A mom gift...

I inherited a love of antiques from my mother and my paternal grandmother. My mother found the soup tureen (seen above,) years ago on one of her "junking" forays. She was in search of items to sell in her cute little antique shop. The tureen is lovely, but lidless. When mom gave it to me she said, "This will be nice at Christmas, you can make a pretty centerpiece." And so, I do. I enjoy the process, cutting evergreen branches on a wintry walk, searching out things to brighten the arrangement. The end result is always different, and always makes me feel nostalgic.

I received this quote today in an email from theuniverse@tut.com, and it seemed fitting.
"Nothing is ever lost. Not time; for what seems to have passed, lives on in the wisdom of future decisions. Not money; for what seems to have been spent, was only invested. And not love; for what seems to have vanished, has only moved so close you must look within your heart to see it."

I see you in my heart, mom. And in the antiques that decorate my home... and in this happy holiday tureen.