I got a call from a cousin asking me if I’d like a memento from her mom’s house, which she inherited after her parents died. She was sorting, donating and packing decades of family belongings so it could be sold. Her mom was a beloved aunt who welcomed my curiosity when looking at many objects […]

My most special Christmas ornament is a small blue angel. It is made out of inexpensive plastic and wood and is very simply painted. It has a small bell inside that makes a soft jingle when you shake it. This angel ornament is very old. It was a gift from my oldest brother, Greg, to […]

As toy trucks go, this one is quite small, just under 2 inches long with raised lettering on each door that spells out “Nash.” It is made of some sort of metal, and it looks pretty good considering that it spent roughly 75 years buried in the dirt of rural Virginia. The little truck surfaced, […]

I’ve harbored hundreds of mementos, souvenirs, tokens, remembrances and enduring reminders of people, places and events of my lifetime – so far. I would imagine that anyone inclined to take a whack at a memoir, as I have, is the kind of person who is hapless to avoid squirreling away keepsakes in a jar, a […]

My love of Fritz Kreisler’s violin music began when I was 5 years old. I had just been adopted and the new family met every other weekend at the grandparents’ home. At this gathering of around 12 adults and children, I was totally intimidated by all these people I didn’t really know. My new grandfather […]

The other day my daughter asked me if I had seen any reviews of the movie “Godzilla vs. Kong.” She is 14 and her question surprised me because she has never expressed interest in either Hollywood movie franchise. I wondered if she had been binge watching the old classics – without me. Mindlessly throwing popcorn […]

In a recent, and rare, bout of spring cleaning, I decided it was time to open my mother’s hope chest. It sits in our dining room, the perfect complement to the antique dining room set we picked up at an auction for $500 – our first “big” purchase as a married couple. The dining room […]

Most people who come to know me are immediately impressed by my beauty, style and elegance. They make me feel so warm and welcomed, and when they touch me they touch the very depths of my soul through their long, lingering caresses, but they know they must be gentle, and so they are. It has […]