I hope your 2020 has started off with great joy and happiness. We have all made our New Year’s resolutions I am sure, but mine have changed during the years. Oh, yes—I have started 45 diets and resolved to get organized in my sewing room, but as years have passed, my resolutions have changed.
During the Christmas season, my son Brian, who is the founding editor of our Bake from Scratch magazine, always bakes cookies. This year he recreated my dad’s Fruitcake Cookie recipe and brought them to all of us to enjoy. It was very interesting that he had them in a cookie tin my mom had used for years. It is a cute tin resembling a merry-go-round. Mom and Dad had received this filled with a fruit cake inside and kept the cute tin.
When I asked about it, he told me that Mom had given it to him. Brian always knew at Christmas when the cookie tin came out it meant goodies inside. Mom said she was not baking anymore, and he could have it. He has loved that since he was a child, and he now treasures not only the container but the magical memories he had as a young boy.
I thought about this a lot as a new year has started. One of my resolutions is to make every day as special as I can. When the grandchildren come, I want to have special dishes or containers that they will associate with fun times as they grow older. It doesn’t have to be an expensive item, but one they will remember as something Gigi used when they were at my house. I want it to represent a glorious time of laughter and fun around the table.
I don’t believe in saving anything for a special occasion, as every day we live is special, and our friends and family are the most special. This year I am going to focus on the little things that make each day unique, and I want my grandchildren to have wonderful memories.
Do you have a treasured item that represents great moments in your life?
Comments 21
What has happened to A Ribbon In My Journal? It is only a selling opportunity now. Buy this book or that book. I really lobed the stories and looked forward to them. I am very disapointed.
I love this story. What a great thing to try to do in making every day special and make memories for those that we love. I’ve always tried to do that, but, I think I’ve dropped the ball lately, so this post was refreshing for me! Thank you!
My grandparents had a chicken dish that the top (the chicken) lifted off of the bottom (the nest) and they always put an egg in it for us to find when we would visit. My sister still has it and when I visit her and see it I can remember us running to the kitchen to check look for the egg.
My grandmothers did too. They were glass. I loved them.
My Mother’s “good dishes” were the green Jadite dishes that came free at the grocery stores long ago. She used them for all the holidays and had a set of 12. I still have them, and use them for all our holidays although they are quite worn. At times I am tempted to buy a new set of dishes, but there are none so special as these and never will be.
I have yellowed, grease spotted, well used recipe cards in my Mother’s handwritting. These are priceless to me because she has been gone for almost 22 years. My favorite is her peanut butter cookie recipe, because she somehow managed to burn batches quite often. I always let the last small batch stay in the oven until the bottoms are black and save them for me. Sometimes I will take a picture and send it to my siblings. Biting into that dark, flavorful cookie always reminds me of my beautiful Mom.
My grandmother made a layette set when my mother was expecting. When my mother delivered twins my grandmother made another layette set over night. My twin sister and I still have those sets and cherish them.
Marilyn
My maternal grandmother was very creative. She gave my mother numerous potholders, doilies, napkin holders and beautiful pictures she needle pointed. My late mother always cherished them and now my sisters and I do,too.
Marion
I received the Friendly Village dishes for one of my birthdays. My parents bought it I and still treasure it and use most of them on a daily basis.
Joan
My 92 year old dear sweet momma always mails me her homemade Lebkuchen cookies in the same tin at Christmas, and I then send the tin back to her in Texas, ready for next year. I know that there will not be many more years of receiving her cookies; so I savor every bite with a cup of tea each year. Like your son, My name is on that tin!
My granddaughters love seeing the very old Christmas pyramid we bring out each Christmas- the lit candles give off heat to propel the windmill blades that turn the nativity scene around and around- I love seeing their little faces aglow in the candle light as they watch it turn.
All year round, tho, they all love coming over to play “balcony ball” with a red and white polka dotted ball that was my husbands when he was little- the balcony overlooks the family room, and they go upstairs and toss the ball over the balcony to whomever is sitting on the sofa- and they toss it back up- & only the polka dotted ball will do! It’s great fun, and we feel special that they still want to play when they come over. Xo
I too believe in using treasured items, beautiful dishes and table settings. I’m from the era that was raised with an appreciation of lovely things. I’m ever so grateful to have known parents and grandparents who passed on their traditions and heirlooms. My son has three young boys and when they come for dinner the table is set with a tablecloth, cloth napkins and NOT my everyday dishes (I have so many sets). I want them to feel special and most of all learn proper table manners. It is sad to see a well set table becoming a lost art. Everyday I set a nice table for my husband and I, candles and music too. The last time my youngest grandson was to dinner he asked me when I used the dishes in my china cabinet and I said “next time you are here for dinner”! His eyes lit up!
