Author Topic: A Few of Our Favorite Things  (Read 70209 times)

Offline David In Indy

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A Few of Our Favorite Things
« on: April 22, 2009, 04:42:58 pm »
I thought it would be fun to start a thread about some of the little items sitting around the house that bring us joy, or hold a special place in our hearts. We all have certain items that bring back happy memories from our youth, or of special occassions in our lives. Maybe we can take pictures of some of those things and post them here, along with a commentary explaining what they are and why they are so special to us. :)

I'll go first!

I've been busy cleaning out the cupboards at Dad's house. I'm constantly coming across something my Mother safely packed away before she died. Some of these things have been hidden away for years. Last week I found an entire set of cobalt blue glassware. I remember seeing these inside my Grandmother's china cabinet in her dining room when I was little. I always thought they were so pretty. They are very old - they were originally my Great Grandmother's and then they were handed down to my Grandmother later on. She also had some very beautiful ruby red glassware, but I have yet to find those. I took a picture of three pieces from the set.


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Offline David In Indy

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #1 on: April 22, 2009, 04:51:52 pm »
These cups or mugs are from my Dad's side of the family. I remember drinking hot chocolate out of them when I was a kid. They are hand painted and the scenes on each one of them are obviously Dutch but the stamp on the bottom indicates they were made in Germany. :-\



Here is a close-up of one of the cups. We can see two boys walking on green grass and crossing a path with some windmills in the background.



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Offline David In Indy

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #2 on: April 22, 2009, 05:01:08 pm »
I also just found this little teapot which Mom had tucked away for storage. I remember seeing this teapot when I was little. Mom always used it when her bridge buddies came to the house to play cards. It is porcelain and it has tiny raised flowers around the top. It has the word "England" stamped on the bottom. It also has four matching teacups and saucers.



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injest

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #3 on: April 22, 2009, 07:18:35 pm »
good thread!!

I have something but I have to make a pic of it! I will be BACK!

Offline David In Indy

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #4 on: April 22, 2009, 10:43:21 pm »
There is a story behind this.

After my Dad was injured in the Korean War for the third time - this time very severely - he was sent to a hospital in Japan for a number of surgeries and healing. Just before he was to return home he asked one of the orderlies at the hospital to please go to the store and buy a cute Japanese toy doll for his niece Micky. The young man was more than happy to oblige, but since he was Japanese and didn't understand English very well, he didn't fully understand Dad's request and returned with a geisha doll in a case. Dad decided to give it to his Mother instead and had it packed up and shipped off stateside.

When I was little, I always looked forward to seeing this doll at my Grandma's house. She kept it on a very high shelf in her dining room. Since I was not allowed to touch the doll I insisted that an adult lift me up high so I could see it. I was fascinated by it. After Grandma died the doll came to our house. You can probably notice the tape on the front holding the glass in place. The hinges are coming off. I would like to have the case professionally restored someday.

The case is just under 3 feet tall and the doll is slightly smaller than that... maybe 24 inches. This doll holds a lot of very special and magical memories for me, especially now that I know the full story behind her. :)



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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #5 on: April 22, 2009, 11:16:05 pm »
Ok, here are my little faves...

Don gave this to me the year we got married..


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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #6 on: April 22, 2009, 11:31:33 pm »
Here is a close-up of one of the cups. We can see two boys walking on green grass and crossing a path with some windmills in the background.





I like that they are holding hands!!

 :)

injest

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #7 on: April 22, 2009, 11:32:43 pm »
I thought it would be fun to start a thread about some of the little items sitting around the house that bring us joy, or hold a special place in our hearts. We all have certain items that bring back happy memories from our youth, or of special occassions in our lives. Maybe we can take pictures of some of those things and post them here, along with a commentary explaining what they are and why they are so special to us. :)

I'll go first!

I've been busy cleaning out the cupboards at Dad's house. I'm constantly coming across something my Mother safely packed away before she died. Some of these things have been hidden away for years. Last week I found an entire set of cobalt blue glassware. I remember seeing these inside my Grandmother's china cabinet in her dining room when I was little. I always thought they were so pretty. They are very old - they were originally my Great Grandmother's and then they were handed down to my Grandmother later on. She also had some very beautiful ruby red glassware, but I have yet to find those. I took a picture of three pieces from the set.




whacha gonna do with all this stuff you are cleaning out? these are beautiful!

Offline David In Indy

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #8 on: April 22, 2009, 11:50:34 pm »
I like that they are holding hands!!

 :)


That's the one I used to drink out of most of the time! I wonder why? ;)


Ok, here are my little faves...

Don gave this to me the year we got married..




Awww! I love that horse!! That is so cute Don gave it to you. :-*

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Offline David In Indy

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #9 on: April 23, 2009, 12:52:48 am »
These were my Grandpa's when he was little. They are little stone building blocks. I used to have lots of fun building castles and churches with them. They are pretty old - one box is dated 1900 and the other box is dated 1911.

They weren't quite as good as my Lego's and Lincoln Logs, but they were pretty close! :D

In the first picture you will see I started to build a little structure for you. Maybe a church?











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Offline Kerry

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #10 on: April 23, 2009, 09:41:23 am »
Ooh, I like this thread! I will definitely be contributing here. Alas, however, it is almost midnight and I'll soon be off to bed. I'll look around for some things to photograph tomorrow, and see what I can come up with.

My favorites so far are the stunning blue glass and the pretty ribbons.  :D
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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #11 on: April 23, 2009, 07:05:25 pm »
David, you make sure you dont' throw or give away this stuff without checking first! I bet those toy blocks are worth quite a bit of money!

Offline David In Indy

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #12 on: April 24, 2009, 12:33:42 am »
David, you make sure you dont' throw or give away this stuff without checking first! I bet those toy blocks are worth quite a bit of money!

Oh I'm not planning on getting rid of anything Jess. I will be keeping all of those things. And then hand them down to my niece and nephew when I die. :)

I'm not sure how much those toy blocks are worth. A couple of them are damaged- a small chip off the corner of them. But only a couple. The rest of them are in perfect condition. They are very old and very unusual. I had a lot of fun playing with them when I was little. Between the two boxes there's enough blocks to build a very impressive castle!

Did you notice the house those two kids are building in the picture? I wonder how many blocks THAT would take?!!



Ooh, I like this thread! I will definitely be contributing here. Alas, however, it is almost midnight and I'll soon be off to bed. I'll look around for some things to photograph tomorrow, and see what I can come up with.

My favorites so far are the stunning blue glass and the pretty ribbons.  :D

I can't wait to see your pictures Kerry! I'm looking forward to seeing them. :)

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Offline David In Indy

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #13 on: April 24, 2009, 12:45:32 am »
These were my Grandfather's figurines. He kept them in the hutch in the guest bedroom. My sister and I often played with them when we were visiting in Cincinnati. They went to Mom after Grandpa died. There used to be one more figurine in the collection but I chewed its head off and I guess he threw it away. I was only 5 or 6 when I did it!  :laugh:

If you notice the figurine over towards the right, you will see he is missing part of his foot. I think I chewed that off too. :P

These figurines are very light. They feel like they were carved out of balsa wood, or some other very light type of wood. Maybe drift wood. I'm not sure.




Here's what Grandpa wrote on the bottom of one of the figurines...

In case you can't read his hand writing, it says "Hand Carved Rustic Art Shop Quebec"

Another one has a number written on the bottom of it. It says 18.50, with a line drawn under the number 50. I can't imagine that would have been the price of the figurine because he bought them back in the 1930s or early 1940s.






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Offline David In Indy

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #14 on: April 24, 2009, 12:52:51 am »
Grandma and Grandpa always put this angel out at Christmas. She sat on their coffee table in the living room. She plays Silent Night when you wind her up.

