Collections

You may wonder, just what does mama collect?
mama collects that which pleases her.
Those things that speak to a space in your soul where you find comfort.
Things that trigger a feeling, a place, an essence that you would define as yourself.

For many years, I have sought to create a place of peace, a recreation of a home life, a domicile of comfort for myself, my family and all that would drift into my halls...

For me, this doesn't come by ordering from a catalog. This essence comes from taking things that have already been proven through use of another generation, another home; a kindred spirit of the past... Taking these things that bring joy and embracing them for the next generation.

I love my collections, whatever it means for that day. I have gathered things that I had no idea would grow into a collection but by mere virtue of their wonderfulness, the numbers would grow.. Baskets, patterns, fabric, generic McCoy pottery, odd little animal sculptures, candlesticks, quilts, books (always books!) china, stoneware, towels, bowls, platters, odd jewelry, lamps....you get the drift; nothing in particular, just what appeals and what works toward the goal of the essence.

It can be frustrating for those living with me.
I have no reason for the attainment of these things.
I just know that these things need to live with me.
A typical conversation will go like this:

Me:" Ooohhhh I love that turquoise pitcher!'
Hubby: What would you do with it? Don't you have one like that? Where would you put it?
Me: Don't know. I have three like that one. Don't know. But it just needs to be with me...

Outcome: Sometimes it comes home with me; sometimes not. But I always take the chance that it could come with me......!

My advice?
Seek for those things that bring you joy; collect and enjoy and share and use. Have an open mind to sharing things as well to help out someone else and their essence....Hold these things with an open hand and get joy in giving them as well as collecting...I once gave a young friend a pair of pair of turquoise vintage lamps because she liked them so much. I still smile thinking of her using them. I smile when I see them peek in her blog every now and then...

That's part of the beauty of possessing the essence; you cannot help in sharing it; that's what makes it so glorious...!

Collect, enjoy, share......