Wake Up Call

Do you have something you have loved for years that no one else knows about?  I ponder this because my vintage beauty is a bit of a mystery to me.

After my mother in law died I was the happy recipient of  her sewing supplies.  She had an old cookie tin full of tools and thread, a few pins and needles, a seam ripper, buttons, hooks, and a little compact with a spider and fly design.

Sewing Box / Treasure Box.

There were all kinds of sewing supplies in here along with the little compact. 
I cleaned it out and just keep buttons in here these days. 
The compact stays in a special place and I see it every day.

My mother in law, Mary, was on my mind Monday morning. I had picked up the little compact from its usual resting place and thought about using it for my "Vintage Thingy Thursday" post. Something cute and easy to blog about. I'm looking for cute, quick, and easythese days because there's so much work to be done in the garden - leaving me with little time for blogging. I carried it around the house, found a cord and wore it for a while. I wish she had told me a story or two about it. What did it mean in her life? I will never know, my husband doesn't remember ever seeing it when he was a kid - he doesn't remember what her sewing box looked like either.

Thunderstorms kept me awake Monday night.  I was in bed by 11:00 p.m. and at 3:00 a.m. I was wide awake.  I got up and had a glass of milk.  Went back to bed, started to doze and was awakened by THUNDER!!!!  Just one extremely close thundering bit of thunder.  That was it, I gave up and went in to the living room.  Sat in the quiet for a several minutes and then turned on the t.v. (this is not my normal morning routine).   BBC America morning news was "live" (always a good sign) at London's Westminster Palace where they were waiting for Queen Elizabeth II to arrive and to begin celebrations for her Diamond Jubilee. 

I stood there a few minutes and took it all in.  Sorry, not the Queen's speech or the fact that 60 years is a long time, I wasn't even too concerned that one of the men in the front row really needed to comb his hair... 

I was thinking about all the conversations I had had with my mother in law about "The Royal Family."  I remember her father was from Great Britain and she enjoyed following their Royal Family's adventures - we usually ended up talking about the clothes. I'm sure she would have liked the outfit Queen Elizabeth wore Tuesday (she liked everything the Queen wore). 

For a few minutes on Tuesday I felt close to Mary. Maybe the rain and thunder were just there to help me remember someone I have loved. Was it because I had her on my mind that I had this fun coincidence? (This is where I confess I did not get up early last year to watch the "Royal Wedding." It takes a bit more than that to get me out of bed.)

I don't know all the stories about the little compact, life goes on. I enjoy having it in my life reminding me of Mary.

I'm joining Suzanne at ColoradoLady for  Vintage Thingy Thursday.  Stop by in you would like to see other vintage items.

Also, my blogging pal, Annie, of Annie's Ruby Slipperz is having a giveaway.  Annie explains it all at Annie's Mystery Baby Give Away or something like that.   If you quilt or know someone who does check out this fun chance to win.

Was it a gift or had she saved and bought it for herself?
Or maybe she found it years ago in someones sewing basket?

One more thing - If you wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep, just ask "Why am I up?" The answer will come. 

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