(I found this lovely book at my parents house. When I can figureout how to take pictures of the illustrations inside, I will share them.)
I am of two minds - I curse the mountains of things I have to go through at my parents house but mostly, I celebrate.
My history is buried there and I feel as though I am meeting my own life for the first time. Precious photos of love and family, remembrances of friendship and loyalty, tug at my heart.
I am the keeper of the flame now, the passer on of stories. How I wish I had listened harder, had asked more questions, delved deeply into the lives of those who came before.
I found this really rather beat up photo of my great grandmother yesterday, taken in Redwood Falls, Minnesota (only the slightest evidence of this fact is left, the "alls, Min"). It is water stained and taped together and taped together again. Instead of being discarded, it was held onto dearly.
After my mother's mother passed away in the nineteen sixties, this charming and much beloved sampler below, came to live in our home. It was stitched by my great grandmother (pictured above), I was thinking as a young girl all this time but I just noticed that her initials are for her married name. She was married in 1892, so it could be as old as that, or more recent. Oh, how I wish there was a date on it!!!
It has the sweetest little verse ... probably seen on a bazillion samplers, but it was new to me.
My history is buried there and I feel as though I am meeting my own life for the first time. Precious photos of love and family, remembrances of friendship and loyalty, tug at my heart.
I am the keeper of the flame now, the passer on of stories. How I wish I had listened harder, had asked more questions, delved deeply into the lives of those who came before.
I found this really rather beat up photo of my great grandmother yesterday, taken in Redwood Falls, Minnesota (only the slightest evidence of this fact is left, the "alls, Min"). It is water stained and taped together and taped together again. Instead of being discarded, it was held onto dearly.
After my mother's mother passed away in the nineteen sixties, this charming and much beloved sampler below, came to live in our home. It was stitched by my great grandmother (pictured above), I was thinking as a young girl all this time but I just noticed that her initials are for her married name. She was married in 1892, so it could be as old as that, or more recent. Oh, how I wish there was a date on it!!!
It has the sweetest little verse ... probably seen on a bazillion samplers, but it was new to me.
dear little house
dear shabby street
dear books and beds
and food to eat
how feeble words
are to express
the facets of
your tenderness
dear shabby street
dear books and beds
and food to eat
how feeble words
are to express
the facets of
your tenderness
You will find many more treasures and rekindle a lot of memories. Cherish them.
ReplyDeleteWow - I love that sampler. You are so lucky to have so many pictures from your past. I have about 10. lol! I wish I was kidding. My parents were not very good about saving things for us. Isn't it great that you can scan your ggma's photo now and it will be here forever? :) I think you are the perfect person to sort through all these past momentoes and take such loving care of them. xox Pam
ReplyDeleteI have two examples of this sampler, and they are both dated 1928. The C.M. refers to Christopher Morley, whose verse is quoted. Hope this is helpful.
ReplyDelete