Thursday, August 27, 2009

VINTAGE THURSDAY

I love looking in on all the links to the different “days” on other folks’ blogs---Vintage Thursday is today, and this is my first attempt to post pictures of any of the houseful of “stuff” which we’ve accumulated over the years.

My camera angles are always skewed---I have not the eye for composition which is given to most of the wonderful photographers I enjoy dropping in on every day, and anything I snap has either a cockeyed angle, weird lighting, or an intrusive shadow somewhere.

And so, this picture looks as if I’ve crammed a whole bedroom into one of those little Rent-a-Storage places, about 8x8, rolled up the little door, and snapped a very unflattering picture.





The room is a standard ranch bedroom, cozy and comfortable, but when I see something which would “go” in there, especially something in Goodwill, I just toss it in my basket and put it out amongst the other things. And though the size of the room does not allow such decorating fads, the bed IS catty-cornered for ease of spreading and getting into and out of, thus taking up more of the visual room of the room. Thus the pictures look a bit crowded.

This was the guest room in my parents’ house for WAY years back---always called, “Mammaw’s room” for my Dad’s Mother, who came to stay with us for several months every year.. And then, after Daddy sold our family home, the furniture came here and it became and still is, “Daddy’s Room,” even after all these years since his passing.

On the wardrobe on the left is part of my childhood Blue Willow teaset, long lost and then found in my parents’ big cedar closet, snugged way back into the back of a wide shelf. It is one of the only two “toys” I have from my childhood, and two of the cups have the whisper of a dolltea stain in the bottom which I cannot bear to wash out.

The little blue chair is a Fifties’ model, one of those Jetson-shaped little geometrical things with four stick-legs, originally covered in a shades-of-green vinylish fabric. The chair was left to Caro by her other grandmother, and not long ago she zipped out a neat blue slipcover, pillow, tassels and all, from a lovely big panel of somebody’s living room drapes (also from Goodwill).



The long rows of old-fashioned pictures and samplers and cross-stitch are from various sources---the wardrobe picture on the right, the house in the pink frame, and the small brick building below all my own work---the wardrobe with its elegant hanging gown stitched for my parents’ Fiftieth Anniversary and brought home with me years later when our childhood home was sold.

The little praying girl hung in the hallway of the house I grew up in, along with a pair of those sad-eyed little children (possibly on velvet---I’ve tried to put them out of my mind entirely). The photograph of cotton blooms is from the field just beside our old house.

The picture just to the left of the green oval frame is a Valentine made by my Dad and sent to my Mother during WWII---the faded paper lace and the little open book in the top corner were all glued onto a sheet of cardboard from who-knows-where-he-was, the book centered by a tiny metal star---one from the center of a medal he’d earned. I try to think of the night-time moments as he put the pretty little arrangement together, and where he got the doily-lace, and the thick small book-shape, and the idea of removing the tiny brass star from his marksman's medal---I knew his hands were talented with woodworking and all sorts of creative endeavors, but I'd never thought of those gnarled old fingers handling such delicate and dainty materials.

And what must have been the reaction when my Mother opened that fat letter, standing there in the crowded Post Office with all the other eager-for-news families of soldiers. The whole thing was leafed between the pages of one of those musty old black-paged scrapbooks---a little faded, but no frays or tears anywhere, and I couldn’t resist framing it. It's the only tangible thing besides pictures that I have to confirm that my parents were young and in love and expressed it to each other.
And yes, that's me-at-three---I'm smiling, I think, but I'd been crying because the photographer insisted that I take off my blouse for the "cameo" shot, and people were looking. I DO remember the embarrassment and think of it every time I look at that picture.

The room is used only for "company," and seems to take on the air of a museum set, but I just go and stand in the door and look in, drinking my eyes full of the past which was mine, mingled with the ago-times of many people never to be known.
VINTAGE THURSDAY LINK:
http://coloradolady.blogspot.com/

18 comments:

  1. Oh, my. I've got cold chills from reading about that Valentine. I'm going to be thinking about that for a while.

    I'm so happy you have it, and that you shared its story.

