Special Gifts from the Past

Today was a special day in many ways.  We took a little trip to meet my hubby's brother and family at a Cracker Barrel about 2 hours away from our home.  We used to make this trip every week when we had my mother in law going back and forth between our two homes...we'd make the 'swap' at a location near there, or sometimes at the Cracker Barrel itself if we wanted to spend some time visiting.  So it was kind of a bittersweet visit today...it's been almost seven months since my mother in law passed away, and it seems that our family get-togethers are getting fewer and farther apart...just because that's the way life is.  We get busy in our own routines, and it gets harder and harder to find the time...

But today was special...my brother in law and family weren't able to attend my husband's birthday party a couple of weeks ago, and so this was to be a time to celebrate together.  My brother in law was excited about a "special" gift that he had for my hubby...something that he found in going through their mother's things.  "Nanny" had told my brother in law that she had left some money in her Bible for my hubby, and she wanted him to have it after she was gone.  Well, he searched and searched...he said he found five or six different Bibles in her house, and none of them had any money in them as far as he could find.  

I'm not sure how he finally discovered this particular Bible, but as it would always be, the last one he found was the one....

And sure enough, when he opened the Bible, there were three $20.00 bills folded inside.  Of course, my hubby knew what these were.  Many times while she was still living alone at her home, when we would go  visit her my hubby would put a $20.00 bill on her refrigerator door with a magnet, but not tell her about it. He wanted her to have it to help with groceries or gas or whatever, but she would never accept it if he tried to give it to her directly.  But, as mothers will do, she would find that money and she just tucked it away in her Bible, and never used it.  

When we opened the Bible we knew why she put it in this particular Bible:

This was the Bible we had given her for Christmas many years ago. She always thanked us for this particular Bible because it had LARGE PRINT...and she really appreciated that.

Now, as if that wasn't "special" enough for a gift today, there was more...

Hubby's brother was really pleased to give him one more special book that he found among their mother's things:

This was something my hubby had never seen before...note the inscription in the flyleaf:

This nurse was the floor nurse who had taken care of my mother in law in the hospital after my hubby was born there 71 years ago!  I'm not sure how or when my mother in law actually met up with and got this autographed copy of the book from the nurse, as it wasn't written until 1962, which was 14 years after they had met in that hospital.  What is the likelihood that they would meet up again and actually remember one another? I mean, my mother in law came from a little town about 25 miles away from that hospital, which was in the big city of Orlando.  I know my mother in law wasn't what you would consider a literary kind of person...so somehow she must have heard the news that this nurse had written this book and who knows how she managed to meet her again and get this signed copy?  That's a mystery we will never know...and it is amazing to me that she had written this note in there to make sure that "Johnny" would get it after she was gone.  I'm so glad that hubby's brother noticed it and paid attention to the details!!  What a treasure! I can't wait to read the book. I'll probably have to read it to my hubby...it's not something that he would ordinarily be that interested in reading...but just the fact that this was left especially for him is so sweet and significant to us.  I know my hubby was a bit speechless over the whole "package" of the Bible with the money, and then this book.  I'm not sure if my brother in law understood that he just couldn't really talk about it at the time...it was something he had to let sink in...

Now, there was more.  My brother in law had also asked if we or our son and his wife would like to have an old chest of drawers that had belonged to their paternal grandmother. (Grandma Steiner)  We asked our son if they would like to have it, and he said he would if we didn't really want it, but after looking at it, we both decided it needed to be put in our guest bedroom along with the old bed set that also came from "Grandma Steiner".  

I know what you are thinking..."I thought you were trying to DOWNSIZE?"  Yes, I know...that is what I was thinking too...but when it comes to old family furniture, I just can't say no. Besides, my hubby agreed. He said that he never really had much from his father's side of the family as they weren't all that close, and it was pretty special to have this together with the old bed.  

As far as downsizing goes, I did give away two things from my kitchen cupboard this week...

My cousin Becky came to visit from Ohio, and I had a coffee mug from "Becky's" cafe in Portland, Maine that I've always thought I should give to my cousin Becky, and so she graciously accepted it. I also gave her this cute little teacup and saucer:

Why?  Because it was made in Steubenville, Ohio, and that is where my cousin Becky was born. She was delighted to get that!! So I am trying to downsize!!  Give me some credit!!

Okay, I guess that's about it for today.  We forgot to take pictures of the family at Cracker Barrel today.  My sister and her hubby were also there, so we had a great time with the whole gang filling up a big table.  So thankful for family. We are so blessed.  Oh..yes, one more thing I just remembered. My sister in law also brought something from "Nanny".  She brought a bag full of some old embroidered doilies and table scarves that they found among her things.  

I guess that old chest of drawers is a great place to keep them, don't you?  Okay, so much for downsizing...what's a girl gonna do?

Thank you for your prayers.

Please also pray for my hubby as he will be preaching again tomorrow morning at our church. And yes, please continue to pray for our Pastor and our church in the coming days and months as we prepare the way for a new pastor to come in when our pastor is fully retired.  A lot going on and we definitely need the Lord to guide us and carry us all through this time.  Thank you, and God bless you and have a marvelous day in the Lord's House tomorrow!!

Good Night, and sweet dreams!