Show and Tell

This post is in response to the Stirrup Queen's Weekly Show and Tell Thread. I am excited that I have something I feel worthy of show and tell this week.

I recently made a trip home to visit my parents. The reason for which will be disclosed in a post later this week. After marrying Hubs, but before moving to a completely different state, my dad and his siblings had the unpleasant task of cleaning out the house in which they grew up, as my grandmother had moved to a nursing home and could no longer maintain the house.

When the clean out commenced, the sad divvying of my grandparent's life possessions took place. This was the first time in my life I realized that everything physical we own in this life is just stuff. We can't take any of it with us when we die. It brings us pleasure while we are here, but it stays behind when we leave. You always hope that your possessions will go to those you love, and that they will treasure them as much as you do. In the case of my grandparent's things, I do treasure them very much.

The house cleaning was taking place right around the time Hubs and I were getting married, and so a few pieces of furniture came our way. I obtained some very prized possessions, such as my grandparent's antique writing desk, a coffee table they bought when they were newly married, and a few other personally valuable items. I accepted them, honored to have them in my home, and hoping to one day have children of my own to pass them onto.

The whole process broke my heart, and I ached for my grandmother as she watched all of her things being divided among her children and grandchildren. Some items brought tears to her eyes as she knew she would never see them again. Someone else would use her china at Christmas. Someone else would look lovingly at her trinkets. Someone else would look through her old photos, only the chances were good that the looker would not know the subjects, the subject matter, or the reason the photo was taken.

She cried and I held her in a tight hug as she instructed me to take the coffee table from her entryway. She told me it was one of the first pieces of furniture her and my grandpa purchased together. She told me that she dusted it weekly with furniture polish and to please take care of it. I promised I would.

Here I digress. It was during my trip home that my dad presented me with a cedar box full of negatives from my grandma's house. It had belonged to my grandpa. I had such mixed emotions. I wanted that box and the photos inside, but I felt an ache taking it from my dad. I know it is just stuff, but it was his father's. My dad has given me many items that belonged to his parents and were special to him, even though I could tell it was a little hard for him to part with them.

I promised myself I would get the photos printed or scanned. A few weeks ago I bought a scanner, and this past week got around to scanning the negatives. Some of them didn't turn out, but I did get some very prized pictures. They might not mean anything to most people, but they mean a lot to me. Without further ado, I present a whole slew of pictures from 1946.

My dad as a baby. THAT is fun to look at.

My dad and his two older siblings.

My aunt, at 2 years old, smelling my grandmother's flowers.

My uncle and aunt, riding tricycles on the driveway.

My great-grandmother. I never met her.

My grandmother, standing proudly in front of her flower garden.

I'm not sure who these kids are, but this picture is fun to look at.
The Christmas tree.
The table shown on the right is the one my grandmother gave me.