Gobsmacked! That is the word that springs to mind as I look over all of the comments left on the previous post for the little Christmas mouse. Thank you all for taking the time to leave comments, so many really lovely and kind ones too. It would be nice to be able to give everyone a prize, but obviously that is impossible with just one of me and so many comments but I will ponder on new free patterns and giveaways for next year and will keep you posted.
The lovely Emma of Silverpebble recently posted a picture on Instagram of some of her collected treasures and when I commented at how lovely they were and that I too had a collection of special bits she asked to see, so here is my treasure collection that I keep in a couple of old OXO tins.
From top left corner:
- 2 silver bracelets which were my christening presents;
- a heart shaped stone found on a beach on France on my first holiday with H;
- a 1922 Belgian 5 cent coin with a hole punched in it (from my great Grannys sewing box). I'd love to know why there is a hole in it – perhaps it was given as a keepsake;
- a collection of shells from various beach holidays;
- a rat tooth that reminds me of a holiday when I was 14. I'd gone up into the sand dunes for a bit of kissing with a French boy who was my holiday romance and we found this skull. We both kept a tooth as a souvenir and now I can't even remember his name!;
- a little hand sewn leather wallet that belonged to my Great Grandmother with a cross and prayers (see below)
- broken pottery shards from our garden – our soil is full of broken pottery bits of indeterminate age;
- in the little tin are some lumps of amber, an old 3 penny bit, another old key and a feather from Berry the blackbird who we raised years ago
- along the bottom are other finds from digging in the garden: a knapped flint and various fossil like rocks. The next town from us is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in Northern Europe and whenever I find bits in the garden I wonder how many people have stood on this spot in the past;
- a pretty feather found in the woods;
- a squashed locket that 10 year old me found in the road – it had been run over by a car and inside has a faded picture of a baby and a lock of hair. I made a 'found' poster and stuck it to the Post box nearby but sadly no-one ever came to claim it;
- a curl of fur brushed from Poppy, my beloved cat who I adopted from stray on the streets of Hull when I was a student. She lived with me there for 3 years and used to sit on my lap and look out of the window on the long train journey from Hull to Reading in the holidays. When I left college she came too and lived with H and I in our first flat in Ealing. She was a much loved and pampered old lady cat until her peaceful death in her sleep 4 years later.
- a little black bakelite cat that I stole when I was 18 from the cluttered attic of my first landlady. I'd gone off to art college and lived with my best friend in one attic room with only cold running water. We were allowed to have one bath a week each (by appointment only), cooked on a 2 ring table-top stove and had no heating. We liked exploring the other end of the attic – which was stuffed with loads of old clothes, furniture and even a real tiger skin rug :(
- my great Grandmothers wedding ring;
- two very old keys, whatever they fitted has long since been lost (again from my Great Grandmothers house)
- a silver sixpence from 1956
- a little green glass monkey that was my mothers until I badgered her to give it to me when I was about eight or nine. I have kept it safely ever since Mum 🙂
This little wallet is a mystery. It was returned by the undertakers with all of my great Grandmothers effects after she died and until that point I don't think another person had ever been aware of its existence. Clearly it was hand made and she had worn it about her person for most of her life. It contains a medal from Our Lady of Mount Carmel P.F.U., a crucifix, a 'Battleship Prayer' cloth badge from 'The League of The Sacred Heart of Jesus' B.O.W British made and a little handwritten pledge which reads:
????… God because Thou art so good. I am very sorry that I have sinned against Thee and I will not sin again.
It feels a little sad to know so little of her life but she was my great grandmother so I only knew her as a slightly cantankerous old lady who smelt a bit funny and she died when I was 12. I would love to know what this little wallet means but that is no doubt lost in time now. I keep it as a poignant reminder that everyone was young once and becomes old and unless they pass on their story it is lost forever. Perhaps this blog will survive in some format when I am long gone and be all that is left of my story – that is a nice thought.
Do you have a treasure collection or an object that you keep for the memory it conjures up? I'd love to hear about it if you have time to leave a comment.
little cotton rabbits 
This is such an interesting little collection!
LikeLike
I know for the hole in the coin ! It was because it was easier to carry, you put the coins on a metal thread et voilà !!
LikeLike
This post was a very nice travel in time, thank you for it.
LikeLike
What lovely things. I have a few allotment finds and a jar of sea glass, but nothing like this. I do have a small coin with a hole in it that I got in Spain when I was cycling down through France, Spain and Morocco. It was celebrating the Olympics, and I remember we went to the Olympic stadium and stood there for a while when it was empty (we weren’t there when the Olympics were on though), the scene of so much drama and so much effort. The coin is still on my keyring. CJ xx
LikeLike
Wow Julie, what a brilliant post, there is so much I’d love to comment on but I’d be here all day!!!
I love Berry’s feather and Poppy’s fur, they’re exactly the sort of things I have ferreted away too and I had to smile at the rats tooth story!!
