Cherished!!!

This past week found me thinking about things I cherish...not people but things. I know that sounds so shallow, but there are few things that I hold dear to my heart. Most can be replaced, especially with sites like Ebay. I have found that you have nothing unique anymore, go on Ebay and there will be page after page of your "one of a kind" heirloom....just minus the memories that goes along with yours. These are things that when we move, I personally take these items in our van. They never go in a box, and I always know where they are. I couldn't take pictures of everything that I cherish, so there are only a few pictures.

My most prized possession is my vanity chair. It was my Nanny's. It is a scroll wrought iron chair with a cushion on the bottom and back. When I first received the chair it was white with a purple velvet covering on the cushions. Since I have had it, it has been a rainbow of colors. Right now it is celery green with a green and gold material covering the cushion. I have always called the chair the "biscuit chair", because the cushion looks like little biscuits in the pan. My nanny had this chair in her bedroom and I use to set in it as I played dress up and looked through all her lipsticks and jewelry. I can still see it in my mind sitting in her room. To this day it is still referred to as "nanny's chair". I have had it over 25 years and I guess in my heart, I have never taken possession of it. I still use it today to sit at my vanity to put on my make up and do my hair. Probably means nothing else to anyone, but means the world to me.

With my other grandma "mam ma" as we called her, I have something entirely different that I cherish. Something that no one would even imagine. I have a old plastic lard bucket filled with curlers. Why is this so special? Because every Sunday afternoon I would drag this bucket out and curl and play with her hair. I think this is really funny now, because I hate to touch hair. She loved for someone to mess with her hair, and this provided hours of entertainment for me. This is one of my fondest memories with her. Nothing grand but a bucket full of curlers that holds some childhood memories.

Then I have my scrapbooks. From high school through our married life. These are the one thing that can't be replaced. The memories that flood our minds as we look at the pictures and see the people from our present life and from our past. They are irreplaceable.


Below is a Cameo Head Doll that was my Nanny Sizemore's. She is 89 years old now. She gave this to me about 6 years ago. I had always admired it even as a little girl. I causally mentioned it one day at her house...she had it packed up. She went running in the next room, and came out with it. She gave it to me, and it was as beautiful has I had always remembered. My Godfather had brought it back to her on one of his trips overseas. It still has the original pink hard plastic roses in her head. I cherish this so much, mainly because who gave it to me. I am sure when Papa Sizemore picked it out for her, it was picked and given with much love.


The plate below was also given to me by Nanny Sizemore. It is a plate of Napoleon and Josephine. She actually bought this plate in France. She thought it was beautiful, but debated on whether to buy it or not for over a month. It was purchased in the 40's, when they were stationed overseas. It always sat on the same table as the Cameo Head. I always thought of the two as a set.

I have more things such as my Willow Tree Nativity set that between my mom and Mark, they purchased for me. I leave it up all year long...we shouldn't just celebrate Christ birthday one day a year.

I have lots of Shih-Tzu figurines that Mark bought me. They are the Sandy Cast, and they look so much like Lilly. My mom just bought me a new one with a little Shih-Tzu sitting in a tea cup. I love them.

Finally my mom and dad bought us an antique Empire Buffet several years back. It is absolutely the prettiest piece of furniture that I have ever seen. I love it!! In the buffet I keep my grandma's china, which I found out were my Nanny Sizemore's first set of china. She gave them to my grandma when she got another set. That makes them doubly special. I have lots more things that I cherish. But for the sake of sounding shallow, I won't go on. LOL I think it is nice to have things you like and cherish, as long as they don't become obsessions and rule over you.

Delayed Christmas!!

Our Garner Family Christmas got delayed until January 1st due to snow fall earlier in December. We had to have it out at the rehab where Mark's mom is recovering from a broken hip. It was a joyous time and a sad time. Mark's mom won't be coming home after rehab this time. She will be going to assisted living. It felt a little awkward having Christmas there instead of their great room or the sun room, where all 22 of us Garner's find ourselves gathered every Christmas holiday. No big spread of food laid out by Grammy or lots of fruit and candy that Peepa had bought. There was no festive Christmas tree and none of Grammy's handmade Christmas items decorating the house. But once our family arrived and all the little babies and kids got there the awkwardness was forgotten, and the true spirit of Christmas filled the room. Little children still squealed with delight over their goodies and we all still got to spend time with each other. One heart breaking tradition was broken this year...Mark's dad didn't give out the presents. This was the first time in Mark's 50 years that his dad didn't call out the names on brightly wrapped gifts and bags. I got that honor this year....and I did feel honored as Jim (Mark's dad) asked me to do this. He has dementia, and he realizes his limitations. I felt honored, but also sad that he was relinquishing his title of "Santa" to the family to me. Along with Jessica and Anna (two of our nieces), we handed out our presents to each other. What great time we had opening and watching others open the gifts they received. The little ones were such a joy to watch, as they brought out every single item out of their bags. Mark and I fixed each great niece a huge bag of goodies. I loved watching them examine each thing that we had carefully picked out for them. They are all such a joy and delight. We have a wonderful family that just seems to take over for each other when we get tired and weary and everyone just rolls with the changes of life.

Mark's parents, Jim & Nell Garner with their great granddaughter Makynlee. Nell is still at rehab recovering, but she has a great outlook, and never complains.

Makynlee with her daddy Timmy.

This is a baby doll. No really it is our great niece Madelyn. She is so sweet. I could just eat her up. Isn't she the cutest thing you have ever seen.

Jim...my father in law and my buddy. We stay with Jim during the week, and he is so funny despite his dementia. It is sad at times how much the disease robs him of some things in life, but I hope is that Mark and I are giving him a fuller life with us staying with him. I just love him to death. Peepa is in his official Christmas attire. Green sweater vest and red socks (I should have gotten a picture of them) This was my 18th Christmas in the family and this has been his outfit long before I got in the family. Everyone expects him to be dressed this way.

This is Anna (our niece) and her family. Mitchell, Mikaylyn and Autumn. I wanted to have a picture on this blog of all our great nieces. Mark and I have so much fun buying for them through out the year. Mitchell is our hunter and I give him deer reports of what I see in the back yard around the pond. I don't know why he hunts in the woods. He could just sit on the porch and see more action than he sees in the woods. LOL

Uncle Mark holding Baby Madelyn or has her daddy calls her "mini me", because she looks just like her daddy. She is the sweetest baby ever....always smiling.

This is my Sweet Cheeks, Kate. She is such a doll baby. She pulled out a book from her bag, and before I knew it...we had read it 2 times. In all the things in her bag....the "suckas" as she calls them were her best thing. She loves suckers and I just kept buying them and putting them in her bag of goodies.

Anna helps me pass out all the gifts. She is such a good helper.

Our niece Courtney...doesn't she look beautiful. She is just too sweet. We just love her so much. She is so much fun to be around, and she loves to cook. We got her lots of cookie cutters and a decorating bag with tips. Plus a couple of cookbooks. One was Rachel Ray's Kids Cookbook.

Our niece Jessica put together a family cookbook for all of us. She gathered family recipes from all of us to compile this book. It is something that I will treasure always. I can't believe she found the time to do the cookbook for us. She is married, works full time and just graduated with her 4 year degree in Business.....along with other concentrations attached to the degree (in other words, she is really smart). I love you Jessica and thank you for doing things that helps us treasure our family. Our family is unique to say the least, and not in a bad way...in a GOOD way. WE LOVE ONE ANOTHER!!!