She is now at Dad's house and he leaves her out all year long. She's made of porcelain and she is about 8 inches tall. When we visited Grandma and Grandpa in Cincinnati my sister and I slept upstairs in the attic. It was a very nice attic, it was carpeted, the walls were painted and it had a big comfortable bed up there, but it was very hot most of the time. They didn't have airconditioning. So sometimes Mom would pull that angel out from the stored Christmas decorations, wind it up and the music would help me go to sleep.





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Offline David In Indy

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #15 on: April 24, 2009, 12:57:04 am »
Grandpa also kept these two figurines in the guest bedroom hutch, and my sister and I would play with them along with the figurines up above. These two figurines depict an Amish man and woman. Grandpa bought them when he was visiting northern Indiana. They are very heavy. They are made of cast iron and hand painted.

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Offline David In Indy

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #16 on: April 24, 2009, 01:01:28 am »
Mom enjoyed making ceramics. She took pottery classes at the local art center up until the year she died. She made this little frog and I think he's cute. He really doesn't serve much of a purpose though. He just sits on the coffee table. I suppose he could be used as a paper weight perhaps. I love the little smile on his face! :)

Mom made a lot of frogs! She loved frogs. She also made a lot of cute piggy banks. I will take a picture of one of them. She even made a little teapot. I took a picture of it and posted it over in the "Do you like tea" thread.

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Offline David In Indy

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #17 on: April 24, 2009, 01:05:32 am »
This is Mom's "Stag Horn Fern". Well, that's what SHE called it anyway. It doesn't really look like a fern to me though. :-\

She loved this fern. It was her BABY!! It has grown quite a bit since she's been gone. Dad and I have been trying to take good care of it since she loved it so much. It is currently sitting in the bay window in the living room. It is almost time to move it outside to the deck. It loves the warm sunny weather and flourishes in the summer. That is, as long as the squirrels leave it alone. Sometimes they try to nibble on it. :P



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injest

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #18 on: April 24, 2009, 01:23:58 am »
oh I envy you all these memories....we moved so much when I was little...everything was lost or broken along the way, there is no home or attic to go thru...

Offline David In Indy

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #19 on: April 24, 2009, 01:56:59 am »
oh I envy you all these memories....we moved so much when I was little...everything was lost or broken along the way, there is no home or attic to go thru...

I'm sure you probably have some things around from when you and Don were first married - like that horse! Or maybe some of your son's toys and items when he was very little. :)

I'm just now rediscovering some of these things as I clean out the cupboards at Dad's house.

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Offline David In Indy

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #20 on: April 24, 2009, 02:06:23 am »
Here is one of Mom's piggy banks! She made several of them. This is one of the larger ones. You can't really see it but there is a small slot at the top.



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Offline ifyoucantfixit

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #21 on: April 24, 2009, 11:31:48 am »
     Your mother was quite a distinct artisan with clay David.  Her items have a very unique type and are
so stylistic.   It is too bad that she wasnt recognized for the talent that she certainly had.  Lovely things
David. 
      I agree with Jess.  Those small building blocks, and the figures are probably worth a great deal of money.
I think it would be a good idea to have them appraised, an have some insurance placed on them.   I think it
was so sweet how you chewed the foot off of one and the head off the other one.  Gives it all such authenticity
in being used, and cared for.   :-*



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Offline Kelda

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #22 on: April 24, 2009, 01:04:26 pm »
Great thread, I'll contribute!

I also love the fact you have so many nic nacs and memories.
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Please use the following links when shopping online -It will help us raise money without costing you a penny.

http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/idb

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Offline David In Indy

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #23 on: April 24, 2009, 05:05:44 pm »
Great thread, I'll contribute!

I also love the fact you have so many nic nacs and memories.

Thanks Kelda! :-*

I'm looking forward to seeing your pictures! :D

So, get your camera out, put some fresh batteries in it and start shooting! I hope other members will take some pictures too. :)

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Offline David In Indy

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #24 on: April 24, 2009, 05:09:47 pm »
     Your mother was quite a distinct artisan with clay David.  Her items have a very unique type and are
so stylistic.   It is too bad that she wasnt recognized for the talent that she certainly had.  Lovely things
David. 
      I agree with Jess.  Those small building blocks, and the figures are probably worth a great deal of money.
I think it would be a good idea to have them appraised, an have some insurance placed on them.   I think it
was so sweet how you chewed the foot off of one and the head off the other one.  Gives it all such authenticity
in being used, and cared for.   :-*

Thanks Janice! :-*

Mom loved working with clay. She was even thinking about investing in a kiln but then she got sick. After she died we gave her potter's wheel to one of her friends in her class. She would always be the first to confess she wasn't any good at it, but I always thought she was quite talented. She got much better at it as the time progressed. I will take some more pictures of her work and post them here.

Maybe you can take some pictures of the things around your house that bring back special memories for you? I'd love to see them! :D

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Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #25 on: April 24, 2009, 09:28:15 pm »
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #26 on: April 24, 2009, 09:33:02 pm »
Mom enjoyed making ceramics. She took pottery classes at the local art center up until the year she died. She made this little frog and I think he's cute. He really doesn't serve much of a purpose though. He just sits on the coffee table. I suppose he could be used as a paper weight perhaps. I love the little smile on his face! :)

Mom made a lot of frogs! She loved frogs. She also made a lot of cute piggy banks. I will take a picture of one of them. She even made a little teapot. I took a picture of it and posted it over in the "Do you like tea" thread.

My grandma made ceramics, too, but she didn't make things on her own, like your mother. Mostly grandma made stuff from molds, but she even had her own kiln to fire things. She made lots of Christmas stuff. I have the Nativity set she made, and also a small ceramic Christmas tree, and a sit of figures in Victorian costume singing Christmas carols.
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline David In Indy

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #27 on: April 24, 2009, 09:52:12 pm »
I love the cobalt blue glassware too Jeff. As you can see in the picture I have a few pieces sitting in the sill. When the sun shines through the glass it lights it up and throws the blue color across the floor. I hope I can find the ruby red glassware too. It's also very pretty. If I remember correctly the red glassware is the same pattern as the cobalt. :)

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Offline Kerry

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #28 on: April 25, 2009, 12:24:31 am »
I love your mother's frog and piggy bank, David.   :)

This is one of my most treasured possessions, even though it is just a humble teacup, saucer and plate set, of little monetary value. On the back of each piece is a crown with the words “Salisbury Bone China – Made in England” along with some handwritten numbers. It is on permanent display in my living room.

It was given as a gift to my mother by my brother, Robert, in the 1950s. I can’t remember a time when Mum didn’t have her breakfast tea and toast from this set. She always had two cups of tea and one piece of toast each morning. Never more and never less.

The gilt has worn away in places but there is not a chip on any of the pieces, even though they were washed every day over a period of some forty years.

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Offline David In Indy

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #29 on: April 25, 2009, 12:56:59 am »
Kerry! That is absolutely beautiful!! I love the colors. OMG, that is so sweet how you still have it. I'm sure it is something you will always treasure since it was something so personal for your Mom. I love things like this. The fact that your Mom used it every day makes it even more beautiful. I think the stories are just as important as the items themselves, don't you agree?

Thanks for posting it Kerry!

I came across some china saucers and cups with a very similar pattern to your set. I will take a picture of it. There's really not a story behind it though, at least not that I'm aware of. And I like yours miuch better. Yours is more colorful and it has your Mom's energy in it. :)

I will take a picture of it so you can see it.

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Offline David In Indy

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #30 on: April 25, 2009, 01:42:34 am »
Here it is Kerry. And like you, there is only one teacup and saucer. I'm not sure about the story behind it either. But I like your cup and saucer much better. It's more colorful. :)

There is some damage on the base of the teacup. I may try to get it restored at some point in the future.





