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Fingertip Friday: A China Cabinet and a Toy Box for the Ages

2/22/2013

2 Comments

 
Picture
Since I mentioned it in my last post, I thought it appropriate to expand on the corner china cabinet. In the bottom photo of that post you can see how it stood (for about 40 years) in my grandparents dining room. In 1997, after my grandfather's death, the cabinet moved from Gonzales, Texas to Austin to grace my mother's dining room. She moved to Houston with it and after her death, the cabinet came to live with me.

It's really the only piece of furniture I ever wanted. My brother has the beautiful cherry table and chairs that match a large hutch; those were the true center pieces of my grandparents dining room. He also has the standing butcher block and lighted china cabinet that my grandfather hand made for my mom. And that's all find by me as long as I have this.

As a child, I would sit for hours on the floor in front of the bottom doors of the cabinet in a darkened dining room pulling out dishes, lace place mats (made my my great-grandmother), and other treasures that my grandmother kept down there. She never seemed to mind. I never got a warning to be careful or stop playing.

I would have been about the same age, 9 or 10, that I read "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe"; for me this cabinet was my own magical wardrobe. I told my mom when she was living with us how much I loved the cabinet and had loved playing in it as a child. She said "oh yes, I did the very same thing!"

Now, if I found one of my three "playing" in the bottom of it I would probably have a small conniption. I inherited the love of playing in it not the patience of children around it ;) It's loaded down with much of the same glassware and dishes that my grandmother had. Only for her, those things were first, maybe 2nd generation dishes. For me they are running on 4th generation - and in much smaller number - I can't let the loss of something like that fall on my children.

As you can see, this cabinet barely fits in the corner. And that's the largest corner in my dining room - an older house means small rooms. But it does fit, and I smile every single time I look at it! :)

Copyright (c) 2013, Family at Your Fingertips, Jodi Bash

2 Comments
Joan Thomas Holloway link
3/5/2013 05:09:39 am

I love your story. I can identify with your feelings. I was blessed (at the early age of six) by my great-grandmother's gift of a desk. It's nice having family treasures around--like visiting daily with those who are no longer physically with us.

Reply
Jodi
3/5/2013 09:48:41 am

Exactly Joan! It is such a wonderful feeling to have these things around us. Sometimes when I'm in an antique store, I can't help but question who would give up these treasures - but everything has a story, doesn't it?
Thanks for the comment.
Jodi

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    I'm Jodi. Lover of genealogy, graveyards, and stuff that's old.

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