Memories from a Chicken Statue

Happy Thursday!  I hope it has been a good week.  Hard to believe it is only one week until Thanksgiving.  I feel like it is coming sooner than usual and, with five Thursdays in this month, perhaps it is a bit early.  We actually do have an extra week between the holidays and, well,  I will take it – especially when it comes to preparing the children for our little Christmas program at church.  I finally have the program nailed down (hooray!)  Now, time to let the rehearsing begin:)

Thank you to everyone who enjoyed meeting Finnegan on Monday!  He is a charmer, for sure.  His little legs are so short.  And his puppy ears are sooo big!  He makes you smile and everyone seems to be thankful for him!  But, let’s keep moving on with the gratitude prompts and considering some of the extra blessings that make my heart happy.  Today’s prompt took me down memory lane for a bit, so I thought I would share a simple but special day I shared with my mom years ago.  The prompt was an item that I deeply treasure.

I have mentioned more than once that I am not a saver.  I do not hold onto things.  Nor do I have tucked away too many sentimental things.  This can be helpful but there are, for sure, things that I wish I still had.  Things I would love to hold close once again or things I wish I could display.  Especially things that could tell a story.  I would love to share more stories with my family.  Of course, I share history and enjoy telling (bigger) memories but I definitely need to more deliberate about sharing every day stories.  Simple life recollections of those I love and miss so much.  This is one of those stories.  Nothing special but, then again, so special to my heart.

I was visiting Mom at her home in North Carolina.  Mom always did two things whenever we visited.  One, she loved on us with food.  Lots of food.  Lots of good southern cooking food.  There was no dairy free, fat free, gluten free, or certainly no sugar free dishes waiting for us.  Meals were richly seasoned, packed with flavor, smothered in cheese, gravy or both and always included more than enough carbs (and calories) than anyone could ever finish!  She began planning menus weeks before we would arrive and everyone’s favorite dishes and snacks were always included.  Oh, if I were only half the cook that my mother was….well, my husband would be a happy camper:)

Mom also planned activities.  (Yes, I come by being a planner quite naturally.)  She loved to have fun things for the children to do but also had something fun for “the guys” and some time for me and her.  During this trip, we were doing a little thrifting and antiquing.  That is not super unusual (I love to spend a day that way!) but it was not something we would normally do.  She was much more of a mall and department store shopper.  However, she planned the day just for me and we had such fun!  I do not remember buying anything myself but Mom found several things that day.  I don’t know that she had ever bought “an antique treasure” for her home – she was not a saver either – but we were having lots of luck and even more fun discovering things that would fit her house perfectly.

She brought home an antique dry sink.  It was made from the prettiest wood and had the prettiest details.  It really did look nice in her kitchen.  That piece was (sadly) given to another family member when my mom sold her NC home and moved to Florida.  Sigh.  However, during that shopping trip, she also bought this cute piece……

She sat it sweetly on the new dry sink.  And her kitchen, which was not country, or farmhouse, or vintage in any way, immediately looked homey, cozy and even more inviting.  Mom just had style like that!  Everyone commented on this mama chicken with her little chicks.  And – wait for it! – I have the piece.  Oh yes I do.  I’m so happy that I do.  I do not have much from my parent’s home and, yes, I would be happy to have most anything from that house which held so many wonderful memories not only for me but for my children and husband as well.  But I’m glad to have the chicken.  It reminds me of the special day that Mom planned “just because” and just for me.

As I think about it, I do not have too many things from either of my grandmothers.  I do, though, have my grandmother’s recipe box.  From my mom’s mother.  It is stuffed with recipes torn from Good Housekeeping and other magazines and with handwritten ones, too.  It is as chaotic and unorganized as it was when I inherited it.  I’m sure it is that way because she rarely used a recipe.  Grandma was a genuine, natural (and incredible) southern cook.  My mom learned from the best.  I believe I blogged about that recipe box once.  In fact, I did.  Here.

Two take-aways from this trip down memory lane.  Many of the best memories are made on the most ordinary of days.  The “Disney World” days, or memories, are great but I find the ones that I rehearse often and treasure most are the ones found on the everyday kind of days.  That said, make the most of those everyday kind of days.  You never know when a treasured memory might be in the making.  Tag along. Join in.  Say yes as often as you can.  What might seem, or even feel, like nothing could be a day or an outing that you will always remember.  And, just for the record, in this day of purging and trying to create happiness by getting rid of “all the things” be careful and selective that you hold onto some treasures.  Every day treasures.  For yourself and for those who will one day love to hear the story one more time.

Have a wonderful weekend, friends.  Here’s to lots of leave raking and mornings with the fireplace.  Please come back on Monday –