Cleaning House...

Something magical happens when you start cleaning an area that hasn't been cleaned in  while.  Like finding things you forgot you had...or finding things that have a special significance and brings memories (some good, some sad) flooding back and ministering to your soul.

I'm cleaning my china cabinet, getting ready for Thanksgiving.  The dishes have been sitting for a long time, and I will say are a bit dusty (shhh....don't spread it around...LOL)  The glass windows were a little dirty, the mirror in the back of the cabinet is now so sparkly, I had forgotten how nice it looks all spruced up!  The sliver has been polished and all of it takes on a different kind of glow.  I can't explain the joy I've gotten from making it look so nice!

But then, the things I've been finding are sending me to a different place.  The china we searched all over Germany for...Mike promised me if we ever lived in Germany we would buy a set of china and the last month we were living there we finally found the perfect set with violets on them.  The plate that my Mom gave me for our 10th anniversary, which was given to her and Dad for their 10th anniversary by her sisters, all of whom are gone now.  The silver coffee service we got for a wedding gift, that sat in the box for 20 years until we had a china cabinet to put it in.  The tiny blue glass bird that Dad gave us, our little blue bird of happiness he called it.  And honestly, we have been truly happy for most of our  married life.  The two cups, one that belonged to my Grandmother, the other my Grandfather, that sit side by side.  The depression glass candy dish that was the one thing I asked for from my Grandmother's collection when we were getting ready to sell her house.  Many pin pillows, biscornu, and tea cup pincushion...little treasures sent to me by stitching friends for different reasons.  One in particular that says, "This too shall pass", sent by a dear lady in Alabama when I was going through cancer treatment means so much....since now it truly has passed!  There are little trinkets from past vacations or from different places we have lived that bring back such fun...and dare I say funny... memories from our travels to foreign places.  The Lenox candle holders my friend bought at a flea market for next to nothing for me for my birthday that get ooooohs and aaaaahhs from most folks that see them because they are so different.  And the dishes that belonged to Grandmothers, Great-Grandmothers, Great-Aunts and family members long past.  I keep thinking there will be 8 of us here for dinner on Thursday, but in spirit, we'll be surrounded by a host of folks who live in our memories and will share a place at our table.   Memories of huge Thanksgiving dinners we've shared in the past with family and friends will be present at the table too.  

I'll be honest and say I was a bit scared to host this dinner for folks we barely know, but I'm truly glad we are now.  (I just hope I don't make them sick with my cooking!  LOL)  We'll be giving Ben (and maybe Katie too) some fond memories that they will be tucking away in their memory banks that they may be hauling out of future china cabinets.  And when they do, I hope they will think of us just as I'm thinking of those who are a huge part of Thanksgiving memories for us.