Sadly I’m old enough to remember how many black jacks and fruit salads a thrupenny bit could buy!! 😉
V xxx
LikeLike
Love your collection and I too share such sentiments about similar things. The first words of the prayer are “O my God because”. It is a form of “Act of Contrition”, said daily, after a confession, before communion. Taught to Catholic children everywhere in some form if you attended Catholic school. A very dear piece- is this her hand writing?
LikeLike
What a treasure !!!
The older Belgian 5 cent coins all have a hole in the middle.
Love from Belgium.
LikeLike
I have one of those little black cats, I have never seen another one.Mine must be about 55 years old.
LikeLike
I wonder if everyone has a little collection of small treasures. I certainly have and it turns out that my sister, my mum and my friend ( female) all do too, though kept in various boxes and in different places – yes, mine is in my knicker drawer, who else but me goes in there? My husband says he doesn’t have such a thing but his wallet is stuffed with photos and ticket stubbs etc ( not money unfortunately) and I think that comes close, for a bloke. We should create a national register of small treasure ‘hoardes’ and then our own personal stories will live on 😊
LikeLike
So fun to see your collection of treasures. I especially like the hand-sewn wallet. So special!
LikeLike
I also have a green glass monkey that holds special memories. A lovely post- thank you.
LikeLike
that wallet is such a spectacular thing to have from your great grandmother, what a treasure. It’s so hard to know our ancestors well, you have more than most people do, I suspect. What a wonderful treasure pile you have!
LikeLike
I agree so much with your post. If we don’t tell our children what all the little treasures are they will be tossed out once we are gone. That goes for old photos too. I need to tell them who some of the people are in my family’s collection. If I can remember myself.
LikeLike
When my mother passed away two years ago I was left with boxes of her treasures with included costume jewelry and odds and ends from both my grandmothers and several great aunts. No one really wanted the individual broach or set of clip on ear rings or odd skeleton key. I started arranging groups of jewelry, keys, pictures and such in shadow boxes and now my sisters, sister-in-laws, daughters and nieces and even my brothers love getting one of these collections. I’ve made about 20 at the point.
LikeLike
Loved seeing all of your interesting treasures. We all have these little things that give us comfort and help us stay connected with our past. Last night I looked at the tattered remains of my sweet Daddy’s old leather wallet which is literally in shreds. Then there is his little prayer book that he took to church every Sunday, his old reading glasses and things like that. My dear sweet Mommy died 3 months ago. I kiss pictures of her every day and regularly hug some hand sewn pants that I made for her shortly before her death. And then there’s the sweater that I knitted for her last summer. She only got to wear it a couple of months before she died, but I made many things for her throughout her life. I’ll feel closer to her now when I wear the sweater. There’s something so intimate about all of our little trinkets. Mostly they conjure up the memories that we hold so dear. Thanks so much for sharing.
LikeLike
I loved seeing the wallet. Your Great-grandmother was undoubtedly Catholic. The beginning of the prayer is “Oh, my God because…” What a treasured keepsake of hers to know she carried it so close in that little wallet. She most likely had made a consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. How beautiful that you now have it. I have a friend who is an expert about these things and I’ll forward the blog post to her and ask her about it. She can probably fill you in more because she’s a life long Catholic. If I find out anything, I’ll see if she will post a comment for you.
LikeLike
I too loved reading about your “treasures”. I was very amused by the story of your days living in the attic. Imagine one bath a week – and by appointment! Also, your beloved cat’s fur made me question why I never thought to save such a thing from any of my beloved pets. I have a box filled with memories. One of my favorites is the little pink and white beaded bracelet that was put on me in the hospital when I was born. It has my mother’s name on it and it was how babies were identified back in the day. Your post prompted me to take a look through the box – something I haven’t done in years. Thank you for that.
LikeLike
Oh this has been so wonderful to read, what a awesome collection you have there…..
LikeLike
I have many treasures as I am a lifelong hoarder, but I was thrilled to see your green glass monkey as we have an identical one in our family. I believe ours was originally mums but as a child I remember it being kept in the Christmas tree ornaments box. I used it as a good luck charm, carrying it in my pocket as a child, later giving it to my daughter for luck. It is at least 60 years old and until today I had never known of another one.
LikeLike
What a beautiful collection of memories! I have a small valise stuffed with my most precious paper things such as postcards, my exam results, letters from relatives and friends and old travel diaries. I have little objects all over the house, you have inspired me to gather them all into one collection. I did keep all of my children’s baby teeth but after a while the collection looked a bit macabre so they are gone! . I do think the things we inherit are the most precious, I have my Granny’s engagement ring and my Nan’s old battered case of knitting patterns and needles.
LikeLike
What a lovely collection of treasures! I have one too yes indeed and have already started encouraging my 3 year old to collect and store little treasures too 🙂
LikeLike
What a wonderful post Julie. When I first saw the picture, I thought “Oh look, there’s a little collection of junk like a lot of us have” but the stories make it SO interesting! It’s the stories that really matter, isn’t it? I particularly love the story about the rat’s tooth — especially that you can’t even remember his name LOL!
LikeLike
Ahhh…little treasures. I have a bunch of these that mark different times in my life. Sort of the touch point of the time to transport me back to a nice memory. I love yours. Nicely displayed & inventoried 🤗
LikeLike
That is a great idea Karen!
