A Few Pieces

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.~~Matthew 6:21 (ESV)

August 3, 2013

Dear Readers,

Good evening!  A few good pieces, pieces that are fraught with wonderful memories of past, present, and future... There are documentaries on television of wealthy people with their rooms full of treasures ~ collections, trophies, photographs.  To them more is never enough; to me, less is more.

Grandson Zach
"Come on Grandma,
we've just gotten started!"

Last year, I packed up a house in McKinney to move to a much smaller house in North Central Texas.  I experienced a frustrating time of paring down and having to decide which pieces would make the trip.  I kept thinking, "There will be no U-Hauls when I head to Heaven."  That ALWAYS keeps things in perspective for me.  I still managed to fill a U-Haul truck and a moving truck which got moved directly into storage.

but test everything; hold fast what is good. ~1 Thessalonians 5:21 (ESV)

I gave as much as I could to my son, took pieces to a consignment shop, and had a couple of huge garage sales.  After the last garage sale I donated everything to the Paw Pals fund raising garage sale for animal rescue in Hill County.  Now, I have the storm shelter full and a big shed full with some things on consignment at the Antique Mall.  That's still too much to have but when Fall gets here, I will pare that down as well.

June 2012 ~ Garage Sale #1

Today, I keep two things in mind, tranquility and simplicity.  I still love to meander through the antique stores and specialty shops ... "Just looking, thank you" has been my new motto.  (smile)

A few weeks ago, I purchased a bistro set at an antique shop for the meditation garden.  I had to get my neighbor to take me in her truck to pick it up and, of course, we had more time to saunter through the aisles. Something caught my eye ~~ a little English tea cup that had been hand painted was partially hidden by a crocheted shawl.  I pulled it out and it had me at $15.  It was from the turn of the century and in perfect condition.  I had a place for it and I knew that it was going to be one of a few pieces that would make my heart sing.  No memories connected except that it fit perfectly in with my Country English decor & when I touched it, I felt a warmth from another era.  Goofy, I know, but it happens all the time to me.

Breakfast tea in bed for one!!

Balance activity with serenity, wealth with simplicity, persistence with innovation, community with solitude, familiarity with adventure, constancy with change, leading with following. ~Jonathan Lockwood

A cabinet full of a few treasured pieces!

As I walk through the little casa and cottage, I am reminded of times from long ago and the history behind a few precious pieces ~~ a small china dish from Grandmother Belle, my father's dog tags that he wore in WWII, photos, the sterling silver that took so many years to accumulate, my Bibles, old books, a fife from the Civil War, and on and on.  There are some pieces that I pick up and hold, "just because."  My Grandmother Belle's autograph book that has hand written notes in it from her children Charles and Laura and her husband, Harry catch my eye every now and then and I pick it up to read.  They held it, over 100 years ago, now I am holding it. The love letters to my mother from my father?  Too priceless for words.

I am a sentimental sap that wonders if someone else will treasure my treasures.  I wonder if my few treasured pieces will fill dumpsters, second hand shops, garage sales or antique malls.  My best friend and Savior reminds me that my best treasures are ahead of me.  What a day that will be to run towards my Lord and the people that have gone on before me for hundreds of years. I'll be listening to some mighty people telling me about their lives and the few pieces that meant something to them.  I will also be waiting with open arms for my own family that comes after me.

As you walk through your spaces today do you have a few pieces that stand out from the rest?  A few pieces that make your house a home?  Do you have a few pieces of treasure in your mind?  Your baby's first laugh? It's important to take those trips down memory lane because in order to know where you're going, you need to know where you came from.  I just published my third blog book ~ my gift of my thoughts, dreams, flops, successes, dreams, struggles, and joys to my family.

Family for Better or Worse 2012
Published 2013

Always remember you are loved and prayed for.

Miss Dottie

PS  Smile. Today would be a wonderful day not to take life so seriously. Today may end up the way you prefer, and it may not. Happiness is not about being a winner, it's about being gentle with life, being gentle with yourself. Let life be a dance, and choose the kind of dance you want for today,perhaps a gentle loving dance. ~Jonathan Lockwood