My mother has decided to move to a retirement home/assisted living place. Although she is still fully capable of living on her own, her recent hospitalization made her realize that it was time to build some stronger support structures around her. Her plan requires that she get rid of a lot of "stuff," so she sent me home with a car full of family pieces: old photos, andirons made by my great-grandfather in the shape of the family dachsund, an antique blanket chest, some glasses, and the family rug.
This very personal rug was made by mother in 1976--she filled the large (31.5" x 68") needlepoint rug with pictures of different things important to our family:
Our house and signposts of places my parents had travelled.
My father collected old mining stock certificates (they had no value but were often small works of the engraver's art) and my mother collected hatpin holders.
My sister appears here as a sun (but we can't remember why) and I show up as a quilted heart because I used to make quilts
Our family trips nearly always involved a beach, and we collected shells and fossils wherever we were; our backyard garden was a small retreat, and the Japanese maple played a starring role
Our two wonderful dogs--Tillie and Bogart--and the simple sailboat that we raced each summer on Lake Washington.
This rug was laid at the end of the hallway near the back door--it was not treated like a museum piece, and the wear and stains are obvious. By when my sister and I were dividing up the things mom didn't want to take with her, it was the Black Bench--built by my great-uncle Norman in high school shop class (must have been around 1926)--and the family rug that we cared about, even though they had the least commercial value. Another example of how important it is to personalize the work of our hands, whether sweaters or rugs or benches!
(Nods in agreement.) Our history is who we are. What we make of it is who we become.
Posted by: Nancy | June 16, 2009 at 01:25 PM
I'd love to see the dachshund andirons.
Posted by: Gretchen | June 16, 2009 at 04:15 PM
What a lovely post!
Posted by: Maia | June 17, 2009 at 12:41 AM
That is a lovely post. Thanks.
Posted by: M-H | June 17, 2009 at 01:23 AM
It's often the things of the least commercial value that mean the most.
Posted by: Celia | June 17, 2009 at 05:02 AM
I'm glad you were able to find a good place for your mom. She'll be able to enjoy the coming years instead of fretting. Yay! Are you going to send her care packages, pretty cards for her to look at, comfy new knitted slippers?
Posted by: Sylvia | June 18, 2009 at 11:24 AM
your mom is wise to make the move now.
that rug is surely a treasure!!!!!!!!
now i know where your creativty comes from :-)
Posted by: vanessa | June 19, 2009 at 05:24 AM
What an awesome piece of your life! I love it.
Posted by: Linda | June 19, 2009 at 09:38 AM