

Planning The Christmas Windows

The boiler was installed in one day by Herbie Clayton, and his nephew. Brenda spent some of that time in the attic looking through her costume boxes. She decided that she would honor Joseph Blundon, and his wife, Fannie, by dressing them up for their first Christmas together as a married couple.They were married in 1875. Her 1870's costumes were sparse. 

Inside the box marked "M" was a Jack The Ripper style outfit with top hat, cape, vest, coat, shirt, and boots. Her treasured red velvet gown fit mannequin Shirley perfectly, and it was an "absolute" work of art purchased sight unseen from a small museum in New York City. It had a long train and bustle. There were velvet shoes to match, a spray of red flowers, and feathers for the hair.

When Daniel came home from work, he dressed in the Jack outfit for fun, and didn't want to take it off. Brenda joked that he could go stand in the shop window, and mannequin Robert would move into the big house become her new bed partner. Daniel pulled Brenda onto the couch and they engaged in a bit of mischief. 

Daniel would have been a great actor. He had the looks, and drive to become one, but sleuthing was in his blood. The costume was returned to the utility room, and boxed up. Brenda would press it at the shop before she dressed the mannequins. 

Daniel wanted to see Brenda in the red dress, but it was a bit too big on her. They headed for the basement to look at the new boiler. Brenda thought that the basement could be made into a nicer storage area for things that could take the dampness, but Daniel found it claustrophobic, and "danky."

Brenda had no idea what the Blundon's looked like. She had inquired, begged, asked, snooped at the library, poured over old newspapers, without any luck. No images anywhere, and she was petrified of asking the descendants for any favors. 

It was possible that they didn't care about the old house or the past, but she was "absolutely" going to put an ad in the local papers about her store window honoring the man who helped to build Riverdale Park. With any luck, someone would come forward, and help her out with a couple of photographs. Despite being the daughter of a drill sergeant, Brenda could be incredibly neurotic at times, and socially phobic.

C J. Marks