Old Things

I like old things. Consequently, I have a lot of old things in my house. Many belonged to my mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Everything in this post is at least sixty years old—or much older. 

One of the oldest things I have is this rocking chair made by my great-great-grandfather, John C. Nace. It's been painted many colors, but I think the original was green. Last year I painted it green again. The cushion on the seat belonged to my grandmother. I remember that cushion from when I was a kid.

The little rocking chair sits in front of the window in my study. Sometimes a cat naps in it.

This glass jar was the Mama's cookie jar when I was a kid. I remember it sat on her dish cabinet. The flowers on it are decals. Now it sits on my kitchen counter.

This little green gizmo is an orange juicer. I remember Mama making my orange juice with it when I was little. That was way before you could buy juice from concentrate. I haven't used the juicer for a couple of decades.

The items below were Grandma's. She once told me that she got the blue carnation vase at a "Christmas tree" at church when she was young. The candleholder is one of a pair. I can remember seeing them at Grandma's house but the candles were never ever lit. I don't know if there's a story behind the smaller vase, but it's also one of a pair. The glass is from a set. 

I remember seeing the pink pitcher and glasses displayed in Grandma's dining room. As far as I know, they were never used. They haven't been used since I've owned them, either. I do remember eating off the plates behind them, though.

This teapot, sugar bowl, and creamer used to sit on the library table in Grandma's parlor. It has "Made in Japan" stamped on the bottom. I have no idea how old it is, but it's older than I am. It has never been used.

I think Mama acquired the milk glass rooster and hen when I was a kid. The ceramic stage coach and the Indian couple used to sit on the what-not stand. I think they're older than I am.

The white vase is old. Mama used it many times when I was a kid. The teapot, sugar, and creamer were given to her by a next-door neighbor when I was nine or ten. Mama never used them. They were for decorative display purposes only. 

These canning  jars belonged to my great grandmother, and they now hold a collection of old buttons. When clothing was cut up for quilts—or was too worn out for further use—the buttons would be cut off and saved for possible re-use. I inherited several boxes of buttons. I figured I'd display them in the jars.

This little glass vase was Grandma's. It sat on the library table in her parlor . . .

. . . as did this little double vase that's carved out of something. Soapstone? It looks similar to this one, but it has no identifying marks on it at all. Both sit near the button jars on top of a bookcase in my living room.

I've never used some of these old things, but I like to look at them and remember where they used to be.

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