Walking on the Beach

I am getting settled in back home after spending almost a month in North Carolina visiting and doling out TLC. Walking on the beach, wading along the shore, searching for seashells, and just enjoying the experience, at peace with the world -- It has been nearly 50 years since my bare feet have walked in the sand of an East coast beach !! I often wonder what Virginia Beach is like these days compared to "back then". I remember writing in the sand was just as much fun ! On one side of the yard and out the back door of the little cottage we lived in, was a "hedge row" of gardenia bushes -- a sight and smell to behold that summer of 1961.

Letters to Loved Ones Back Home

While your Dad was in the Navy, he was "out to sea" for a 3 month period of time. The ship went to Puerto Rico and back from Norfolk, Virgina. Oceana was the air base that your Dad was actually stationed. The few letters that I reread were from a husband and father that missed his wife and little girl, dearly ! Also, ship life was not a joyous time, it seems !! I had forgotten how he signed off at his letters end -- Love, Doug and Dad xxxx -- the x's for kisses to us. Most of the time, stamps were placed on the envelopes upside down -- a symbol of "I love you". It was 1959 and 1960 - we had our little mobile home and you and I were at my grandparents mobile home park in Ohio for the duration, plus a few months. When your Dad got settled back at Oceana and we got a few financial issues ironed out, my uncle moved the mobile home to Virginia Beach for us. We were happy to be a family again. Today would have been our 52nd anniversary. The letters will go into the "treasure chest".

Coming Up Roses

I have been trying to conjure up some creativity !! I had made some RAK cards and had roses left over. Cutting out all those tiny stems and buds was tedious to say the least, so, no way was I going to throw them away. This is a very simple greeting card, but, will be useful for most any occasion.

"When the Garden Sun is Setting"

"And your mind from care is free, When of others you are thinking, Will you also think of me". Your friend, Elton" These are the words my Dad wrote to my Mom in this autograph book on May 22, 1929. It is full of sweet little old fashioned verses that bring a smile to your face as you read them. Four and a half years later, they were married. Mom and Dad had only 8th grade educations as did a lot of South Dakota, pre-depression, farm children, but, that did not keep them from educating themselves. Many times, they would read our books as we brought them home from school. They kept up with daily news, the stock market and politics. Starting out as hired help to a farmer and his wife in Iowa, they built their own empire of farm land through the years. Their legacy to their children was more than in material things !! This book will be lovingly stored in the "treasure chest".

Silk Stockings

The actual history of "silk stockings" dates back to the 16th century and even earlier. "Nylons" came into being in the early 40's. Garter belts and girdles were essentials in the wardrobe to hold those stockings up. And then, the wondrous invention of panty hose --no more girdles and garter belts !! This little kit was in one of my Mom's sewing machine drawers ever since I can remember. I'm sure it is something she had as a young girl. The little cardboard spools have different colors of silk threads used to mend runs and snags in her silk hosiery. A couple of the spools with the more popular colors that hosiery might be, are near empty. The faded purple velvet top acted as a pins and needles cushion. I remember being so excited to have my first garter belt and pair of nylons when I was about 13. I think the occasion for getting so "dressed up" was a Christmas Tea Party with my 4-H club. The pair of nylons had seams going up the back of the leg and it was imperative that those seams were straight !! Seamless nylons were unheard of. Sometime during my younger years, I remember having a couple of pair of nylons that had beautiful embroidery-like work at the seams down around the ankle area. Those would be fun to have in the treasure chest along with this kit !! http://www.stockingsonly.com/ has a bit of interesting history. Click on "Free Hosiery Story" on their site.

Treasure Chest

A few weeks ago, when Hilery and I were on one of our shopping excursions at JoAnn's, I fell in love with this box. It is 14" x 16" and 8" deep with a magnetic closure. I had a 50% off coupon and HAD to have it !! What on earth did I need it for ? What could I use it for ? After a couple of weeks of looking at it sitting in a corner on the bedroom floor, it came to me. It has become a "treasure chest" for some of those mementos I have written about and then put back in a drawer or back in a box. When it is full of my memorabilia, it will be much prettier on the closet shelf than a cardboard box !!

It's Time

One of my favorite remembrances of my Mom is that statement of hers, "they don't make boxes like that anymore". I came across this lovely velvet, satin lined 2" x 4" box one time when I was helping Mom go through some things. She told me her first watch came in it. She no longer had the watch, but, I happened to have my first watch, received for Christmas when I was about 7 years old. I wonder what hers looked like. Mine, pictured, originally had a black leather strap band, long ago worn out. It came in a maroon velvet box which I did not keep, for some unknown reason !! We were in South Dakota that year at Christmas time and I can remember wondering how Santa Claus would find us, but, he did !! My sister and I received the same watches -- I would imagine your Aunt Shirley still has her box. We do belong to a family of savers !!