The bottom of the cup and saucer is marked "G.P.A. France" (I think that's what it says)

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Offline Kerry

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #31 on: April 25, 2009, 01:47:37 am »
I'm so glad you like Mum's tea set, David. Do please post the pics of your Mum's china. Wouldn't it be a hoot if it was also Salisbury! (Oops, your post came in while I was writing this post. Your Mum's French tea cup is gorgeous, David.)

I totally agree that it’s the story behind the object that gives it so much meaning, and  I’ve been enjoying reading  this thread, just as much as viewing  it.

Inspired by the pic of your mother’s beautiful staghorn, David, here’s a pic of one of my mother’s favourite plants. I don’t know what type of plant it is, but I do know the story behind it.

One day in the 1980s, Mum was visiting the local nursery. She found some half-dead plants on the bargain table, from where she chose to take this little fellow home. Well, he isn’t so little anymore, but he was when Mum adopted him. He was in a tiny little pot and definitely on his last legs. Mum transferred him to a larger pot and gave him a stake for support, along with lots of tender loving care. When Mum passed away almost 20 years ago, he came to me. He is still in the same pot Mum transferred him to all those years ago, and if you dig under all that healthy undergrowth, you will find the same little stake Mum first gave him for support.

He’s nearly 30 years old now and still thriving. Whenever I water him, I always think of my dear Mama. For me, this plant is a living connection to her.

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Offline David In Indy

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #32 on: April 25, 2009, 01:50:36 am »
I'm not sure what's up with this. We have a set of teacups and small plates - not saucers. There is also a pair of salt and pepper shakers and a creamer. Maybe I haven't found the entire set. I really don't know. But I remember seeing these teacups in Grandma's china cabinet.




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Offline David In Indy

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #33 on: April 25, 2009, 02:00:26 am »



That's a beautiful plant Kerry! I think it is so sweet your Mom saved it and then cared for it. And you've been doing a very good job because the plant looks very healthy! You mentioned a connection to your Mother. That's how I feel about Mom's fern too. She cared for it and babied it and I think a part of her has been infused into it. :)

It's probably the same thing with your Mom's plant too.

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Offline David In Indy

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #34 on: April 25, 2009, 02:04:15 am »
Here's a little cat my Mom made. Is he a cat? Or maybe a tiger? He reminds me of a cartoon character, but I can't think of which one. Anyway, he stands about 2 inches tall. He's very tiny. He sits on the window sill in the dining room. Mom loved animals and many of her pieces were of frogs, cats.. she even made a Kiwi bird but the squirrels knocked him off the picnic table and broke into a dozen pieces. I've been trying to glue him back together with little success.

Anyway, here's the kitty cat!





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Offline Kerry

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #35 on: April 25, 2009, 02:16:33 am »
That's a beautiful plant Kerry! I think it is so sweet your Mom saved it and then cared for it. And you've been doing a very good job because the plant looks very healthy! You mentioned a connection to your Mother. That's how I feel about Mom's fern too. She cared for it and babied it and I think a part of her has been infused into it. :)

It's probably the same thing with your Mom's plant too.

Spot on, David. I feel exactly the same way. 
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Offline Kerry

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #36 on: April 25, 2009, 02:20:55 am »




Awwww, I love your Mama's kitty, David. What a cute lil face he's got. I love the quizzical look on his face. And his whiskers and his paws too. So cute. Your Mum was very talented, David. I know you will always treasure these beautiful objects she made with her own hands.  :)
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Offline David In Indy

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #37 on: April 25, 2009, 02:32:00 am »
Here's the kiwi I was telling you about. Poor thing. He always stayed outside on the deck and the squirrels knocked him off last year. His feet and the base were broken off. So I've been trying to glue all of that back together. I had to prop him up against the leg of a bench in order to take his picture. :(

Mom made the kiwi just after they returned back to Indiana from their trip to New Zealand. Hopefully I will manage to repair him. Right now he's sitting in a basket.





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Offline David In Indy

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #38 on: April 25, 2009, 02:36:31 am »
Mom made this little kitten towards the beginning of her pottery classes. She was always apologizing for him, saying he wasn't very good. I've always liked him though. He's about the size of a regular kitten and he "sleeps" under the coffee table in Dad's family room. :)





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Offline David In Indy

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #39 on: April 25, 2009, 02:43:39 am »
Mom collected small crystal animals. Every Christmas each of us would get her one of these and she always acted surprised but she knew what was in each of those tiny Christmas presents!

Anyway, she has about 30 of them. Most of them were made by a company called Swarovski. I love the way they capture the light and shimmer and sparkle. In this picture you can see five of her crystal animals... a whale, a fish, a kiwi, a turtle and a mouse. She also has a few non animals in her collection such as a jack-in-the-box and a clown. A few of the pieces are very small. She has a open clam (or oyster) and you could probably fit two of them inside a thimble!

The mouse in this picture stands about 2 inches tall.




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Offline Kerry

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #40 on: April 25, 2009, 02:52:47 am »
Love the snoozing kitten and the crystal animals, especially the mouse. Cute. I like mice, especially when they're wearing little satin waistcoats  with shiny brass buttons!  ;)   :D
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Offline Katie77

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #41 on: April 25, 2009, 03:54:09 am »
I have been enjoying this thread and all of the picures of David and Kerry's favourite things.

You have some memorable and quaint ornaments there David, and Kerry.

 I was touched immensely by the pot plant that you continually nourish in your Mum's memory. No doubt, it has survived so long, because of her presence there.

David, you must treasure all these things that your mum collected over the years.

I have finally taken out my camera, and taken a few photos of things around my home that are special to me.

I can see you are both interested in nice china, and the first one is a tea set made from English bone china that my mother in law gave me when I got engaged, 41 years ago.



This second pic, is of another tea set, I bought from a garage sale at an old country property, some years ago.

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Offline Katie77

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #42 on: April 25, 2009, 04:01:49 am »
Heres a few other favourite things around my home.

The first is a painting by my cousin, who has Aboriginal heritage. He is recognised as one of the best Aboriginal Artists in Australia, has sold paintings to Greg Norman, and has some of his works hanging in Parliament House.
This one depicting dolphins and sea urchins, was a gift from him.



The second is a cross cut timber saw, with a montage of the farm we used to live on, painted on it. This was painted by a friend.





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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #43 on: April 25, 2009, 06:15:24 am »
Beautiful tea sets, Sue! is the second Royal Dalton?

this though....



just gorgeous...

Offline Katie77

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #44 on: April 25, 2009, 07:17:26 am »
No I dont think its Royal Doulton, it does not say that on the bottom.

And yes, that painting is fantastic. I will take another photo of it tomorrow, and hopefully wont need the flash, so that big bright spot wont be on the picture.

My cousins name is Terry Johnstone. There are quite a few articles mentioning him on the web.

We were all very close when we were kids. Terry is the eldest of 8 children of my mums sister, Aunty Ivy. Her husband, walked out on her when her youngest was only a few months old. As kids there was never any mention of their aboriginal heritage, which came from their father. Terry had a troubled life, and suffered from alcoholism, and it was the Aboriginal contacts that he made, help him stop drinking, and gave him an opportunity to do art....and the rest is history. We are all very proud of him.
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Offline Kerry

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #45 on: April 25, 2009, 10:51:05 am »
That’s such an inspirational story about your cousin, Sue. I’m so glad he managed to turn his life around and has achieved such success as an artist.

When George and I first set-up house together in the early 1970s, we had to start from scratch. We had to buy everything new – furniture, appliances, linen, lamps, ornaments, etc.

