Today.. remembering !!

 

This was the summer of 1962....here we are 

in our "matching outfits".  Douglas always

liked the shirts I made for him because they

were "tailored"... in other words, they fit

around his "middle" and weren't all "baggy", 

as he called ones purchased, ready made.

The fabric was peach colored, small gingham

check cotton. I made "rick-rack" from the 

fabric, which really set off the necklines 

and sleeves of our dresses....AND, look at

those beautiful heads of hair !!!

Hidden Away

 In the bottom of my china cabinet are several things that I don't have room to display on the upper shelves.  The pink depression glass bowl was purchased at an auction in Iowa several years ago.  I bid on and won a box that had a few different glass items in it.  This was one of them. The hob nail with blue edges and handles belonged to your Dad"s gandmother, Lottie. How glass bowls and other items from the early 1900"s have survived without a chip or crack is nothing short of a miracle.  

"Veterans of the Winds"

In the "70's, I was taking some oil painting lessons and painted many pictures.  Most everyone in the family received at least one of my paintings.  Doug's brother, Tim, loved the summer old windmill scene, so, I gave it to him with the request of a partner painting.  The winter wood windmill followed.  At the time, I thought I would paint spring and fall scenes, but, they never came about.

Back then, I never thought about taking photos of my paintings and documenting who had them, if they were gifted or purchased, all the things that might be interesting in future generations. OR NOT !!

Right now, it just seems important to me  !!

At Last !!!

It has been a very, VERY long time since I have posted anything about anything on my blog.  Life has led me in so many different directions the last couple of years -- I hope to be diligent about adding remembrances of this "wild rose" once again in this form of "letters to my daughter".  After my recent move from the two story town home to a single level house, I am finding things that have a story to tell --forgotten "things", but, nice memories.

A new addition to my "new" home is a dress form - something I have wanted ever since I found this beautiful beaded lace dress at a local antique mall.  The dress is off white and lined -- the print fabric on the form shows through slightly, but, not nearly as much in real life as it does in the photo.  I rummaged through my costume jewelry and found several strands of pearls, all of which I have draped around the neck.  The two longest strands were made by your Dad's paternal grandmother Lottie, sometime in the late 60's or early 70's.  Whatever the latest craft fad was, we could always expect her to be trying her hand at it.  Also, around the neck of the form, I have placed the small "band hat" I wore on my wedding day.  The dress I wore that day was a simple white street dress, given away years ago, so, I like to call this beauty "my wedding dress" !!

  

Mom's Porcelain Baby Doll

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This little bisque porcelain doll was in one of Mom's dresser drawers ever since I can remember !!  The doll was a gift to Mom from her sister, Bertha, in 1928 when she was 14 years old.  There is a hand written note in the box that says so -- I wrote that note when I talked Mom into letting me have the doll back in the 1980's... she went from Mom's dresser drawer to one of mine !!  She measures a bit more than 6 inches long and Made in Japan is stamped on her back.  It seems like the first time I ever saw her when I was a kid, she was in pieces --  I pulled her arm out a bit and the elastic looks newer, so, I think Mom made some repairs to her at some time.  There is not a chip or crack anywhere on her, so Mom took special care of her.  The papers packed around her are vintage Ohio newspaper ads and the box is from Wee Walker brand baby shoes -- I remember Mom buying this brand for my baby brother and also, for you... "They don't make boxes like this anymore" holds true here once again -- when I googled Wee Walker baby shoes, some were listed on ebay, but, none in yellow boxes.  Another true treasure to be stored in my "treasure chest".

For the Love of Bowls

This is a beautiful Waterford signed "leaf" bowl, purchased at that auction I like to go to.  It still has the original price tag on the bottom -- I did not give anywhere near that for it, by the way !! It resides on the storage shelves in my china cabinet.  I have no idea its age or history - I just knew that it had to go to my home when it came up for bidding.  Hopefully, I will have occasion to use it one day !! While I have been in the process of "fall house cleaning", it has come to my attention that I have a "thing" about things that start with the letter "B" !!  I have always thought of my "collections" as the Three B's --- bears, boxes, and books ( altered ones, of course) -- it seems there are a few more "B's", one of them being bowls -- we both love them, then there are the butterflies, the bells, the brass, and the bottles (perfumes and a few other vintage ones).  There are butterflies over the front door, on the living area wall, in the upstairs bathroom and a few others "flitting" here and there.  Lovely creatures !!  There are not too many bells -- just a few in the china cabinet.  Fortunately, not a LOT of brass - my favorite piece is the Korean temple bell that sits on top of the china cabinet (12/2/08).  AND, the bottles ??  They are here, there and everywhere -- one just has to turn around, look, and you will probably see one or more !!  So, I guess it has become the "8 B's" !!

Sewing Basket

  The H's on the clover leaf logo of the 4-H Clubs of America, stand for Head, Hands, Heart and Health.  There is a pledge recited at the beginning of each meeting that goes, "I pledge my head to clearer thinking, my heart to great loyalty, my hands to larger service, and my health to better living, for my club, my community, my country and my world".  I'm not sure that I understood that completely at age 10, but, I couldn't wait to be that age and join my sister in this club that met once a month to do projects and make plans for future projects. Most every township of each county in Iowa had a club.  We lived in Marcy township, but, were members of the next township to the south of where we lived - it was Peoples Township and our club was called People's Peppy Pushers.  Marcy Merry Makers were closer to home, but, Mom was acquainted with more of the farmer's wives in the People's club, plus most of the girls were closer to our age.  Each month, the meeting was held at one of our homes and to me, it was always a "big thing" when it was our turn to have it our house.  We purchased specialty paper napkins, decorated and filled those little "nut cups" with mints and nuts, planned a special dessert and punch for refreshments, and, of course, in those days, we "dressed up" for those meetings, so, we had to plan what we were going to wear !!  Everyone had a "sewing basket" and this little woven wicker, satin lined one was mine -- it served me well for many years, holding the essential sewing tools, spools of thread, pins and needles, plus other miscellaneous items.  In recent years, it had been used as a place to keep all the things I would need when I gave myself a manicure and pedicure. Since I now consider it to be an "antique collectible", it now rests in the "memory box".  I think the first two pairs of scissors, a fabric shears and a small thread snipper, are in a sewing table drawer -- when I come across them, they will find a new home in this basket.