Treasure Chest Thursday - Heirlooms from Grandma Dennie

   Well Christmas has just past and the other day i was taking down the tree and other decorations, when I remembered that I hadn't posted about the things I received when my grandmother Dennie passed.  The reason I remembered was that I was taking down the Elf's, I put up every year. From the youngest memories of Christmas that I have, I remember them hanging around the house of my grandmother & grandfather.  Now my Grandmother's last husband was Vic Boismier. He was the only grandfather I knew on my dads side, and he was my dad's step father. Which ever, it doesn't matter because he was Grandpa to me. The Elf's were his technically. He bought them and insisted that they go up each year. I loved them, I thought they were cool. He died when I was 6 or 7 and my grand mother continued to put them out (because she knew I  expected to see them).  When she past away, I knew I had to have them. They always make me remember those child hood Christmas'.  This year I notice the "Elf on the Shelf" is a big hit. Well as you see from the picture below, I've had the Elf on the Shelf for many years.  The tag on the back of the big one's says 1968. So he bought them when I was 2 years old.  No wonder I "Remember When..." for as long as I can "Remember When...".

Have to love that 60's color pattern on the small one,

bottom left.

   So it got me thinking of the other item's that remind me of my grand mother when I see them. for example the dinning room Hutch and China Cabinet. I was given them at the time because My dad and his siblings were already old enough to have established their own households. I was still newly married and building our household. I took them and they were a little worn over time and the finish was chipping. I liked refinishing wood furniture and so I refinished them in a darker color and have enjoyed them ever since.  Here they sit in my dinning room/den.

    Now inside of these sat many things that only came out for family dinners or were just there for show and didn't come out at all. I have some serving pieces in them to this day that just remind me of family dinner's.  I use to stare through the glass door of the China Cabinet almost every time I was over their house.

    In particular the two little vase's in brown, blue, and orange's; with a King on one and a Queen on the other.  They fascinated me as a kid.  It turns out they were from Occupied Japan and probably aren't a King & Queen; maybe an Emperor.  So lets look inside....

   So on the top shelf we can see the 2 vases front and center (just where I remember them as a kid -- except they were on the bottom shelf; where I could view them better). Behind them is the elegant lady playing a harp (music box). I picked it out at age 12 for her for mother's day from my dad and I. To the left of those is a bottle of red wine from my oldest daughter's wedding, 2 years ago. Directly behind and above the vase on the right is the survey tool that belonged to my grand father Lafleur (that appeared in a past post). To the right of that is the blue sugar bowl. This was always in the kitchen and on the kitchen table in my grand parents house. Behind that and to the right is the large glass pitcher that always came out for family dinners. My wife at the time liked it and wanted to use it more regularly. I was worried it might get broken but thought sure, I enjoyed the memories of it. Then one day while on a trip to the Stratford area, we were in an antique store and saw an exact match to it.  Now this was twenty years ago; but the price on it was $150. After that the wife was more inclined to put it away and use it for special occasions.  There are also things on this top shelf from a lovely lady in England who was like a second mother to me in my teens. She is still important to me and I have the little Bag-Piper in the small case in front of the sugar bowl; and beside it, closer to the vase's is a glass dome item. It is a glass paper weight with the Queen of England's jubilee crest on it. In behind the sugar bowl and survey tool is a red vase and a red with yellow handle small pitcher. Both belonged to my grand mother Dennie also. The large crystal vase in the very back corner next to the pitcher was a wedding gift to my former wife and I from an older couple at our church at the time. She didn't really know them or remember them which is why I took it when we separated  I remember them and the very sweet people they were.  

Vase's - Front / Back / Bottom

Sugar Bowl - top broken and missing for years, probably has little retail value. Memories - Precious.

Glass pitcher - right side / left side. 

     Some day I hope my kids will treasure the memories of these items too.  They may remember them for different reasons, but I hope they are fondly loved as they "Remember When...".