Monday, August 15, 2016

Safekeeping Susie's Treasures

"I want my "stuff" to have a happy home! Strangers just can't enjoy them the way I feel they should be enjoyed. Anything I send that you don't want to use or have please feel free to pass on to someone you know who would enjoy it."


That was part of a facebook message I received from my life-long friend Sue (known to many as Susie). We became friends back in 1972, shortly after I graduated high school and began my first job at a local weekly newspaper where she was working. She was one of the typists for the news columns and I was hired as a lay-out/paste-up artist for the advertisements. This was back in the day before everything was done on computers. The newspaper columns and ads were laid out on dummy pages and pasted into place. They were then photocopied, developed in a darkroom and burned onto plates and put on to the huge printing press...quite a cool process, actually.

Anyway, our friendship has stood the test of time and distance. Although I moved away from Ohio in 1981, Sue and I made a point to meet as often as we could when I returned for family visits. This continued as we moved even further south to North Carolina, but several years went by when we were not able to make it happen. I will never forget being at the funeral home in my home town after Mom passed...the family was gathered for her visitation when someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around and there she was, greeting me in that familiar little girl voice of hers. She was just beaming and I was about to find out why. Susie was in love and soon to be married for the first time...plus, she had traded in her keyboard for a white uniform and stethoscope. So at the tender age of 60, she became a wife and a nurse!


Susie had been a collector of vintage items for many years and her home was full of them. Unfortunately, her new hubby didn't share her love for the rusty and crusty so she packed many of her treasures away in boxes. Over time she felt compelled to part with most of them, some of which she gave to me! So several weeks ago, a large heavy box arrived, chock full of wonderful vintage treasures! She made sure everything was wrapped and packed safely and it was just like Christmas morning as I went through them, unwrapping each individual item. Many of them had come from estate sales and such, but a few others were actually family heirlooms.


This delicate night cap and the crumb catcher set (below) had belonged to her Great Aunt Ada. She told me they were well over 100 years old.


Great Aunt Ada was married to a dentist and was considered by the family to be "rich", according to Susie. I can't imagine sleeping with something like this on my head (although it does tend to bring back memories of sleeping in rollers...:O) but I guess many ladies wore them back in the day.


I was absolutely CAP-tivated (tee hee) by the intricate detail of the lace and delicate ribbon trimming. Take a closer look, isn't it just beautiful?


There were also many handmade lace doilies, embroidered dresser scarves and table runners and dainty lace-edged hankies and the like.


The lace around the edges of most of them is  hand-tatted and/or crocheted.


Also included was a darling vintage dish towel, a great old flour sack and many useful odds and ends.

 
Have you ever seen a cherry pitter?


It looks like I have all the tools I need to make some cherry jam, huh?


And then there was this adorable pin cushion made of linen from hand spun flax. Susie had put many notes inside of the box, giving a little history about just about every item.  But I have to say that above everything else that came in the box...even the lace night cap...these are my favorite...


When she was a little girl, she had a special friend whose mother, Mrs. Parker, made many beautiful crocheted doilies and things. The pink and red ruffled doilies are gorgeous but it's this little pair of high-heeled shoes that really made me ooh and aah. Aren't they just the cutest? What beautiful handiwork!


Although I felt totally blessed by receiving Susie's treasures, a part of me couldn't help but feel a little sad that she felt like she needed to part with them. But that's what blessing others is all about, isn't it—giving something away that you'd really like to keep for yourself. I means so much to me that she wanted me have them.

So what do I plan to do with my box of treasures? I think a little farm house in a meadow might just make a good place for many of them to be put to good use :)

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33 comments:

  1. Oh my!!! These are treasures indeed.I have no doubt that you will find the perfect spots for each item.

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  2. Such very special treasures to cherish.
    Those shoes ... I've never seen anything like that before ... simply beautiful.

    All the best Jan

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  3. Each item is made more special by the background of your friendship. Tks for sharing.

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  4. What a blessing your friendship has been over the years. I know you cherish each item she gifted you and it does her heart good to know you love these things as much as she did. The shoes are so unique and so perfect! You have had Christmas in August! Enjoy!

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  5. I love those treasures!! How thoughtful of your friend to pass them on, knowing that you would be the one to treat them with the love they deserve. I'm sure they will find a place of honor in your home. I especially love the knitted shoes! Forget Cinderella and her glass slipper - these are the best!

    GOD BLESS!

