Oh dear.  I have lost something.  I have been looking for a little book, ever since we moved into this house in May.  I can’t find it anywhere.   I have lost a little autograph book that belonged to my mother when she was a young teen.

I’m not a sentimental person – far from it, but this little book was something special to me.  It was only 3″ x 4″ but it was packed full of beautiful cursive script and tiny cartoons, all from the 1930’s.  Mom had all of her school chums sign it and some added in short poems and little pencil sketches as well. 

Mom gave it to me when I was about 13 and I had all of my best friends sign it as well, but it was the older original stuff that captured my heart.  This was my mom’s life in pre-WW2 Toronto.   It represented a time of big bands and swing music, Clark gable – Gone with the Wind, and Fred Astaire – Flying down to Rio.

I had wanted to share it with you.  I could have scanned some of the little sketches.  There was a drawing of  a fashionable lady from the shoulders up.  The caption said “Nothing says spring like a new hat”.  As you can imagine, the lady was wearing a huge plaid hat on top of her tight, rolled curls.  Another of the drawings showed a cute, cubby young girl holding up the leg of her droopy  knickers. (that is what women’s underwear was called back then).  The caption for this little cartoon was:  “Does anyone have a pin?”

I have leafed through this little book so many times that I know every page by heart.  I know everyone’s name who signed it.  I recognize everyone’s beautiful penmanship.  There were so many cute little verses.

• Yours until Niagara Falls…..
• Good, better, best.  Never let them rest.  Let the good become better. Let the better become best

My all time favourite was: 

• As evening draws a curtain, and pins it with a star, I will always remember you, though you may travel far    

Boy I feel bad this morning.  I really want to see that little autograph book one more time.  It was a little treasure that doesn’t belong in a land fill site.