Family Keepsakes…

Our house is filled with things that have stories connected to them, all near and dear to our family. My decor style is eclectic. I love to highlight imperfect things.

If it’s tattered, that’s because there’s a story connected to it…

Board Games…

Our family loves to play games. When my 80+ year old mom moved into our home with us, she came with several family keepsakes. One was an old “Uncle Wiggily” (TM) Game board.

The game board is now displayed on a shelf in our game room. (I love shelves.) My mom told me this game belonged to my father’s mother. Grandma kept this game to play with her grandchildren. She had a lot of grandchildren. The game’s cards and tokens are long gone. It’s not in perfect condition, but I enjoy having it for nostalgia.

When I look at the game, it brings back memories of playing games on grandma’s big table, the smell of her coffee brewing (and over brewing) on her stove and the fact that she always kept cookies on hand for her grandchildren. Especially those strawberry, chocolate and vanilla cream filled wafer cookies (which I stopped liking in my teen years).

According to https://boardgamegeek.com: This game is based on the character “Uncle Wiggily Longears” which was in a children’s book created in 1910. The game was first introduced by the Milton Bradley Company in 1916. It was modified in 1923, 1949, and 1955.

Playing Catch…

Another family keepsake on our game room shelf is my dad’s baseball glove. It’s an All Star 727 Ralph Kiner. My dad and brother use to play catch with a softball in our big front yard and this was the glove my dad used. Seeing it brings back memories of the smell of fresh cut grass, pine trees, damp dirt and the sound of a softball hitting the glove.

According to https://www.baseball-almanac.com : Ralph Kiner was the National League home run champion in every one of his first seven seasons in the Major Leagues, 1946 through 1952. I don’t know when my dad got this glove, but I do know he had it before I was old enough to know what a baseball glove was for. I also know that my dad enjoyed watching baseball, so owning this Ralph Kiner glove would fit with his era. My mom guessed that my dad played catch with his older brothers and nephews prior to having his own children.

The little girl in the photo is my mom. She was 2 years old. The photo was taken in Chicago. She was first generation born in the U.S.A. The photo of the teenage boy is my father’s graduation picture. He was 17 years old. He joined the Navy during WWII.

Let’s inspire together…

What do you have in your house that has a family story connected to it? Share it on https://www.facebook.com/RusticCountryMarket

Inspiring Home Life,

The Relentless Redecorator

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