Showing posts with label Grandma. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Grandma. Show all posts

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Treasures


You know what the secret is to finding "Treasures in the Attic" don't you?
Send your neighbor on the treasure hunt. . What you overlook or think isn't too exciting, they may discover and see as a worthy treasure.

Take this trunk. I don't know where it started life, but I know that my father rescued it from a barn and it belonged to his father or grandfather. He acquired it in the 70's, painted it, then my mom sent it to the basement where it was living underneath the stairs covered up with all kinds of stuff until my neighbor discovered it. My neighbor (I can't remember why she was even down there).... saw it and insisted I bring it upstairs.



It really doesn't look too bad in the living room. And it's a great place to store the pet "stuff".

Know what it used to store? Long forgotten prom dresses, party dresses, and ballroom dancing dresses. I remember seeing these dresses when I was very young, but I just assumed that they had long since disappeared.

This was my mom's prom dress in 1947.



She said she was mortified when she got to the prom and discovered that everyone else was wearing the same dress. Apparently it was THE DRESS to wear that year.


This was a ballroom gown that she wore in the late 50's I believe. The gardening aunt has a picture of Grandma in this dress....maybe she'll read this post, dig up the picture, scan it, and insert it into the post (hint, hint, hint).



(Who says Carol can't take a hint?)
The dress used to be completely green, but the satin has faded to gold with time. I guess it's allowed since it's pushing 60 years old.


Here's the best dress.

My grandmother made this dress for my mom for a dance her first (and only) year at IU.

I think that was in 1949 maybe?

It's a great dress for dancing....





And spinning....









And the best part of this dress is that I remember when we were little either our Grandmother or our Mom (I don't know which one) made a matching dress for a barbie doll. That's buried in another box in the basement somewhere.....

What's buried in your basement?

Saturday, January 5, 2008

Meet the "Old Ladies"

Meet "the old ladies" of our family.

This is Skippy.




Skippy wandered into our lives one day the fall we were married. Came bouncing into our lives is more like it. She was a wild, wild thing. So full of energy and vigor. We could only dream of the day when she would slow down.

She was so sick when she wandered into our yard where step-daughter happened to be lounging.

"OH! Look! She looks so sad....I wonder if she has a home? Maybe we should keep her? "

We'd heard this before.....

The dog hung around a day or two, and being genetically altered as we are, we were compelled to start feeding her, petting her, and eventually, we fell in love.

We took her to the vet. He of course prescribed many expensive medicines to cure her of the worms she brought with her, and we nursed her back to health. She became one of the family.

She is now old, blind (cataracts), and incontinent due to the vast quantity of diuretics she takes for her congestive heart failure. She tries to make it outside, bless her heart, but sometimes she isn't even aware of her "issue".

She now lives in the retirement room in our house. It's a nice edition that Grandma added on when we moved in. She moved in her desk, her computer, her sewing machine and we haven't seen her since...(No, just kidding!)


Grandma didn't want her picture taken. She was a real beauty in her youth.



For those of us who know her and love her, she's still a real beauty.

This is her dog, Missy.

Could you look up Missy?

Sigh.... I guess not.

Missy is very shy except when it comes to Grandma. She loves her mother and rules over her. In her youth, she would play the role of guard dog very well despite her small size. She came into Grandma's life via my sister-in-law. My S.I.L. is very allergic to animals. She fell in love with Missy and wanted her desparately. How could such a little thing possibly have enough fur and dander to affect her allergies?

Easily. S.I.L. called Grandma begging her to please consider taking Missy. She wanted to keep her in the family so she could at least visit. At first sight, Grandma was in love and Missy came home to live with her.

Shortly thereafter, Grandma bought Missy a sister, Annie, may she rest in peace. She went to Doggie Heaven a year or two ago and it was very difficult for Missy and Grandma.

Anyway, Missy also has cataracts, congestive heart failure, and some "issues".

So, the three old ladies, Grandma, Missy, and Skippy while away the days in "Maine Woods", Grandma's retreat. They're very happy in there altogether with their "issues" contained all in one spot.

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Grandma's Hero!

Sherry? Sherry! We need you...come here!

Uh oh....This doesn't look good......

This REALLY doesn't look good. Not my idea of a good time. Don't I have to go to the grocery, or something else exciting and fun?


I'm saved! My hero! He did it!


I guess not....Will the REAL hero please look at me.....

Ta Da! All done! Thanks Sophie! You take such good care of Grandma!


Thanks Uncle Alan and Aunt Leigh for the great Christmas present you got for Grandma! (Didn't know that, did you?)