Over the years, there have been things that I've seen while visiting my grandma, that I felt just belonged there. They were her nick-nacks that she'd gathered over her life, and through her travels.
When I was much younger, under 12 at least, I remembered this small, 1" cut crystal faceted globe type piece that sat on my Nana's reading table, right next to her chair, and a stack of books. I probably appeared mesmerized when I looked at it, because of the colors it reflected, and rainbows it created. I mentioned one time that I would love to have something as sparkly as that one day. To my amazement, the next time I saw her, she brought me the globe, and told me it was mine. To this day, it's always held a place of distinction wherever I've lived. For now, it's in my Kitchen Window display.
While it was slightly morbid, my Nana had said that she wanted to make sure that I got it before she died. We're all lucky, because well, she's still here, and finally has chosen, to the excitement of our family, to move out of the mountains and much closer to us. We're talking a quick hop on the freeway, and 20 min later (rather than over 2 hours, and some car sickness) we're there. She had to downsize when she moved, and through that process, some of the other nick-nacks I had told her I really liked, got transferred my way.
Here they are, and the stories behind them.
Cut Crystal Globe
(story mentioned above, from my point of view. I'm actually not sure where this one came from. I'll have to ask)
(my sister gave me that gold yoga frog, and I made him festive with a red bow this past weekend :) and you can see my favorite photo of the puppy's noses in the frame behind... )
Spanish enamel, 24k plate
(I was supposed to be my Nana's travel buddy. She got re-married when I was just over a year old. I was at that time the youngest grand child, and was crawling all around their wedding photos. I didn't get to be her travel buddy, but her and her husband certainly did a good amount of traveling. This plate came from Spain, and is made with "secret enamels, and a 24k gold rim".)
Pink Salad Dish + side bowls
(My mom's Uncle, my Nana's Brother, picked this bowl set out from a fancy store, and was apparently very proud of himself. It was a set my Nana liked so much it was labeled with her name on the bottom, just in case someone thought it was theirs... :) This is a heavy piece, and I can't wait to decorate the table with these bowls at Easter time.)
Clear Glass Salad Dishes
(These two Dishes were an anniversary present for my Nana and grandfather, before he passed away when my mom was only 10 years old. That makes them over 45 years old. I love that these were something that my grandfather that I never met had. How special.)
Pewter Potpourri Dish
(This dish was one of those things that, while not my style, I felt I should certainly say "yes" to accepting. It was the first piece she offered me when I saw her new place here a few weeks ago. I planned to use the glass bowl to catch coins at the front door, but I toyed around with the idea of painting the lid a totally modern color (bright green? bright pink?) and maybe using it in a baby's room one day.)
Etched Juice Glasses
(These are amazing. Much better than even the pictures show. There are 8 of them. And they're heavy. And the etching is thick. This isn't the crappy stuff you find these days. This is quality, and it shows me that spending some money up front, may make a life statement to those that love you down the line. These were already put away, up high in the cabinet, but I took one down to show you!)
These may just be "things" and you may think it odd to be this cheerful over them. I don't feel the same, because I've not got the chance to spend as much time as I would have liked with my Nana. That coupled with not having a large extended family, I'm probably grasping for straws, but at least it's a start. Because I know these pieces have a history from her, they're even more special. I look forward to the weekends that I now get to spend with her and my mom doing things 3 generations of girls would love to do: tea, shopping, talking, etc.
Love you Nana!