I Believe I Was Hustled!!

Tonight after all is quiet and everyone is in bed (Mark's dad), we decided to play cards on the bed. First mistake, you really need a flat surface. We couldn't decide on what game to play. He knows spades and hearts, but I don't. I know canasta, but he doesn't. We decided to play 500 Rummy. First one to 500 wins, only we don't keep score...who wins?...we don't know. The first game I stomped him, and that was the last time I won. Mister, I don't remember how to play beat my butt. I felt like I was in a pool hall playing pool with a guy named Herbert, only his real name was Snake. Mark beat me real good for someone who doesn't really know how to play. Could I have been hustled by my own husband??

Holding On!!!

Have you ever wondered why you hold on to certain items? I have a tote full of things from my childhood. I exchanged letters with my two best friends, Barbara and Karon, for years, and I still have them all. I have all my report cards, awards and certificates from my school days. I have the ring bearer pillow, my shoes, guest book, dress and lots of other things from my wedding. Now, everything I have mentioned so far are things you would expect me to save. I have one thing that I can't seem to get rid of, but I don't know why. Pictured below is a Chanel Ribbon. It was on a package that my dad gave me at Christmas. He got me a huge bottle of Coco Chanel, and this ribbon was on the package. For some reason, I can't get rid of it. I am not exactly sure why that is...he has given me lots of presents over the years, and some have been perfume. There was nothing special about this perfume, it was a Christmas gift. He always buys me perfume at Christmas...otherwise, I couldn't afford it. LOL I have thrown this ribbon away twice only to retrieve it out of the trash. It stays in my overnight bag that I carry back and forth with me every week. I often wonder that since we take care of Mark's aging parents, do I see life as fleeting? I am not sure what is down in my subconscious that won't let me part with a simple ribbon. Could it be that my dad was diagnosed with cancer this year, and some part of me wants to hold on to everything and every memory that I have? I am not sure...I just know that I can't let little piece of a ribbon go for some reason. I will say this, every time I see the ribbon I think about when I opened the gift and thought, "I can't believe he got the huge bottle." LOL I don't understand the need for the ribbon, but for now it will stay in my bag and travel back and forth with me. Sometimes it is the little things that mean the most (okay Daddy, that doesn't mean that I don't want more perfume next Christmas).

The Chanel Ribbon that I can't part with.

Roots!!!

I am sitting here in my in laws house as I type this blog. They have been married for 62 years and have lived in the same house for 60 years. Talk about putting down roots!! Mark knows no other home growing up but this one, isn't that wonderful and amazing at the same time. He tells me stories of how he played in these woods when he was little. As we take walks in woods he points out areas where he played as a boy. It fascinates me as he tells about making forts and riding the "horse tree". He has lots of memories from his childhood there.
Mark and I have been married for almost 18 years and we have lived in 7 different places. That is the life of a pastor though. I have always loved moving and getting to know a new area, but the older I get the more I like the idea of putting down some roots. A place that when you look out across your yard, your mind floods with memories from the past. Honestly, there are places and times in my life that I can't remember. I think this is due to the fact that I haven't consistently lived in the same place. I can see a picture of some place and memories will start flooding my mind of times spent at that particular house. My mom and dad still live at the same place they did when I started the first grade. Things have changed...trees cut down, out buildings added and new neighbors. Nothing stays the same anymore. I know some people have to move because of jobs, but people move at the drop of hat now days. I am not just talking about people in their 20's and 30's. I am talking about people in their 50's and 60's. They leave family houses where they spent a lifetime making memories and where their children grew up. They leave those for bigger and newer houses. Roots are destroyed and childhood memories are just that...memories. No more looking out and seeing the big tree that you climbed up in and fell out of during your 3rd grade year. No more walking in the living room and visions of Christmas' past fill your mind. Memories of the past can be comforting. We once knew a lady that after her husband died, she just had to move. She told me that the house held too many memories, and if felt like they were strangling her. Everyone tried to talk her out of it. Her husband had only been gone a few months, and the memories that were now too painful would one day be comforting to her. She didn't heed any one's advice and moved. I do think she regretted moving after a while. There were no memories at her new house to comfort her when she was really missing her husband. I don't think there is anything wrong in saying this is where we have lived our whole married life...our children were born and grew up here. I would love to say those words, instead I have scrapbooks filled with pictures of places we use to live. If you have roots that run deep and can look at anything around you and precious memories fill your mind of days past, then I would say that you are truly blessed.

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.