Winter

Winter

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Almost Thanksgiving

Today is such a bright blue day. The colors are so pretty and I love the golden warm light. With Thanksgiving a couple days away, I have been reflecting a lot on how I have been given so many wonderful gifts in this life. I thought I would share something that is kind of funky and it means so much to me.

When I was a little, little girl one of my first memories is this clock. I went to visit my Dad's Mom. My grandmother was almost six feet tall and she had an iron will and wasn't a warm and loving woman like my Mom's mother was. She was though, a woman deeply devoted to God. Since my Dad was the youngest in the family, by the time I came along, I was just another kids in the bunch. She came to California and worked in a packing shed and picked cotton. They lived in the Weedpatch Camp made famous by John Steinbeck in the Grapes of Wrath. They all would put their money together and bought some land in Weedpatch and then bought a wooden train car that they turned into a house. We would go visit there. In my Grandmother's bed room, above her bed on a shelf was this clock. I would go in her room and stare at it and I thought it was the most beautiful thing I ever saw.

When she got sick, she told her daughters that this was " Kim's clock and to make sure she gets it ." So after she passed away it became my clock. It still works too. My grandfather had won it in a county fair before they left Oklahoma, she always treasured it.  My grandparents sacrificed all that they had to come to California so that their kids could all have a college education. All of my Dad's sisters went to college when not many woman did that. I think today of all of the people who sacrificed everything they had. Janette over at Janette's Sage has a good reminder of those sacrifices today.

I think that without the sacrifice of those Pilgrims coming to this country we might not have all of the gifts we have today.

Thank you so much for stopping by today.
~Kim~

11 comments:

TexWisGirl said...

that is really sweet that she knew to save that clock and designate it for you - maybe not warm and loving, but loving just the same. :)

Julia said...

I love your memory post today. My grandmothers didn't have any luxury and the only treasure that I remember was a beautiful lady's wrist watch that she left to her oldest granddaughter, my older sister Leona. The watch still works today.

I'm glad that you got her clock. It is now a cherished family heirloom that you can pass on to your family, many, many years from now.
God bless.
Hugs,
JB



Christine said...

It is wonderful that she thought of you and you still treasure it to this day.
I never knew any of my grandparents and I'm glad my kids know theirs.
Blessings
Christine

Meg said...

8 years and that's the first time I've seen that clock. Where have you been stashing it?

Kessie said...

Wow, I haven't seen that in ages. It looks all shiny and glowy in that picture, too!

Coloring Outside the Lines said...

So glad that she passed the clock on to you- especially since it was something that you admired . My gma was tough too...I think we that live in these cushy days have a hard time understanding how difficult life used to be. Thanks for sharing, and Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.

Kim said...

Kim, that is a sweet story about the clock. I'm so happy that your grandmother remembered your attachment to it. And how cool that it still works!

Primitive Stars said...

Hi Kim, such a sweet memory, glad you have the wonderful old clock.....Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.......Blessings Francine.

Susan Shull said...

Aren't grandma memories the best? Stories like this one make me realize how much easier we have it today. I am thankful for that.

Kathy ... aka Nana said...

What sweet memories are brought to mind when you see that clock.

Kathy ... aka Nana said...

Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!