Treasures from the Past

During my moms visit a few weeks ago, she brought me a boat-load of stuff wanting to pass it along to the next generation. I just had to share three of the treasures that have special meaning to me and my family. This was my moms rocking chair that was given to her as a toddler for Christmas. She saw it in the Sears Catalog and asked her daddy to get it for her. My moms family was extremely poor, so a purchase of this amount was out of the question. The little bit of money that they had was set aside to replace the ripped black tar paper that covered the walls before the siding could be put on. Winter was approaching so to keep the tiny house warm, this was a necessity. However, against my grandmother's wishes, grandpa took the money and bought the chair for his baby girl...my mom said it was a very cold winter! The chair has been untouched with the original appliques still on it. We now have it in our office and sit in it daily (well, at least those of us who can 'fit'!)

This toy box was also my mom's given to her when she was about five. I would like to share the unusual history with you...my mom had an uncle who worked in a wood shop as a casket maker. Since he knew that my moms family didn't have any money to speak of, he took the basic construction of a baby casket and created this toy box for her. It has a small removable shelf inside, a chain to keep the lid in place, handles on the outside and flower appliques on the top and sides. My mom didn't come to learn the real story about this toy box until she was a grown adult. It will now adorn Adam's room at the foot of his bed.

This last picture is also very special to me. My grandpa made this when he was in his 80's. He was quite an extraordinary and talented man - true to the character traits that his generation possessed. With only a 6th grade education, he became a Union Painter and Refinisher by trade. He was still climbing 20 foot ladders to fix his roof at 92 years old and playing 9 holes of golf at age 93. He didn't even stop driving until he was 97! Grandpa always enjoyed working with his hands and making things out of wood. In his early 20's, he began making grandma little keepsake boxes with inlaid wood. He actually cut the wood pieces out by hand, gluing them together to make the boxes. Sometime in his 80's, grandpa decided to create one of his last projects. He chose to make five inlaid wood tables - one for each of his children. My mom has now passed her table along to me. What a treasure to have! My precious grandfather went to be with the Lord at an incredible age of 100 years young! This is very significant since grandpa told people for years that he would live to be 100; for some reason this was very important to him. The Lord granted his wish...he passed away at 100 and two months old!

Thanks mom - I love having history in my home!

Blessings,
Rhonda