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  6. i love that she can still share them while she's alive and well and can hear folks ooh and aah over their gifts and one-of-a-kind treasures.

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  7. Absolutely love all these treasures!! As a matter of fact I am familiar with the cherry pitters and have been trying to locate one, not so easy. What a wonderful friendship and a treasure it has lasted through the years!

    Blessings,
    Jill

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  8. What a wonderful gift to receive from your friend. She treasured them and now you can. The best treasure is your friendship over so many years.

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  9. That really is a wonderful friendship that is a blessing to you both. And it's good to share our treasures with those that can enjoy them. I love handmade items and the cap is something I've never seen. Happy Mosaic Monday my friend. Hugs, Diane

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  10. Oh wow everything is beautiful. It was Christmas, birthday, and all holidays rolled into one. : )

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  11. How sweet and generous of her. I love everything she sent to you, it must have felt like Christmas! Oh my the apple pie towel. I just did a post on my vintage towels and have a couple in that genre. Fun post! :)

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  12. Oh isn't this the sweetest post ever?????????????

    Susie is amazing- she knew exactly who to send her vintage and antique treasures to. YAY! She knows how much you will cherish each piece. ♥♥♥

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  13. A beautiful friendship indeed. Lots of lovely things to treasure and cherish from bygone years. I LOVED the shoes, and the intricate details on the doilies are amazing. A very special gift.

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  14. The box contained many beautiful treasures but to me the most cherished treasure that Susie sent to you was her friendship which has stood the test of time and circumstances and is priceless.
    Thank for sharing your treasures with us on Mosaic Monday.
    Maggie

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  15. Oh what beautiful things...I have some doilies that my mom made in her youth. But those shoes...those are amazing! Have fun with your treasure..it is full of love!

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  16. That crocheted high heeled shoes is really something. Must show it to wifey.

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  17. How sweet to be entrusted with these beloved treasures. It is a tribute to the friendship that you share!

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  18. I am impressed that your friend is so into her new life that she is giving away her treasures--that's truly noble, and she knows who to entrust them to! They are lovely and I'm with you on those shoes! Sweet and amazing!

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  19. How precious that your friendship has meant so much over the years that she would share treasures close to her heart with you. Sounds like you will be enjoying them for years to come. (Now if you decide to try on that sweet night cap be sure to post a picture!)

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  20. What a sweet and precious friend you have, indeed! Everyone needs a friend like Susie...so selfless, thoughtful, and kind-hearted. So happy for you...and for her. It is always more blessed to give than to receive! Thank you for sharing!

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  21. Oh what wonderful treasures! She must really be some special woman to tackle nursing and take on a husband, too.
    Hugs,
    Carol

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  22. What an accommodating wife! For some reason, this post reminds me of James Herriot's "The Christmas Day Kitten" and there's not a pet nor a vet in it! Your friend sounds like a wonderful gal who trusts her treasures with you.

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  23. Be still my heart...what delightful items your sweet friend has blessed you with! The linens and doilies...so lovely! And the lace cao - oh my! What beauty.

    Your friend is simply precious and I know you will cherish the items she has given you. Hugs to you, Debby!

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  24. How nice of Susie to send all these treasures to you! What a wonderful friend she is! Treasures for her and now treasures for you. She knew who would care for these precious things. Have a lovely week.

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    1. Thank you! She told me a few days ago, she has another box she started to fill for me...oh my!

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  25. Debby, The night cap is a work of art. Love the shoes. Thanks for sharing. She trusted you to care about these things and you do. Sylvia D.

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  26. Night caps would be uncomfortable to me but guess if you've worn them most of your life, you would be used to them. This one is beautiful

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  27. This is a wonderful story of love and friendship and how friendship spans the test of time and distance enhanced by the beauty of a few treasures that will be safely kept. Loved it.

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    1. Thank you for visiting, Ann...I'm glad you enjoyed it. Blessings!

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  28. What a treasure trove of beautiful items! Your friend knew just the right person to gift them to.

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  29. Oh, those are such treasures! That nightcap looks like it could easily be part of the collection of items at any one of these museums I visit! Blessings to both you and Susie!

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  30. I would have loved to see your face upon opening the box filled with these wonderful treasures. How lovely for you to have all these memory-filled pretties reminding you of all those special memories you share with your friend. Those crochet slippers are amazing. I like the sound of all these pretties one day finding a home in the little farm house in that lovely meadow of yours.

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Thank you for stopping by today! Your sweet comments are such an encouragement to me.