A Few of Our Favorite Things

[Penthesilea]

OMG Chrissie, that chair is tiny.....either that, or you have a giant dog. ....who is very handsome, by the way.

Max is a big dog, but not giant. Regular size for a male German Shepard. And the chair IS small. Yet my son still fits in it, he's five and a half now.

[Kerry]

I love your Mom's chair Kerry. And no it doesn't make you sound psycho or spooky. That chair has a lot of sentimental value to you. It's a beautiful chair. Do you ever sit in it? Mom always sat in a certain place on the sofa, over on the far left and she'd always set her coffee or tea on the side table next to it. I remember somebody sitting down in that spot on the sofa just after she died and I felt very angry about it at first. I didn't say anything, but it almost felt like that space of hers had been violated. So I could easily understand if nobody sat in your Mom's chair.

I love your Grandma's plate too. It's beautifully painted. The picture on the plate would get my imagination working too. And there's a tremendous amount of detail. It's beautiful!

Though it's only an old armchair, with no intrinsic value whatsoever, it's priceless to me. I very rarely sit in it, David. Occasionally, but not often. And it's located in such a position in the room that no-one else ever sits in it either. Like you, I'm sure I'd be none too pleased to have someone else sit in my Mama's chair.

Some time after Mum passed away, I found one of the other plates that had belonged to my grandmother. I found it in a store near my place of work. Not the actual plate itself, but an exact doppelganger. It was the same as the plate my brother, who lives in Perth Western Australia, had taken. Now there's only one more plate to get, to complete the reunion. On the back of this plate it has a crown and a scroll, with "Mason's" above the crown and "Ironstone made in England" inside the scroll. Under the scroll it has "Mandalay" as well as two sets of hand written initials.

[Kerry]

Okay, this is a little bit silly I know. But I'm going to do it anyway.

Mom loved Loved LOVED Harry Potter. She bought and read the first four books and she lived long enough to see the first two Harry Potter movies. Hagrid was by and far her favorite character. (She also thought Ron was very cute. I remember Mom always telling me how cute little red haired boys were. I did NOT have red hair, but I digress). Anyway, I bought her a Hagrid figurine for Mother's Day the year she died. It's just a little plastic toy. I'm sure you've seen them for sale at the department stores. This figurine came with the little dragon (Norbert?) from the first movie, and when you hold Hagrid's unbrella over him, he moves! (magnets)

I told you about the sofa and the side table where she always placed her coffee and tea. She placed her Hagrid figurine on that table and she'd often look at it as she sat (and later laid) on the sofa. She kept it there until she was finally taken to hospital for the final time in early September. Hagrid came with her and he watched over her until she breathed her last on September 22, 2003.

So anyway, he's just a cheap plastic toy, but Mom loved it. And because of that, he's very special to me too.

Oh, and I noticed this picture is out of focus after I uploaded it to Photobucket. It looks like my camera focused on the bird figurine just behind it. I should have caught that when I took the picture. Anyway, I think you can see Hagrid clearly enough. He's about 3 or 4 inches tall.

What a beautiful story that is, David. It's true what Sue recently said - the real value is the story behind the item. Doesn't matter what it's made of. Doesn't matter if it's an old armchair or a little figurine. It's the story that's so important.

[Kerry]

What a lovely thread. I love Sue's painting from her cousin, it's stunning. I also love the sleeping cat, all the china, the chrystal firgurines and all the other stuff.

Re the crystal figurines: Swarowski is a well-known company here, it's from Austria. My kids have some crystal figures.

And I have some special china, too. It's Meißener Porcelain, which is quite expensive, especially the old pieces. I inherited it from my father's family and have many smuggling stories about it. Meißen is in the eastern part of Germany, the former GDR. My father was from there, he fled in the late 50ies. Anyway, it was forbidden to bring Meißener Porcelain out of the state of the GDR, so all the porcelain I have from my father's family was smuggled, every single piece.

I'd love to see some pics, Chrissi. 

[Penthesilea]

I'd love to see some pics, Chrissi. 

I'll be happy to take some pics and post them later or tomorrow. This way, the china gets dusted off again. It's about time .

[David In Indy]

I took another photo and placed Mäxi next to it, so you get a better idea of its size (and a new Max pic as bonus ):

Awww! There's Mäxi!! I absolutely LOVE that dog! What a cutie!

Yes, our chairs appear to be about the same size Chrissi. I'm glad you finally found it at your Dad's house. I used to sit in our little chair all the time as a kid. It was my favorite place to sit while watching TV. Well, that and the laundry basket, but we don't need to bring THAT up again!

Thanks for posting the pictures of your chair and of Mäxi too! He's such a cute dog.

[David In Indy]

Yes, it is a beautiful thread.......not just the pictures of all these lovely thngs, but the stories that go with them.

David, dont ever think you are weird or physco for the feelings you have around these items of your mums. It shows with true certainty, that she is with you always. You are very fortunate to have so many memorable items.

[David In Indy]

I'd love to see some pics, Chrissi. 

I would too! That's so interesting how they were all smuggled out of former East Germany. That's a very interesting story and a fascinating piece of history. Please take some pictures for us Chrissi!

[David In Indy]

Though it's only an old armchair, with no intrinsic value whatsoever, it's priceless to me. I very rarely sit in it, David. Occasionally, but not often. And it's located in such a position in the room that no-one else ever sits in it either. Like you, I'm sure I'd be none too pleased to have someone else sit in my Mama's chair.

Some time after Mum passed away, I found one of the other plates that had belonged to my grandmother. I found it in a store near my place of work. Not the actual plate itself, but an exact doppelganger. It was the same as the plate my brother, who lives in Perth Western Australia, had taken. Now there's only one more plate to get, to complete the reunion. On the back of this plate it has a crown and a scroll, with "Mason's" above the crown and "Ironstone made in England" inside the scroll. Under the scroll it has "Mandalay" as well as two sets of hand written initials.

You have so many beautiful plates Kerry. And the stories behind them are very beautiful as well.

[David In Indy]

This little dinner bell has a memory or two for me. I'm not really certain how old it is. I know it is AT LEAST as old as I am.

I first watched "It's A Wonderful Life" when I was very young, and I always remembered the line - "every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings". So every time I went past this little bell I'd ring it over and over again hoping to give another angel his wings.

The bell has 1944 stamped inside of it and nothing else. I don't know if that is a date or a mold number.