Sisters are Timeless

Everyone has a special someone in their life.  It might be a person who taught them about their favorite hobby.  It might be a person who took them somewhere special.  It might be a person who gave them things like no one else ever gave them.  Often your special person isn't the someone others were expecting.

I am one of those fortunate enough to have many special people in my life.  But there is one special person in my life who has made a unique impact on me.  She passed away this year.  Despite all the comments about how old she was and how she had a great life and that she died peacefully, I felt a sorrow at her passing that is inexplicable.  I loved my Aunt Jessie in a way that others may never understand.

Jessie was one of the most elegant ladies I ever knew.  From as far back as I can remember, I thought she was beautiful, stately, well-spoken, and kind.  She had a regal-ness about her.  I held her in the highest regard.

Jessie loved her family to a fault.  Sometimes we wondered why she did certain things....or rather, why she DIDN'T do certain things.  I think Jessie was more like Jesus than most people I know.  ("Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."  Philippians 2:4).

She chose to put others before herself at all times and at any cost.  If you were family and you needed something, Jessie was definitely your go-to person!

The best part about Jessie was her humbleness.  She didn't need or expect to be thanked for the things she did.  She truly did not understand why anyone would want to thank her.  In her mind, she was simply doing what she was put on earth to do.
My mom truly looked up to her older sister.  I know this because Mom credits a lot of her blessings to Jessie.  I also know this because Mom couldn't help but be influenced by this wonderful woman.  You see, my mom is really like Jessie in so many ways.  Especially those ways that are kind and generous and good.

I think sisters have a bond that is only understood by sisters.  I know my sister and I shared that bond.  As much as we might have been different in some ways, we had a common thread that held us together.  There are things only a sister needs to know and there are times when only a sister can be your go-to person.

When Martha married Bob, I was the Matron-of-Honor.  It was my first time to be given that honorable title.  So, at the wedding reception, I chose to make a toast to the newlyweds.  In my toast I quoted the framed saying that I had given to Martha some years prior.  This saying has hung in both our homes, as she also gave it to me.  Today it has a place of honor in my kitchen.  It goes like this: 

We shared many secrets,

the same Mom and Dad.

We shared lots of good times.

Don't think of the bad.

Our memories we'll cherish,

with love without end.

I'm glad you're my sister...

I'm glad you're my friend.

I don't think Mom and Jessie had this hanging in their homes, but I'm sure they shared the sentiment.

I started this blog to record the stories behind the things in Mom's home.  Jessie is the reason behind several of them, but the one I wanted to write about is a clock.  This clock is very ornate.  It is porcelain and PINK.  I think that is why I was so attracted to it as a young girl.  You see, pink was (and still is) my favorite color.

Growing up, my bedroom was painted pink.  My little personal bathroom had a pink sink, pink toilet, and pink tiles...on the walls and in the shower.  And the best part of this, Jessie and her husband had the house built that I grew up in.  Sometimes I feel guilty about that house.  Mom always wanted to build her dream home.  She and Daddy bought a lot.  They planted pine trees on that lot.  They had an architect draw up plans for the house that was going to be built on that lot.  Poor Mom lost out on that dream.  Jessie and her husband were going to put their house on the market and move to a different location in Shelby.  Martha, Daddy and I begged Mom to buy Jessie's house.  We loved it.  I thought it was beautiful and elegant like Jessie, and I remembered so many good times in that house.  Plus, at 8 years old, building a new house meant nothing to me.  Moving into Jessie's house...now that was SOMETHING!  So, Mom being a sport, gave in to our requests, gave up building her dream home, and we all lived happily ever after on Ridgeview Drive.  The stories I could tell about those years are countless!

When Jessie's husband passed away, she stayed with us for a while....in the very house that they had built and lived in for many years.  Jessie shared my pink bedroom with me.  I had twin beds and I was more than thrilled to be having a long sleepover with this woman whom I admired and loved so very much.  I had never shared a bedroom before except for a week at summer camp, so this was a new adventure for me!

But back to Jessie and the clock.  I really loved the clock.  It had so much to look at!  I thought it was elegant.  And did I mention, it was pink?  I commented on it every time I went to visit Jessie.  Being Jessie, she remembered how much I loved the clock, so when she had to move out of her home and into a retirement home, she told me to take the clock.  She told me it was mine.  She said it had been mine since I first admired it.  Wow.  That is incredibly special.

So, I packed up the clock.  It was bittersweet.  I was thrilled to be the owner of this clock, but I was sad that the reason it was now mine was because Jessie was moving and had to downsize....do away with some of her things.  But you know, Jessie never cared about things.  I don't really care about things either, but I am glad the clock is mine.  It is a forever reminder to me of Jessie.  It reminds me of the times I visited her and commented on the beautiful clock in her living room.

