GENERATIONS, REVISITED...

 

Once upon a time, back in 2015, 

I wrote a post (here)  about a few generations of my family. 

 My great-grandmother was one of the featured players from 

my Dad's side of the family. 

 If you weren't following me then 

you might want to travel back in time 

to read about it. 

 If you did read it before, 

a repeat might refresh your memory,

 or at the very least,

 help to make sense out of this post today.

This chair is what started 

the thought process back then. 

 It has moved around many times since,

 but now sits in the entry. 

 I can still see Grandma Susie sitting there,

 putting on her slippers, 

only now that grandma is me.

This parlor stove was a big feature then,

 as it is now.

  It has been in my possession 

for about 60 years. 

 We have used it on a front porch,

 on a patio filled with geraniums, 

and sitting in the corner of our dining room in our last home. 

 It now sits in the Cottage's parlor,

 as it did all those years ago

 in my great-grandmother's.

  It is one 

of my most treasured possessions.

  I would love to know all the stories

 of all the toes it kept warm 

and what role, if any, it may have played 

in the house fire

 that took my great-grandmother's home. 

 It must have such tales to tell.

She may have warmed Susie's hearth
 but her name is Alice.

I would have loved to have

 a roaring fire in Alice, 

especially at Christmas time, 

but the fire box has been destroyed 

and there are so many cracks 

that even in its heyday

 it must have left the house

 filled with smoke. 

 I have put candles and little lights in it to give the appearance of a warm fire,

 but it just didn't seem

 satisfactory to me...

...until I saw this ad in the

 Sturbridge Yankee catalog. 

 It was small enough to fit inside the stove 

and I assumed that the "logs" would just show an orange glow, but thought it might work.

 

 I was so surprised 

when it arrived and we added batteries

 and turned it on 

that there are very

 real looking little flames 

that come from the logs just like

 the little red stove in the kitchen.

  It is just the most darling sight.

I will admit that I couldn't wait

 until Christmas to use it. 

 For $27 it will give me great pleasure 

for some time to come.

In the above collage, on the left,

 my dad

 who must have been about 12 years old,

with my great-grandmother, Susie Allred,

and, on the right, would be me!

 I have been thinking about

 my great-grandmother a lot lately. 

 Every time I look in the mirror 

and see my Covid inspired head 

(I haven't been to the hair dresser for about 1 1/2 years)

 I see visions of her in myself. 

 She was a tiny woman and a very fast walker. 

 My most vivid memory of her is when she would try to "escape" 

(she must have been in her 90's)

 to whatever place 

was in her mind at the time 

and she would flail her walking stick at whomever was trying to stop her! 

 From all accounts,

 she was a woman to be reckoned with!

 Our fence was covered with morning glories about four years ago.

  They kept coming back but eventually they bloomed themselves out 

and we haven't had them 

for at least two years.  

But, I guess

 morning glories, like generations, 

have a strong nature of perseverance 

and this lonely little guy 

showed up in the middle of the lawn 

this past summer.

I know you have seen this view before,

 but I came to do it just by accident. 

 As many times

 as I have photographed each separately (parlor and entry)

 I had never taken them from this angle

 (from doorway of guest room). 

 It seems to tell a story to me,

 so you will be seeing it

 many times in the future.

I hope you are staying warm 

these autumn days. 

 Our weather, though still sunny

 during the day,

 has chilled considerably

 and the nights are calling 

for that extra quilt.

...Judy...

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