Happy 80th Birthday Shirley Temple!
Yes, I have a soft spot for Shirley. Besides all of the memories of sitting at airport lounge bars with my dad sipping on my Shirley Temple drink, which he always ordered for me with extra cherries. As a little one, I could not get enough of the girl. I watched just about every one of Shirley’s black and white films that came on TV during the weekends and I knew all of the songs. I had a framed signed photo of her up on my wall above my bed and my parents even bought me a little blue wool sailor uniform when I was about five that I wore out on special occasions. I certainly asked for tap dancing lessons because of the infamous tap routines with her and Bill “Bojangles” Robinson. And I will even admit that while on a backpacking trip through Europe eight years ago, I went to Gimmelwald, Switzerland just so that I could see the place where Heidi was from. Being that Heidi was my favorite Shirley Temple movie. All that and don’t forget that she went on to become a United States ambassador and diplomat. Not bad for a lil’ shrimp from Santa Monica.
I wonder what she’s going to do today? I for one am heading to the store for some grenadine and maraschino cherries in her honor.
