Daddy's Hutch

 Living here means I am able to inherit Daddy's Hutch. I could have before, driving up here and then back to Florida would have been a TASK, to say the least.

I also received the Harley in the bottom.  It was a gift to Daddy from Rachel (Ma-maw) and Roy, Christmas of the year of Katrina.  They moved back to Nashville, Tn after they made it through that life changing event.

 The crystal bowl in the back left of this one is another of Daddy's things. That wolf was a gift from Ma-maw cuz I'm a wolf nut. You burn incense in it and the smoke rises through the open mouth. Cool ha?

Most of this stuff is just stuck in here until I get the corner curio cabinet together again and in the place it will reside in the living room.

The pitcher in the background with New York on it was Val's, or Poppy's, as my kids refer to him. His real name was Anibal Enrique Valentin and I was privileged to be married to him for a year and a day. My eldest child, Jacques, who is now 28, was born into his hands as was my daughter, Erica, 22 now. So much life without him, it's staggering in retrospect, so I won't.

The "Painted Pony" , sea shells, and state memorabilia were brought home to me by my daughter while she was in her "Wonder Lust" period. We all seem to go through it. My Grandmother did it, my Mother stayed in Florida and never left, and I rode all over the country with Daddy in an 18 wheeler then went Air Force, my son went out of state for college and then settled in another state after that.

These were purchased while we were married and stationed in Germany. I was very much into Asian art and Lladro Figurines at the time.

There is a table that sits in front of the girl holding the flower. It's a tea ceremony, very beautiful ceremony in life, very moving.  It's in another box I'm praying.

 There are a couple of antique books that Miss Wanda, Ma-maw's friend gave me and the Tonka Truck was for my grandson, Marcus, who wanted to see the kind of equipment I use to work with.

The box in the background was Daddy's and so was the three sided knife sharpening stone.  I got my habit of collecting cigar boxes from him and my love of old maps from both of my parents. Ma-maw said that he knew I would be the one to ask for it, He taught me how to use stones when I was a kid and again after I got out of the Air Force. God!, I was SUCH a Tomboy, lol.  Still am to a degree. Remember, I said I'd repaired the bed Ma-maw gave me. It required pilot drilling and special screws, etc....

So many little trinkets of a life....

I sat on the floor in my new living room and cleaned this for the better part of two hours.  It was pretty dusty and to complicate matters it had lived in a house with quite a few smokers, so I had to break out the Q-tips to get into all of the little nooks and crannies. It * "shines like a new diamond" now.

The last few months have been such a journey. No that was not a play on words. If you know me, you know that I have also actually been traveling quite a bit. I have always loved to "go", but I needed a good "home base".

I knew my nearly 16 year relationship was nearing an end. My children had grown up and were self sufficient with children of their own. So I let my heart go back to where it had wanted to go for so long.  I had to re-learn the religion that had called to me so many years ago. As the eldest of my parent's children I was very good at compromise, not any longer, at least in this.

That was the turning point.

That is a story for another post.   That was not a tease, just too in depth to navigate for now.



Blessings and Love to all,

Shafiah (wonderfully enough means, intercede or one who intercedes - compromise, get it? It was chosen for me.)

(* Rod Stewart)