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Monday, November 12, 2012

A Room Filled With Memories . . .

 
 
 
Do you ever awaken in the middle of the night and sleep just simply doesn't return? 
That is what happened to me just a bit ago, so I came upstairs to not disturb
Mr Garden House and Snickers.  I am in my little corner of the world,, office if you will. 
It really is the guest bedroom with a desk in front of a window where I can look out
into the woods.  I watch the birds flit here and there, think, reflect and solve problems,
type off a letter or two and/or spend time creating to my heart's content. 
 
However . . . it is the middle of the night and
all I see from the window is darkness . . . no flitting birds. 
The house is quiet and my mind is spinning . . .  
 
I began my day yesterday with conversation and coffee with my friend Jackie who just returned from a week in Wisconsin.  We get together each week and enjoy the best discussions and some raucous laughter too.   After she left I started some laundry and
tried to muster up some energy to go outdoors to do another leaf clean up.
 
The laundry room is in the lower level of our home and adjacent to a large family room. 
 We seldom spend time in this room anymore.  It used to be a favorite place for the grandchildren to play and for us all to be together during holiday gatherings.
 
As I walked out of the laundry room something caught my eye in 
The Keeping Room
and leaf pick up
became the last thing I wanted to do.
 
I have found myself very melancholy of late. 
Not unusual for me really, I am one of those introspective sorts.
In the fall of the year, I find myself more this way. 
Plus, there is no doubt about it . . . 
I have reached more of an "autumn time" in my life 
.
Sorry . . . I digressed a bit there. 
As I came out of the laundry room I happened to stop in front of this picture
which is located on the wall adjacent to the family room. 
 I have looked at this picture a thousand times,
reflected on the words often,
but today it stopped me,
reminded me to take a look and reflect.
 
I think my delightful day yesterday with my youngest grandchild
must have torpedoed me into this mode.  
Again . . . I digress . . .
I will leave that for another time.   
 
 
I found this poster years ago and had it framed for the family room. 
I think it was from a conference I had attended regarding children, grief and art.
The words speak to the child and to the child in each of us.
The writings around the edges of the poster say the following.

The
truly wise person
keeps alive an inner child
who doesn't forget how to play,
to trust, to grow, to recover from mistakes.
There is always room for a child in the
spirit of a truly whole person.  
 
The healthy society loves, treasures its children. 
It respects them for who they are,
not for what
they may
 become.
 
The wise spiritual tradition
recognises that the child bears within itself
a certain divine quality
that seems to disappear
in adults
  

A wise
society listens
 to its children,
pays careful
attention to the
spirit they
express. 
~
It was in reading this that I became lost in this room I created years ago. 
The memories flooded over me. 
Pictures on the walls.
Children giggling and playing. 
Building highways on the floor with
cutoff two by four ends from a building project. 
Lincoln Logs
Building towers and watching them fall over
Dressing the dolls
Playing house together
Tea parties
Playing dress up
Racing cars around the room
The train set 
and more
 

 
I found this wonderful print several years ago and had it framed for the family room.
  It always makes me smile. 
check out the fish
~

Mary Engelbreit framed card
 
Know you what it is to be a child?
It is to be something very different from the man of today.
It is to have a spirit yet streaming from the waters of baptism,
It is to believe in love, to believe in loveliness, to believe in belief,
It is to be so little that the elves can reach to whisper in your ear,
It is to turn pumpkins into coaches, and mice into horses,
lowness into loftiness, and nothing into everything,
for each child has its fairy godmother in its soul.
SHELLEY
 

 
Boy and Girl Framed cards by an artist name LISA
 


Old Raggedy Ann doll of mine
It was a Santa gift when I was seven.
Love the worn out foot . . . I held it often.
 


Tiny Tears Doll 
Steiff Animals
Annie Doll
Old Barbie Doll
Teddy Bears
Some of Suzie's treasures.
 



Old Puzzle
Humpty Dumpty collectibles
 

 
More Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls
Hand Made Porcelain Doll by thora
 

 
Curious George
 
 
Favorite book,
Love You Forever
 
 
More Steiff animals
 
 
old kitchen cabinet
found at a garage sale
i asked how much
he said two fifty
i asked if he would take two
i was embarrassed
i thought two hundred and fifty dollars
he meant two dollars and fifty cents
the top has been rebuilt
original  hardware
 

 
 
grandchildren loved to march around the room
and blow this old family collectible trumpet
 



Each grandchild has been rocked in this chair.
My dad had this made for my mom from the Amana Colonies in Iowa. 

