Day 10

Childhood Memory
These are all things I have that were my Grandmother's or remind me of her.
Let me share....There are two jars of buttons. Many of them where Grandma's, many of them where my Nana's ( Grandma's mother). As a little girl I would go through them over and over again. 
They where not kept in jars when I was little, but in the woven sewing box here. It was Nana's. I know Grandma cherished it. I have always cherished it also.
 One of the canning jars holds three dried dates. My grandparents had date palms in their back yard. And Grandma would dry them. She had a very large jar (the size of the one I keep my cookie cutter collection in) where she stored the dates. I dont remember anyone other than me ever eating them. But I loved them. They are like candy. These are the last three. I am sure they are petrified by now, but I will keep them forever. 
There are a collection of Grandma's hankies. I remember playing with them as a little girl. One has art work from DeGrazia on it. I think Ted DeGrazia was her favorite artist. I was never into the SouthWest art, but I guess for the Italian American girl from PA it was the thing!! 
The cookie jar of Aunt Jammima was a gift from my children. Grandma had one, very similar to it. It lived on her fridge. I loved that cookie jar! Funny, I never have cookies in it! 
There in the back is a paperback cookbook. It was Grandma's first cookbook. She had a wonderful collection of cookbooks, this is the one I wanted when she passed away. It was the oldest, and for me meant the most. 
The music box in the front, the girl at the piano! This is one of my very favorite things! Grandma had one just like it. I loved it. Grandma's was broken and repaired, rumor is I was the cause of the mishap. I do not recall!  When I was a very young mother I saw one that matched this in a very expensive store. I could not afford it at the time. I spent the last twenty some years looking for another. This February my dearest sister-cousin and I were spending the day antiquing. And there this was. Again, at the time I did not have the money. But the Tax Return Fairy was due to arrive, so I put it on hold. Bringing this home, sharing it with my children, listening to the song that has hung in my memory all my life, was like finding a long lost puzzle piece to my life. I love this piece! 

These are some of my wonderful childhood memories.