Thursday, May 9, 2019

Making Do and Finding Memories


Recently Josie has been pretending to ride her walking stick (and also a black cane she calls The Hammer.)  So I decided to make a little stick horse/hobby horse for her.  


I drew a pattern, unearthed some pretty material a friend gave me about twenty years ago, realized that the edging on a pillow case that had just developed a hole would make a nice mane, and looked around for a stick. 


John found one that seemed a little too heavy and then he produced this little stick. It's been sitting in the stoneware churn where we keep all the various walking sticks ever since I brought it, along with several others, back from my grandparents' house in Tampa -- over thirty years ago. 


Memory being what it is, I don't know if I previously noticed the inscription on the cane -- Lookout Mountain. But this time I did -- and I suddenly remembered that my grandparents had gone to Chattanooga and Lookout Mountain as a part of their honeymoon back in 1915. A little silver spoon that was a souvenir of Lookout Mountain was the sugar spoon in use at their house.

So, I suspect that this cane was likely another souvenir from that honeymoon.

Back then, a walking stick was not an aid for the aged but an accessory for the fashionable young man -- and, in my memory, my grandfather always carried a walking stick -- though he didn't actually need one till he was up in his eighties. 

But just to make sure I remembered correctly about the wedding trip. I rousted out my grandmother's wedding book . 


Over a hundred years ago . . . 


Details preserved -- a description of her going-away outfit, along with swatches of the material . . .


The wedding journey itinerary -- in my grandmother's hand. (My grandfather told me about the huge trunk she had to contain her finery and the hassle involved in getting it from the train to the hotel. And, yes, I have that very trunk. Her wedding dress is in it.)


And, indeed, they were in Chattanooga 'for some time'  . . . I like to believe that on a trip to Lookout Mountain, he bought the silver spoon for her and she reciprocated by buying him this cane.



And I think they would both be pleased to think that their great-great granddaughter will take journeys of her own on that same little walking stick.


11 comments:

Thérèse said...

A true heirloom!

Anvilcloud said...

Wonderfully done and way to close the circle.

Oddly enough, just yesterday I was contemplating getting a cane/stick. Even if I didn't use it to bear weight, at least it might signal to people that I walk slowly for a reason.

Anonymous said...

Wonderful story, what treasures!
Merisi

Barbara Rogers said...

That's just perfection. Lovely hobby horse! Great book for remembering your grandmother's wedding...and you've still got her beautiful dress! You win the collectors prize for today (if there ever was one.)

Sandra Parshall said...

Wonderful story. I hope Josie uses her little horse and enjoys it. Photos!

Wayfarin' Stranger said...

I hope Josie treasures that walking stick as she grows up. I have my grandfather's cane, inscribed with his name,the Masonic symbol, and Lodge number, that will be passed on to his great-great grandson and namesake. And I hope Ben will treasure that, as well.

GPearson said...

Our "horses" were tobacco sticks and Mama would make heads for them out of whatever scraps of material were leftovers from sewing projects. So many hours of adventures making sure the woods were safe! I wish I had one of the many gallant steeds she made for us! I hope Josie loves her pony as much as I did mine. 💖

Cyranetta said...

How lucky you are to be so placed in family history that you have that wonderful and detailed album and the souvenir(-horse) and at the other end someone special with whom to share them.

Jime said...

Making do and well done. You have stirred my memories of my maternal grandparents: Daisy and Pops

Junk Journal Penpals said...

What a lovely story and gorgeous memories to go with it!

katy gilmore said...

Love this - giddy up Josie!