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Hand-Me-Downs

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My mom’s in clean-out-mode. And for me, that means I’m finally getting some of the little treasures I’ve had my eye on for the last few years. Granted, she’s not breaking out the bicentennial grandfather clock or silver yet, but a week of attic-cleaning for her has meant some hidden jewels for me. The first is this quilt pictured above. It was made for my mom when she was pregnant by a woman who was blind–that, in and of itself, is amazing.(what was my excuse for not quilting yet?)

The quilt is very faded and lots of the squares need a little repair, but I love it–in all it’s worn in, well-loved, faded glory. (Isn’t martha trying to replicate this nowadays?) It has become the perfect summer quilt for Mary’s crib now that I’ve put away the down throw that warms her little toes in the winter.

And then there was this:

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Now I know it’s not much to look at these days, but let me tell you this used to be a favorite of mine. One of my most vivid memories being the time that I interrupted a 4-H meeting that was being held on our farm to give a demonstration to those in attendance on how to "cut off a horse’s head". I know it involved a stainless steal mixing bowl full of grain (to distract your horse) and a butter knife (probably not the most painless method, I’m guessing…) You can see I tried to add a little more detail to my ‘horse’ as the years went on. Mom thinks it’s black paint from when we were painting the balcony that used to come from an upstairs bedroom, down the side of our old stucco farmhouse. I think it might be black shoepolish.
Either way, I’m going to find some way to bring it back to its glory, I hope. (Or should I say, I’m going to try to convince my husband to find some way to bring it back to its glory…are you reading this, Dan?) I can’t keep the girls off it…at least Emma, who is the exact same age as my infamous beheading demonstration. It squeaks with each rock, as if pained that I’m bringing it out for another generation of riders. But I love it. And I love having it my house. And I love seeing my children’s bruised and scratched legs draped around the same seat that rocked my bruised and scratched knees, as well. That, in my opinion, is good design.

A Final Note:
There were men climbing telephone poles all around the valley last week. Working their way up one road, around the corner to the next. I watched them as they worked and so badly wanted to know what they were up to. I even dared to faintly utter the words to my husband: "Maybe they’re installing high speed internet?" And leave it to my father, to pull up alongside a truck and yell up to the man in the bucket….cable internet is the word. cable internet. it’s coming. I even called the cable company that afternoon to get some answers…how long? how will I know when it’s here? what if they forget to notify me?  And sweet little Renee, put my name on a list, and she’s going to call ME, when it’s ready. Sixty days, folks. A sweet little 60 days.
And you know, when this little stint with dial-up is over, I think I’ll be a much more patient, high-speed appreciative person. And after that I’ll write a book: 1001 Things To Do While You Wait For A Page to Load.
Today–knitting a swingcoat for Mary. (not all in one page load, though…it’s not THAT slow.)

Img_3960

My mom’s in clean-out-mode. And for me, that means I’m finally getting some of the little treasures I’ve had my eye on for the last few years. Granted, she’s not breaking out the bicentennial grandfather clock or silver yet, but a week of attic-cleaning for her has meant some hidden jewels for me. The first is this quilt pictured above. It was made for my mom when she was pregnant by a woman who was blind–that, in and of itself, is amazing.(what was my excuse for not quilting yet?)

The quilt is very faded and lots of the squares need a little repair, but I love it–in all it’s worn in, well-loved, faded glory. (Isn’t martha trying to replicate this nowadays?) It has become the perfect summer quilt for Mary’s crib now that I’ve put away the down throw that warms her little toes in the winter.

