random reflections

Storytelling Sunday: Pick Your Precious

This is it. The last month of the year. The last "Pick Your Precious" story. Thank you, Sian, for hosting this year-long event that has prompted so many lovely, important stories. Here, in Sian's words, is the motivation for this meme:  Pick Your Precious is for short story tellers and for long. You can take the idea of simply a photo with a few words; or, if you are a can't-stop-yourself storyteller, you can expand as much as you like. The thing to keep in mind is that at the end of the year you'll have a permanent record of the little things you hold dear - and your family will know why you are holding onto them!

As I read the heartfelt stories this year, it became apparent that no matter what the chosen object, it is the memories associated with it that are truly precious.

When I think about what would matter most to me if I had to leave my home in a hurry with little in hand, I always think I’d try to grab some of my scrapbooks. 

Although I started scrapping late in life, they are filled with family stories, old and new; trips far and near; friends; and birthdays and celebrations. As I looked through these scrapbooks, I found pages from vacations, pages about events the year the scrapbook was created, and pages from many years prior. The Kiawah album holds pages from vacations taken there over a 12 year period! I don't think we'd forget those vacations, but the photos and journaling certainly bring back much more vivid memories than I might have otherwise.

It makes me realize, too, that there are still stories that need to be told. So, for my last "Pick Your Precious", I choose my scrapbooks, filled with love, laughter, and some tears as well. The stuff of life.

Circle Template: Alexa @ Trimming The Sails

Storytelling Sunday: Better Late than Never

This is my second post of the day, but I wanted to get this episode of Storytelling Sunday up before the link closes on Sian's blog. I missed last month, and there are only two months left for this year's theme of "Pick Your Precious."

When the year began, I made a list of some precious things I knew I wanted to write about. These books were on that list, but I couldn't find them. This weekend we pulled out a huge box from the attic of the books I saved from my classroom library when I retired. I don't ever recall using these books at school, but I must have taken them there for some purpose. I'm delighted to have found them.

E. B. White has been a favorite author since I was a child. Stuart Little was published three years before I was born, but my copy was purchased in 1953. My mother's inscription indicates it was bought in Chicago, probably on one of the many trips we made between Kansas (where we lived) and our relatives in Ohio.

I was four years old when Charlotte's Web was published. Four seems a bit young for Charlotte's Web, but my father read The New Yorker every week, and E.B. White was regularly published there. Thanks to my father, I have a first edition copy.

My parents inscribed my name and often the date in every book they purchased for me, and I have tried to do the same for my children and grandchildren.

I wish I had inherited my mother's beautiful script handwriting! As important as these books are to me, what they represent more than anything is the love of reading my parents instilled in me. My father read aloud to us nearly every night, and continued to read articles and short stories aloud to me even when I was in my forties! 

Here's a scrapbook page I made a few years ago that celebrates that love.

And here, on this Christmas Journal page from 2008, is a photo of my father reading to my brother and me at Christmas time in our apartment in Hays, Kansas.

It's clear that Charlotte's Web needs a bit of repair and I need to investigate how to do that without ruining the value of the first edition, but it's never going to be sold. I know for sure, Sarah will be happy to acquire it for her already large collection of children's books. She's a more avid reader than I am, and Caleb's first phrase was, "read book." It's a good sign.

Storytelling Sunday September Edition: The Silver Box

It's time for Sian's Storytelling Sunday.  This year it's about precious things. Here's Sian:

Pick Your Precious is about celebrating the little things you love: those souvenirs, bits and pieces, things from your past you can't bear to throw out. You know, the special little something you have tucked away in a drawer or up on a shelf? Or the thing you love most in a room? Or the object you would save if you knew you had to leave the country? Your favourite things.

I didn’t have something particular in mind for this month’s Storytelling Sunday nor was I prepared early with my story. For once, that was a good thing. Earlier this week, I gathered up a lot of very tarnished silver that I inherited. We are unlikely to ever use any of it, and neither of my children would be the least bit interested. I thought perhaps we might sell it and use the money for something we would use. Sadly, it all turned out to be silver plate, so there was no selling, and I still have the box of very tarnished silver in my basement. 

I did, however, find a lovely small platter and some beautiful spoons that I will use. I have cleaned them and put them away for some night when we are entertaining. But the subject of this “precious” post is a box that clearly belonged to my paternal grandmother, Mame Griffith. Mame died before my parents were married, and to my knowledge the only item I’ve ever owned that was hers was the doomed opal ring of last month’s Storytelling Sunday post. 

Here’s the box in the condition I found it this week.

After half an hour of rubbing vigorously with two different silver polishes, I got this far. 