This clock now resides in Mom's living room.  When I was given the clock by Jessie, I realized how much it didn't "go" in my Florida home.  I also realized how difficult it would be to transport to Florida.  But mostly I realized how it looked like it was made for Mom's living room!  We agreed that this would be its home until I was ready for it.  It looks perfect and beautiful in Mom's living room.  I still think of Jessie every time I see it.  I know one day I will transport it to Florida.  And I promise, it will find a place in my home even if it has to sit next to a statute of a pelican or a heron.  After all, it is a piece of me and my history.  It is a reminder of sisters and what is really important in life.

I've always heard that good art doesn't have to match the sofa.  Well, who's to say that a beautiful ornate clock has to match its surroundings?

One day, I am hoping that Madeline or Jimmy or Joseph might want this clock.  It is not only a timepiece, but it and its sentiment are timeless.

And memories are made of this.



Beautifully displayed clock in Mom's living room



Gorgeous!  I love it.

So Many Books, So Little Time

I've often seen a bumper sticker that says "If you can read this, thank a teacher."  I definitely want to thank my teachers.  From the moment I learned how to read, I have never been without at least one book on my nightstand that I am currently reading.  Reading is one of my most favorite pastimes.

Growing up in Shelby, one of the highlights of the week was going to the public library.  Mom got a library card for me as soon as she realized how much I looked forward to our Saturday morning visits to the library.  Unlike today's library visists, at that time we were limited to checking out 6 books.  I would peruse the shelves, choose my 6 books....usually "Madeline" books, Dr. Suess books, or books about cats.  As I got a little older, The Boxcar Children became my best imaginary friends.  I was amazed by those stories!
Anyway, we would go home and I'd proudly show Daddy my 6 books.  I would look at their covers and stack and restack them.  Then I would finally decide to crack one open and begin reading it.  After that moment, I was doomed!  I would whiz through all 6 books usually before time to wash and roll my hair and lay out my clothes for church the next morning.  It was a bittersweet time as I was enamored by the books, but I knew I'd have to wait all the way until the next Saturday before I could go to the library to get more books!  So I would re-read them.  I would read them aloud to my dolls. I would sit on the floor and flip through the pages and read them silently to myself.  I would play "school" and read them to my imaginary students.  I would then put on my pjs, kiss everyone goodnight, get in my bed, say my prayers, and pick up my books and read them again in the dim light shed by my trusty nightlight.  By the end of the week, I would have practically memorized each book!

I guess I wasn't the only one in the family who liked books.  While I was recently at mom's snapping photographs, I had to take a picture of her floor-to-ceiling bookcases in the family room.  Those shelves are packed with books.....and memories!  I never fail to look at the books and pull a few off the shelves each time I visit.  Through the years the collection of books has ebbed and flowed.  I will take some off the shelves from time to time and bring them to Florida.  I know my son, Joseph, pilfers a few tomes each time he goes to see Grandma!  Joseph is an avid reader and sometimes he reads stuff I just can't understand.  His mind is a sponge and he loves to soak up all sorts of information.  I suppose that is why there are so many different types of books published.
Mom's bookshelves house current novels by John Grishom, James Patterson, and Nicholas Sparks.  There are several biographies, as that is what Mom enjoys reading most.  Plenty of poetry books, both old and newer are on those shelves.  We always laugh when we see the big, heavy medical books on Urology!  Homer added those to the collection.  Seeing them on the shelf makes me smile as I think of Homer and what a wonderful addition to our family he was for 13 short years.  His stories, many prompted by his study of Urology, often had us practically rolling in the floor!
Mom's bookshelves also are home to little "gift" books as I call them.  These are books about Moms, Grandmoms, Best Friends, special Dads, or Inspirational Quotes.  We all enjoy giving and receiving those books from time to time.
There are books about history, in particular World War II.  Both Daddy and Homer were fans of those books.
On the shelves is the complete set of Nancy Drew Mysteries.  Martha read (and re-read) each of the books in this series.  She was completely enamored by Nancy Drew.  I never got the attraction, as I was more interested in books like "Nurses Who Led the Way" or as I mentioned, "The Boxcar Children."
One whole shelf is filled with the complete "World Book Encyclopedia."  I think they were purchased in 1962.  It was an investment in the education of Martha and me.  I know they were expensive, but Mom and Dad put a lot of emphasis on a good education.  They wanted us to have what we needed to ensure that.  One day I'm going to flip through those encyclopedia volumes and see how much the information seems to be outdated!  Those encyclopedias will be a collector's item one day.
There are many books about Christianity on the shelves.  Daddy wanted to make sure we all knew about Jesus and His love for us.  Those books definitely impacted my life and helped me with choices throughout my lifetime.

