fine glass marbles... and wooden ones??? no, could never sell those. if you ever do, check me first, k? and I would stamp your name on them in case a younger of your family came back calling. what a remarkable collection.
My Uncle James died when I was nine. my Papa when I was 19. my Granny not until I was 33. But all those years she had kept those marbles in a jar on the screened-in backporch. and kept his pipes. and his straight razor and harmonica (I have those, also). and his toy cars... fancy 50's ones that you wind up and they go.
And she'd kept Papa's hat.
She had kept some of his clothes, as well, and when I was there with at 23, she knew I liked pockets, so she sowed pockets on a couple of his sweaters and gave them to me.
When everyone was gone from the farm house after she died, and I was left there (I was living in it), I was surprised to find all of James's things there. But he was so simple and the Alabama cousins came for a day with family... when I came it was two weeks at a time so I was there with him in the house. He made such an impression on me. Maybe it was the periods of time with him.
He always mowed the yard and never used anything but a old-fashioned push mower, no motor, ya know. And he and Papa kept up the graveyard in the cove and James took that as his special job to mow that.
i love the story of your family hats. Hats are wonderful things. I'd like to bring them back into fashion. along with cufflinks for Sunday best. :) |