One of the first ornaments we purchased was this hand carved soapstone figurine. It’s  20cm (8in) in height and means a great deal to me. I named him the guardian of our home,  because of the way his hand is resting on the hilt of his sword, ready to draw it in our defense. His facial features, hands, plaited hair and clothing are all beautifully carved in the most minute detail.

I still think of him as the guardian of my home.

   
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Offline David In Indy

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #46 on: April 25, 2009, 11:16:16 pm »
I love your tea services Sue. I especially like the one with the roses. The deep red color is absolutely gorgeous. And I also love the painting. Being Native American I have always appreciated the Native Aboriginal artwork. It's very beautiful and in many ways I think it resembles the Native artwork here in North America. The art tells a story and the more you look at it, the more you begin to understand it. It's almost hypnotizing in a way.

Very beautiful Sue! Thanks for posting it!

 
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Offline David In Indy

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #47 on: April 25, 2009, 11:19:48 pm »
That’s such an inspirational story about your cousin, Sue. I’m so glad he managed to turn his life around and has achieved such success as an artist.

When George and I first set-up house together in the early 1970s, we had to start from scratch. We had to buy everything new – furniture, appliances, linen, lamps, ornaments, etc.

One of the first ornaments we purchased was this hand carved soapstone figurine. It’s  20cm (8in) in height and means a great deal to me. I named him the guardian of our home,  because of the way his hand is resting on the hilt of his sword, ready to draw it in our defense. His facial features, hands, plaited hair and clothing are all beautifully carved in the most minute detail.

I still think of him as the guardian of my home.

  

There's a lot of detail in that little statue Kerry. I'm glad you have a guardian in your home. If you hadn't told me the statue was soapstone I would have thought it was jade. As you said, that statue is very important to you and I can clearly understand why - it is something you and George bought together. :)

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Offline David In Indy

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #48 on: April 26, 2009, 12:32:58 am »
Here's another little memory maker/favorite thing of mine:





Actually I think this is a doll chair. It is only about 2 feet tall and it is made out of wicker. However, when I was little I would sit in it and watch cartoons. I would either sit in that little chair or in my Mom's laundry basket. Don't ask me why I sometimes sat in a laundry basket, but.... well....there it is. :laugh:

Anyway, the chair is very old. It was made in the mid 1800's (1860s I think) and it has been handed down in my family for generations. It is also very strong. The chair is in perfect condition. There are no cracks or splits in the wood and the wicker is perfectly intact. They made things really well back then. :)

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Offline Kerry

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #49 on: April 26, 2009, 10:48:15 am »
That's a lovely story, David. I can just imagine you sitting in that cute little chair as a child.  :)

It reminded me of my Mum's armchair. Mum had two of these armchairs and a sofa. She chose the fabric - English Sanderson linen. Both armchairs came to me after she passed away. This was Mum's personal armchair, where she would sit to read her newspaper every morning. In Mum's home, it was positioned with a window behind and a lamp in the same position you see here, so there was excellent light for reading, day and night.

For me, there is something deeply spiritual about this armchair. Sometimes, late at night, it's very easy to imagine Mum sitting in her chair, right there in the room with me. Hope that doesn't make me sound weird and psycho spooky. I find its presence in my home very comforting.

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Offline Kerry

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #50 on: April 28, 2009, 02:57:50 am »
My maternal grandparents had a lovely collection of china and other bits and pieces. They were both born in 1869 and passed away within a few months of each other at age 90 in 1960. They lived next door to us and I remember them vividly to this day, even though I was only 10 when we lost them. They came from another era. My grandmother always wore a high collar with a brooch at her throat.

When my grandparents  passed away, their possessions were divided between their three sons and two daughters. I remember some beautiful objects came into our home at that time, such as three beautiful china plates which Mum kept in her china cabinet. When my mother passed away in 1991, my two surviving brothers (one of my brothers had predeceased my mother) and I took one plate each.

I chose this one. It is hand-coloured and has Wedgwood Patrician – Made in England  on the back, as well as some hand-written numbers:


I don’t remember this particular plate when it was in my grandparent’s home, but I do remember when it came to us, when I was 10.  I used to stare at the painting on the plate and fantasize that I was the Persian prince seen there, wearing a huge ruby in my turban and living in the gilded palace in the background:

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Offline Katie77

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #51 on: April 28, 2009, 04:06:28 am »
Absolutely beautiful Kerry.

Isn't it amazing, that our favourite things are those things from years gone by, that hold a story or a memory of loved ones or our own childhood thoughts.

From chairs to china plates to pottery cats, all with a unique story of their own.
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Offline Kerry

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #52 on: April 28, 2009, 04:41:24 am »
Absolutely beautiful Kerry.

Isn't it amazing, that our favourite things are those things from years gone by, that hold a story or a memory of loved ones or our own childhood thoughts.

From chairs to china plates to pottery cats, all with a unique story of their own.

That's so true, Sue.
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Offline David In Indy

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #53 on: April 28, 2009, 10:43:13 pm »
That's a lovely story, David. I can just imagine you sitting in that cute little chair as a child.  :)

It reminded me of my Mum's armchair. Mum had two of these armchairs and a sofa. She chose the fabric - English Sanderson linen. Both armchairs came to me after she passed away. This was Mum's personal armchair, where she would sit to read her newspaper every morning. In Mum's home, it was positioned with a window behind and a lamp in the same position you see here, so there was excellent light for reading, day and night.

For me, there is something deeply spiritual about this armchair. Sometimes, late at night, it's very easy to imagine Mum sitting in her chair, right there in the room with me. Hope that doesn't make me sound weird and psycho spooky. I find its presence in my home very comforting.



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!
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Offline David In Indy

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #54 on: April 28, 2009, 11:12:58 pm »
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.





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Offline Ellemeno

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #55 on: April 29, 2009, 04:31:37 am »
This is the most beautiful thread.  I'm going on a trip tomorrow.  When I come back, I hope I remember to share here. 

I love your mothers' plants, David and Kerry.

:-*  :-*

Offline Penthesilea

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #56 on: April 29, 2009, 05:58:10 am »
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.



Offline Penthesilea

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #57 on: April 29, 2009, 06:02:59 am »
Here's another little memory maker/favorite thing of mine:





Actually I think this is a doll chair. It is only about 2 feet tall and it is made out of wicker. However, when I was little I would sit in it and watch cartoons. I would either sit in that little chair or in my Mom's laundry basket. Don't ask me why I sometimes sat in a laundry basket, but.... well....there it is. :laugh:

Anyway, the chair is very old. It was made in the mid 1800's (1860s I think) and it has been handed down in my family for generations. It is also very strong. The chair is in perfect condition. There are no cracks or splits in the wood and the wicker is perfectly intact. They made things really well back then. :)




OMG David, I have a similar chair, and it's also one of my favorite things :). I, too, sat in it when watching TV (and I also loved to sit in the laundry basket, I think all children do)!
The chair is not a doll chair, it's for children (at least mine is). Mine is not as old as yours and is made completely from wicker. When I read your post I went upstairs to get the chair and made some pics of it:



My parents bought it for me when I was small. I have pictures of me as a kid sitting in it :D. Meanwhile the chair survided the use of four children (me and my three kids), and is still intact. I even have the cushion, it's still the original one.
The chair was amiss for years. My father swore (swore to the high gods and everything which was sacred to him) he didn't have it and assumed that my mother took the chair with her when she moved out. My mother swore that she didn't take it and never had it. So the chair stayed mysteriously disappeared for years.

After my father had died I found it in the attic when I dissolved his household.

It was neatly packed away, wrapped in a sheet and additionally covered with a plastic foil, standing in the farest corner of the attic. Other stuff was standing in front of it, so he must have overlooked it when he searched for it. I was really happy to find it.