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  2. The photo of the bedroom looks pretty good. I wish the things on the wall that you described were big enough to see.

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  3. I'm glad you all dropped in and shared my day.

    The photo is entirely my fault---Chris is out and about, and I just picked up some pictures from my album, not thinking that he always "sizes" them for me. I'm still feeling my way around the posting thing, so I'm sorry---some of the pictures in past posts have jumped up to cover a page when you click on them, and that's good to get the details.

    I'll see if he can size these tonight, and I'll just make a do-over. Shouldn't take a minute once the pictures are right. The things on the wall DO deserve looking at---they're loaded with family history.

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  4. Lots of memories in that room.
    Thanks for sharing!
    Living it up at Lakewood,
    Cindy

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  5. Gosh - what lovely memories along with a beautiful room - it's so nice of you to preserve all these wonderful treasures! It would be an honor to be a guest in your room!
    Cheers!

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  6. Rachel, I loved peeking into your sweet guest room. The bed is beautiful, and looks like a nice comfortable place to sit and contemplate your precious keepsakes. I loved the story about the valentine your dad made for your mom. I know she treasured it all the days of her life. What a beautiful wall of memories you have.

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  7. Loved reading your post. The story about your dad creating the valentine for your mom was priceless. Thanks for sharing.

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  8. Welcome to VTT!~ What a beautiful room, I would love to sleep there. I was impressed with all the vintage treasures but most of all that homemade Valentine...that is just wonderful and I love the fact you still have it. Have a great VTT!

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  9. Hi Racheld... and welcome to VTT. I read thru and loved your post, and I think your pictures are just fine. It's the memories I love best..the times we hold close in our hearts. Thank you so much for your visit today and for your sweet comments. How well I remember all those crocheted pieces..the sugar starch..the baskets..all of those things filled our house. Ahhh, the memories.
    Happy VTT..and I hope your weekend is a lovely one.

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  10. what a sweet bedroom..and i love how you've furnished it..and all those darling pictures :)

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  11. What a special room of family memory lane - - -

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  12. I'm so glad you all peeked in!!! It's been such fun sharing old family things (though a lot of them QUITE qualified for THRIFTY as well, as we call our home "the Goodwill House" and most of our furniture and other items have come from there).

    Thank you all for coming by and for commenting. I've enjoyed looking in on all the blogs listed on ColoradoLady's list, and will be back time after time. What a lovely way to discover new places to visit and new friends to share with.

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  13. thanks for sharing how you have everything displayed on the wall. I've been doing genealogy/family history for over a decade and I've accumulated a lot of stuff. I like the way you mixed everything up and it all hangs so well together.
    Evelyn in Montreal

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  14. Oh, I think my favorite is the little picture of you. Just brings back memories and makes me miss you even more. I still want a copy of the picture of you with long beautiful ponytail.

    Love you forever
    Maggie

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  15. Merci et bienvenue, Evelyn!!

    I've done no ancestry research for our family; my Sis does all the genealogy work---she spent a week or so in Salt Lake City a few years ago, in the great files and archives of practically everyone there IS.

    My own family knowledge was passed down "over the pea-shelling pan" by my Mammaw, who told me the stories and the histories of her own family, mostly of the women, and that's my own personal frame of reference.

    I did a little "Family Forest" series here beginning January 10, and running with a chapter a day for about twelve days, if you'd ever like to look at it a bit.

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  16. And Maggie,
    You are missed SOOOO much, as well. We've gotta get together soon---here if possible.

    That box of pictures that Sis and I went through is still right here in the storeroom, and as soon as Fall arrives, I've promised myself to get them organized, get Chris to make lots of copies, and see that you and your family get some of all of them. Of course, you'd get the originals of your Mom and Dad and your own family. Maybe it can be an early ??? Christmas present---I know you sorta got left out of the loop on photos.

    love cozy and warm,

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  17. I love this little room. I'm sure it would engender wonderful nighttime dreams. What a happy place it must be.

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