Just Like Antiques, People Can Become New Again

Life deals us with a lot of challenges which cause us to take detours and make changes in our lives.  Last Fall, my detour happened.  I was in the middle of planning my annual Victorian Christmas Open House at my antique store, Memories Past and Present.  I had mailed all the invitations, baked all the cookies, purchased all the cider, had a dozen Christmas trees decorated to perfection, selected the items for door prizes, and on and on.  I was anticipating a crowd as usual and having a lot of fun.  Then it happened.......the phone rang and it was my daughter, Amber, on the line.....my little grandaughter, Sadie, was ill and had been taken to the emergency room.  Everything came to a screeching halt and that's where the detour occurred.  My life forever changed in the blink of an eye.

I immediately cancelled everything and took off to see how I could help out and to look after my little grandson while everyone else was at the hospital watching over our little one.  Practically by the time I got there, they released her from the hospital saying that they thought it was meningitis and that she had a miracle recovery.  We had the most wonderful weekend - we played, and laughed, and read books - and thought everything was OK.  But as it turned out, everything was not OK and I would live to treasure this one very special weekend for the rest of my life.

By Wednesday, Sadie was back in the hospital and by Friday we knew the diagnosis, Acute Myeloid Leukemia, a very rare and aggressive cancer which presented itself in her spinal fluid and brain - this was not a good thing and would take months to treat and a bone marrow transplant to have any hope of saving our baby.

We spent the next 6 weeks hovering over our baby and praying that she would survive.  Things quickly went from bad to worse, and on December 21, 2012, we lost our beautiful Sadie Caroline.  None of us could imagine that this could happen....even breathing was difficult as we had to say good-bye.

During this time our faith has been strong, and we know that Sadie is perfect again and playing with the other children up in heaven.  But here on earth, we are left with trying to cope with the loss.  After losing Sadie, I spent a lot of time on the internet looking around at various things to do with my business as I had just about decided to add a yarn shop in with my antique business.  In researching this, I happened upon a web site and .......there it was, something I could do in Sadie's memory that would hopefully help me to move forward in a positive way.

I have come to believe that when you have troubles, they become less of a burden if you focus outside of yourself, and focus on others.  Having been through this with Sadie, and experiencing all the outreach of our friends and family, it has made me more aware of the needs of others and the fact that EVERYONE is carrying some kind of troubles and burden with them.  If we give love and caring to others, it diminishes our own pain.

In keeping with the need to give to others, I have initiated a group which will be knitting and crocheting chemo hats for babies, children and adults who are undergoing treatment for cancer.  Our little Sadie loved to wear hats that her Great Grandmother knitted for her, so it was fitting that this be my new purpose in life.

I found out about the Crochet for Cancer charity which was started by a daughter and her Mother when she was undergoing cancer treatment as a way to give and pass the time during chemo treatments.  Their web site is www.crochetforcancer.com and has resources for those wishing to make hats for this purpose.  There are several chapters around the USA and Canada, and I decided to form a chapter here in Kentucky called the Sadie Sunshine Chapter in memory of our sweet Sadie and her always sunshine smile.  Details can be found on our facebook page www.facebook.com/sadiesunshinechapter  .

I do believe that this has made me new again, although my heart is broken and I have dings, cracks, and chips that weren't there before, like a well used antique, I still have a lot to offer and with a little sprucing up and repairs and a lot of love, I can have a new, useful life.  Although I would have much preferred to be able to be Sadie's Mammaw and love and nurture her all my life, and I won't ever be the same and I may not be used for the same purpose, but I can still be useful and even perhaps in a new way.

The old saying that when life gives you lemons, make lemonade, has a real meaning for me now.  My purpose is to reach out to others, listen, learn, care, give, hug, pray, encourage and do whatever I can to make others more able to cope with their problems.  I still have problems, but my focus will remain outward.  Won't you join me and start thinking about people around you and their needs and wants and dreams and problems, and help me to spread some Sadie sunshine and see what we can do to make this world a better, more caring place in which to live.