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 ;)):



Offline Katie77

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #58 on: April 29, 2009, 06:10:02 am »
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.
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Offline Katie77

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #59 on: April 29, 2009, 06:11:44 am »
OMG Chrissie, that chair is tiny.....either that, or you have a giant dog. :o....who is very handsome, by the way.
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Offline Penthesilea

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #60 on: April 29, 2009, 06:27:01 am »
OMG Chrissie, that chair is tiny.....either that, or you have a giant dog. :o....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.

Offline Kerry

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #61 on: April 29, 2009, 08:37:40 am »
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.

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Offline Kerry

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #62 on: April 29, 2009, 08:44:48 am »
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.
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Offline Kerry

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #63 on: April 29, 2009, 08:47:05 am »
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.  :D
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Offline Penthesilea

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #64 on: April 29, 2009, 09:42:55 am »
I'd love to see some pics, Chrissi.  :D

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 ::).

Offline David In Indy

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #65 on: April 29, 2009, 10:15:20 pm »


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! :laugh:

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

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Offline David In Indy

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #66 on: April 29, 2009, 10:19:05 pm »
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.

:-* :-*
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Offline David In Indy

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #67 on: April 29, 2009, 10:24:36 pm »
I'd love to see some pics, Chrissi.  :D

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!

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Offline David In Indy

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #68 on: April 29, 2009, 10:26:28 pm »
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. :)

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Offline David In Indy

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #69 on: April 30, 2009, 02:34:09 am »
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.

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Offline Katie77

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #70 on: April 30, 2009, 04:18:54 am »
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.


Awwwww what a lovely thought to have in your mind when you rang that bell.

You were a sweetie then as you are now.
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Offline Penthesilea

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #71 on: April 30, 2009, 05:59:34 am »
Ok, I have dusted off some of the Meißner stuff. Here are the pics:

My two china cabinets. I didn't have the time to dust everything off, including cabinets.  :P
I have more of the stuff than I can properly display, therefore some plates are piled with cloth between them, so they won't get chipped. Doesn't look too nice, but serves the prupose. The elephant and the blue cup are not Meißner.

       


The biggest piece in my collection. You can see in the right pic above that it's a bigger than the other plates, it's in the top shelf, middle place. It's also very heavy. The saying in my family goes that it's also the oldest and most expensive piece. Of course I wasn't allowed to touch it when I was a kid (neither are my kids now).




Offline Penthesilea

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #72 on: April 30, 2009, 06:08:41 am »
Some vases and a soup cup (I think it's a soup cup).
Sadly, the vase to the right is broken; the snout broke off and was glued together by my father. But luckily this is the only broken piece.




Some plates



Details of the plate to the right. It has flowers and insects on it.



      


Offline Penthesilea

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #73 on: April 30, 2009, 06:13:33 am »



Detail of the cup. The handle is a swan.



Detail of the broken vase. Also with swan handle.


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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #74 on: April 30, 2009, 06:20:53 am »
The underside of some plates. The crossed swords emblem varies through the different decades. There a books specifically about the Meißen emblems, to date the pieces.







(I should have cut out the emblem before uploading the pics. But when I post them in smaller size now you don't see the difference in the swords.)

Offline Katie77

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #75 on: April 30, 2009, 06:22:30 am »
Oh Chrissi they are beautiful.

Love the ones with the swan handles....how unique is that.

The colours and the gorgeous little flowers and butterflys.....I love them.
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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #76 on: April 30, 2009, 06:25:36 am »
My favorites of the collection. I have always loved cobalt blue.





Detail of the left plate




Detail of the plate to the right


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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #77 on: April 30, 2009, 07:17:03 am »
Oh Chrissi they are beautiful.

Love the ones with the swan handles....how unique is that.

The colours and the gorgeous little flowers and butterflys.....I love them.


Thank you Sue :)

Offline Kerry

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #78 on: April 30, 2009, 09:23:04 am »
The underside of some plates. The crossed swords emblem varies through the different decades. There a books specifically about the Meißen emblems, to date the pieces.

OMG!  It's REAL Meißen!!! It's so beautiful, Chrissi. It must be worth a fortune. You have such a large collection. You're a rich woman! I know from the TV program, "Antiques Roadshow," that Meißen is worth big  bucks! Like thousands  of dollars! And the fact that it was smuggled out of East Germany would add even more value at auction. How's the best way for an English speaker to pronounce Meißen, Chrissi? Is it My-sen  or My-zen?  Or am I totally wrong and it's pronounced some other way entirely? (I'm not a German speaker)
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Offline Penthesilea

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #79 on: April 30, 2009, 10:13:14 am »
OMG!  It's REAL Meißen!!!

Yes of course it's real Meißen, lol. When I say Meißen, I mean it.

Quote
It's so beautiful, Chrissi. It must be worth a fortune. You have such a large collection. You're a rich woman! I know from the TV program, "Antiques Roadshow," that Meißen is worth big  bucks! Like thousands  of dollars! And the fact that it was smuggled out of East Germany would add even more value at auction.


Thousands? Are you kidding me? Or are the prices for Meißner down under that much higher? AFAIK, the prizes for single pieces and place covers (plate, cup and saucer as a set) are in the lower hundreds here (Euros). If you want to reach the dimension of thousands, you'd need to have a complete service. Or maybe a very, very rare and old special piece. And I doubt that one of mine belongs in that category.
So yes, if I sold everything, it would bring quite some bucks, that's right. But far (very, very far) from being enough to become rich.  :laugh:




Quote
How's the best way for an English speaker to pronounce Meißen, Chrissi? Is it My-sen  or My-zen?  Or am I totally wrong and it's pronounced some other way entirely? (I'm not a German speaker)

My-zen would be good. Actually the letter ß is an Es-Zet, somewhere between s and z.

Offline Penthesilea

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #80 on: April 30, 2009, 11:54:35 am »
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.


I have a smuggling story for you. Not about the Meißner, but about a bronze statuette. Wait, let me take a pic....


Here it is. It's Joseph and Maria with the baby. The stand of the statue is marble, the statue itself is bronze and the white/yellowish parts are ivory. It's massive, very, very heavy, I have problems lifting it with one hand.




Once a year one of my parents drove to my paternal grandparents (in the former GDR). Every time they brought home one or a few new pieces of Meißner or art stuff, like this statue or an oil painting. Of course it was forbidden to bring such things out of the GDR. But they belonged rightfully to my family, so all the things were smuggled through the Iron Curtain. Otherwise, the government would have gotten everything after my grandperent's death. There were no other heirs.

My grandparents were poor people, but either a brother or cousin (I'm not sure which) of my grandfather had been an artist himself and an art collector (on a small scale of course). After the man's death my grandparents inherited some of his possessions.

Anyway, my father wanted to bring over this statue for the longest time, he loved it very much. But he didn't dare. Not all of the smuggling went unnoticed, sometimes things were found by the border officials. Then the pieces were seized and my parents had to pay a fine. The controls were very strict, you had to declare everything, every single piece you brought out of the country. Even if it was just some kitchen towels. The border officials took a look at the list, then demanded to be shown the things which seemed dubious to them. Furthermore they searched your luggare for undeclared goods. Those searches could be everything from superficial to meticulous and include personal searches.
As a rule of thumb, you mostly had to open every suitcase and bag, and the border official rummaged briefly through it, without taking every single piece out.

So, one year my mother decided to bring the statue. She didn't tell my father anything. While being in the GDR, she bought a small statue made of salt stone (I translated literally, I didn't find a translation for it; it's made from real salt mainly, plus some other chemicals). Those salt stones are fragile and dissolve in water.
She declared in her list "one statue", as a bait, and of course the border official wanted to see it. My mother made a big ado over the (salt) statue, she unwrapped it carefully and asked the official to handle it very, very carefully and told him a fantasy story why this statue was so precious to her. Of course the thingie was almost worthless and she was allowed to keep it.