I couldn't help but spot a small metal box in the corner of one of the shelves.  It immediately sent a flood of memories through me.  That box has been in our family since before I was born!  The box was a set of very thin paperback pamphlet-like books that were educational in nature.  Each book was on a specific topic.  I remember reading those books many many times! Martha and I loved to use them to play "school" or "library."  I think my aunt Jessie purchased them for her son, Tony.  Tony is 16 years older than me and his things were often passed down to Martha and myself. 
I spent a long time going through this box.  I was amazed at how clean and neat the books were, considering how many people had used the books over and over again.  They didn't have any marks in them except a few where Martha decided to write her name on the front of some of them.  She also crossed through any of the ones that had Tony's name and then put her own name next to it.  There were just a few marks in the "Pioneering in Aviation" book.  I guess we will have to blame that one on Tony!
The little books were each called "Little Wonder Book." They were numbered, although the numbers and order seemed to have no logic.
The copyright dates in these books caught my attention.  The oldest were copyrighted in 1934.  Those were entitled "Coal" and "Navajo Indians."  I guess I can understand why those two might be the oldest in the set.  Most of the rest were copyrighted in 1946 with the exception of "Insects," which had a copyright date of 1948.  I remember it was one of my favorites.  I loved looking at the pictures of  the praying mantis, bee, butterfly and caterpillar.
One book, "Our Transportation"  had a couple of pages that were cut up.  Obviously, someone needed a picture for a school report or something!
The "Pioneering in Communication" book begins with the chapter entitled "Bob Breaks a Record."  It is about being able to SEE something in a newsreel!  I'm sure the author of that book would be blown away by our means of communication today!  That could take up several blogposts at another time!

And the best is always saved for last.  As I was about to pack up the little metal box full of Wonder Books, I saw stuck in the back of it some pamphlets.  I had to sit down and stifle some little snickers, even though I was in the house alone.  I found the information that Martha and I each received in 6th grade as we were taken into the auditorium WITHOUT BOYS to learn about the birds and the bees!  Martha's booklets were called "You're a Young Lady Now" and "Very Personally Yours."  I received more booklets and mine were entitled "Growing Up and Liking It," "Getting to Know Yourself," "It's Time You Knew," and "Accent on You..."  I guess 4 years is a lot of time and our progressive thinking was easing it's way into the Women's Liberation Movement!
Today's youth learn about the birds and the bees before 6th grade, and I'm pretty sure they don't separate the boys and girls any more!

There are truly so many books, and so little time.  One of the best things about books is that they are there for us to read, re-read and pass down through the generations.  Memories, and remembrances, are made of this.








One side of bookshelves



The other side



Little Wonder Books

So much to learn about!



Martha's Important Information

And my important information



Creativity and All That It Implies

My mom often says she can't do anything.  She doesn't say it to be pathetic or get attention.  She says it very matter of factly.  I always laugh when she says it, knowing just how wrong she is.

I must admit that I love to do and make lots of things......probably too many things!  All types of arts and crafts keep me busy for hours.  They also keep me up all night!  I'm either engrossed in a project way past bedtime, or I'm lying in bed thinking up yet another project that I want to attempt.
Martha always told people that if something was handmade, they needn't ask who did it.  She simply told them that the answer would inevitably be 'Mary.' I always laughed when she said this, knowing just how wrong she was.

On my most recent visit to Shelby, I carefully chose a project I could take with me that would be easy to transport and easy to work on since I would be out of my element and away from my abundantly stocked supply of materials.  Since I love autumn and its colors, foods, activities, and holidays, I decided to take the makings for Halloween and Thanksgiving greeting cards.

The first time I decided I to pull out my supplies, I spread them on Mom's breakfast room table right next to the scorepad and deck of cards that she uses to play gin rummy with her friend every day (see, there's one thing she does and does well!)  I began making my first card and had decided on a Halloween theme with jack o'lanterns and ghosts.  Mom walked by and I told her to sit down so that she could join me in my card making.  Sure that she would laugh and tell me no, my mouth dropped open when I heard her say "okay" as she smiled and pulled out a chair.  She sat down, looked at my card and asked if she could copy it!  I told her that she could, and she grabbed a blank card, some stickers, a glue stick and went to town!  She actually didn't copy mine, as she let her own creativity take over.  She did quite well and was very proud of herself.  She immediately took it back to her bedroom, wrote a note in it to her dear friends Barbara and Dick, put it in an envelope, stamped it and came back anxious to make one for her friend from church who also makes her own greeting cards and has many creative talents.  I never even saw the completed version of that card because Mom followed the same routine......walked back to the bedroom, wrote a note and got it ready to mail.  She surely doesn't waste any time!
That was the end of Mom's greeting card creations, but I am pretty sure she enjoyed it while it lasted!  I went on to make about 40 cards over the next few days.  I never seem to tire of it.