Magic at Memories - Antiques, Gifts and Yarn

There is nothing more rewarding than being able to express yourself creatively and pursue your dreams and do what no one else has done.  I am blessed and honored to be able to have my own shop and be my own boss.  My goal is to create a magical place for people to come to relax and enjoy and explore and seek and find!

Memories Past and Present started out as a gift shop with antiques, then grew to a large antique store with a nice selection of gifts and collectibles, and now has added Memories Yarn Cafe' as another facet of this business.  Inside these doors are treasures waiting to be found, ideas, inspiration, beautiful displays, and lots of smiles and thank you's when you come to visit.

I am busy in here every day creating magic - I come in and turn on all the lights, light the candles, turn on the soothing music, get the temperature just right, put on a pot of cider, and offer a beautiful and peaceful place in which to spend some time with a friend.

I can only do so much......because YOU are what makes it magical.  If you come and find the crystal bowl like the one your Grandmother had that got broken or lost, find the perfect antique furniture and decor to decorate your guest bedroom in memory of your Mother, find the perfect angel to give a friend who is ill or grieving, find the most beautiful yarn with which to make a prayer shawl for a friend or to donate, find the retired Hallmark ornament that completes your collection, and on and on.  These are only a few of the examples of what happens at Memories each and every day!

If a flower blooms in a forest or a bird sings and there is no one there to see it or hear it, it cannot be as magical or inspirational as it could be if someone took the time to look and listen.

Come by for a visit at Memories and help me create some magic in Henderson, Kentucky.  We don't want to be Henderson's best kept secret...our desire is for you to come, enjoy, and spread the word.  The magic and excitement for me is a shop filled with laughter and friendship and relaxing fun.  Stop by to browse, sip some cider, knit or crochet a while, find that treasure.....help me make some magic!

When you see an independently owned gift shop, boutique, florist, antique shop, restaurant, etc, take the time to think about the person who has created it. They are singing their song....are you going to be there to hear it?

Prayer Shawl Ministry - The Next Step - Memories Yarn Cafe'

After a year of crocheting prayer shawls and giving them to all kinds of people in need of hugs and prayers, I have become so interested in yarn and patterns and crocheting and knitting that I have decided to open a yarn shop inside my antique and gift shop.  It is just being put together, but my vision is that I will have customers and friends coming in to learn and stitch and visit and enjoy the warm and wonderful atmosphere in my shop.  I will offer great spots in the store for sitting and knitting, refreshments on occasion, maybe some classes and I've heard something about yarn tastings which sounds intriguing.

There is no yarn shop in my little town and the only place to buy is at WalMart.  I am hoping the customers and friends will enjoy someone to talk to about their projects and share ideas between us.  To me this personal shopping experience will be much more rewarding than a trip to WalMart to pick through their already picked through yarn.  I will want to know what they will be making and perhaps watch them work on it and see the final product!

Here are some pictures of our beginnings - it will grow and change with time - as I learn more and more.  In the meantime, I will still be crocheting every morning over coffee and every evening by the fire or while watching television - all the time praying for the person who might receive my next masterpiece!

This has been a rewarding experience, and I expect it to continue for a long time!

One thing I have found in life is that it is important to continue to learn and try new things!  It keeps you enthused with life, looking forward to the coming day and its opportunities and probably helps you to live longer!

Planning and implementing new projects has many rewards!  Throw in a little dreaming, a lot of hard work, visions of success, and then the finished project - all this helps us to live a lively and interesting life!

And besides anyone who loves to knit or crochet knows about the stash of yarn in the closet, in baskets, trunks, under the bed.  Now I can have this huge stash in my shop for others to enjoy!

Join us by liking our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/MemoriesYarnCafe !  This will help you to keep up with all that is going on and our current products and plans!

Also, to "catch up" on our previous prayer shawl blogs you may want to read these previous posts:
http://hendersonmemories.blogspot.com/2012/02/prayer-shawl-ministry-revives-art-from.html and
http://hendersonmemories.blogspot.com/2012/06/prayer-shawl-ministry-offers-new.html and
http://hendersonmemories.blogspot.com/2012/09/prayer-shawl-ministry-peace-love-crochet.html

Life is good at Memories!  Stay tuned.....

