Christmas Spirit

Two days ago, UPS rang my doorbell and here was a surprise from you and my only Bob - a mini live Christmas tree ! A string of lights and a few ornaments came along with it for decorating. It needed just a few more things to fill in some empty spaces. A shopping trip to Micheal's was called for ! Oh, how I hate it when that happens ! Yesterday was my day to have breakfast with Hilery and Adem, so Hilery was with me to help pick the extras. It will sit on the pass-through to be enjoyed for the season. Thank you for helping me get into the spirit !

"THE" Tool Chest

Your Dad loved things from "days gone by" as much or more than I do. A fellow aircraft mechanic kept his tools in this vintage oak chest. Your Dad, having coveted this chest, had offered to buy it many times. A day came around in the early 80's when the fellow was in need of some cash and your Dad, once again offered to buy the chest. At last, it was for sale !! He needed $50 and was willing to sell it to Dad for that amount. Our garage was broken into in '97 - a Craftsman chest filled with tools along with a few other things, was stolen. Fortunately, the burglar didn't appreciate antiques !! This chest now sits in my bedroom and stores my costume jewelery collection in its many felt lined drawers.

Mr. and Mrs. Bear

This cute little couple were a Christmas gift to me from your Dad. They sit together on the old school chair in my bedroom and they have a teddy bear crib quilt to lean against and be "comfie". Did I say I like teddy bears ? The Christmas of '96, nothing was appearing under the tree with my name on it. When I came home from work on Christmas Eve, a beautifully wrapped, large box had appeared. Your Dad could still surprise me after all these years !! When I opened the package on Christmas morning, he related the story of seeing this couple two months earlier at a little gift shop in a strip mall down the street. He didn't know where he would be able to hide them and keep them from me, so he took them to Willa, our friend across the street. He asked her if she would wrap and keep them until the day. Those two conspired more than once through the years to surprise me !

Country School

This little oak bentwood student chair came from a rural country school in the area where I grew up. As 80 and 160 acre farms were bought up to become larger farms to fewer owners, the country schools located in every four square mile area, were closed and children were bused to "town school", as we called it.. Auctions were held to sell the fixtures and books, then the buildings were dismantled and there would be another acre to farm. Once upon a time, there would usually be four farmsteads on each square mile section -- 160 acre farms. A very few "rich" farmers would own half a section -- 320 acres. A few squares would include farms of only 80 acres. These were the days that a family could survive financially with these few acres, by growing crops and raising a few pigs, cows, and chickens. Each of those farmsteads had families with at least one child. Most had 3 or more children. There were 18 to 24 kids every year at Union #10, my one room country school --kids from "primary" to 8th grade. Dad brought this chair home from an auction and eventually bought two more, so each one of his kids could have one -- a piece to remind us each of childhood, happy and simpler times, when cares blew away with the wind !

It was 1957

You will find this "wedge wood" blue formal prom gown in my closet. I wish I could say the same for the shoes - those are the ones you loved to play in when you were a little girl -- the ones with the clear plastic, flower etched high heels !! Why was I in my prom gown at what appears to be Christmas time ?? Every year in December, a Christmas Formal Dance was planned and held at Ogden High. I had already worn this to the Junior-Senior prom that spring and would wear it again in the spring of '58. Before the prom in 1957, Mom had taken me to Fort Dodge to shop for this and I fell in love with it on the hangar - I just hoped it would fit ! Oh, but the price - oh, my - $35 - that was a LOT of money !! Mom will never go for this !! It would be more economical to buy the fabric and make a dress. But, a deal was made !! I could have it if I didn't ask for another new and different one for the formal dances I would be attending in my senior year of high school. It was never hard for me to say yes to a deal with Mom when I really, REALLY loved or wanted something ! And, it was never difficult to stick to the deals. Also, we kids always knew "a deal was a deal" and there was never any backing out of one !! Your word and Mom and Dad's, were as good as a written contract. There would not be any whining about it later. I only wish I would have had more occasions to wear this dress. It was always "just right" each time I did wear it !!

Bells are Ringing

I love this brass Korean Temple Bell. It is about 12" tall at the dragon's head. It was a "parting" gift from one of your Dad's fellow workers when we left Okinawa in 1982. It is at home in an arrangement atop my china cabinet. Sometime in the early 90's, we were awakened in the middle of the night to the ringing of this bell. The vertical blinds started swaying and clicking and the bed began shaking. We both sat straight up and looked at each other with slightly scared and surprised looks on our faces. Earthquake !! In Nevada ?? We had not felt tremors here before !! The experience lasted only a few moments. We found out in the morning that the epicenter was across the border in California. That was the one and only time this bell rang of its own accord. A perfect emergency alert system !!

Mom's "Wild Roses" for me !

This beautiful crewel embroidery art hangs in my guest bedroom. This room also serves as my office and "art studio" and is most usually found in disarray ! Fortunately, I can close the door on it ! We all know of Mom's beautiful needlework - every stitch was perfection and the backs and insides of her creations were as neat as the front and outside ! She spent countless hours embroidering beautiful pillow tops when her arthritis pain would not let her do much else. Her "bent" fingers were still able to handle needles and threads and allow her to create these gorgeous pieces of art. One summer, about 15 years ago on one of my visits to Iowa and "home", she was showing me all of the pieces she had finished. I saw these three pieces with the roses and told her that I thought they should be framed and hung, not made into pillows. Of course, she knew what I was thinking -- Could my Mom ever say "No" to me ?? I spend many of my retirement hours in this room these days, dabbling in my paper arts. When I let my eyes rest on these "wild roses", peaceful memories of Mom and "home" are brought to me.