The trick worked and my parents ended up woth two statues ;D. Years later I accidently broke the salt statue.

Offline Kerry

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #81 on: April 30, 2009, 11:56:28 am »
Yes of course it's real Meißen, lol. When I say Meißen, I mean it.

Thousands? Are you kidding me? Or are the prices for Meißner down under that much higher? AFAIK, the prizes for single pieces and place covers (plate, cup and saucer as a set) are in the lower hundreds here (Euros). If you want to reach the dimension of thousands, you'd need to have a complete service. Or maybe a very, very rare and old special piece. And I doubt that one of mine belongs in that category.
So yes, if I sold everything, it would bring quite some bucks, that's right. But far (very, very far) from being enough to become rich.  :laugh:

My-zen would be good. Actually the letter ß is an Es-Zet, somewhere between s and z.

Apologies, Chrissi. I didn't mean to imply that I doubted you. It was my fault. I hadn't at first clicked that what you were calling Meißen was what I call Meissen. I'm not a German speaker, so when I see a "ß" I pronounce it "bee" not "zee."  I particularly love Meißen figurines. This little figurine, for example, is presently on eBay with a starting bid of US$850. It'll be interesting to see how much it goes for when the bidding takes off:

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #82 on: April 30, 2009, 12:13:33 pm »
Apologies, Chrissi. I didn't mean to imply that I doubted you. It was my fault. I hadn't at first clicked that what you were calling Meißen was what I call Meissen. I'm not a German speaker, so when I see a "ß" I pronounce it "bee" not "zee." 

No need to apologize Kerry! :-* I didn't take it that way. I assumed you just hadn't clicked.

And yes, the ß looks much like a B. From now on, you can pronounce it "zee". The things you learn on BetterMost, hunh? ;)



Quote
I particularly love Meißen figurines. This little figurine, for example, is presently on eBay with a starting bid of US$850. It'll be interesting to see how much it goes for when the bidding takes off:


The prices for Meißner vary, depending on how old and how rare the pieces are. Just like with all collectibles I guess. In the end, the Blue Mauritius is just a stamp - or is it? ;)

But it may well be that prices for Meißner are higher in those parts of the world which are far away from Germany. Fewer supply, higher prices.
Maybe I could really make a (very) small fortune if I shipped all the stuff to Australia and auctioned it there, who knows? ;D

Offline David In Indy

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #83 on: May 02, 2009, 02:06:21 am »
Chrissi, your china is beautiful. All of it. Thank you so much for taking the time to photograph it for us. :-*







I particularly loved the story behind this statue. The statue is very beautiful. I have a huge fond spot for the Holy Family. But the hardships people faced - just to bring along a possession as simple as a statue- during the years of East and West Germany both appall me and warm my heart. I'm so glad your Mother managed to get it out of there and bring it with her. And now you have it. It's a beautiful statue and a wonderful story! :)

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Offline optom3

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #84 on: May 02, 2009, 06:47:57 pm »
I have had a lovely time reading through this thread. It made me think of all the things that remind me of my parents. I have no recollection of grandparents I was very young when they died.

I realise that I am turning into my mother. She has a lovely collection of stunning porcelain, Lladro,crown derby and many more. Yet she keeps the Pendelphin rabbits we got her when we were young in the same display cabinet.

I do the same, I have lots of Halcyon Days boxes, Crown Derby and Lladro, all side by side with the, cars, money boxes plates etc, that the kids painted for me when they were younger at places like splatters.

I can see now that if I outlast my mum, it will be her rabbit collection I want. I remember each one of them. My father, well I suspect my brother and I will both want his collection of classical records and the turntable to play them on.


Offline Kerry

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #85 on: May 02, 2009, 09:57:16 pm »
I have had a lovely time reading through this thread. It made me think of all the things that remind me of my parents. I have no recollection of grandparents I was very young when they died.

I realise that I am turning into my mother. She has a lovely collection of stunning porcelain, Lladro,crown derby and many more. Yet she keeps the Pendelphin rabbits we got her when we were young in the same display cabinet.

I do the same, I have lots of Halcyon Days boxes, Crown Derby and Lladro, all side by side with the, cars, money boxes plates etc, that the kids painted for me when they were younger at places like splatters.

I can see now that if I outlast my mum, it will be her rabbit collection I want. I remember each one of them. My father, well I suspect my brother and I will both want his collection of classical records and the turntable to play them on.

I'd love to see some pics of your treasured possessions, Fiona. And to read the story behind them too.  :D

Like your Mum's rabbits, I find that it's often the things that don't necessarily have a great monetary value that I treasure the most - such as my Mum's plant and her old armchair. There's no way a monetary value can be put on such items 'cause they're priceless.  :)
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Offline David In Indy

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #86 on: May 02, 2009, 10:07:02 pm »
I'd love to see some pictures too Fiona. :)

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #87 on: May 02, 2009, 11:52:15 pm »
My Great Grandmother owned three Hummels in her lifetime, and just before she moved into a nursing home she decided to give me her Hummels. She gave me one Hummel each year for the next three Christmases.

I don't know the story behind the other two, but there is definitely a story behind this one...



Just after my sister was born, Mom and Dad took us both down to Cincinnati to meet our Great Grandma. Before we left, Mom and Dad wanted to buy something special for her and they decided on the Hummel up there in the picture. It is called "Going To Grandma's". There used to be a price tag on it, but I guess it fell off. I think Mom paid about $26.00 for it in 1963. As you can see the figurine has two little girls in it, and I've often marvelled and pondered over the irony of it.

So anyway, now it is here with me. It was a gift given by my parents to my Great Grandmother, and then years later it was a gift from my Great Grandmother to me.

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Offline optom3

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #88 on: May 03, 2009, 03:07:37 pm »
Well I have had a whale of a time looking up Pendelfin rabbits. They were started by 2 ladies who lived in the shadow of Pendle mountain in Lancashire.A place famed for the Pendle witches.

 I cannot see some of the very old pieces my mother has, but I did find three. Rosa rabbit,Uncle Soames and the twins. My personal favourite is of a baby rabbit asleep in bed sucking its thumb. My father bought it for her to mark my birth. My mum must have over 50 of the pieces and I was flabbergasted to see that the rare early ones she has most of, fetch up to 300 pounds !!!

Sorry I can't post pics of them as they are thousands of miles away in my parents cabinet.I will post pics of the wonderful hand painted ornaments my kids have made for me over the years. Along with the jewellery they used to buy me from fairs, with their own pocket money. All of which I wore so as not to hurt anyones feelings.

In reminiscing back over so many years, I was reminded of the greatest loss I encountered when we moved here. We arrived in Sarasota, via NYC on Dec.31st 2005. It was therefore nearly a full year before we had our first Xmas here. I was brimming over with unconcealed excitement as the Americans are so gloriously OTT in their unfettered celebration and decoration at Xmas.  I was in my element.

For as long as I can remember Xmas has always been my favourite time of year. I loved it when I was growing up, helping my mum make the Xmas cake and pudding, hiding the sixpence in the pudding batter and the glorious smells which infused the whole house. Then there was the baking and eating of the first mince pies, hot from the oven and bursting with fruit and spices. It was a tradition in our house that you made a wish with your first bite.

Then the argument as dad tried to make the tree lights work, followed by mum and me, pouring a glass of mulled wine and settling down to decorate the tree.My mother's excitement and love stemmed from the fact that she had been orphaned in WW2 and then spent 5 years in an orphanage. Prior to that though, her father who was the village doctor, usually got to spend a whole day with his wife and daughter.The villagers for the most part,managing to refrain from being ill for that one day.So it was one of the very few times my mum got to spend with both her parents.