Christmas Memories

Victorian Christmas Open House 2004

(NOTE:  This is what we had planned before we learned that our precious little grandaughter, Sadie, has acute myeloid leukemia.  The treatment is extensive and will last around 6 months.  Mammaw, who owns and operates this store had to close it temporarily to help out during this time.)  This will be our 9th Annual Victorian Christmas Open House at Memories Past and Present.  As I prepare for this one, I have so many pleasant memories of the past warm and wonderful events we have hosted.  It seems early, I know, to be thinking about Christmas, but I learned a long time ago that if you are in retail business of any kind, if you wait till after Thanksgiving, you have waited too long to begin.

Victorian Christmas Open House 2004 (me and my Daddy)

on the Porch

Our Christmas Open House has always been held on the second weekend in November and gets the season kicked off nicely for our customers and friends.  We have a few traditions which people have come to expect at Memories - and they involve all of our senses - sight, smell, touch, taste and hearing.  As you enter our store you immediately get a sense of belonging, warmth and welcoming - kind of like going home on Christmas Eve to be with the family.  We welcome you at the door, lightly scented holiday candles are burning, soft piano music is playing your favorite Christmas carols, and beautiful treasures are everywhere for you to see and touch!  You are welcome to stay a while, browse, visit, have a special tasty treat, and even leave with a gift!

Victorian Christmas Open House 2006

On the Porch

In the days leading up to our Open House we spend time moving all Christmas trees and decorations to the front of the store - each tree is decorated with a unique theme - and the ornaments can be selected and purchased right off the trees.  All of our vintage red, green and crystal glassware is featured among the Christmas decorations and this year we have beautiful red velvet  furnishings in our "parlor" and other "sitting room".  We start baking our delicious treats for you to enjoy and prepare our famous old fashioned hot mulled apple cider!

Victorian Christmas Open House 2007

Country Tree

Traditions - as we enter the Christmas season, we must remember the reason for Christmas which is the remembrance and celebration of the birth of our saviour, Jesus Christ!  We sing carols, go to special church services, give to local charities so that others can enjoy the Christmas season, plan family events and more!  It is true that Christmas has become very commercialized, but I choose to see it as a season for giving - showing our love for others in tangible and intangible ways.  At Memories, we like to be a part of your Christmas tradition where you can come and browse and find a special treasure for your family members and friends as a token of your love at Christmas time.

Victorian Christmas Open House 2008

On the Porch!

It gives me great pleasure each year to try to create "memories" at Memories!  Please plan to stop by our store this Christmas season and enjoy all the sights and sounds and scents.  November 16 and 17 - 10-5.  324 N. Elm Street, Henderson, KY  www.hendersonmemories.com

Victorian Christmas Open House 2009

Angel Tree

Victorian Christmas Open House 2010

Angel Tree and front dining table

Victorian Christmas Open House 2011

Front Window display!

Prayer Shawl Ministry - Peace, Love, Crochet!

I saw this graphic on Pinterest, and it inspired me to write a little more about the prayer shawl ministry that I am involved in.  It is amazing what it has done for my life and that of others, and this graphic pretty much sums it up!  So I will expand on these thoughts!

I have described in previous blogs how I got started this past January in the prayer shawl ministry http://hendersonmemories.blogspot.com/2012/02/prayer-shawl-ministry-revives-art-from.html .  I have also described some of the gifts given in another blog http://hendersonmemories.blogspot.com/2012/06/prayer-shawl-ministry-offers-new.html  If you haven't read these, you might want some history.

In 2012, I have made 45 prayer shawls, around 20 chemo caps, and various other scarves and neck warmers.  Once I got started, there is no stopping me.

We all live in a world of turmoil and stress and busyness and pressures, and I have found that crocheting is the one very organized things I can do to de-stress my mind - it gives me peace in many ways.  When I can't sleep at night - I crochet.  When I am nervously waiting on something - I crochet.  When I am having my morning coffee and visiting with my husband - I crochet.  When I relax and watch television or listen to music at night - I crochet.  I have even begun to crochet during breaks from work in my antique/gift shop on occasion.  It helps my mind to work things out and the methodical stitching calms me.  Another calming aspect is that I am able to make something that I can give to help relieve the stress of someone else.

