Thrift shop Find

I found these at the Thrift Shop for $1.98 a piece. I thought they looked like antiques. On the back there is a tiny stamp and in red letters "Limoses France".  They are chipped, but I loved the details and bought them anyway.  They remind me of something that should be collected, tucked in a china cabinet. Then I think of  Mom and her words," we should use them, treat them with care, and enjoy these special treasures".  These words came about, after my brother broke a swirly, curly vase that was really old. She lost it and then swore she would never feel that way again about a vase, antique,or any object. She never did! My brother though will never forget that day. Basket ball in hand bouncing it down a flight of stairs. There was a rule, no balls tossed or thrown in the house. Out of all the trinkets on the shelf, tiny bud vases, nothing really valuable, but the circular, swirly vase. He shattered it to bits.

My parents bought our old home, when I was five.  They also bought this amazing light green bone china tea set, a cedar chest, and a few other trinkets, that were left behind, in the home. The previous owner, a widow lady  couldn't keep up with the home or the yard; the shrubs and hedges grew wild and rambling. The rose bushes in the middle of the lawn, were shaped in a half circle.  It was my secret playhouse, till the bees decided it was theirs. They won...  I had fabulous tea parties under the canopy of two huge maple trees. The house had a Miss Havisham feel("Great Expectations").

My Great Aunt lived across the street and her husband was a sea captain. He was famous; my Dad was named after him. My great-uncle, Capt. Earle Greenlaw, who survived two weeks adrift on a raft in the South Pacific with several members of his crew after his ship was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine.
  Captain Edwin Earle Greenlaw came home and later returned to sea and was presumed lost; his body never found. The treasures my parents bought with the home reminded me of items my great Aunt Hazel had.  She was my grandfather's sister; she had developed Polio really young. She was a young widow, left with a daughter and twin boys. She ended up in a wheel chair; she had the most amazing spirit of anyone I have ever met. There was something really special about her. Her will to live more, in spite of her handicap. When I find unique dishes, I can't help, but think of the amazing lives beyond them. Were they happy, did they have arranged marriages?  What were their lives really like?!  Our lives are like these dishes, fragile, beautiful and meant to be shared~

Comments

Ella - so pretty. I love beautiful, old things like that.
Ella said…
RaShelle-One of your Toffee cupcakes would look so elegant on one of these plates~ :-D
Hi Ella .. love the stories .. and the little antique rose - glad you know and appreciate its value .. bouncing balls are never good ideas! Your poor brother .. the photo looks beautiful the china, net and rose .. thanks for telling us about the family and its items .. yes I guess the bees would win out! Cheers Hilary
Ellie Garratt said…
A beautiful post. Thank you for sharing your family stories with us.

Ellie Garratt
Dave King said…
Wonderful, the narratives that can spin out of artifacts. You tell them well.
Very pretty and a beautiful post to read.

Yvonne.
Anne Gallagher said…
The china plates are beautiful, and they are antique. Limoges is also expensive, so you definitely got a bargain at $1.98. Good for you.

We had a house like you lived in when you were a kid. The family left stuff behind and it was all creaky, and weird furniture. Living with someone else's stuff all those years has turned me into a junk collector myself. Although I call them antiques (my father calls it junk). I have some really nice pieces and I know they're worth some money. (For my daughter.)
Sherry Blue Sky said…
Oh I love this post, Ellie. I love finding treasures in thrift stores, and also looking back at the amazing lives people live........great stories!
Diane said…
This is exactly how I feel when I find pieces like this--the story behind them. What a great family you have and I admire you great Uncle's devotion to his love of the sea.
Lovely! What a find. I'm such a sucker for thrift shops.
Kristin said…
What a wonderful post - the picture you painted of your great uncle surviving two weeks adrift on a raft - amazing! And I too agree - it really makes you think about our history when we come across special items like you did.
Thank you too for your visit and interest in the Summer of Color - I am so happy to have you! No, you are not late at all - two weeks to go until the launch on June 6th. I'm not sure about the link not working - if you remember please let me know - I want it to be easy for all. Looking forward to getting to know you better, Kristin xo
Beautiful things like those make me feel feminine --even in my jeans and sneakers ;o)
DEZMOND said…
a lovely story, Ella :)
Anonymous said…
Oh Ellen what a find! I love every little thing about this precious find!

