A few more items from the time capsule…

As I continue to go through some boxes that have been put aside for a long time, I found some interesting things that were “saved“ by Mother. I must confess that I have some of her habits. I save too many things! I distributed her major belongings quickly after she passed away. My cousin took her bedroom suite and a few other items that had family history. Margaret has a large five bedroom home and she named one of them , the McInnis bedroom. My Mother’s name was also, Margaret. So the furniture will remain there for any family member to see .

Mother’s clothes were given to her friends and neighbors. They got the choice pieces, some that still had the tags on them. There were many left, so I gave all the remaining things to a friend at my church. When I delivered them to her, she went to her closet, took every thing off the rack, put her things in a pile on the floor and hung everything I had given her in her closet! She then said, “I will be the best dressed lady at First Baptist now!” I was glad the nice clothes could be worn and appreciated by someone.

Some of her dishes are still packed away. I plan to donate them to the Historical Museum in Kannapolis. Many of them came from “Monday Night Movies” when a dish was given to the grownups who came on this slow attendance evening at the Gem Theater. The Gem has undergone refurbishing and is still used. It is on the Historic Register. Movies are shown, as well as, concerts are held. Prices have increased to the going rate! I used to pay nine cents to see a Saturday movie at the Gem.

That leads us to the other bits and pieces I found today. An all leather coin purse had two silver dollars, some John F. Kennedy coins and a George Washington five cent piece in it. A green leather box had more assorted coins in it, as well as another silver dollar. There was a very small pearl finished vase, which she liked and a baby bootie from one of my toys, as well as a beanie hat from my last doll. Needless to say, I enjoyed looking at these remnants from bygone years!

Presently, I am trying to go through many of the files I need to dispose of, as well as photographs and journals. Sometimes progress is very slow, especially when I look at things I have “saved.” I am not sorry Mother liked to “keep” things and I hope my two girls will feel the same when they go through all the “cherished possessions” I leave behind! Somehow, I don’t think my keepsakes will mean quite as much to them. Nevertheless, all the insignificant remains I looked at today gave me a warm fuzzy feeling…a feeling that money cannot buy!

A few glimpses of the past….

It is almost like going on a hidden treasure quest when you open a box that has been put away and forgotten for many years. I remember when “time capsules” were buried to preserve some articles that were currently popular. I haven’t heard much about those kinds of practices in a very long time. I have witnessed several “openings” to see some very odd things that were considered “important” when they were sealed, but when the box was opened you just wondered why those things had been saved.

I am still finding things that Mother considered important to her. Things that I had not seen until recently. We live life in such a hurry now and have for many years, it seems. We do well to get the basic things done each day, while spending too much time watching shows on television or just scrolling on Facebook.

I took certain habits from my Mother….many were good, but some could have been left behind. But individuality is what makes us unique and interesting!

To move right along, I found a tiny baby clothes hanger that was covered with ribbon and has a small pink flower in the center. It was used to hang one of my baby dresses on. That makes it “ancient” now! It was important to Mother, but now it means much more to me. I am glad she saved it!

Mother was a “saver” and also a snappy dresser. She was always small and although she didn’t have lots of things, she was able to keep up with the styles. One of the other items she had put aside was a lace collar. I don’t remember what years they were popular, but you could make a plain dress look fancier by adding one. They may have been “in style” when wearing hats to church were a must, as were wearing white gloves. Crocheted white gloves were popular for grownups as well as for little girls at Easter.

Times change, tastes change, nothing is in vogue for very long now! Who could ever imagine going to church in dresses so short they look like blouses while wearing flip flops? I am glad I discovered these two things that Mother put away in her “time capsule” for me to open years later. I look forward to other discoveries and I probably will share some of them. Life really can be interesting when we take time to revisit the past.

My entire allowance is spent at Dollar Tree🌲…now I need to buy a larger house!

Not really, but I have been an avid supporter since I discovered that bargain filled store on Johnson Ferry Road in Atlanta, so many years ago. My shopping center was very convenient and that means a lot ! The dry cleaner was next to my dentist’s office and just a few feet away was the drug store and Kroger. Across the parking lot there was a a Publix and a branch of my bank. I thought I had it “all.” until Dollar Tree opened!

That changed my life! Oh, I forgot to mention there was a McDonalds just across the street. So, with the addition to Dollar Tree, I really had it made!

I have written about my shopping sprees at Dollar Tree before, so I have really become associated with that chain by lots of my friends. I was in Walmart this morning, when a friend walked up to me as I was buying fruits and vegetables. Doris, my friend, said, “I was just shopping at Dollar Tree and thought you might have been in there! I was looking for you!

A few days ago, I did post several photos of my present color scheme of bright yellow and my dark blue dinner ware in my house. Those navy blue dishes were the first purchases I made when the Dollar Tree opened not far from my house in Atlanta!

I reason with myself by thinking, “I don’t smoke, drink, buy expensive jewelry or clothes, so I feel that I owe myself a few indulgences.” You can always justify something if you try!