When a prayer shawl is presented to someone - it represents love, peace, prayers, hugs, support, comfort - all these wonderful things can be found by the giving and the receiving of this shawl.  I have given many away to various people who have come into my life and are experiencing serious health problems or grief in their lives.  I have made more than I have people to give them to, so I decided to sell some of them with the $ received to go to my church for community outreach.  I wasn't sure at the time that this was a good idea as I didn't really want it to be perceived as a commercial venture.  But to my surprise, it has been so rewarding, as people from all over the country are purchasing them through my store on Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/hendersonmemories .  These individuals have asked me to say extra prayers for specific things and enclose loving notes from them in the package.  This gives me a feeling of warmth to be a part of something much bigger than me - sending love and prayers in a box - and knowing the reaction of the person on the other end.  Examples: one to Colorado for a lady undergoing brain surgery and her sister wanted to comfort her, another  to California again from a lady wanting to comfort her sister who is very ill, another to Florida to be given to a Grandmother who is terminally ill, and more.

God has given me many gifts, and one of them is the ability to make these beautiful shawls, and I am happy to be making them to benefit others - both the shawl and the $ go toward helping others who are less fortunate than I am at the moment.  We are supposed to reach out in this world and love each other - this is my small part.

If you have a talent you can share with others that will bring them happiness, laughter, peace, comfort - this is a good time to explore your gifts and determine what you can do for others.  The rewards for them and for yourself are immeasurable - I promise!  Well, gotta go - lots of crocheting to do!  Stay tuned!

Add Some Vintage Sparkle to Your Fall Decor!

When I think of the Fall season, I think of colors - red, orange, green, rust, yellow, gold and brown - the colors of nature when the leaves begin to turn and fall to the ground.  I also think of cool, crisp air and sweaters, hot mulled cider, apples, warm apple crisp and vanilla ice cream, hayrides, pumpkins, brisk walks, the shortening of days, candles burning and more!

At Memories when Fall is coming, we redecorate our front entrance and windows with anything that evokes the feeling and colors of Fall.  I call it "gathering" and it's a lot of fun - we push our carts through our 6,000 sq. ft. store and gather anything that reminds us of Fall - then we take it to the front and I work my magic with displays.  Our customers are delighted by the "new" look and the ideas and treasures they find there.

This year I decided to put an ecru lace tablecloth on the front table, but added a burlap runner down the center - I have seen so much decorating done with burlap recently on Pinterest - curtains, chair coverings, pillows, crafts, tablecloths and runners and more.  You can find some of the ideas on our Pinterest boards at http://pinterest.com/memoriespast/ .  Follow us if you want to keep up with some of the great ideas we come across - we are most happy to share them with you for inspiration!

On this table I have arranged a brass birdcage, garden angel, angels with leaf wings, amber moon and stars items, amber and green glass candy dishes and compotes, a hand blown glass pear, an antique Gone with the Wind lamp with Fall colors, a cloche with a robin inside, a garland of fruit, and more.  The idea is to layer and arrange anything that speaks of Fall.

You can achieve this in your own home.  You probably have some Fall decorations that you use year after year, but take a trip through your house to come up with a beautiful tablescape perhaps featuring birds, candles, fruit, amber glassware, Fall florals - anything that goes with your theme.  Set your foundation on your table with a pretty colorful tablecloth and runner down the center and then arrange your items all the way down the length of the table.  You will be pleasantly surprised at what you come up with - and your guests won't believe their eyes.

In the Fall I love to burn candles that smell like pumpkin pie or apple pie or cinnamon or spices - this will set the mood for your entertaining and will give your guests that comfy, cozy feeling in your home.  At Memories we have Fall scented candles that are hand made locally and burn for over 40 hours!  We have one burning each and every day to set the mood, along with our pretty music at Memories for laid back, comfortable browsing.

