Jun 7, 2017

HARDEST DAY...AGAIN

Oey.  Today I started in the guest room closet with "memorabilia".  I figured there might be a box or two of school things or maybe a few pictures here and there, but I hit the mother lode instead

After Dad died, we had a rather protracted battle with his wife over "stuff".  It was silly, really.  What she wanted was money, and what we wanted was our mom's wedding dress and our baby pictures.  (Why these things were so valuable to her escapes me, but I suppose they made for very good hostages, since we paid a hefty ransom for them.)

I moved everything from Phoenix to Hoosierville when Chrissy bought her house, and when she subsequently lost/left that house and then lost/left everything in the house in a storage warehouse I assumed that all of the stuff was lost with it.

The guest room here has always been just that here in CS1...a place for overnight guests.  I used the closet for extra linens and things and thought that the left side was pretty empty except for one or two things of Mom's and Dad's.

Boy, am I happy I was wrong.

Stuffed in that closet from floor to ceiling was Mom's wedding dress, our baby pictures, stuff of Dad's, and more crap than I even knew we had saved!  Here I had mourned the loss of all of these memories, and they were right under my nose the whole time!

(I am assuming, by the way, that my stupid sister moved all of this crap in here in the dead of night, since I haven't one clue as to how it all got here.)

Here's a pic of the thing that sent me straight into the ugly cry:

And on the back:
It says..."1966 - Awaiting baby (Connie Jo)" in my mom's handwriting.

And how about this:
This must be one of the last pieces Mom stitched.  See how she started at the bottom and worked up a column using the sewing method?
I wish you could see her stitches on this.  Talk about perfect tension!

I think I am going to send this for finishing after I get settled...maybe as an enormous pillow for a new Happy Chair?

OK, break time is over.  I still have Christmas decorations, knick knacks, and everything on the walls yet to do today!  Yikes!

Hope you're doing something fun and that you'll come tell me all about it!

11 comments:

  1. Coni darling you have found treasures. How wonderful,you are well & truly blessed.
    Blessings
    Baa

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  2. Happiness walks in through a door you didn't know you left open and in a closet filled with forgotten treasure.
    Your hair and brows are looking chic and au courant....
    So enjoying your state of joyful anticipation now....

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  3. Wow! I'd say your parents must surely be looking down upon you Coni Jo and reminding you that you are not alone.

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  4. What wonderful treasures! Chez Spinster kept them in another dimension until you needed them to make CS2 truly your home.

    Susan

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  5. Coni, What a lovely treasure to find in the midst of all this moving madness. It would make a lovely pillow. --Andrea

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  6. The genealogist in me celebrates you have those old photos and the birth sampler (the stitcher in me celebrates that one too). I hope you find the ideal thing to do with the wedding dress. Perhaps a special pillow plus other items can eventually be made from it. There used to be a person I knew who made teddy bears out of old ragged quilts. I have long lost contact but the idea is still there. I am presuming you and your sister are the last of the line and there is no one to pass the dress on to. For now, pack it up and hold it tight. Never go thru memory items under pressure. I certainly wish I had not.
    Jackie

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  7. Great finds! She did lovely work. Beautiful flowers. I have mine and my brother's birth samplers that my mom embroidered.

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  8. I am so happy you found these treasures! I think they were a little gift from your Mom and Dad to let you know that this move is the right thing.

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  9. Oh Coni! What precious gifts!!! No wonder you had the 'big cry'! I would too! There are so many things of my mother's I miss. I was only 11 when she died. Next month I'll be 70. Of all the ages I've become, this is the only one I don't like. :( I believe your idea for a pillow for the 'new happy chair' is a great idea, but it's so gorgeous, I would put it across from my happy chair so that I could glance over and see it. Coni, you are going to have so much to 'show and tell' when you are through all this. I had my mom's wedding dress. I gave it to one of my daughters so her girls would have the choice of using it if they wished. Coni, no matter what you are doing - you are right where you are supposed to be. You have many angels watching over you. ♥Stewey♥ Take care - Love, hugs and Prayers, Cathryn ♥

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  10. What a tremendous find! Sometimes moving is a good thing.

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  11. Coni, your troubles are not in vain. You've inspired me to declutter in anticipation of moving in 3 years. Here's a funny for you; my mom discovered a box of newspapers she'd moved several times. Not memorable dates of exciting events. Nope, just 25 pounds of newspaper in a securely taped moving box.

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