Have a great week,

xo Abby
LTM said…
beautiful. So delicate and lovely. You find the neatest things~ :o) <3
Jules said…
You must have better thrift stores than we do. All I ever find are ugly x-mas ornaments and velvet paintings of who knows what. :) But yes, fragile and shareable our lives are.
Jules @ Trying To Get Over The Rainbow
Julie Wasson said…
Don't you love a good thrift shop find? I saw your article in my contributor's copy of the new Somerset Studio Gallery. I love it. I never think about wax paper except for lunches and leaf pressing. Thanks for the inspiration
Unknown said…
I was an Aupair once for a family.. and they always let there daughter play with expensive things.. and I was shocked so I asked him about it once, the father.. and he wisely said.. we don't want our daughter to feel her worth is less than... objects...Found that to be very intersting....love your story.. and love the dishes...
Ella said…
Lisa-I can imagine; Yeah, my Mom went with this similar message, but we were older. She said they are beautiful and have a history, but we need to enjoy n' use them, not tuck them away! Aupair huh, I bet you have some stories to tell ;-D

Julie-Thank you so much; I loved your marriage art! It was lovely and I found your touches really elevated the tone. Stunning~ Thank you for inspiring me, too!

Jules-It is about continuing the search; last time I was in there, nada! It is odd, but I go in with certain people or ideas on my mind. I wanted this book and didn't buy it. I went to the thrift shop, 5 of them in hardcover. The one I wanted was paper for $13. Try, try again...

Leigh-Thank you; sometimes I do! There is a lot to sift through. I was looking at tea cups; there wasn't anything striking. Then I decided to look at plates, stunned. You never know...555 <3

Abby-Thank you; they really must have an unique history! If plates could talk...tee,hee

Dezzy-Thank you for stopping by! I'll be coming by soon; I've missed you!
Ella said…
GigglesandGuns-I know what you mean; I too love my jeans and my comfy sneaks~

Kristin-Thanks for stopping by; I for some reason thought it was a sign up type of class. I see where you are going. I will mention you before the big day. Perhaps some of my followers might want to participate?! It sounds lovely~

KarenG-I know what you mean; I couldn't resist!

Diane-Thank you; I will be by to visit. I am sure you have made some wonderful creations! Interesting would be the best word to describe the Motley Crew, I'm from~

Sherry-Thank you; it is fun to imagine a life style surrounded by gems like these. I know though the real treasures are the stories I have from my family memories! (You do, too)~

Anne-I do think our environment shapes our view a bit; what fun for your daughter! It is fun to sort through finds(the ones we touch and sift through in our memories). I hope you n' your family have wonderful treasured memories! Thank you~
Ella said…
Thank you Yvonne; I know you will have some memories to share, when you return from your trip!
Have fun...

Dave-Thank you! I think a lot of our stories and poems arrive from fragments of our past~

Hi Ellie, glad you are back~ Thank you!

Hilary-Bees win a lot, not just at spelling...lol
Yes, my poor brother; he talked about it for years. My Mom went on a big rant, "I can't have anything nice or anything that means something to me...." Yeah, it could have scarred him, but he tends to find humor in most situations. I am going to ask him, someday soon~ Cheers to you.
The rose I dried recently. My daughter gave me it for Mother's Day; my son gave me an orchid you water with ice. Sounds like another story...lol
KM Nalle said…
So pretty! Whenever I wanted to "save" something instead of using it, my grandmother would tell me to care for it with love and use it with joy because life was too short - and every day was a special occasion. I wish some of these antiques could talk. Oh the stories they could tell.
Anonymous said…
They are beautiful, chips and all. I've had to part with some special stuff that got clobbered too over the years and I love your mom's decision-smart lady.
I loved reading about your family--you had a tie to the sea before you became a navy wife. Now I'm curious how you met your husband! :)
Uri Sheinbaum said…
I love going antiquing. The stories that I'm sure some objects have are beyond anything I can ever imagine, and you never know what you'll find. I think that although they are objects, they spark the imagination and therefore should hold some sentimental value.
Ella said…
Uri-I love your view; I do think there are many things that spark one's imagination. Yes sentimental value elevates the priceless feel~

Scarlett-The first time I saw my husband was at the town wharf; my hang out near my home. So he officially was over the water, lol. Then my brother invited to the house. I didn't know it and I go to answer the door. He said,"Why are you here?" I said I live here. He thought I was my cousin's sister. She lived up the street; he had seen me come out of that home. We look a lot alike. ;-D Yes, I use to live by Penobscot Bay~

Kari-I love your grandmother's view; yes so do I. What tales they would tell... ;-D Thanks for stopping by~