Friday, February 16, 2018

Items of sentimental value

Wooden Kachina figures from trips made by my dad to the American Southwest. These were chosen by me to keep when our family home was sold last year. In the religion of the Pueblo Indians of North America kachinas are 500 divine ancestral beings who interact with humans. My husband and I also traveled to the Southwest and the Four Corners and visited where the Kachinas still dance and visit their people.
Three men from my family home's living room, bought about sixty years ago by my parents and made in China.
This man is holding a fish and has a lot of detail. Our home had so many nice things in it, I was pleased to keep some. They were shipped from Wisconsin to my house in California and arrived safe and sound.
Do you have items of sentimental value, from loved ones or a family home?



27 comments:

Betsy said...

I had never heard of these figures before. Thank you for educating me! :-) How wonderful that you have them from your family home. I think sentimental items like these are so important to our history.
Blessings,
Betsy

donna baker said...

I wouldn't know where to begin Terra. Mom died at 40, and I have nothing from her. Dad remarried several times. But, I am a Magpie and love all my treasures.

Wanda said...

What lovely pieces with so many memories. I have my mother's little tea cup. It was given to her on her first birthday. If she were living she would be 106. So the tea cup has to be over 100 years old. English china, very ornate. It's my special treasure. Also a little crochet cape that I had when I was one year old. I hope my children will treasure them as much as I do.

Thanks for sharing.

Danice G said...

They are precious Terra. Great history and sentimental value.

Joanne said...


What treasures! I have a camera that belonged to my dad and the trunk that he bought for me to bring to college.
I'll never part with them! Have a beautiful weekend!
Blessings, Joanne



kath001 said...

My mother was raised by her grandparents. She was their darling and of her aunts and uncles who all still lived at home. Several of the aunts and uncles never had children. Mom visited and cared for them as much as she could, and inherited a LOT of all of their household items. Even after splitting it four ways with my sisters, I have TOO much. My husband's family doesn't keep much, but we have received several lovely treasures from them. Now I'm at the point of needing to pare down, and it is HARD.

Barb said...

Hi Terra~

What treasures! The Kachina figures are beautiful! My mother lived in Arizona for many years, and I loved to go visit her and look at the Kachina's. So much detail and amazing craftsmanship. The four corner area is interesting isn't it? Not much there, but the history...oh my!

The dolls from China are amazing as well, so beautiful! It's such a blessing for you to be able to keep those treasures items in your home.

I have lots of wonderful treasures in my home as well. But my most valuable items are the photos...the family histories, the stories, those things cannot be replaced.

Thank you for sharing!

Hugs,
Barb

only slightly confused said...

In just about every room there are items from my past and from the hubs past...clocks and watrces, china and books, a ships bell, a table, chairs, a china cabinet, furniture that my dad made, rug hookings and art work my mom made, ... the house is full of memorabilia from generations back...I wouldn't have it any other way.

Pamela M. Steiner said...

Those are such interesting pieces... I am so glad you were able to keep them, especially as they have fond memories attached to them. Yes, I have many things from our families...both my husband's family and mine. We tend to be the family "museum"...where the family "heirlooms" are kept for posterity. Not so much valuable heirlooms, but things that have sentimental meaning for us because they belonged to people we loved. Thank you for sharing your family "heirlooms" with us. That was truly interesting.

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

I have a pretty little glass piano I keep. And when I lived on the Navajo Reservation I bought a few things and my youngest son has those. (sand paintings are his favorite) Happy weekend!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Terra - so lovely to see ... and I'm so pleased they all arrived safely. I don't have much ... probably if I'd had kids I'd have more ... but life is life - and I have plenty of memories ... cheers Hilary

Living Alone in Your 60's said...

So pleased everything arrived safe and sound. Now you can enjoy them once again.

Jeanie said...