Jan Painter
I agree that special things should be part of every day life. I have Lenox China which I use frequently. People have commented that I actually use it! I take good care of it but if I don’t use it, why have it? I also had a Canadian Grandms who started me on my life long love of tea, cups etc. I always had my sugar lumps – didn’t realize plain sugar was the same thing! Make every day pretty!
This post is music to my ears. I love using my special china, cloth napkins, candlelight, and many other “pieces” that mean so much because they have memories attached from when our children were young. I wanted my children to be familiar with all the “special” things so that some day when they inherited something they wouldn’t look at it and say, “Hm, I’ve never seen this before!” The risk of something getting broken or chipped pales in comparison to the fun of using it over and over.
Thank you for this inspiration. This encourages me as I have recently decided to use China that was my mother’s or mother-in-law’s when the grandkids come over. I want them to have the memories when they get older. And every day when it’s just my husband and me having dinner together we use the dishes we received when we got married. I’ve saved them for “good” for 40 years, now we use them every day with our silver flatware and goblets. And yes, candlelight in the winter.
I agree with you, Phyllis! Sundays are the special days of the week for us, ending with dinner in the dining room with candlelight and silver. Even weekday meals at the kitchen table call for candlelight on winter evenings, table set with our Blue Willow, a bowl of oranges as centerpiece. That said, each new day is a new beginning for me when I can “start over” with God’s grace and blessing.
Happy New Year to you all! ~ Jo
I have a small Lefton china plate that my aunt gave me when she downsized her belongings before moving to the west coast. She served me banana bread on that plate when I was a little girl. I have always wanted my home to be like hers because it was always peacefully neat & clean. She also made it a warm & welcoming place to visit. I agree that every day is special & should be treated as such.
Agree with all shared here . Too many of us let our treasures “live in the box”. Regardless of monetary or sentimental value, we should make each day as special as we can, and not just use our treasures for occasions. Certainly pertains to china, kitchen items, etc, but I believe we should wear the jewelry also. It wasn’t given to us to “live in the box”.
This is a beautiful post. I truly cherish the wonderful times with my grandmother. She lived in the small town of Collins, Mississippi. I spent every summer with her and it was beautiful just to be with her and also I learned about a different life – the South. As I lived in North Central West Virginia.
I am so fortunate to have many things that belonged to her and my dear mom. But, mostly I treasure what they both instilled in me. The love of home, gardening, needlework, and literature. And much more.
Thank you for this meaningful post, I am sharing it to my FB page. Blessings to you and yours.
When my mother passed away last year we had to go through her things and decide what to do with them. I live in a small apartment and don’t have room for much but I did ask my siblings if I could have her Cuisinart food processor. She used it for so many great meals she made for us. She bought it in the late 70s and it’s still works perfectly today. My husband and I have already put it to good use and will continue to do so.
On a more personal note I kept a necklace my father had given her that she let me wear on my wedding day and a pair of earrings I gave her that she wore very often. It feels good to wear them and carry the memories with me that way.
I so agree that we can make every day special. And I also believe that it doesn’t mean it has to be over the top. Just as you have pointed out, Phyllis, it can be something as simple as a special cookie jar or a recipe or a fun game that brings back wonderful memories. Every day my husband starts making breakfast for the two of us while I am still asleep, so every so often I leave him a little funny ” good morning ” note on the kitchen counter. It makee him laugh and sometimes that’s all it takes to make the day just a little more special.
Here’s to a year filled with special days!
I couldn’t agree more! Every day is special, and we eat off our china every single day. I have full collections and partial collections, and I enjoy picking out just the right dishes to go with a meal. Growing up, Mother always pulled out a pitcher for tea at the holidays that was engraved with the letter R. She gifted me that pitcher, and it’s on our hutch in the dining room. I enjoy using it when we entertain.