One of my first “real” antique purchases from waaay back in my Indigo Seas days…an engraving circa 1830, still with me having survived half a lifetime of ups and downs (and up again!). My Irish grandmother, Mary Sharkey O’Toole, used to say “I just want my things about me” when she moved into the teeny cottage my parents bought her when I was in high school. It was her only request. I guess it was my first renovation, because they trusted me enough to hire me to clean out and paint the place – it was my summer job. It was a humble but sweet little space, painted all white. Once I arranged her “things” – a few books, her Bible, and photos of family on a built in bookshelf, she was home and happy. She was stubbornly independent and lived there on her own until she was 93. As I get older I’m far less attached to things. But things help carry our memories, and having special things “about” is a both privilege and a comfort. #waxingpoetic #sundayafternoon #collections #antiqueprints #arthistorynerd #sundayshelfie #antiques
