Shopping Bag Memory

Hilery and I went on our usual weekly shopping excursion, yesterday. As I was taking my purchases out of this bag this morning, an image came to mind of my Mom. When I was very young, 4 or 5, I can remember that Mom always took along her "shopping bag" when we went into town on Saturday night. (Stores did not have those endless plastic bags.) It was an aqua colored, "satiny" upholstery type fabric, beautifully lined, with wood handles. I can picture it clear as day !! I think she may have made it herself. We would make our trips into JC Penny's, Montgomery Wards, and the "dime store" among other places. She would purchase her sewing notions and whatever else was needed for our home, placing all of her items in that bag as we went from store to store. I especially liked those privately owned clothing stores where we would look at all the beautiful ready made clothes. Mom would look them all over, get an idea what we liked, then go home and make her own patterns to replicate that clothing for herself, my sister and me. I wonder what happened to that bag !! It would be a much prettier bag to carry than this one I purchased at Target !! It would be fun, also, to have one of those dresses she created !!

Happy Valentine's Day

Reading blogs I follow this morning, one had photos of hearts found around her home. I went on a heart "treasure hunt" and actually have photos of 22 and surely could find more !! These are a few that turned out somewhat well. The teddy bear and "I Love You" ceramic box were Valentine gifts from your Dad, the locket, a b'day gift from Hilery and Adem, the quilted heart and two other items were gifts from you. I love the old "Blue Waltz" perfume bottle for the memories of my younger days -- When I was 8 or so, someone gave my sister and I a bottle of this perfume. It could be purchased for about a quarter at "the dime store", as we called the old variety stores back then. I have no idea what became of our original bottle - this one I won on auction on Ebay a couple of years ago. Of course, I paid more than 25 cents for it !! Again, I have my usual problem with arranging multiple photos, and even so, they do not come out published like I had them arranged. Oh well, will have to get Hilery to help me one of these days and find out what I am doing wrong !!

"Hope Chest"

My Lane cedar chest was my high school graduation gift from my Mom and Dad. "Back in the day" of 1958, a cedar chest or "so-called" hope chest was a customary graduation gift for a girl. We were to go off to college, find the love of our life, and during those years, fill this chest with linens and the like for our future home. Well, I had found the love of my life and was getting married the same week of graduation. Your Dad was already in the U.S, Navy and we were off to living in furnished quarters for four years. Mom and Dad purchased this and our bedroom furniture for us(our wedding gift) in 1964 when your Dad got out of the Navy. I still love all of the pieces as much as I did that day when we were choosing them. I haven't been through the contents of the chest in a number of years -- I guess I would call it a "memory chest" now, because that is what is stored there, mostly.

Set of Four

When your Dad and I got married, most of the gift we received were things that eventually, over the years, wore out, such as the sheets and towels. Other things were replaced with changes in taste, or lost in moves. We weren't "registered" for fine china, silver and the like. This set of four trays have survived, for some strange reason. Rarely used for their intended job, they have been most usually just stored in the back of a cabinet. I sort of forget that they are over 50 years old, or that I even have them, until an occasion such as this morning, as I was cleaning this one. I keep it under the toaster so I don't end up with toast crumbs all over the kitchen counter when I make toast. It will never be as collectible as those Coca-Cola girl trays, but, it is surely considered an antique at this point in time !!