I was about to give up for the day, but found a third metal cleaner in a box in the basement which worked a bit better. I’m not done, but it’s presentable, and you can see it’s potential.

And the inside, which clearly needs some work:

I’m planning on relining or cleaning the inside and using it to keep some of my “precious” jewelry in it on top of my dresser. It turned out that gathering up the silver, monetary value or not, was a worthwhile endeavor! I've found a precious thing I didn't even know I had.

Storytelling Sunday

Sian at From High in the Sky hosts a monthly Storytelling Sunday. This year it’s about those precious things and memories we hold dear to our hearts, and this month Sian suggested we consider “something about togetherness or something given in love.” I knew right away what I wanted to share. It’s a piece of jewelry. I’ve done a scrapbook page on it before (part of my very first Christmas Journal in 2006), and I shared jewelry last month as well, but this comes to mind immediately.

Here’s the journaling I did nearly seven years ago. I don’t think it can be improved on much.

The perfect present--I got it years ago, and there’s a sad story behind it. My mother died while I was in college. She didn’t have a lot of jewelry, but she had a beautiful fire opal my father had given her on their wedding day. It was her birthstone. When she died, I took the ring and wore it constantly, not knowing that opals are very soft stones. The opal had a small crack in it when I got it, barely noticeable, but with in a few years a large crack developed down the middle. I was heartbroken when the jeweler said that nothing could be done to save it. 

That Christmas Tracy gave me a beautiful opal ring. We had just bought our first home, my job was not secure, and there wasn’t a lot of money for gifts. I was stunned and so moved. It is my favorite ring, but I only wear it on special occasions. One damaged opal is enough.

You'll be able to find other precious stories right here today.

Pick Your Precious: Travel Jewelry

It's time for the July edition of Sian's Storytelling Sunday. I made a list some time ago of items I'd like to share, but I added a new one to the list after reading Sian's suggestion to consider something related to travel. My jewelry box is quite full, and many of the items there were purchased as we've traveled. I love to put on a piece of jewelry that takes me back to the place I visited. I can still picture in my mind's eye the exact spot where I bought the jewelry and memories of the trip come flooding back as well. Another advantage to buying jewelry as a "souviner" is it doesn't take up much room in a suitcase.

Here's a collage of some of my favorite pieces.

 From left to right, top to bottom:

These handcrafted beads were purchased at a craft fair in Spring Green, Wisconsin the day we were there to visit Taliesen, the Frank Lloyd Wright home. The artist helped me choose the beads. I was leaning toward purchasing all black and white beads, and she convinced me to purchase some brightly colored ones. I wear them frequently, and am so glad I listened to her advice. 

This is the newest edition to my collection of travel jewelry. I bought this is Athens, Greece last month. The black beads are lava, and the red one is coral. I've already worn it several times.

The red beads were purchased in Tucson, Arizona at the Tohono Chul gift shop. Red is one of my favorite colors, and as soon as I saw these I knew they'd be the keepsake from that road trip.

Red, again. These are my favorite red earrings. They were handcrafted in San Francisco, but I bought them during a trunk show to celebrate the opening of the new wing at the Chicago Art Institute. 

There are several cute shops in Decatur, GA where Sarah went to seminary. Last summer when we were babysitting for Caleb while Sarah and Adam attended a conference, I found these earrings in one of my favorite shops. These are one of three pairs of silver hoops I wear nearly every week.

I don't wear these earrings as frequently, but I do love them. Tracy bought them for me as a birthday gift at Taliesen West in Phoenix, AZ.

Next to the color red, I have a passion for black and white---especially black and white checks. The minute I saw this pendent, I was in love. I wasn't planning on buying anything that day, but the more I thought about it, the more I knew I'd regret it if I didn't. It's another favorite, purchased at the Southern Folk Art Center just outside Asheville, North Carolina.

These were very inexpensive beads that I bought in January in St. Augustine, FL at a free trade shop. They go with almost everything, and I've worn them a lot.

And finally, the last bead came from Sante Fe, New Mexico. I had seen a similar bead before our trip so searched many jewelry shops in Sante Fe before I found it. Each side of the bead features different colors, and it's another long-time favorite!

Be sure to hop over to Sian's Blog today to catch the other precious stories.

 

Better Late . . .

I missed Story Telling Sunday yesterday. I’m not quite sure how it happened as it was on my To Do list all week. Suddenly, it was Sunday afternoon, the photos were not taken, and we were due at a birthday celebration. This wonderful celebration of Precious Things is hosted by Sian at From High in the Sky each month. Here's her description of the project:

Pick Your Precious is about celebrating the little things you love: those souvenirs, bits and pieces, things from your past you can't bear to throw out. You know, the special little something you have tucked away in a drawer or up on a shelf? Or the thing you  love most in a room? Or the object you would save if you knew you had to leave the country? Your favourite things.

