Flowers for You

This little 7" tall flower vase has been around as long as I can remember. It had been stored away and forgotten on a shelf in Mom and Dad's basement. On one of my visits and again helping Mom do some cleaning, I came across it, remembering how Mom always had flowers in her garden and how she would bring a bouquet into the house on occasion. This was the vase that held that bouquet. Of course, "Can I have this, Mom?" came out of my mouth. Mom never said "No" to my requests. I think it made her happy to know that her special things meant something to me. The vase sits in my china cabinet. I do bring it out every so often when a neighbor allows me to cut an iris, or another neighbor says "Come cut some roses". I am thankful for neighbors with "green thumbs" !!

Carnival Times

This 8 1/2" tall "Carnival glass" vase belonged to my G'ma Hanle. It came to me by way of my Mom. The actual origin is unknown to me - I can only surmise ! These vases were produced by Fenton Glass Co. in the early 1900's, their popularity, somewhat limited at that time. They became prizes at carnival games, thus, getting the name. Our family made a road trip to Ohio in the summer of 1948 in my Dad's brand new Ford pick-up truck. A "stock rack" had been built for the truck bed and a canvas tarp was placed as a protective roof. Then a mattress was placed in the bed of the truck to make it comfortable for my sis and me. My little brother rode in the cab with Mom and Dad. I shudder to think about this in today's world of high speed traffic !! There was a carnival in Canton that summer and the whole family went out for rides and games one day. I remember Dad winning some cobalt blue glassware and maybe G'pa H. won this piece. The blue glass was "safely" packed in our suitcases for the trip back to Iowa - one vase I distinctly remember, was broken when the suitcase was opened. Other pieces have long since disappeared. This "marigold" iridescent vase has a special spot in my china cabinet.

Made in Japan

In the 30's and 40's, beautiful little figurines and objects made in Japan and "occupied Japan" were collected by many people. These tiny 2" vases were in my Mom's collection of "pretties" for as long as I can remember. "Handpainted in Japan" is stamped on the bottom. She had this cute little wood hanging corner shelf where her "best" things were always displayed. How these little guys made it through all these years without a chip or a scratch is a wonder !! I believe Mom told me that her parents brought them back to her as a souvenir of a trip they had taken. One of those things I should have written down when she let me have them !! Mom and Dad never had a lot of real expensive collectibles, but, what they had all have memories tied up with them, it seems.