 
Scott and Suzie's childhood rocker.
The grandchildren have enjoyed it as well.
The spooled leg daybed is behind the child rocker. 
My dad slept on it when he was very young.
It is over 100 years old.
 



Everyone needs an American Flyer Sled.
or two
 

 
Lincoln Logs
 

 
Rusty old wagon the neighbor found
He cleaned it up, painted it and gave it to me. 
The grandchildren have played and played with it.
 

 
I did finally get outside to do another leaf pick up but
not until I had spent some time looking back and remembering.
 
The grandchildren are grown now, two in college, one in the working world
and one who will be in high school next year.
Match Box cars, dolls, teddy bears, trains and building blocks are in the past.
Lap tops, iPhones, iPads, cars and friends make up their worlds. 
 
The furniture is dated, the toys sit quiet.
The memories live on forever. 
 
Be happy
Be well
Enjoy each day
~ ~ ~
 

 
The eighties version of PikMonkey.
A framed family photo memory collage.
 


15 comments:

TexWisGirl said...

ahhh, sweet lynne. i get melancholy in autumn, too. thank you for sharing your sweet 'keeping' room with us and all the heartfelt memories that go with it.

Pamela Gordon said...

This is a beautiful post Lynn. What sweet memories of your now grown children and grandchildren your family room holds for you. I also feel very melancholy in the fall plus that is the season that my parents died. I have a very similar rocking chair as your cane one and also I have a Raggedy Ann doll from my childhood that looks like yours. Such sweet memories. Are we growing old? At least we can still remember. Hugs, Pamela

MarmePurl said...

I am happy you stopped to look and remember... and share.
Wonderful Post.

GardenOfDaisies said...

I love all the toys and family pictures that you keep. (Cute fish in a dolly dress!) Our children surely do keep us young at heart. :-) I miss mine a lot, but I know they are happy, so that makes me happy, too.

Anonymous said...

Hello Lynne!
You have a wonderful collection of dolls. A family collage just wonder.
Monika B.

Terriea Kwong said...

So touching memories with children. A beautiful collection of dolls and pretty words of poster.

eileeninmd said...

Good Morning, Lynne! I love your Keeping Room. It holds so many sweet memories of your children and grandchildren. Thanks for sharing the lovely look back. Wishing you a happy day!

laurak/ForestWalkArt :) said...

what a perfect name 'the keeping room'...keeping all the things and memories alive.
although this is my favorite time of year...i tend to get a little down...thinking of those i have loved & lost...the mistakes i have made...the bad choices my sons have made that tug at my heart...and hurt.
thank you for sharing all these keepsakes...and opening your heart...and letting the words spill out...
a very touching & heartfelt post!
have a happy day!

Barb said...

Oh my, you were very melancholy. Nice post. See you in a few hours.

This N That said...

Wow..What great things..Older is better..Wonderful memories...

Lynn said...

Beautiful, Lynne. Those special times are best for reflection. Remember when the world was asleep and we nursed our babies . . . it was so peaceful. Now in these autumn years those magic moment come to us again. Blessings, my dear one. Enjoy them for what they are . . . a gift.

At Home in English Valley said...

Dear Lynne, It's 4:39 am, and I am having a night like you had. I loved seeing all those things so precious and filled with memories. You my friend are forever young, so filled with love and life. Thank you for an amazing post, a visit with a dear friend, just when I needed one. "I love you forever, I'll like you for always, now and forever my friend you will be!" Love, Penny

LANA said...

I know what you mean. Except I feel tat way about my children. I have videos of them as children and every once in a great while I take one out and watch it, but it makes me feel so sad and wish I could turn back the clock for a day. But we are fortunate that we have the memories forever. Your keeping room is lovely, and I especially like the collage.

Carol said...

Very sweet memories to hold in your heart.

dee dee said...

Lynne,
Thank you for sharing your look back and in a way a look forward as well! Your keeping room is still special!
dee dee