collect : helen gives


helen : modest and reserved, very seldom heard.
not! she was quite the talker and loved to ask questions.

when we were at charlie's this thanksgiving we found helen's high school yearbook. it is so cool and we loved looking through it. there was even her pressed carnation corsage. i wanted to photograph it along with some other special things. now, for the record, scott's parents were married in their 30s and had kids a little bit later than most. in fact, my parents had me when my mom was in her early 40s and my dad in his early 50s!


the french enamel watch was purchased by helen & charlie at brimfield years ago. it was referred to as THE watch and i think it is gorgeous. she didn't have anything else like it, but i collect sterling silver and enamel and really loved this watch. they would literally dangle it in front of me sometimes and it is now one of my most special pieces. i'm grateful to look at it each day.


this was helen's engraved baby bracelet. charlie seemed to be considering selling it because he kind of panicked after she passed away. they have been collectors for many years and he was overwhelmed. but, i insisted i hold on to it for a little while as there are two grand daughters. the ring is garnet, which seems to be the stone of the czech republic and where helen's parents were born.


this is helen's best friend, julie. we adore julie and she lives near us. the two of them would talk on the phone for hours and i think charlie misses hearing that chit chat. although she has had her share of heartache, julie is the sweetest person. the garnet pin is from a trip they took to the 'motherland' (czech republic) when they were in their 70s and so sweet. although they were born and raised in nyc, they were almost mugged during that trip and hid out in a kmart!

when scott's mom passed away one thing his co-workers did was collect money for him. it was a beautiful gesture and we didn't use the money for the funeral, so we are going to donate it in helen's memory to the following charities -
  1. juvenle diabetes research foundation
  2. food bank of new york (deb also has something special)
  3. kids in need foundation (learned about from yasmine)
we think she would have approved and say that's very good.

xo, cindy

ps i wasn't familiar with the band phish until they broke up, but as is customary, they're back together, again. the song joy was playing when i wrote this post. something about it seems fitting.

15 comments:

blue moss said...

such a lovely post and wonderful memories in each piece....
i can see why it is THE watch....it is so beautiful
it's so great that you are passing the money on to the three charities
thanks so much for sharing...
thinking of all of you during this holiday season.
take care
michelle

Julia said...

I feel like I'm at a loss for words--these items are so special, beautiful and of a different world, aren't they? I find it fascinating, I'm slowly getting to know Helen through these posts. What a neat woman she was!

PS, the watch, my dear, is truly remarkable!

Joyce said...

Cindy this is a beautiful post. Thank you for sharing a piece of Helen. I'm so happy that you and Scott are nearby with Charlie. I hear very sad stories about spouses cleaning things out so quickly only to be sorry afterwards. The watch is beautiful! A perfect post for this time of year my friend. xo

Line said...

what a perfect moment, so happy that you could share it with us, makes it even more special, love the watch and the pin!

Bonbon Oiseau said...

cindy this is such a beautiful post i have tears in my eyes. you are such a sweet and thoughtful and generous person. i was just coming to say i received a very speical package (post later today) and came here and found this. It made my day in ways I couldn't imagine--thank you.

So wonderful getting to know you and also what a special gal helen was -these keepsakes are really so special. thank you and thank you for donating to the food bank amongst your other charities--am going to give the other ones a look as well.
big hugs, deb

Elizabeth said...

Cindy,
what beautiful treasures! I'm a sucker for vintage pieces like that. My grandmother had some real gems, but my aunt took them all and didn't share any of them. Very nice post in her memory too.

aimee said...

speaking of fitting, your photos are keepsakes themselves! i can't think of a tribute more appropriate for helen's special memories.

Candi said...

Love this post, especially the beautiful baby bracelet!

Oh how I wish I had a beautiful song playing the background when I post, but all I have is a puppy with a high pitched bark, who rarely lets me blog or visit blogs anymore. Thanks to my brother for this ever-so-wonderful gift!

Grace@PoeticHome said...

Cindy, these are such beautiful treasures, made even more special with the stories of Helen and Charlie. I am in love with THE pocket watch, and you have captured these treasures beautifully with your photos.

meg said...

That was a *lovely* post Cindy :)

xoxo

Cindy said...

you all are so lovely. i wasn't really emotional about this post until i heard that song. it's so melancholy.

erin said...

such lovely reminders. xo.

LenoreNeverM♡re said...

That's a loving tribute...giving back is always a good thing~ she is very proud of you guys I'm sure! xo*

People Who Know Me Would Say: said...

Vintage is always beautiful; when it comes with family history, it becomes exquisite.

Funny how when I read through this post I felt like I was getting to know Helen...for real...there was a sense of her presence in the words and pictures. I'm a pisces. We feel things. Really.

When you write about Charlie, it always warms my heart because he's the same vintage as Scotty was and he's a widower like Scotty was. So, write more about him...pretty please. What's his sense of humor like? What were/are his hobbies? Does he have a favorite place to eat? What's his recreational beverage of choice? Even his favorite color.

Trust me, if you capture it now, you will be sooo incredibly gratified years down the road.

xo

Pascale said...

A lovely post... So many little treasures, and I'm not just talking about the jewelry. It's in everything - your words, your pictures, the memories... Thanks for sharing this, Cindy.