Furniture is one of the few things which has been handed down to me from my father’s family. I’ll be sharing another one of the pieces later this year, but today I thought I’d share the little red chair that was given to my father when he was a child. It’s been sitting in my living room for many a year. I love it’s red color, and the fact that the original finish is still on it.

Both my children sat in the chair, and often I have had a stuffed animal or hand-made doll sitting it as decoration. Recently I’ve left it empty thinking Skylar or Caleb might like it when they are here to visit.

They, however, are much more interested in the stools that were hand-painted for them by a friend.

 Perhaps one day they’ll be more interested, and I’m quite sure Sarah or Matt will be happy to inherit it one day. The truth is I’m not quite ready to give it up!

 

Storytelling Sunday Three: Pick Your Precious

It's March and time for Storytelling Sunday at Sian's From High in the Sky.

I was going through my jewelry box not long ago, and came across several pieces I haven’t worn in a long time. One of them is the only piece of jewelry I have that belonged to my maternal grandmother, Bertha Risser Sterling. Given the monogram, she was given this locket before she married my grandfather.

I have only vague memories of my grandmother. She died when I was in the third grade. My mother and I lived with my grandparents the year I turned one while my father was finishing his doctorate at Columbia University in New York City, but obviously I have no memories that go back that far. What I do remember is that Grandma spent a lot of time in the kitchen and enjoyed Lawrence Welk on television (which drove my father, a classical and jazz musician crazy. He was not a fan of accordians and polkas.)

When I inherited the locket I'm quite sure there were two photos inside: one of my maternal grandfather and one of my father. So I was surprised to open it, and find only my father’s photograph there.

I have no idea what happened to the photo of my grandfather, but I think I’ll put a photo of Tracy there so that when Sarah inherits the locket it will have both her father’s and grandfather’s photos. Just as it was when I inherited it.

 

Pick Your Precious #2

This is Storytelling Sunday at From High in the Sky, and the second installment of Pick Your Precious. When I first read Sian's idea for her third year of storytelling, I immediately thought of my mother's thimble.

I was twenty years old and in college when my mother passed away. I can truthfully say I didn’t really know her. I have memories, of course, but we never talked as adults to one another, and I would give anything to have an hour or two with her to ask some burning questions. 

But I do know she was a remarkable lady who worked full-time as a math teacher when most moms stayed at home. She ran a big house, cooked, and gardened. She was a wonderful seamstress. She was also color-blind which is unusual for a woman. Two colors she could not distinguish at all were browns and greens. I can remember from an early age being called into my parents’ bedroom to tell her which thread matched the fabric she wanted to use.

I grew up in Ohio farm country, and all the kids belonged to 4-H. Most of them were raising animals. We lived in town, but I belonged to a 4-H sewing club, and my mother was a wonderful teacher. When she passed away she didn’t leave a lot of jewelry or other items that I could hold onto. But she did leave her sterling silver thimble. I use it every time I sew, and it’s a precious reminder of one connection I have with my mom.

I'm not sure where one would go to buy a sterling silver timble these days. The only ones I ever see are inexpensive ones at JoAnn's or Michael's. I thought I'd leave you with a shot of the beautiful detail on my mother's thimble.

 

Storytelling Sunday: Pick Your Precious

Sian has been hosting Storytelling Sunday for quite some time, but this is the first time I've joined in. She has a theme for the year, and I'm excited to tell the stories of some of my precious belongings. You can read more about Storytelling Sunday here, and link up your story here.

My old-fashioned Santa wasn’t the first precious object I thought of when I read about Sian’s plans for Storytelling Sunday this year. But as I put away Christmas decorations yesterday, I decided that he would be my first item to share.

Santa was one of the first major purchases I made for our collection of Christmas decorations. Tracy was selling jewelry at a craft fair for his father, and Sarah, who was just a toddler, and I went up to pay him a visit. When I saw this Santa at one of the booths, I was immediately smitten. I loved his kind eyes,

his darling sack of toys,

and the cute Christmas tree tucked under his arm.

Sadly, the price tag was too high for our budget at that time, so I wandered on. When we got back to the jewelry table, Tracy asked if there was anything out there worth seeing, so I told him about the Santa. He handed me the cash and said, “Go get it.” I’ve always treasured this Santa, and he’s had a prime spot in the living room ever since, some thirty years now.