I know I’ve been showing you a lot of ‘fun finds‘ lately – can you put up with another one today? Â The first weekend of April we had a family auction, selling all the things my Grandma had accumulated over her life of 92 years. Â Dishes, linens, furniture, toys, most of which had memories attached to them.
Ironstone platters – what better pieces to start my own collection
Memories of meals at Grandma’s, and how she always asked if we were sure we’d had enough to eat.  And before we ate someone always exclaimed over how good it looked and smelled.  And she always said she hoped it would be fit to eat.  I never ate anything she fixed that wasn’t more than fit to eat 🙂
Memories of Grandma at her quilting frame.  I bought one of her frames but don’t have it here yet.  I keep forgetting to call my aunt who offered to store it for me when she got the quilt she was quilting out of it.  I need to make a point of making that call.  Someday I hope to have room to set up that quilt frame.  I’ve quilted before, but never a whole quilt.  One of these years I’m sure I will find myself with nothing to do and I can make a quilt! 😀  I jest, I jest!  I can’t imagine life ever slowing down enough that I would have ‘nothing’ to do.
Memories of Grandma thinking her house was probably the most dirty house in the county. Â And her windows. Â I’m sure they were always dirty – even if they had just been cleaned! Â Her house was never dirty of course, but she was sure she probably needed to clean.
I remember when my Grandparents moved to the house they lived out their years in.  I was around 10 maybe.  I’m sure my Mom can tell you.  I remember making craft things and giving them to Grandma.  Does every child shower their Grandma with so many papers that she doesn’t know what to do with them?  My girls are always making pictures for Grandma.  Or setting up a  ‘picture shop’ with prices on their pics when Grandma comes over 😀
Old dictionary – this thing is 6 inches thick and has the most beautiful illustrations!
I’ll never forget the way my Grandma would stand at the window and wave when we left. Â The last few years of her life I always drove out the lane with a lump in my throat wondering if this would be the last time I’d see my Grandma wave good-bye as I left. Â I didn’t get over to see her as often as I would have liked to. Â Life with kids gets busy and I selfishly like my Sundays spent at home. Â She always told us to ‘hurry back’ when we said good-bye too.
Tags from digging potatoes – my Grandparents raised potatoes for years – yes, in Ohio!
Today my Mom stands at her window waving at me and my girls when we leave her house. Â And Lord-willing someday I will do the same when my girls and their children leave my house. Â The circle of life continues as long as the Lord tarries.
I love having little bits and pieces from my Grandmas life.  There was a lot of stuff.  Having all the everyday life things pulled out of cupboards and drawers and stacked on tables will show you how much we accumulate in a lifetime.  My Grandma wasn’t a hoarder by any means but it just takes a lot of  ‘stuff’ to live this American life we lead.
The aprons they wore to carry the metal tags when digging potatoes. Still have dirt in them!
I got most of the things I really wanted.  And I didn’t have to break the bank to do it.  There was plenty to go around and there weren’t that many things that more than one person wanted really bad.  My Grandpa’s shop had never been completely cleared out after he passed away.  So there was a lot of stuff from there sold too.  I have some real treasures from that too but that is another post.  And I know some of you will really wonder about me when I show you what I’m calling ‘treasures’ from his shop 😀  But some of you will get it!  Stay tuned and have a wonderful Monday!
Sew a Fine Seam
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Tears in my eyes!! So many memories flooding my mind. Praise God for a Godly Mother! Just a little note—the tickets were used when digging potatoes, not grading them. There is a difference but probably that’s important only to those who were involved! 🙂
I knew I should have double checked with you on the grading or digging. I kept thinking digging but then I’d think ‘no, I had it wrong it was grading’. I changed it! There is a difference – I much preferred helping to dig!
My hubby would drool over the dictionary…He is really into old dictionaries, hymnals, etc. So fun to have the little things to trigger special memories!
This dictionary was at the top of my list of things I wanted. It was rather funny how most of my cousins thought I was crazy all the stuff I bought 🙂 They just don’t ‘get’ it.
I am so sorry for your loss Jill…but what wonderful memories you have of your Grandma! She sounds like she was a great person. She had some really neat things, too!!
~Julia
Thanks Julia – I’m so glad God gave us memories! She was a wonderful woman, lived a wonderfully long life and went to heaven peacefully. Can’t ask for more than that!
Gorgeous finds and even lovelier memories C:
Thanks Jane!
What a lovely post about your grandma, her things, the memories they hold for you and the circle of life. I look forward to seeing the treasures that remind you of your grandfather as well.
Thanks Amy. It’s been fun and rather theraputic to write about my Grandma now and then.
Oh boy look at all the treasures. Amazing things with so many memories. Thanks for sharing. Oh I love all the number tags. Score!
Thanks Pam – I almost squealed when I saw all those tags in the tool box! One of my cousins sons bid me up and I offered to share the tags with him after I bought them. Come to find out he wanted the toolbox! LOL! So I sold him the toolbox and I got the tags 😀
I had to laugh — my mother always used that expression “fit to eat” — and sometimes I find myself doing it, too.
Looks like you saved some good things, especially that dictionary.
We say we hope our food is ‘fit to eat’ too – to remind us of Grandma!! So sweet the memories we get to keep! I have that dictionary in my decor on my coffee table. I need to get some pics of it and share.
Such a sweet post Jill! I adore those number tags!
Thanks Lisa, I love those tags too!
What a lot of special things and even more special memories. I like the tags from digging potatoes. So cool! And the aprons. Pieces of history for sure.
I love those tags too – and I have tons of them! you can have some 🙂
What a sweet post Jill. It’s nice to hear about the memories associated with the things you collected. It makes them more than just things, doesn’t it? Very sweet. I’m looking forward to hearing about your memories of your grandfather’s things too.
Debbie
It is so fun to have things I love that have meaning behind them too. I didn’t know my Grandma even had Ironstone platters but I was quite happy to scoop them up and give them a new home!
I can just see your grandma at the window. My mom, always comes outside and stands and waves until we are gone. Love those tags you got. What a joy it is that you could get some things to remember your wonderful grandma by.
Liz
Thanks Liz – I love having cool old things that I like that also have memories attached to them.