Among My Souvenirs

Good morning and come on in Through My Back Door. You know where the coffee is and the mugs, so help yourself, get a doughnut, and come sit and visit. How many of you reminisce and think of good times(or bad) and just get all weepy? Well I spent an evening down memory lane and I laughed some and cried some, but mostly I was grateful for my memories, or souvenirs, as  I am going to call them. I look around me and I see so many happy memories and like I said some make me smile  and some make me cry. My little pedestal that fits perfectly in the corner and holds a light was one my Maternal grandparents started housekeeping with. All the years I was growing up it set behind my Grandma's chair with a chalkware eagle on it. I have no idea what happened to the eagle. My grandparents had a lot of oak as oak was the thing to own in 1910 when they married.

I gave Deb the oak sewing machine and Dodd the oak sideby.(A drop front secretary with a glass book case on the side). In case you are wondering Doug got all the cedar furniture my parents had custom made.  He uses it until this day. The oak pedestal and an old press back chair they started housekeeping with is all I kept n the furniture line. The chair has a heart in it.

I am not a lover of oak. I know it is favored by a lot of people but I love cherry and walnut. (You have read about my little Mr. Whitaker from Cumberland Gap, who was a furniture maker and came from a line of hand crafted furniture makers.) Well, he told me years ago to only buy cherry and walnut and I listened.lol He said in a few years and that was 40 years ago, you won't be able to buy American walnut and cherry and he was right. It is mostly foreign woods today.
I see Curtis everywhere I look. He built this house except for a few things we hired done by professionals. The children, mostly Michael, helped. Doug was in the Marine Corp, and Dodd was in college and working on weekends. I did a lot too. It makes me happy to see things he built and did. It was a terrible loss when he got sick and alzheimers set in. He could do anything. Furniture restoration was his passion. He would say the wood spoke to him. I believe it did. I have seen people carry things in pieces and he would restore them and you would never know. So many things he redid sold at Heart of The Country in Nashville. I see the pieces he refinished here because some one painted them green or white and I love that he did restore them to their original glory. I am afraid some of the pieces people are painting today will never have that opportunity again and be stuck in black, or white paint.lol

Both of these dressers were painted with green enamel when we bought them many, many years ago.The one on top is signed and dated under the deck.

This blanket chest was white. It had been setting in a work shed and still has rings on it where an oil
can set.
I see things that fellow bloggers have sent to me. Marie, Trace, Marshal. Frank and Pam,andAngela, just to name a few. I think what a blessing to know people like that.Angela, Frank and Pam I have met, but the others we are on line friends. But we are more than that. We pray for and with one another, we cry together, and we laugh together. I am so blessed with my souvenirs.

I love this picture Marshal sent me. We call her Mother. He also sent me gourd eggs which I love.
These make me smile when I see them and think of their kindnesses.

Then I see my Nannie and Papaw in the mirror in the bathroom. The Mirror. I would grab it first in case of a fire and my little chair my great, great, great grandpa made next. They aren't anything to anybody else but I treasure them. Two of my favorite souvenirs.

My Daddy is present here too. My dinner bell and my cowbell are so special. He loved finding me things and bringing them in.

Again these make me smile, not sad.

My Mother is everywhere. I remember how excited I was for her to see my wood floors. When she saw them she shook her head and said," If that is what you want I guess it is OK!" lol(She thought they we SO ugly) She lived next door to me and many days when I came home from work she had come down and done my laundry and cooked supper. My grandchildren still miss her until this day too. She was a wonderful Grandma and great grandma. She loved music and could sing so pretty. Debbie and Olivia sing like her.
Please don't feel sad after sifting  among my souvenirs, I am not. I love having the memories. They make me smile.Why don't you spend some time sifting through your souvenirs and see what memories they evoke? Have a few tears and a few laughs and then count your blessings.
I am blessed to see so many souvenirs around me. My children and grandchildren have made me feel so loved and I love seeing them come Through My Back Door. You know what? I love seeing you come Through My Back Door where life is good.
betty
PS: Spring is here. We may have some cool days yet but it is here
PSS:I am excited my cousins are coming from Mi. and we are to go see my Aunt in Va. We have never traveled together and it should be fun. Also some of their old friends are coming to see them while they are here.
PSSS: You know how I love Rottweillers. To me there is no other breed like them.I promised my children I wouldn't get another(in a moment of weakness) therefore I don't have another dog yet. I have followed a blog, written about life through a Rotts eyes. It has been through the eyes of Ruby and Bart, and recently Otto. Well Bart died last Friday. It was so sad and brought back having to make the choice about Dasko. Say a little prayer for Lisa. It is so hard when we lose our fur babies. Check out her blog  rottrover