At Memories we think sparkling glassware adds to any seasonal decor - amber and green for Fall, crystal and red for Christmas and Valentines, blues and pinks for Spring and Summer!  If you have glassware, be sure to consider the effect it will have on your holiday table - get it out of the china cabinet, clean it, add some lighting either natural or candlelight - and watch the warm glow and sparkle.

Join us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/memoriespastandpresent for ideas all year round!  Wishing you a blessed, warm and sparkling Fall season!

My Crafting Instinct Is Returning - Look Out!

When my daughter was born 37 years ago, I received a beautiful hand-painted birth plaque presented by a lovely lady whose sister loved to paint and made these plaques, along with wedding plaques for practically everyone in town.  A few years later in the 1980's I decided that I would love to learn to do that type of painting so I, too, could paint such treasures.

We lived in rural Indiana at that time, and there was a tole painting studio in Evansville, Indiana, called the Red Sled.  It was located in an old two story home which added to the charm of the shop.  With a red sled with hand painted detail sitting in the front yard, the steps led to a front porch with a hand painted Welcome sign, and upon entering the foyer I was greeted by so many beautiful items on display, all lovingly handpainted.  Upon browsing through the store they offered all types of wood products, acrylic paints, brushes, pallets, painting instruction books and patterns, and completed projects from which to choose among their many classes offered.

I immediately signed up for their beginner's series which included several projects for learning basic skills.  There was a floral plaque where I could learn basic brush strokes and use of the different types of brushes and get the feel for the paint.  Then there was a lovely welcome sign that stated "All Ye Who Enter Must Wear A Smile" which taught basic floating, shading and lettering techniques.  After these we could choose our own projects to use our newly found talents.  I chose to paint a sled to go under my Christmas tree with a red interior, blue outside and decorated with calico flowers and leaves - I still have many of these projects in my home today.

After moving to Florida I decided to open a little corner of my hand painted treasures in our orange grove business - soon that grew to a whole room - and I found myself with my new shop "Simple Country Pleasures" where I handpainted gifts, country items, birth and wedding plaques and I began to teach classes similar to the ones I had taken in Indiana.  This proved to be quite a venture for me as I taught over 100 students at various times over about 8 years and many, many lovely projects.  I would teach myself new techniques - then teach all of them.  It was a very rewarding and busy time in my life.

Students (which became my friends) told me that this had changed their lives - that they had a creative talent that they never knew they had.  Many of us participated in craft shows together and enjoyed sharing our talents with many.  I also had my own Open Houses in my home where I featured my own hand-painted items and all of their lovely crafts for sale!

By the latter 1990's the trade with China in the gift market had increased so much, and they were mass producing so many "handmade" looking items for very cheap prices, the craft market began to dwindle for truly handcrafted items.  I gradually shifted my interests to antiques and other outlets for my creative interests.

Now that our society is in distress, I have noticed many people returning to the crafts of the past - painted furniture with handpainted details, crocheting and knitting, making something "new" out of something "old".  So naturally, what is happening to me is that my interest in crafting is beginning to resurface.  I have recently felt the nudge to get creative in this way again.  I have been poking around on Pinterest (you can follow me at http://pinterest.com/memoriespast/ ) and am about to explode with lots of great ideas for handcrafted gifts using vintage items!  Who knows where this will lead - but I can tell you - it is starting to feel exciting!  Hang in there -- and keep an eye out -- because my brain is starting to work again!  The possibilities are unlimited!

Currently, I am practically buried alive in my antique store with lots and lots of work to do to clear out a lot of the inventory as I have decided to place my building up for sale with the hopes of retiring from this business.  Who knows where this will lead as I am keeping my options open at this point.  I have no idea if the building will sell or not or exactly what my future holds, but my brain has been set free to be open to the possibilities again.  Just one step off dead center can cause such a tremendous change in our lives if we will let it!  Enthusiasm is returning; I have a spring in my step; and my eyes are wide open with anticipation of an exciting future!  Every day is a gift .... be sure to enjoy each and every one ... and if you need to get off dead center ... just take a step forward, and do it!  I highly recommend it!  Stay tuned.......