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One activity that I have enjoyed over the last several years is browsing through antique stores, antique shows, and flea markets. It’s great to find treasures that I can use when creating lampshades. I have found beautiful trims, beads, flowers, and sometimes even a fabric or garment in pristine condition. It's wonderful to use these pieces and give them new life in a lampshade.
But another reason I enjoy browsing and antiquing is that it reconnects me with the past. Many items I find are from before even the lifetime of my grandparents, but I’m beginning to see more things enter the market that I recall being in the homes of my older relatives or neighbors when I was young. Many of these items were either dispersed among other family members, given to goodwill, or possibly tossed, so I had temporarily forgotten about them. But now, I can hold an object in my hands for a moment and my memories transport me back to a time, a place, or even into the presence of someone I spent time with during my childhood. Memories are truly a gift!
On a personal note, the things I kept for myself when going through belongings from my mother and grandmother aren’t valuable to anyone else (except some family members), but they are special to me. I have some costume jewelry I remember them wearing, my mom's measuring cup, and the old bowl my grandma used to make delicious popcorn balls.
What treasures do you have from someone in your past?