And then there was this:

Img_3964
Now I know it’s not much to look at these days, but let me tell you this used to be a favorite of mine. One of my most vivid memories being the time that I interrupted a 4-H meeting that was being held on our farm to give a demonstration to those in attendance on how to "cut off a horse’s head". I know it involved a stainless steal mixing bowl full of grain (to distract your horse) and a butter knife (probably not the most painless method, I’m guessing…) You can see I tried to add a little more detail to my ‘horse’ as the years went on. Mom thinks it’s black paint from when we were painting the balcony that used to come from an upstairs bedroom, down the side of our old stucco farmhouse. I think it might be black shoepolish.
Either way, I’m going to find some way to bring it back to its glory, I hope. (Or should I say, I’m going to try to convince my husband to find some way to bring it back to its glory…are you reading this, Dan?) I can’t keep the girls off it…at least Emma, who is the exact same age as my infamous beheading demonstration. It squeaks with each rock, as if pained that I’m bringing it out for another generation of riders. But I love it. And I love having it my house. And I love seeing my children’s bruised and scratched legs draped around the same seat that rocked my bruised and scratched knees, as well. That, in my opinion, is good design.

A Final Note:
There were men climbing telephone poles all around the valley last week. Working their way up one road, around the corner to the next. I watched them as they worked and so badly wanted to know what they were up to. I even dared to faintly utter the words to my husband: "Maybe they’re installing high speed internet?" And leave it to my father, to pull up alongside a truck and yell up to the man in the bucket….cable internet is the word. cable internet. it’s coming. I even called the cable company that afternoon to get some answers…how long? how will I know when it’s here? what if they forget to notify me?  And sweet little Renee, put my name on a list, and she’s going to call ME, when it’s ready. Sixty days, folks. A sweet little 60 days.
And you know, when this little stint with dial-up is over, I think I’ll be a much more patient, high-speed appreciative person. And after that I’ll write a book: 1001 Things To Do While You Wait For A Page to Load.
Today–knitting a swingcoat for Mary. (not all in one page load, though…it’s not THAT slow.)

14 comments on “Hand-Me-Downs”

  1. isn’t your mom’s clean-out wonderful.

    Just thought I would let you know that Noah, my three year old , and I tried out your Fibr Balls this morning and they were yummy – very sweet but just right for a mid-morning sugar rush. Also it may have convinced Noah that peanut butter is yummy – at the moment he likes the idea of having it but can’t get his head round the taste!

    thanks

    karen

    Your girls are beautiful and the pic of them in front of your magnolia tree is stunning

  2. great finds! i have had my eye on a horse like that for some years. it is a beauty! and looks so loved. part of its charm for me…

    happy monday!

  3. you could not have timed the fabric fading more perfectly…just yesterday I picked up the new issue of Martha and carried it around lovingly in Borders. before I finally convinced myself I could do without it…for now. but just this morning i was thinking how interesting it might be if I took some of my already fading clothes and bleached/overdyed them like in the magazine. but how, oh how…do I do so? voila! there were the links. thank you, molly. you read my mind. lol.

    in other news…yay for great memories and old-new keepsakes!! I would cherish that quilt and horse just as much. there are some of these very similar treasures I hope to one day have from my mother, too.

    so yay for great times past…and new ones to come!

    .♥.

  4. You are completely in vogue Miss Molly, those faded lovely fabrics are SO IN! You really cracked me up with the book proposal though! Remember, I’ve only had high speed for 2 years (we were one of the last of our friends to get it). I think I got much more “life” done while waiting for things to download : )xo

  5. great horse…and that quilt, I can’t believe the woman was blind, truly amazing. let me tell you, faster internet will change your life!! just think of all the spare time you’ll have;)

  6. #1 yay for internet cable! hurrah! boo dial up! heehee

    #2 i so want to see the knitted swing coat!

    #3 very funny horse be-heading storyheehee

    🙂

  7. The horse story is just one of the reasons I’m glad I didn’t grow up on a farm; before that story you’d almost made me wish I had with the beautiful pics you post of life in MD. (I’m a geeky loser, I know.)

    But cable rocks! By mid-summer, you’ll be desperate for it. 😉

  8. Wow – had to comment today because of the coincendence.1. My eyes are dilated from a Doctor’s appointment so I am stumbling around on the computer during Bea’s nap instead of quilting as I usually do. But then I see this quilt made by a blind woman?!! Wow.2. I walked by our Design Within Reach store today and notice a red ball rocking horse (as they called it) http://www.dwr.com/productdetail.cfm?id=8674And I thought it was a cool new design — pashaw.

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