All of this leads to the photographs I took of Mom's house and her household "things."  Things to me are not merely things, rather they symbolize some period of time within a lifetime. 
I moved all my craft supplies out to the sunroom because I knew about those late afternoon games of gin rummy, and I had to clear up the table for that! 
Mom's sunroom is such a special place.  I think it's my favorite room in her house.  I love the outdoors and the sunshine so the sunroom with all its windows lets me enjoy the beauty of the backyard, the trees, the birds, and the sun shining in.  Needless to say, it was a pleasurable place to put my creativity to work.

Out in the sunroom I looked around at all the things Mom has put in that room to enhance the decor.  There are several of my handmade things in that room.  One piece hanging on the wall is a framed needlework picture of a deer in the forest drinking from a stream.  Another is a needlepoint scene of some wild ducks in flight.  It has been made into a throw pillow.  These pieces brought back memories of the hours and hours and hours I used to spend doing needlepoint and cross-stitch.  I remember Jim saying to me during the early years of our marriage that he forgot what my face looked like because it was always either buried in a book or into a piece of needlework!  That was a happy and simple time in my life that I love to remember.

I also saw the painted cement figures of a frog and a turtle on the floor of the room.  I can't believe Mom still has them and still finds them attractive enough to display in this beautiful room.  I guess she is just sentimental like me!  I painted those figures when I was a teenager.  I did them for the sunroom we added on to our home on Ridgeview Drive.  This is the home I grew up in.  That sunroom reminds me of many happy times, including my wedding reception, which was held at our home.  Many of the guests were drawn to that room and out onto the patio.  I guess they had the same feelings that I do about the beautiful outdoors.

When I painted these cement creatures, I don't think I imagined how many smiles they would evoke over the 40+ years they have been displayed in my mom's homes.  Maybe one day I will have grandchildren to whom I can show these figures and watch them smile.  I imagine that too will be a happy and simple time in my life that I can look forward to.

After smiling at this reptile and this amphibian with chipped paint and some scratches here and there, I spied a throw pillow on the loveseat.  It is a simple and beautiful cross-stitch with little butterfly-like designs that says "I love you."  I didn't make this one.  My sister, Martha, made it.  She shouldn't have told everyone that I was the only one in the family with the creative gene. 

Mom's talents don't stop with the creation of a couple of Halloween cards nor did Martha's creativity stop with a simple piece of cross-stitch.  Through the years these two dynamic women's talents and creativity surfaced and showed their faces far more times that I can count.

And I love you too, Martha.




 

Craft supplies spread out and ready to go!



Needlework by Mary




Needlepoint by Mary




Rib-It!




No worse for wear!




I LOVE YOU



Memories Are Made of This

After a recent visit to my hometown of Shelby, NC, I was feeling a bit melancholy and overwhelmed by the thought of my Mom's house possibly being "dismantled" one of these days.  During that trip, I attended the funeral of one of my high school classmates.  I had heard about the auctioning off of the items from his childhood home.  I also spent some time with my cousin as she was packing up her parents' home and all of its contents.  We shared some laughs and some tears as we went through boxes of old photographs of our Dads, but that can be another blog one day!  All of these things reminded me of our own mortality, which led me think about Mom's home and her "stuff."  I was fretting over not having the proper space in my home for all the things that evoke memories and sentiment from my Mom's house.  I don't want to ever forget.

I was sharing all these frustrated thoughts with my friend Sally.  She is a fantastic blogger and I look forward to her blogs each time she posts a new one.  She suggested to me that I photograph some of the things in my Mom's house and write a blog about the stories behind them.  That way I would always have something tangible to help jog my memories of Mom, Dad, Martha, family, life in Shelby and all those wonderful times in my life.
I now think Sally is not only a great friend and fantastic blogger, but also a genius for thinking of this venture!

Time restraints made me hesitate about starting this blog, but I quickly got over that as I reminded myself just how precious time is and how our days are numbered.  This is just one more thing I will do with my time and I will do so lovingly and with excitement!  Recording these stories will be such a great reminder of how time has been spent in my life and the lives of those who have gone before me.

Two days after my discussion of a blog with Sally, Mom left to run some errands. The house was empty and quiet so I got out my Kodak EasyShare camera and began my journey through her home!  As I snapped the shots I was instantly flooded with so many memories.  I also realized that I had forgotten many details which made me think of numerous questions.  I will have to ask Mom to help answer some of those questions.   Hopefully she will remember.....between the two of us, we should come up with some good "stories!"

Although I did not grow up in the house Mom has lived in for the past 31 years,  I did grow up with so many of the knick-knacks, artwork, books, furniture, old photographs, handmade items, etc. that she has in this house. 
After all, isn't that what makes a house and home and isn't that what memories are made of?


Back of Mom's house