Tuesday, December 4, 2018

Those Singing Items

I'm swiping this little verse from Karen at Life Is Good. It says a lot about how we all feel our homes should be:

"There should be items in your home
that sing a little song to you
when you walk by."

-Nate Berkus

Which items in my house do this to me? Here are some:
Of course ... my spinning wheel.
I haven't been using it lately, but it's persistently whispering to me every time I'm near it.
 And my grandmother's sewing machine. I have been sewing lately, more than I did for years, so it's quite happy with me and hums as I walk by.
 This photo captures two items that sing. They sit atop my piano. The metronome I've had since I first started playing piano, so it's seen all my musical frustrations, procrastinations, successes, sadnesses and joys. It's a stern music teacher.
The candelabra is one of a pair that sit on the piano and click and tinkle in accompaniment as I play. They sat atop my mother's piano when I was a young practicing child. Now they sit atop mine. They frustrate the metronome in her attempt to keep me in line.

How old is this matchbox dispenser?
It was in my mother's kitchen. Once I boldly asked her for it, but she declined. Then after they'd moved to West Virginia and I took once last tour around their old, empty house, there it was ...
hanging on the kitchen wall.
I took that as a sign.
It sings, "Thank you for rescuing me!"

 This jewelry box belonged to my great-grandmother, Margaret Myrtle (always known as "Mungie"). I have very few things of hers, so it is precious to me, and I've had it for decades.
But I never met Mungie, so she didn't know of me, and she didn't give the box to me directly.
I always feel the box is saying, "Who are you?
You aren't the girl who know me when I was new.
Where is she?"

Do you have items in your house that sing to you?

8 comments:

Boyett-Brinkley said...

Hi there! Very nice post and I love seeing the things that sing! I have a few myself -- I might have to post about it.

Pom Pom said...

I think the quilt my great granny made for my mama sings to me.

Henny Penny said...

I'm sure enjoying your posting every day. I do love your old spinning wheel, and the other things that sing to you. There are a few things that sing to me too when I see them.

Granny Marigold said...

I seem to have an inordinate number of things in my home that sing to me. I hope I never have to downsize because how would I ever manage to do that?
I remember a match dispenser hanging on the kitchen wall when I was growing up. Ours had a red rooster and something like Chanticlair written on it.

Farm Girl said...

What lovely gifts you have in your home. Oh, yes, I have so many things from people who have gone on before me and I am the steward of their things. Now I will have to take pictures of them. What a nice post. I love your spinning wheel and your sewing machine. I am so glad you rescued the match box and You have that jewel box. So nice thank you for sharing.

Lisa Richards said...

We had a matchbox holder hanging on the wall in our old log house. I wonder if I left it there? I also have a jewelry box a lot like yours, but I'm not sure where it came from. Some things that call to me are those things I want to do "someday", but never get to, like my tinwhistle, knitting needles, and violin. Someday!

GretchenJoanna said...

This is thought-provoking! I like the image much better than the idea that we should have nothing in our houses that doesn't "give us joy" -- as though any thing could give me joy. It's much more likely that things will sing to me.

I will be musing on this and will get back to you ;-)

happyone said...

Nice to see your 'singing' items too. : )
I have a match dispenser just like yours.