Silver Camel Paper Dolls

    

Opa smoking, with me at his side

I spent hours sitting at my Opa's feet while he played patience (solitaire) and smoked "Camels".  He only smoked Camel cigarettes.  I recall his long yellowed fingers, his nail scissors used to trim those long nails, and the oblong metal can of lighter fuel with the pointed tip he used to fill his zippo and to clean his cards.  I was always busy playing "dolls".  They either had to be dressed, undressed, put to bed, or got up.  When he had finished a pack, there was a treat in store for me.  "Cornelia, soll ich eine Tanzerin dir machen?"  I watched carefully to see what developed.  I could never be sure what would arise.

He took the silver paper from inside the Camel pack, and folded it, using his rounded nail scissors, and begin to cut- "Erste oder zweite position?" this was a big decision, because ballerinas usually came in first or second position only.  Then he cut the doll, slowly, and carefully.

Sometimes there were more than one, holding hands, arms in second position, sometimes he had the arms in third position.  I still have a full page of silver Camel paper dolls in my scrapbook.  I would turn them over, and color in the white side, giving the doll a face and decorations.  This was how I connected to my Opa.  Maybe the only way.