Wildflower in the Home (Week 4)

Kudos to Elizabeth Joy for giving us something to think about during the Winter besides the weather!

The bowl below was given to me by my paternal grandmother. Hazel Evelyn was born September 28, 1897 and died August 28, 1995. Just shy of her 98th birthday. She and my grandfather were raised in farming families and most of their children were raised on the farm.

Somewhere along the line, when their family was young, their home burned... destroying its contents. Several years before she died, Grandma gave me the bowl pictured below. It had come back to her after her mother's death. Now I am privileged to be holding it until I can pass it on.

Not only is the bowl special, but my grandmother included a hand-written note that will remain with the bowl.

"To K---. I bought this dish for my mother in 1918 -
after 2 years of teaching country school.
Five pupils and I rec'd $52.40 per month.
And, I paid $3.00 a week board!

You were our first grandchild so you will get this dish!

Love,
Grandma"

I'm going to guess that the bowl
is approximately 10 - 12" in diameter.

I had to include two objects in this post.
The second object is the little shoe to the right
of Grandma's bowl.

This shoe once belonged to my Aunt MEA.
She has a collection of china shoes that she's had
for a long time. It's hidden away, now.
But when I was growing up, the collection was displayed
on a set of wall shelves in the living room.

I was always enthralled by those shoes.
Several years ago, I imposed upon my Aunt MEA.
I asked if I could have a shoe from her collection.
Of course, my cousin had to "okay" the request,
so I owe her a "thank you," too.

My Aunt MEA is Mom's sister.
I have many fond memories of her involvement in my life.
After we moved away from the community,
she would have my sister Barb and me stay
for a week or so in the summer.
My cousin was a little younger, but we always
had a great time.
A 4-H leader,
cookie baker, soup maker,
and most wonderfully -
a gardener! She can grow anything,
and she still does.

We won't talk about ages here,
but she'll never be old.

These are two of my treasures.
The plate and the shoe reside together
on a shelf in the dining room.

Thanks again, Elizabeth Joy, for my short stroll down memory lane.

Wildflowers in Winter Meme

I just discovered this new meme on site by Mr. McGregor's Daughter! I love wildflowers, however I didn't purchase my digital camera until late last May. My husband has been working on restoring a prairie over the past 10 years or so, and we'd been out walking most of the afternoon. But my very favorite prairie photo is this one. I also like the golden sunlight.

The plant is a gray-head (or gray-headed) coneflower or Ratibida pinnata. They have large yellow flowers with drooping petals that surround a gray/brown seed head. Plants bloom profusely all summer, and birds eat the seed if old flowers are left on the plant. It will self-seed and spread. It is good for prairies and meadows and it is great for erosion control (as most prairie plants are).

And, there you have it! ;-) Not at all shady.