Community Chat

[Mary Bailey]

---

@Perkup wrote:

I've made this suggestion before, but I am going to repeat myself.  My parents have been gone since the mid 1960's, and I still miss them every day.  Years ago I could close my eyes and hear their voices in my head soooo clearly.  Now time has passed, and I can no longer hear them.  I hope that those of you who are still blessed to have loved ones who are aging will find a tape recorder somewhere and make some recordings of their voices.  One day you'll look back, listen and thank your lucky stars that you have such a treasure.  It's too late for me, but not for you.

And while you're at it, ask them questions about their parents, grand parents, etc.  You'll treasure those memories in years to come as well. 

---

My Dad had been very ill for many years before he passed away 12/28/15.  He had been on the radio years back. He was an excellent public speaker. He lost his eyesight. So I bought a Hallmark book of The Night Before Christmas. He recorded it for his Great Grandson. 

Also my son interviewed him when he was a political science major for a local historical society.   My son was able to get a copy of that recording recently.  

[JustJazzmom]

Back in the 90's I interviewed my Mother's mother for an immigration unit in one of our son's American History class in middle school. She discussed coming to this country and discussed some of the changes she had seen. I had it on cassette tape and eventually managed to put it onto the computer so I could send it to family members. She lived to be 101 and was an amazing woman who managed to see her children's children's children grow to be late teenagers. She spoke English with a Spanish accent. To give you an idea of how used I was to hearing that accent, I was interviewing a patient for admittance and I asked if he was from such and such country. He asked me how did you guess? I told him you speak English the same way my Grandmother does! 

This same Grandmother crocheted a throw for my twin bed when I was a teen. I still have that throw and use it.

[sfnative]

I just gave my daughter the flour sack dish towels my mother had embroidered, while in bed during 3 bouts of rheumatic fever.  It was the only needle art she cared to do, but those towels have lasted for ages.  They were made in the late 30s, 40s, and 2 in the very early 50s.  She did teach me how to embroider when I was about 8 or 9, but had no patience for encouraging me to go further.  So...when crewel made it onto the scene in the late 60s and 70s, I jumped on it.  When my daughter was born in "77," I found an exceptional Christmas stocking crewel kit from "Sunset" (no relation to the magazine).  All of their kits and patters were outstanding.  Won a blue ribbon for that one and to this day, my daughter just brags on it.  Our 2.5 year old granddaughter pointed at the various items on the stocking in December, telling us what they were.  So sweet!

One of my mother's sisters was absolutely amazing at crochet, various Nordic needlework skills and so much more.  Every year she sent me a box or two of new things she had made.  They are so precious.  And wouldn't you know it, when my mother passed away, we went back to Michigan for funeral #2 and this aunt came up to me and handed me a box.  She said, "I don't do jewelry, so had this made in memory of your mother."  She had commissioned a goldsmith/artist to make a gold pendant in a starburst patten: ruby in the middle and diamonds at the starburst ends (with matching pierced earrings).

Very precious are the recipes handed down to me, plus my stepmother's recipe box.  She was by far the best cook of them all.  I also have all of the jewelry she designed and painted on copper and steel, as well as huge applique wall hangings and a few of her fabulous jackets (he was a fashion designer).  And from her mother, a fabulous collection of Art Nouveau jewelery.

Though we have traced one side of the family to the 12th century, Norwich, GB, I can place my hands on items only from the 20th century, plus a number of recipes from the 19th century.  This has turned me into a needle arts fanatic, so that I can pass along to my daughter and granddaughter.

[daisyk]

---

@Irshgrl31201 wrote:

I have lots of things that are homemade/handmade that I treasure to this day.

The thing that immediately comes to mind is a "jewelry box" my daughter made for me when she was 6 for Mothers day. My daughter has always been creative but I still look at this and cannot believe a 6 yr old made it and she made it entirely by herself. My mother took her to buy the stuff she needed but that is it, she didn't help her one bit and my mother said my daughter would get really irritated with her if she tried to help her. 