To make a long story short, I am now the person people associate with Dollar Tree. Because they have many things I like, such as journals and a certain type of calendar I have used for years, I am definitely a “return customer.” If that was all I bought, I would not have the reputation I have. But because of the pretty artificial flowers, glassware, cards, novelties, cleaning supplies, food items and much more, when my friends think of Dollar Tree, they automatically thank of Miss Jean! Doris, I hope you read this and if you do, please leave a comment! After all, you are the reason for my Journal entry today! Love you, girlfriend! 💚 See you soon at Dollar Tree 🌲

What cats teach us…

It is no secret that I love pictures of kittens! If anyone scrolls my Facebook page, you will find many photos of kittens doing all sorts of things. Some are dressed in costumes, some are sleeping, which they often do, and some are just looking pretty!

I have had kittens in the past, but presently I have only pictures. When I retire ( again) and have most of my time at home I plan to have one or two. In the meantime, I enjoy other people’s pets and pictures or videos. My grandchildren do have cats.

As I looked through a box of keepsakes, I came across a large calendar full of photographs. The cover has “What Cats Teach Us” written in big red letters at the top of the oversized photographs. I cannot believe the price was suggested as $14.99! But, if you see something you like and want, you pay the price!

Some of the things that cats teach us was written beneath the photograph for every month. I will share a few of the sayings, which are worth humans following.

Staring with January…”A smile makes everyone feel better!” That is certainly true! Followed by, “Be proud of your abilities!” Each of us are given certain talents and we should be thankful for them and should use them to the limit! The next pearl of wisdom says, “Try to live in harmony with one another.” Never before in our history is this more needed.

“Live life to the fullest” is advice we should all strive for. We don’t know how long we will be on earth, so we need to squeeze as much joy from each day as possible! The next caption says, “Fresh air will lift your spirits!” The earth is full of so much natural beauty that many people never see because they are never outside their home or office. We should make time to go outside to inhale fresh air, as well as to commune with nature. There is more to life than looking at a smartphone or a television set!

The next photo is one of my favorites. Two cats are wearing bow ties.The caption says, “Go ahead and flaunt your style!” We are each different, but we are all God’s creations, and we are beautiful! Make the most of your “style.” Following is one of good advice.”Don’t let obstacles get in your way!” Life is full of obstacles of every description. The advice is : “Don’t let these things stop you!”

I like the next reminder! It says, “ Make happiness a priority!” We are the one who chooses our attitude, we can be full of joy and thankful or we can be a pessimist and find fault with everything! I am not a complainer. I try to find good in life!

Have you ever watched kittens play? They can entertain themselves for hours chasing a ball on the floor. The next suggestion tells us,” The chase is better than the catch.” Have fun, even in simple things! The next challenge is to “ Embrace change.” Never before in my lifetime have so many things changed so rapidly! We cannot live in the past, so we must be flexible. The old saying reminds us that there is nothing so certain as change. Be patient, for “this, too, shall pass.”

There was no caption for December. It just shows a cat licking it’s paws…but with its head bowed as though it is praying. It is not written, but is a silent reminder that every morning should begin with prayer and the last thing we do before going to sleep is to pray. Each of us have blessings too numerous to count and we should show our thankfulness for them. Yes, there are so many things cats can teach us, if we will only be alert to them!

I have an addiction, but I inherited it!

My Mother liked sweets! There were plenty around, so it was natural for me to eat some of them. My fondest memories of some of the sweet treats were her Toll House cookies with lots of nuts added, when they were available. I remember the yellow package the chocolate bits came in very vividly. When I saw one in the kitchen, I knew what was coming! Thousands of varieties of cookies have not always been available, at least when I was a child, so many of the cookies we had were “homemade.”

Sugar cookies were good. They were simple and I loved to eat one after it was baked and cooled, but still a little warm. That treat with a glass of milk was wonderful! Back when I was small, churned butter and eggs must have been plentiful because I remember that Mrs.Long would always let me know when she was going to make a pound cake, so I could “help her.” Mrs.Long assisted the doctor deliver me at my Grandparents’ house, so she always had a special interest in me. She would use a dozen eggs and so much butter you would not believe when she made a pound cake. She always let me lick the spoon she used. I don’t remember my Mother making pound cakes, but she may have.

Another fond memory of Mother’s favorites was divinity. I watched as she beat egg whites by hand, so stiff until they were just right, and then she added brown sugar and beat the combination even more. She had waxed paper ready on the table so she could put spoonfuls of the frothy delight out to firm up. She never wanted to make divinity on a damp day because it would not get stiff enough. As children, we would be a little impatient, but the wait was worth it.

After she grew older she resorted to “store bought” cookies. She thought a balanced meal was an Oreo in each hand! Mother was always very small, as was my Grandmother McInnis, so eating sweets did not affect their weight. I think I inherited genes from the other side of the family!

One of my favorites in younger years was Moon pies. I suppose they were available everywhere, but in the South most people liked a large Moon pie and a cold RC Cola! It could have just been a “Southern thing!” As I began my “rehab” from my sweet addiction, I was delighted to discover mini Moon pies! They are a bit larger than a silver dollar, but a lot smaller than an old time original Moon Pie! So far I am making progress in my withdrawal from sweets. I just hope the minis will always be around, so I can satisfy my sweet tooth! I really don’t think I will ever be totally free of my desire for sugar, but I am trying!