LikeLike
I do have some bits and treasures but sadly, they are mostly in boxes stored away which makes me think, what is the point? My house isn’t big enough with all of us squished into it so a lot of things are in storage in the garage that I wish weren’t. Someday, when I am able to get the boxes out and go through them, it will be like Christmas I would imagine. A treasure hunt with surprises all over the place as I’ve forgotten over the years what exactly I have stored away……..
LikeLike
Moi aussi j’ai conservé ce “portefeuille” de ma grand-mère avec plusieurs médailles usées d”avoir été porté.
Cet objet a certainement un nom ?scapulaire? mystérieux en
tout cas.
On imagine l’objet attaché avec un épingle à nourrice sur une chemise en toile de lin comme nos grand- mères les portaient.Ma grand-mère s’appelait ORPHA
et était née en 1890.
LikeLike
I have loved seeing and reading about you little trinket collection Julie. It is also good to know that I am not the only one that keeps little treasures that may seem insignificant to others, but that hold lovely memories to their owners. x
LikeLike
I have loved seeing and reading about you little trinket collection Julie. It is also good to know that I am not the only one that keeps little treasures that may seem insignificant to others, but that hold lovely memories to their owners. x
LikeLike
I have loved seeing and reading about you little trinket collection Julie. It is also good to know that I am not the only one that keeps little treasures that may seem insignificant to others, but that hold lovely memories to their owners. x
LikeLike
I have loved seeing and reading about you little trinket collection Julie. It is also good to know that I am not the only one that keeps little treasures that may seem insignificant to others, but that hold lovely memories to their owners. x
LikeLike
I have loved seeing and reading about you little trinket collection Julie. It is also good to know that I am not the only one that keeps little treasures that may seem insignificant to others, but that hold lovely memories to their owners. x
LikeLike
I have loved seeing and reading about you little trinket collection Julie. It is also good to know that I am not the only one that keeps little treasures that may seem insignificant to others, but that hold lovely memories to their owners. x
LikeLike
I have loved seeing and reading about you little trinket collection Julie. It is also good to know that I am not the only one that keeps little treasures that may seem insignificant to others, but that hold lovely memories to their owners. x
LikeLike
I have loved seeing and reading about you little trinket collection Julie. It is also good to know that I am not the only one that keeps little treasures that may seem insignificant to others, but that hold lovely memories to their owners. x
LikeLike
I have loved seeing and reading about you little trinket collection Julie. It is also good to know that I am not the only one that keeps little treasures that may seem insignificant to others, but that hold lovely memories to their owners. x
LikeLike
I think the brown little wallet is a form of scapular.dont exactly remember the object of wearing it, but I think it guarantees entry to heaven upon death. It is associated with the Carmelite religious order.
LikeLike
Oh this is such a wonderful post Julie. All those tiny memories. The rat’s tooth! That wallet is so poignant, especially the inscription in it. It makes me wonder what triggered her to write it. I do think most of us have little collections like this. Each item is beautiful and intriguing on its own but together they’re like a small personal museum.
LikeLike
What a lovely and intersting post! thank you for sharing these stories, some are really funny! Anne
LikeLike
Fabulous collection and all the more interesting for hearing the stories behind them – I love the thought of you ‘liberating’ the little black cat when you were younger; just the sort of thing I would have done…and maybe still would!
LikeLike
Very cool!
LikeLike
I love the story of your treasures. I have a few bits scattered about. I think I am going to get a nice little home for them and tuck them away with notes on what they mean to me.
LikeLike
A hand printed recipe for rose hip jam that my dad gave me so many years ago…an old, tattered and well stained cookbook that my mom used and added recipes to along it’s fraying margins…my dad’s autoharp with it’s little replacement buttons that he would carve out of small chunks of wood… Oh those moments in time long ago…thank you Julie for sharing your treasures and for inviting us to take a few moments to do the same.
LikeLike
I believe the note reads as follows: O my God, because Thou art so good, I am very sorry in my heart I have sinned against Thee and will not sin again.” It’s an abridged form of the prayer said after confession and before penance. A parochial prayer book has it written thus: O my God, I am very sorry that I have sinned against Thee, because Thou art so good; and I will not sin again. My Sweet Jesus, have mercy on me, and forgive me all my sins.” It’s a lovely keepsake. Thank you for sharing it.
LikeLike
I loved reading about your treasures but the bit about your great grandmother who ‘ smelt a bit funny’ made me chuckle as it reminded me of my Nan , in a good way
LikeLike
Lovely to see your treasure trove. I was particularly fascinated by the wallet belonging to your great grandmother – what a lovely thing to have and hold.
I have a musical jewellery box and in it amongst other things are: baby teeth from my daughter, her hospital name wrist band, my hospital notes from when I was pregnant, a feather from my dear little budgie back from when I was about 12, a whisker from one of my lovely much loved cats, a ticket to a school disco and I can’t remember anything else right now. They are kept in a music box which was a present to me from my parents.
My daughter has a heart shaped stone from our garden where we used to live. It is certainly one of her treasures.
LikeLike