I'd be surprised if we all didn't have special items that matter. I have some things from my dad's war days and of course many things of my mom's and my past that mean so much. Some day I'm going to have to do some very difficult sorting and purging and I'm not looking forward to that. I'm glad for the safe arrival of your things. It's been a long while since I've seen a Kachina doll!

Arkansas Patti said...

The beauty is that these things meant a lot to your parents and you are keeping them and their memories safe. Well done.
We moved a lot when I was young but I never felt we were home till the elk horns were unpacked and set out. They are a garish combination of standing elk horns with a silver dinner gong hanging from them and were from my Mom's family. I passed on the expensive china, paintings, cut glass and inlaid silver over the gong. Funny how none of my siblings fought me for them:)) They sit directly behind me right now.

wisps of words said...

Some pieces of furniture, an old sampler done in Ireland ages ago, a great aunt's wedding gown, worn by our daughter for her wedding... Not that many things. Guess I'm not a "keeper"... :-)

Retired Knitter said...

Wonderful pieces. Yes I do have a number of items with sentiment attached to them. When I moved I kept a few of them and then found homes for the others. Making those decisions was hard but space considerations required them.

Linda @ A La Carte said...

This was a fun post. I have some interesting items from when my Dad was stationed in Japan in the 50's.

Blondie's Journal said...

Oh goodness, Terra! You have the sort of things--or close--to what I would have loved to have had passed down from my parents. I wish I had talked to them about their memories before they passed.

These are true treasures, lucky girl.

Jane

Rebecca Nelson said...

Thank you so much for visiting me, Terra! All your treasures are beautiful to see. So lovely. I have several things I truly love in my home...but more now that my Momma has passed away. I have a few of her precious cups and saucers and her grandmother's antique spoon that she made jelly with. I love that so much...mostly because she loved it. Thank you again for visiting me. I'm trying to get back to my blogging after being away for a long, long time. Life sorta got in the way...Hugs~R

Buttercup said...

I have too many sentimental items, but they mean a lot to me. One of my favorites is an afghan my mother made before I was born. It's the blue chevron pattern and it's on my bed now. Someone else might see an old afghan, but I see a lot of love in the stitches.

Annesphamily said...

My hubby has a moustache cup from his grandfather who was born in Ulster Province Ireland and passed away when my father-in-law was a small boy.

He also has a stirrup from a saddle belonging to his other grandfather who homesteaded and than farmed for many years in the Eastern plains of Colorado.

I have gold earrings belonging to my grandmothers cousin. She brought them from her homeland in Yugoslavia k/n/a Slovenia. The design almost appears to be a snake but I know other sLOVEnian ladies who also have these earrings.

You have some lovely treasures and I am glad they arrived safely to you. Somewhere I am sure there are treasures once belonging to my husbands great grandmother, a full blooded Ogala Sioux . He does have a photo of her.

It was lovely to see you here today. Have a wonderful week.
HUGS

Olga said...

What wonderful reminders. These items that are so lovely to look at and that evoke fond memories can be such a bittersweet joy.

Lark said...

Love the Kachina dolls! :)

Carole said...

I have a nativity set hand carved in olive wood that my parents bought in Jerusalem in the early 60''s. I have it on display all year round. Cheers

Lin said...

Oh, those are sweet! Plus, they have history, so it makes them all the more charming. I'm glad you got them.

I don't have much as my childhood home still houses my mom...along with all the "stuff." What I want I will never have--a 1940-50's Lionel train that my dad acquired when he was a young man. I have treasured memories of playing with that train....but it...along with anything else worth money or memories will go to my brother. It's just how it is. *sigh*

northsider said...

I have my late mothers Royal Wedding cups. She was a Socialist but loved the Royal family. I love the figures.

Angela said...

I've always loved Laura Ingalls Wilder and the Little House books, and when I was 10 the entire family (including Aunts and Grandparents) went to the Laura Ingalls Wilder museum in Mansfield, Missouri. After we got home, my Grandmother made a painting of her house for me. I loved it instantly, and I've come to love it even more over the years.