virtual memorials for inanimate objects
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Silver Ring with Light Green Stone
Most of mom's jewelry was stolen long ago by robbers watching her comings and goings as they replaced roof shingles on the neighbor's house. She is elderly now and has been giving my three sisters the last few pieces she has each year, things that were missed by the thieves. Perhaps thinking I'd feel left out, she gives me a trifle too sometimes.
She had to go into the hospital this Christmas, alerting us to her mortality.
I entered her house alone to fetch her a sweater and saw an envelope addressed to me with holiday stickers all over it. I opened it to find an old silver ring with a translucent pale green stone; inside the envelope it read "Maybe a pinkie ring?"
I was very touched and wondered if this might be the last Christmas gift I would receive from her. Blurry minded, I put the ring and envelope in my pocket, and toyed with the ring and my coins the rest of the day.
I lost the ring soon after. I am very disheartened, but still have the envelope with her note and stickers on it.
Last seen in Redlands, California, on January 3, 2008.
Drewl, Chicago, Illinois ¶ 11:13 AM 0 Comments Links to this post
Most of mom's jewelry was stolen long ago by robbers watching her comings and goings as they replaced roof shingles on the neighbor's house. She is elderly now and has been giving my three sisters the last few pieces she has each year, things that were missed by the thieves. Perhaps thinking I'd feel left out, she gives me a trifle too sometimes.
She had to go into the hospital this Christmas, alerting us to her mortality.
I entered her house alone to fetch her a sweater and saw an envelope addressed to me with holiday stickers all over it. I opened it to find an old silver ring with a translucent pale green stone; inside the envelope it read "Maybe a pinkie ring?"
I was very touched and wondered if this might be the last Christmas gift I would receive from her. Blurry minded, I put the ring and envelope in my pocket, and toyed with the ring and my coins the rest of the day.
I lost the ring soon after. I am very disheartened, but still have the envelope with her note and stickers on it.
Last seen in Redlands, California, on January 3, 2008.
Drewl, Chicago, Illinois ¶ 11:13 AM 0 Comments Links to this post
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Blue Bird Brooch
When my father's paternal grandmother passed away, each of her great-grandchildren (there were 5 of us at the time) received a gift bought with money "from" her. I don't know what my two male cousins got, but my brother was given a dog clock (with moving eyes), my sister received a necklace (as far as Mum can remember), and I was given (supposedly, as I was very young and have no recollection of the said item) a name-bar brooch with a blue bird on it. I do not even know if it was engraved. I can only suppose it may have been lost when we moved shortly after I turned 4.
Last seen (but not by me!) 1966-69 (at a rough guess), between Bayswater and East Kew, Victoria.
Judith Martin, Victoria, Australia
When my father's paternal grandmother passed away, each of her great-grandchildren (there were 5 of us at the time) received a gift bought with money "from" her. I don't know what my two male cousins got, but my brother was given a dog clock (with moving eyes), my sister received a necklace (as far as Mum can remember), and I was given (supposedly, as I was very young and have no recollection of the said item) a name-bar brooch with a blue bird on it. I do not even know if it was engraved. I can only suppose it may have been lost when we moved shortly after I turned 4.
Last seen (but not by me!) 1966-69 (at a rough guess), between Bayswater and East Kew, Victoria.
Judith Martin, Victoria, Australia
Labels: Australia, childhood, family, loss, move
¶ 12:12 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Several Fine Cotton Lace Doilies, Runners, etc.
I had been married to a very abusive man. In desperation to get away from his abuse, I accepted a job miles away, whereupon I began to realize he was terribly abusive. I decided to divorce him, and though I'd trusted him with my belongings, I returned to NY, shocked to find he'd carelessly tossed everything I owned into two outdoor storage sheds. Most of it was damaged beyond repair.
Amongst the devastation of losing so many irreplaceable things, such as knitting patterns which are now long out of print, no matter how hard I searched, I never found my doilies and runners. These doilies and runners had been gifts from my Grandma to me. She'd crocheted them long before I was born, and when I'd complimented her gorgeous work, she took them right off of her furniture and gave them to me. Just like that. I'm not a doily/runner person, but I cherished this beautiful, fine work, wrought by my loving Grandma's patient hands, and planned to someday display these pieces in my home.
I never got the chance. To this day, I have no idea where they went. My wonderful Grandma is no longer with us, so I can't ask her to make anything else for me. And I can't buy something from a garage sale - no other doilies or runners would be the same, anyway.
Last seen in Peekskill, NY, 1992
Melanie, Illinois
I had been married to a very abusive man. In desperation to get away from his abuse, I accepted a job miles away, whereupon I began to realize he was terribly abusive. I decided to divorce him, and though I'd trusted him with my belongings, I returned to NY, shocked to find he'd carelessly tossed everything I owned into two outdoor storage sheds. Most of it was damaged beyond repair.
Amongst the devastation of losing so many irreplaceable things, such as knitting patterns which are now long out of print, no matter how hard I searched, I never found my doilies and runners. These doilies and runners had been gifts from my Grandma to me. She'd crocheted them long before I was born, and when I'd complimented her gorgeous work, she took them right off of her furniture and gave them to me. Just like that. I'm not a doily/runner person, but I cherished this beautiful, fine work, wrought by my loving Grandma's patient hands, and planned to someday display these pieces in my home.
I never got the chance. To this day, I have no idea where they went. My wonderful Grandma is no longer with us, so I can't ask her to make anything else for me. And I can't buy something from a garage sale - no other doilies or runners would be the same, anyway.
Last seen in Peekskill, NY, 1992
Melanie, Illinois
Labels: craft, family, move, relationships, separation
¶ 11:05 AM 0 Comments Links to this post
Friday, March 23, 2007
Black Kid Fur-Lined Gloves
My father took a tracing of my hands with him to Hungary and came back with these beautiful gloves for me. They kept my hands toasty through 2 1/2 nasty Canadian winters, but one day, as I rode the train from school to meet the man who would eventually become my husband, they were lost. Equivalent exchange, perhaps?
I kept checking with the lost and found, but wasn't overly shocked that they were never turned in. I hope they were picked up and loved by someone who really needed them.
Last seen January 8, 2003, at the Bay subway station.
ja'ne, Toronto, Canada
My father took a tracing of my hands with him to Hungary and came back with these beautiful gloves for me. They kept my hands toasty through 2 1/2 nasty Canadian winters, but one day, as I rode the train from school to meet the man who would eventually become my husband, they were lost. Equivalent exchange, perhaps?
I kept checking with the lost and found, but wasn't overly shocked that they were never turned in. I hope they were picked up and loved by someone who really needed them.
Last seen January 8, 2003, at the Bay subway station.
ja'ne, Toronto, Canada
Labels: Canada, family, gift, gloves, Toronto
¶ 12:41 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Gold Bracelet with "Tiger's Eye" Beads
I was flying from Pittsburgh to Detroit and I noticed, about five minutes after exiting the aircraft, that my bracelet was missing. I retraced my steps, but never found it. The bracelet belonged to my Great Aunt. She bought it a number of years ago in Italy.
Last seen March, 2006, in the Detroit International Airport.
Janine Biunno, Boston, MA
I was flying from Pittsburgh to Detroit and I noticed, about five minutes after exiting the aircraft, that my bracelet was missing. I retraced my steps, but never found it. The bracelet belonged to my Great Aunt. She bought it a number of years ago in Italy.
Last seen March, 2006, in the Detroit International Airport.
Janine Biunno, Boston, MA
Labels: airport, Detroit, family, jewelry, Michigan
¶ 4:49 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