She started off with a regular cigar box and took elbow macaroni noodles, spray paint and a hot glue gun. Sounds simple enough but she spray painted all the macaroni before she put them on the box. Half she painted a turquoise blue and half she painted silver. After they dried she applied them to the box with a hot glue gun. Sounds simple enough but she applied them in the most perfect chevron pattern and it was even all the way around with not a mistake to be found. After she applied all the macaroni to the box with the glue gun in the chevron pattern, she sprayed the box with a clear paint, protecting it. It really is beautiful. I doubt many adults could do this as precise as she did. 

I still keep this in my bedroom, right on my makeup vanity and store my most worn jewelry in there. I have gotten so many comments over in the past 20 yrs and people are truly amazed that a 6 yr old made this. I can't tell you how much I love this jewelry box. It is everything to me. She worked on this present for a little over 2 weeks, making sure the chevron pattern was just right and it came out so perfectly. My daughter would work on it daily down in the basement of the house we were living at the time. When she was done working on it for the day, she would put it in the corner, under a box and she was so adamant that I didn't peek. She didn't want the surprised ruined at all. 

She was so proud of that box and to this day she still is. At that moment I knew she would grow up to do something creative like jewelry design or an artist of some sort and today she runs a successful ETSY store where she makes all of her products. 

Out of all the expensive and extravagant presents I have been given, this is by far my most favorite present ever bar none. I treasure it. I look at it everyday and it makes me both happy and sad. Happy that I have a wonderfully thoughtful, talented and compassionate adult daughter and sad that I don't have that sweet little girl. 

I love this thread @Mominohio, it is so fun to read all the wonderful replies. Someone taking the time to make something and working so hard  will always beat a store bought gift, IMO. Not that I don't treasure those too but there is something so special about something someone made with their own two hands with love. 

---

@Irshgrl31201-What a great story and a wonderful gift.

[RainCityWoman]

I have a little three legged accent table that my dad made in shop class when he was an adoescent. He went on to become a wonderfu buider of not ony furniture but also houses...not his profession. He was an air traffice controller. I also have all the wonderful old antique linens from my ancestors..embroidered, crocheted edges, work you don't see much any longer. I have two very old quilts as well. I guess handwork like that is a lost art. I also have the ship my dad carved of his vessel when he was in the Coast Guard as a very young man. 

[Q4u]

My Mom loved and was good at making stuffed dolls/animals and she made several for our boys.  They loved them and I still have them.  She made slippers for everyone and she made my Dad lap throws (I have his old one and the new one she had waiting in the wings).  She also made me several crochet vests (that I still have)...   I've kept many,many things from my Mom and Dad, also DH's Mom and Dad.  The memories tied to them are just to important to me.....  

[dmod nj]

My dmil knitted my son Irish sweaters as he was growing up.  We saved them for any future kids he may have.

My grandmothers crocheted two throws about 30 years ago.  We still use them today.

My husband made me a shelf with a rail like this one

My son made me a box out of colored Popsicle craft  sticks.  He lined it with felt.  He decorated the top with fake jewels and buttons.  Inside he put mementos from our first pup after she passed.   He was about 8 when he made this.   I still have it out in my family room. I've added some mementos  from our subsequent pups after they passed.

[kibbi]

I have many baby blankets, sweaters & hats made for my babies by my grandmother  and a few aunts. That was back in the 80s. I've kept some here, and passed some along for my grandchildren.

I also have a crochet bed throw made by my Great Grandmother YEARS ago.

[RainCityWoman]

I think it's very important to hold on to and cherish things connected to our roots. First, much of the stuff is a lost art and reminds us of all oyur progenitors did unemcumbered with cell phones, TV's, etc.  Secondly, these things are passed on as our heritage to those who follow us. People need to educate their children in the fine art of keeping and caring for things of the past as they relate to our personal identity and actually the history of our nation. All of you who have shared here understand this.

[beckyb1012]

I do not blame you for posting here sometimes the home forum does not seem to have any activity or at least much.

I still have three afghans from my Grandmother she crochet 1975 to the final one in 2000.  Also my wedding china was hand painted by her mother my Great Grandmother and I still have that.

I guess the oldest are little porcelain angels my Great Grandmother hand painted for my Mom after giving birth to my sister and I back in 1961 and 1966 with our names painted on them.  They are now displayed in my bedroom the way my Mom did in hers for decades.  Little Sister and our Mom are now angels together.