The beginning of a new year is a time of looking back for many people, including me. I've been looking at old photos this morning. This is one I found that I love. It's me and grandson Jesse when he was one year old (I think), and I was in my 40s.
The photo was taken on the back porch of a little rental house where I lived for ten years after my divorce from my first husband. The house had four rooms and was built during the 30s. It was woefully lacking in insulation. The heat was a floor furnace and the air conditioning was a window unit in the living room which the landlady could not assure me would work when I first moved in. The unit did work; in fact it worked for the full ten years I was there. But winters were not so comfortable in my little white house. When the temps dropped into the frigid range, my daughter Andy and I would pull the sofa up beside the floor furnace and we'd both sleep there, piled up like a litter of pups.
The water heater was located under the house. It's pilot light would frequently go out, and I would have to crawl under there, through the dirt and broken jars and stuff and relight it. There were no built-in appliances. I had a refrigerator, but we lived there for several years without a stove. I had a microwave and an electric skillet, and that's how I prepared meals. I got pretty good at it too.
I loved that little white house, in spite of all its problems. That's where I recovered from my divorce (as well as from my marriage), where I came to embrace the freedom of being a person unto myself. That's where I came to know myself as myself. And it's where I spent many, many happy times with my children as teenagers and young adults and their friends. That little house was, in fact, the first house where I amassed many more good memories than bad.
Thank God for good, warm memories. It's some of our greatest blessings, don't you think?
***
Now to business. We've had a few more ladies to join us in the UFO Bust. At some point, I will create a master list of everyone and post it in my sidebar, but not today. Meanwhile, here are our newly signed-on members:
Jean K. (no blog, yet)
Lainee, Novice Quilter
Hunny Bunny, Hunny Bunny's House
Jeanelle at Sweet Bee Cottage is still looking for her UFOs. As soon as she finds them, she's going to join us, she says. I can truly sympathize with Jeanelle. I've been looking for the box that I took the cardinal tree and ornaments out of so I can pack them all back up for next year. Can't find it anywhere. Good luck on your search, Jeanelle.
***
I've always heard tell that whatever you find yourself doing on the first day of the year will set the tone for the coming year. So what I should have been doing yesterday was cleaning house, quilting, knitting--you know, all that productive kind of stuff. But that's not what I did.
While standing in the kitchen, looking at my bag of dried blackeyed peas and trying to decide how much of them to cook for myself alone, my sister Ramey called. She was trying to scare up a trip to our favorite thrift store.
Now we were having torrential rain at the time--but such-like does not stop my baby sister when she gets a thrift store urge. Knowing that she works hard and needs a break from time to time, I agreed to forego my peas and join her. We picked up my other sister Joanne and off we went. Thankfully, the rains had stopped by the time we got well on the road.
Now I normally don't buy clothes at the thrift store--not because I have anything against second-hand clothes, I love them. But I just don't have the patience of Ramey, who can spend three or four hours inspecting every garment on the racks to find those treasures. I get bored and start sneezing.
But yesterday I did find a couple of wonderful sweaters and bought them for a song a'piece. Here they are:
The dalmation sweater vest still had its tags and extra buttons attached. It was priced at $6.99, but was marked 70% off. So whatever that left is what I paid for it. (I think I discovered why someone donated such an excellent vest: the buttons are too large for the buttonholes, so I'm going to have to replace them. Or maybe the person just didn't like dogs. Unbelieveable, but possible.) The buggy sweater was definitely not brand new, but it's in excellent condition and looks great with jeans.
I also bought some crocheted doilies and a really pretty glass dish. Here's the dish. I didn't photograph the doilies.
After our thrifting, the three of us went to Cracker Barrel for our requisite peas and greens. We all had Cracker Barrel's wonderful chicken and rice dish to accompany our veggies, and went home full and happy.
While on our way home, we decided that we are going to reinstigate our long-lost tradition of Sunday dinners. (Joanne once wrote a poem about the salads I used to serve at Sunday Dinner. I'll have to see if she'll share it on her blog sometime.) The last Sunday of each month is going to be Sunday Dinner with the Sisters, and we'll take turns being hostess. Of course, our children and their families will be invited too. The first one will be January 30 at Joanne's. I can't wait.
Bye for now.
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On 01/02/2011, Debby Messner said ...
What a sweet post.
A great picture and a great story. Sometimes those little houses have such great stories. I think living in a small home makes you feel safer, for some reason.
You are so lucky to have sisters. I don't have one but I do have some dear friends.
Good luck with the UFO......
On 01/02/2011, Debby Messner said ...
Oh and I love that doggie sweater.
On 01/02/2011, Joanne Cage said ...
I loved your little house. I remember the sign you had on your refrigerator--"If you make a mess, clean it up," or something like that. Enjoyed the thrifting trip, too, and I wish I'd seen that doggie vest first. Not really--I've got half a dozen vests in my closet and never wear them.
On 01/02/2011, Joanne Cage said ...
P.S. Jesse was the cutest baby I've ever seen. (Don't tell my kids!)
On 01/02/2011, Barbara Anne said ...
What a great photo of you and Jesse! You're one hot Grandma!!
Cheers for your great finds scored at the thrift store! Well done!!
I love the idea of Sunday Dinner with the Sisters and wish I had sisters. We do something similar with AMIL but it's always at her house because FIL won't come here. He's a weird hermit.
Good luck finding that box for the cardinal tree. Taking down our tree is my goal for today - after I make a label for a quilt that will come off my UFO list once the label is on!
Hugs!
On 01/02/2011, Sandy said ...
What a nice post. I also have two sisters that I love dearly. We've never had a cross word between us and not many people can say that. I feel truly blessed. Great idea on the Sunday lunch with your sisters. I think we all need to have more traditions in our lives. Sunday afternoons used to be when we loaded up the car after doing the dishes and visited all the relatives. I miss those kind of things. Everybody's too busy these days, I think. There's a lot to be said about the good ole days.
On 01/03/2011, Ramey said ...
That doggie vest is a prize! I love the howling dog! AND - your alien in the UFO is so cute! Good job.
On 01/03/2011, Carla (from Alabama) said ...
Very lovely picture of you and your grandson. I like the story about your home. Your thrift finds are great. I have never had the patience to go thriftting...but when I read how you and your sisters go and find such cute and useful things it makes me give it some thought...:)
On 01/03/2011, Linda said ...
Could you share the name of your favorite thrift store. It sounds great and I would like to visit it! Thanks.
Linda
On 01/03/2011, Mama Pea said ...
What a poignant story. I love it. It is funny how little places like that can stir up such positive memories for us. When I first got divorced, I had NO money. So, I rented a room at a motel that rented by the week. It was a sort of cute little place. I was up on the second or third floor, among these great tree branches. I always think of it as my tree house. I had a little tiny fridge and a microwave. Hot plates weren't allowed. I made do okay. It was so nice, because I had my freedom, and my life was my own. So, I know exactly how you felt. (I didn't have kids, but I imagine the feelings would be even stronger if I had.)
On 01/04/2011, Susan Ramey Cleveland said ...
Linda, it's Big Saver Thrift Store on Parkway Drive in Roebuck, just off I59. We go to them all, but this is where we find the best treasures.
On 01/06/2011, Beverly said ...
I agree with you about memories. They are such a great treasure, and they truly do become sweeter with time. That is the sweetest picture.
Today is my son's birthday. As I phoned him this morning to sing Happy Birthday, I recalled walking into his room and singing to him on this first birthday. I well remember that sweet baby standing in his crib.
I love both of your sweaters - how fun!
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