Wednesday Treasures From My Grandparents

So, here it is Wednesday again, and a time to share with you some of my special "treasures"...things that I've saved from childhood, or other collections of particular items of interest. And after last night's debate (did you stay up and watch it to the "bitter end"? I did....wow, what a brawl!) I thought we might need something pleasant and sweet to look at this morning to take our minds off of the craziness.

 I wasn't sure what it would be for this week, until I thought of something that I hadn't seen in a while and wanted to pull it out of it's box in the closet and enjoy it for a little while.

Yes, that is a set of bunk beds, doll bunk beds to be specific, made especially for me by my Grandpa Mursch when I was a little girl. (My paternal grandpa).

He was a skilled craftsman, and built other nice toys and things for his other grandchildren too. I believe my sister had a lovely high-chair for her dollies. I'm not sure if she still has it, as when our family moved to Florida from Pennsylvania back in the 1950's, we had to leave some things behind in storage at my uncle's farm, and I'm not sure we ever got everything back from there that we had left behind.

But somehow I managed to keep my doll bunk beds. And I've managed to keep them well over 60 years, through many moves in my own adulthood.  I never had a little girl to play with them, so that is probably why they are still in such great shape.  

(P.S. After getting ready to post this, I realized that those bookshelves behind the doll bed were also built by my grandpa!! They hold my collection of favorite old antique books. Another treasure!)

My grandfather doesn't get all the credit for this lovely set.

My grandmother also had a part in making it so nice and comfy for my dollies.

She made the lovely mattresses for the beds:

This is a closeup of the sweet little rosebud pattern on the mattresses:

This the underside, where she stitched them together with pink yarn:

Now doesn't my little "Sandra" doll look comfy and cozy? You met Sandra HERE last week. She was lovingly created for me by my maternal grandma Tedlie. Maybe my grandmas got together and collaborated on these special gifts...I really don't know, but I am happy I still have them!

The cover on the mattress above is an old embroidered pillowcase, made by my husband's grandma, 

"Nanny Martin".  I thought it was cute to use as a sheet over the mattress.  So it seems I've gotten all the grandmas in the act here today! LOL.

But I actually wanted to focus on the things that came from my paternal grandparents.

Here they are in a more casual moment. I loved seeing this photo of them. I'd never really seen them this "playful" together before . Kind of gave me a new insight into their relationship.

Here is another treasure from my grandma.

She loved tea and teacups just like me. Or maybe I liked them just like her...probably that is the way it was...anyway, she gave me this delicate rosebud teacup and saucer one year for either my birthday or Christmas.  Isn't it lovely?  The pattern is "June Bouquet", by Duchess Bone China, made in England. My grandma must have also loved roses and rosebuds, since that is the pattern on the little doll bed mattresses as well as on this teacup!

And here is another special little treasure from my grandparents:

This is a Madame Alexander doll, "Wendy",  and she is so lovely in her pretty gold taffeta gown and brown velvet jacket. She used to have a little white fur muff and hat to go with the outfit, but they are long gone. She is a bit worse for the wear. This is the kind of Madame Alexander doll that could bend her legs at the knees. However, her little legs came apart and are no longer connected. I'm sure they could be restored with proper rubber bands and someone who knows what they are doing. But for now she must stay seated in the pretty glass bowl in the china cabinet. You will notice that she has red hair. That was because I also had red hair. I've probably had her since I was about seven or eight years old.

(I just noticed that there is a photo bomber in this picture! Ha ha. That was unplanned! The china closet has a mirrored back)

And this is another special little doll, "Ginger". I'm sure many of you remember the Ginny dolls.

She is also well loved and rather worn, but at least she still has her legs! LOL. Again, another special gift from my grandparents when I was a young girl.

One year for my birthday I received a lovely Cinderella Watch. (The watch is long gone). This pretty little china doll came with the watch. She has had her shares of calamities as well. I had to glue her head back on when she fell and broke her neck. Actually her arms were also broken when she fell, and it appears she had to be glued back together at her waist. Poor Cinderella! I do hope her Prince will come and love her just the way she is! She has had a very difficult life. But look! She's still smiling! Perhaps that young man with the bagpipes standing next to her is making her happy.

He must be a true Prince!

One last special treasure for this day:

This sweet little white teapot and teacup and saucer belonged to my Grandma. I didn't receive it until after she had passed away.  I'm not sure if my sister and I used this little set when we visited our Grandma as little girls. I do remember having a tea party on her front porch many, many years ago when we all still lived in Pennsylvania. Maybe my sister remembers better than I do. My memories from that far back are very fuzzy since I was still such a little girl.

The picture of the little girl having her breakfast with her Teddy Bear is a card that I found one time many years ago and loved it so much that I bought it and have kept it. I guess I like to pretend that was me once upon a time.

I hope you enjoyed this little walk back through my childhood memories. I hope to be sharing more about this particular Grandma in the next few months. She is the one I am focusing my genealogical research on since she was adopted as an infant. Her 125th birthday is coming up in December, and I am hoping to have a more complete story to tell about her by then. So stay tuned!

Here are some words of wisdom for those of us who are grandparents:

Deuteronomy 4:7-9

7.  "For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, 

as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him?

8.  And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day?

9.  Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life.

And teach them to your children and your grandchildren."

Also from Psalm 103:17-18

17.  "But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting

on those who fear Him,

And His righteousness to children's children,

18.  To such as keep his covenant,

and to those who remember His commandments to do them."

The most important gift we can give our grandchildren is to teach them about the God Who loves them...about Jesus our Savior Who gave His life for them so that they can have eternal life and life more abundant.  My grandparents were devout Christian people who lived their lives as good stewards of the gifts He had given them. They were always active in their church, actually were founding members of their church when they moved to Florida and there was no church nearby where they lived. They were not showy or demonstrative people, but lived a peaceful, thoughtful life and set a good example for their children and their grandchildren. I appreciate that "gift" of living humbly and honestly before God most of all.