No one ever needs to worry about what to bring me back - a postcard or two and I'm a happy vicarious traveller.
This particular habit was started when I was a little person and used to spend many an afternoon with my grandparents, pouring over the cards - which I eventually inherited - that my maternal grandfather had sent home to his parents and sisters during his time in the Australian Army in France and Belgium during WWI, and then from England where he was sent to recuperate after being wounded quite badly [ and subsequently met my English grandmother but that's another story ]
Unfortunately my collection doesn't contain one of these:
an embroidered French silk postcard [ Google image ]maybe one day I'll find one I can afford
but
in the meantime
I do have this
an embroidered French silk handkerchief sachet that he sent home to his mama
it's a little fox spotted thanks to my own dear mum's appalling habit of keeping everything in plastic *
but inside
oh, inside
is this beautiful, delicate, pristine-as-the-day-it-was-finished, silk hankie
which on the 24th of October next year will be carried by my darling girl on her wedding dayThis is something I've been planning ever since I found it amongst mum's effects when she passed in '94.
Luckily for my long cherished plans and dreams, Nadie does want to carry it as her 'something old' or maybe her 'something borrowed'
* and you'll probably be happy to know that since '94 it's been wrapped in archival tissue
It is very lovely!
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many other souvenirs from WW1 are out there still in families? I have got a lovely tooled leather wallet paternal GF brought or sent back when he was hooning around Gallipoli and then France etc Back Then.
Thanks for telling us about it.
What about Nadie's other 'things'? Have you got them sorted too? Where is the wedding?
XXXX
Oh very nice - and I am glad about the acid-free tissue!
ReplyDeleteHi Jas,
ReplyDeletethe new is usually the dress I think, and the blue? she wants me to make her a garter ... so the other part of old / borrowed will probably be a piece of family jewelery, maybe her great great aunt's pearls which was my something old as well [ and was the something-borrowed for my cousin Judith - from around my neck at her reception to wear with her 'going-away' outfit :]
Do you remember that Judith ? ]
That's way nicer than a postcard!
ReplyDeleteVery lovely.
ReplyDeleteI am reminded that I was fortunate enough to score a beautiful old embroidered cloth used to cover communion at Belgrave Heights convention (2000+ people) so it is large..is worn in places so probably needs to be cut and used but is glorious. Need to do the linen press audit and find it.
I love starting my morning off with beautiful thoughts and this one was perfect. A lovely hanky, a lovely daughter and a cherished memory. It just doesn't get better than that, does it?
ReplyDeleteThat is beautiful. And what a lovely "something old" for Nadie to carry. As much as I'm thankful for disposable tissues, there's something so feminine about an embroidered handkerchief.
ReplyDeleteThat delicate handkerchief is so beautiful, and its personal history makes it very special.
ReplyDeleteIt's great that Nadie appreciates it too.
Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteDD carried the same hankie that I carried on my wedding day - a little worse for wear because it didn't occur to me back then to keep it for a special "some day"!
What a beautiful item to carry during her wedding. That will probably be a truly cherished "something old". What a beautiful sentiment and item to carry on the tradition. Thanks for sharing the photos!
ReplyDeleteHow lovely - it'd be a crazy daughter that wouldn't be honoured to carry the gorgeous heirloom handkerchief on her wedding day.
ReplyDelete