This excitement she transferred on to me and I was hooked. We would start to giggle as the mulled wine did its work and the end result was a haphazard but glorious riot of decorations on the tree. No designer looks for us. She had some very old and curious decorations which had belonged to her parents and were some of the few things she managed to keep. There was a clown, pierrot, very strange Santa and a tree. There were also some incredible Chinese lantern lights.

No matter how many new baubles joined the party, the old ones were never forgotten. When I married and left home, my mother came round as my first Xmas as a wife approached and handed me her parents decorations. Oh this is making me cry. We both went into my tiny kitchen and started on the mince pies and as we were feeling sophisticated opened a glorious bottle of red that she had " borrowed" from my father's cellar.

Nothing had changed really, it was more a handing over of the baton to the new guard. The same smells drifted out from my kitchen and we started the tree. This continued for many years until my mother became chronically ill and irascible with it. My father took over the tree duty at their house and I did my own. Later as the children arrived they all joined in.I still had my red wine and they had hot Ribena. (blackcurrant juice)

Over the years the Xmas decorations became increasingly more eclectic as the kids added on their school made, snowflakes,Santa's and all manner of baubles. When we moved to a larger house we started to have 2 trees. One in the family room with all the colourful and raffish decorations and one in the sitting room which was very designer, all gold and white. I was I now realise, becoming a little pretentious.

Fast forward and we are about to have our first American Xmas. I could revel in any decorations I wanted, the more gaudy and colourful the better. Americans know how do unashamedly go full throttle into every aspect of the holiday. So as in England, the mince pies went into the oven and the alcohol came out. Now it was champagne and cranberry juice, as red wine had started to give me migraines. (a terrible loss)

No problems with lights, they were all brand new.On they went followed by the tinsel and a whole collection of baubles. The tree as usual was a riot of colour, but there was something niggling away at the back of my mind. Bingo, where were my mums decorations and where were the those made over the years by the kids. With all haste, Nigel was dispatched to the attic to find the missing box, there was none. Of all the things that the shipping company could have lost, I felt the blow of that box most. There was no way to replace any of the items and as it dawned on me that I could never tell my mother what had happened, it also slowly permeated through, that I would not be able to follow on the tradition by handing the baubles down to my own daughter.

So the decorating of the tree has now become a bittersweet thing for me. I have added whole Victorian villages, lights galore, inflatables in the garden, you name it we have it. What I no longer have are my mother's items, or the glittery snowflake made by James, the cotton wool snowman Matt made.The salt dough lantern courtesy of Emma.

I do I realise as I write this, still have my wonderful memories. We have started our own collection here.We buy a new china ornament with our names and the year, every Xmas and they will eventually be handed down to Emma. So my favourite things may only be memories now, but I am creating future memories for my own children. There is a form of continuity after all.Both Matt and Emma love to do the tree with me and although they will not eat a full mince pie, they do have one bite each to make a wish.

I no longer make Xmas pudding, instead my parents send me one, which I open  and insert a dime, just as my mum used to put in, sixpence. One day I may even get used to taking a swim after Xmas lunch, instead of a long walk through the countryside.!!
 I hope most of all, that in the future, my kids will look back and recall how much they loved Xmas and start to make their own traditions as well as continuing the old ones.

Offline David In Indy

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #89 on: May 03, 2009, 06:56:32 pm »
I love the way you are continuing the British Christmas customs for your children, Fiona. It's important for them to remember where they came from and who they are. I loved reading your post. You write beautifully. The moving company never found that box? That is a real big shame. Have you tried to call them again? I realize a few years have gone by now, but that box may have ended up in some corner and if you call they might be able to locate it now.

I always think of England during Christmas. England seems so rich in those holiday traditions. We have ours here too, but the English Christmas customs always seem much more dignified to me. I'm so glad you are keeping those customs alive with your children.
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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #90 on: May 03, 2009, 08:13:20 pm »
Your recollections of an English Christmas brought back many fond memories for me, Fiona. Even though it's the height of summer here in Oz at Christmas time, we followed many English traditions when I was a child. I particularly remember the threepences and sixpences in Mum's pudding, which was brought to the table flambe and served with brandy sauce. The children at the table would eat multiple servings in an endeavour to outdo each other in collecting the coins from the pudding. The meal was always a full, hot roast dinner with all the trimmings. Unlike the Motherland, however, we ate Christmas lunch in the garden under the trees. Dad and my brothers would take the kitchen and dining room tables outside. All of this in temperatures often over the century.
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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #91 on: May 05, 2009, 01:23:21 am »
My Great Grandmother owned three Hummels in her lifetime, and just before she moved into a nursing home she decided to give me her Hummels. She gave me one Hummel each year for the next three Christmases.

I don't know the story behind the other two, but there is definitely a story behind this one...



Just after my sister was born, Mom and Dad took us both down to Cincinnati to meet our Great Grandma. Before we left, Mom and Dad wanted to buy something special for her and they decided on the Hummel up there in the picture. It is called "Going To Grandma's". There used to be a price tag on it, but I guess it fell off. I think Mom paid about $26.00 for it in 1963. As you can see the figurine has two little girls in it, and I've often marvelled and pondered over the irony of it.

So anyway, now it is here with me. It was a gift given by my parents to my Great Grandmother, and then years later it was a gift from my Great Grandmother to me.

That's such a beautiful story, David.  :'(  And though I'm sure you'd never consider parting with your Grandma's Hummels, I suspect you'd find that they are now worth considerably more that $26.  :)
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Offline Kerry

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #92 on: May 05, 2009, 01:29:50 am »
George and I met in early 1973, through a mutual friend. Shops closed at midday on Saturdays in those days. My friend, Paul, worked in a large department store at Warringah Mall, in the Northern Beaches area of Sydney. If I were to tell you that the name of the department store was Grace Bros and that Paul worked in the Menswear Dept, I’m sure you’d think I was making that up! Just goes to show that truth is sometimes stranger than fiction, because Paul did really work in the Menswear Dept of Grace Bros. And he was somewhat of a Mr Humphries type character too. But I digress.

It was a glorious high-summer February day and Paul and I had made plans to spend the afternoon at nearby Narrabeen beach. I called for Paul after he'd finished work and we made our way to his place, where we were going to change for the beach. Paul mentioned that a friend of his lived en route. He asked if I’d mind detouring to visit the friend, rather than going to the beach that afternoon. I’d set my heart on going to the beach, so was none too pleased about Paul’s request. I reluctantly agreed, however.

Paul rang the bell, George answered the door, and the rest is history. It was love at first sight for me. I’ve never experienced, before or since, such an overpowering  feeling of passion. It was like I’d been kicked in the head by a mule! I thought George was the most beautiful man I had ever seen.

George was lodging at the time in the spare room of another of Paul’s friends, Frank. To cut a long story short, George soon moved into a nearby furnished garden flat, so we could spent quality time together. He had recently left the Royal Australian Navy, so had few possessions, and I was living with my parents at the time. The garden flat was attached to the home of an elderly lady who was an artist and children’s book author/illustrator. One of her paintings hung on the wall of the flat. When George and I got our own apartment six months later, I purchased the painting from the old lady, as a keepsake and remembrance of the happy times George and I had shared in that little garden flat together, not to mention the wonderful lovemaking we had experienced there. We were both so young.

I still have that painting to this day; still framed in the original,  battered, old frame. I’ve thought of having it re-framed in a posh, gilt frame, but can’t bring myself to do it. It would be almost like a sacrilege. Certainly, for me, this painting is a holy relic. It is one of the first things I would reach for if I had to flee a burning building. It now hangs in my bedroom. It is painted in oils on canvas and is 25x20cm (10x8in). Though there’s no date on it, I suspect it was painted sometime in the 1940s.



