Inspiration

This 1953 picture shows four adorable redheads with their grandmother at their grandparent's home

Have you ever wondered what your children are observing and remembering?

I always loved the tiles around the fireplace at Grandpa and Grandma's. When Joe and I were fixing up our home at West North Street, I suggested we surround the fireplace with blue Delft tiles, just like Grandpa's and Grandma's (hers were brown & I don't know if they were Delft but I liked the look). Then we looked at the cost and settled on one tile which we turned into a coaster. 

Mom & Dad in front of our Williamsburg blue fireplace at North Street 

- minus the Delft tiles (Christmas 1981)

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Questions & notes

1953 picture at First Street - Susan & Julia have matching outfits. I wonder if Grandma (Florence/Toots) made the clothes? She might also have made the curtains.I know she made other curtains in the house. She was a very good seamstress. Mom could have made outfits (or curtains) but she probably had her hands full with four little ones. 

The table to the left of the fireplace - we had it at North Street for years, in the den. It moved on to another family member when we built bookcases in the den. I knocked my forehead on the corner of that table (as an adult at North Street). I was bending down to dust and misjudged where the edge of the table was. I still have the scar by my right eyebrow. It kind of matches the scar on my left eyebrow. Mom said I got that one from Poppie and Gram's table in Arlington Heights, Illinois. Kind of makes me sound like a klutz :) although I don't recall many accidents like this. 

1981 picture of Mom & Dad at North Street - brass coal bin to right of fireplace. This is from the Atherton estate and came into the family through Joe's mother via her aunt. We have a 1930 photo of the Atherton house that shows this coal bin. The box holding the logs is from First Street. I don't know if it's from Celia's time or Grandma's time. There's a stencil of Chinese men on the side. I think it was a paint box. It's with family. The vase on the left was given to us by Joe's parents. The bellows to the left of the fireplace were made by Dad. Perhaps he gave them to us the Christmas of the photo. He carved our initials into one side of the bellows. This is with family. Mom made the pine cone garland on the mantle. It's with family. 

Pictures - memories -family - we are abundantly blessed