I spent most of Tuesday morning taking down all my bits and pieces off my dresser to give it all a very good clean. Some lovely memories as I looked at the different items, it was quite emotional too.
It houses gifts and pieces with special memories. On the very top shelf are 3 blue patterned plates that I bought after my divorce. We had a dinner service that my ex decided he wanted. His mother had bought it for us when we married. I didn't mind, because I didn't like it and I didn't like her, so good riddance I thought. But it meant my four grown up children and I only had odd dishes.
That first Christmas 1987, my Aunt sent me some money, so I went to an Antique centre and bought an old dinner service, 6 large plates, 6 medium sized and 6 bread and butter plates, you've got to have bread and butter plates, don't you and 2 veg tureens, one with the lid missing; total cost £23, the stall holder took pity on me and dropped the price from £30. It did us well over the years and I kept those 3 plates just to remind me.
The rest of that shelf are all blue items, mostly gifts, except on the very right side is a small gin filled Delft Blue china house, it was from KLM airways that my ex was given. He had tossed it away and I rescued it, thinking it might have some monetary value, but I didn't sell it, but kept it all these years.
I've mentioned all that shelf has blue items, because the very first clearer I had, Fran, after my divorce was lovely. On her first day she stripped and washed everything on my dresser, not something I asked of her, but she put everything back mixing up the shelf colours. I obviously noticed straight away when I got home from work, and before I did anything else, I put everything back as it was.. I made sure my next week's note to her said, 'no need to do the dresser, thank you!' I'm a bit OCD about it!
The picture on that blue shelf is a painting of Boysie, my dog I had years ago, it was painted because Boysie and Dh had been hit by a car that had mounted the pavement. Boysie was killed and Dh was pushed into a hedge, such a blessing that it was a hedge and not a wall.. the poo bag he was carrying was flung up into the tree. This was a great story for my grand children, who had to go to see the bag which was still in the tree months after. I was so relieved that Dh wasn't hurt, just bruised and shaken up. He was taken into A&E but was ok so allowed home. Elaine who had painted it, a lovely lady has since died. So a very precious painting.
The round shaped jug at the back on the bottom shelf was my mother's, one of a pair painted with blue birds, my parent's wedding present in 1936! There are 4 cats on there, I used to collect cats! There are presents from my G/daughter, my son who doesn't talk to me any more, nik nacks from friends, and a hand made little broach from Lilian, who is a Christian working in Laos, a photograph of my middle son when he was in Play Group, he's 55 now and my grand daughter age 18mths, she's 30 in August.. a heart from Dh bought one Valentine's day. I love them all.
And a lot more; so many precious things, which will be just stuff to some one else one day, but to me they are memories, very, very precious memories.
Chrisxx
Everything blue catches my eye. My favorite color and I think those dishes look quite pretty. Nice you found such a set at the time for you and yours. A collection like this is good for memories and beautiful at the same time. I have a collection of cats and birds. They sit where I can see them every evening.
ReplyDeleteThose are wonderful items that bring back precious memories. I can see why you enjoyed going through them all!
ReplyDeleteI have a similar hutch that houses mementos from the past, including a little Delft house from KLM. You are right that someday they will only be stuff to someone else, but now they are precious memories.
ReplyDeleteSuch items carry a history all their own which many others wouldn’t understand.
ReplyDeleteI love a well dressed dresser and if it has history and tells a story, all the better!
ReplyDeleteI love a well dressed dresser and if it has history and tells a story, all the better!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing so many of your precious memories, Chris x
ReplyDelete