“The Doomed Castle” by Mavis Mallinson



Detail from “The Doomed Castle” by Mavis Mallinson



Detail from “The Doomed Castle” by Mavis Mallinson
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Offline David In Indy

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #93 on: May 09, 2009, 03:52:10 pm »
What a beautiful story Kerry. I don't think you've ever told us in depth how you and George first met. I only knew he was a very important person in your life. I can easily see why that painting would be so important to you. It's also very pretty. I love the colors in it - all the various shades of blue. And I also love mermaids. The ladies in the picture look like they may be mermaids.

Thanks for posting a picture of it Kerry, and PLEASE don't change the frame. I think it looks wonderful just the way it is right now! :D

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Offline David In Indy

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #94 on: May 09, 2009, 04:25:05 pm »
This was Mom's jewelry box. It sat on top of her bedroom dresser. I remember being very fascinated by this jewelry box. It is highly detailed and the little pictures never failed to capture my imagination. It has a small drawer located in the front where Mom stored her various rings. The pictures are painted and the border details were created by piecing together various sized slivers of shiny shells and then shellacked into place.

Dad bought this jewelry box in Japan while he was recovering from his war wounds. It plays a beautiful Oriental tune when the lid is opened. Mom was always very protective of this jewelry box and I was not allowed to touch it when I was young. The jewelry box is quite dusty and as you can see, the lock cover is loose and may eventually come off.




Here is a picture of the interior. Just after my Mom passed away, my sister and my niece made a bee's line to the house and snatched all the jewelry out of it before Mom was even cold. Once the orgy of greed had ended, Dad packed the jewelry box away into storage. I recently rediscovered it and I was quite shocked at its condition. The exterior is only a bit dusty but the interior has been damaged and I'm not quite sure how it happened. Anyway, repairing and restoring the jewelry box is at the top of my "to do" list. 





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Offline David In Indy

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #95 on: May 09, 2009, 04:34:00 pm »
I bought this little bear for my Mom on Mother's Day roughly 25 years ago. Mom loved this bear so much she ended up purchasing a little stand for it and she kept it on her dresser, just next to the jewelry box you just saw. The bear is about 10 inches tall and she reminds me of those ladies from the turn of the century. I think she is probably all dressed in her Sunday best with her basket packed full of tasty goodies for the village picnic after church. Actually there is potpourri in that basket, and I smelled it just before I took this picture. I could still smell a faint scent of potpourri after all these years! The potpourri is wrapped up in a tiny bag.





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Offline Kerry

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #96 on: May 11, 2009, 09:33:10 am »
Your mother's oriental jewelry box and the little bear dressed in her Sunday best are such precious remembrances of your mother, David. Treasure them.
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Offline CellarDweller

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #97 on: May 13, 2013, 09:34:04 pm »

My mom loves cobalt blue glass, and I do now too as a result.  LOL

When I was shopping for my place, I picked up a set of cobalt blue tumblers and drinking glasses, have some decorative glasses atop the kitchen cabinets, and a pitcher that is clear, with a swirl of cobalt blue going around it.


Tell him when l come up to him and ask to play the record, l'm gonna say: ''Voulez-vous jouer ce disque?''
'Voulez-vous, will you kiss my dick?'
Will you play my record? One-track mind!

Offline CellarDweller

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #98 on: May 13, 2013, 09:44:45 pm »
I took a pic of some of my set with my Blackberry.




Tell him when l come up to him and ask to play the record, l'm gonna say: ''Voulez-vous jouer ce disque?''
'Voulez-vous, will you kiss my dick?'
Will you play my record? One-track mind!

Offline Meryl

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #99 on: May 14, 2013, 11:48:31 am »
Nice thread!  I had to look twice to see who posted about the cobalt blue glassware.  It looks like it could have come from Paul's collection.  He's a great fancier of the cobalt.  8)

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Offline southendmd

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #100 on: May 14, 2013, 11:58:24 am »
Nice thread!  I had to look twice to see who posted about the cobalt blue glassware.  It looks like it could have come from Paul's collection.  He's a great fancier of the cobalt.  8)

True!  And the collection is still growing.  I'll try to remember to take a photo of the cape dining room window.

Offline Meryl

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #101 on: May 14, 2013, 01:05:09 pm »
True!  And the collection is still growing.  I'll try to remember to take a photo of the cape dining room window.

Please do!  I can't believe I didn't take one when I was up there.
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Offline Penthesilea

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #102 on: May 15, 2013, 12:46:58 am »
I took a pic of some of my set with my Blackberry.


That's lovely! I like the swirls. :)

Offline Sason

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #103 on: May 15, 2013, 05:06:35 pm »
True!  And the collection is still growing.  I'll try to remember to take a photo of the cape dining room window.

Please do!  I can't believe I didn't take one when I was up there.


Please allow me... 8)





This photo was taken before a certain feline entity decided there was entirely too many beautiful old stained glass windows on the window sill and - on a sudden, nightly mission - reduced the number by 100%.   ::)  :(

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Offline southendmd

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #104 on: May 15, 2013, 06:50:03 pm »

Please allow me... 8)

This photo was taken before a certain feline entity decided there was entirely too many beautiful old stained glass windows on the window sill and - on a sudden, nightly mission - reduced the number by 100%.   ::)  :(

LOL.  Let's just say it looks different now.   8)

Offline Meryl

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #105 on: May 15, 2013, 07:31:51 pm »
That truly was a big score for Bunny!  ;D
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Offline Penthesilea

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #106 on: May 16, 2013, 01:21:42 am »

Please allow me... 8)




This photo was taken before a certain feline entity decided there was entirely too many beautiful old stained glass windows on the window sill and - on a sudden, nightly mission - reduced the number by 100%.   ::)  :(


Whut? A hunnerd per cent? :o
And the cat is still alive? ;) ;D
Oh, my, poor Paul!

It looked beautiful! :)
The big one in the middle, is it a painting or a real glass pane? I hope at least this one piece survived the night of cat horrors.

Offline CellarDweller

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #107 on: May 16, 2013, 07:53:08 am »
The big one in the middle, is it a painting or a real glass pane? I hope at least this one piece survived the night of cat horrors.

Chrissi, I didn't hear this story, but from what I've read here, it wasn't all the cobalt blue glassware that is gone.  Sonja's post says:

"This photo was taken before a certain feline entity decided there was entirely too many beautiful old stained glass windows on the window sill and - on a sudden, nightly mission - reduced the number by 100%."

So I'm assuming that the cat knocked over the big glass pane in the middle, and smashed it.


Tell him when l come up to him and ask to play the record, l'm gonna say: ''Voulez-vous jouer ce disque?''
'Voulez-vous, will you kiss my dick?'
Will you play my record? One-track mind!

Offline southendmd

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #108 on: May 16, 2013, 09:51:13 am »
Yes, it was one of Bunny's first nights in the Cape house.  I heard a HUGE crash in the wee hours of the morning and ran downstairs.  Somehow, this giant leaded glass window (it's about four feet tall, from a old church) was on the floor, partially broken.  On its brief journey with gravity, it took out a few other plates and bottles on the shelf.  By some miracle, it didn't damage either the cat or the dining table. 

Bunny just looked up at me, saying "Look what I didn't do". 

Offline CellarDweller

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Re: A Few of Our Favorite Things
« Reply #109 on: May 16, 2013, 10:03:31 am »
 :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:


Tell him when l come up to him and ask to play the record, l'm gonna say: ''Voulez-vous jouer ce disque?''
'Voulez-vous, will you kiss my dick?'
Will you play my record? One-track mind!