Sunday, July 4, 2010

When in doubt...

This is one of my favorite vintage pieces that now, happily lives in my kitchen. This originally belonged to my sweet grandma Armetta. She was truly what you would expect a grandmother to be and I just adored her. I have so many fond memories of wonderful days spent together with she and my grandpa Armetta and our entire family together at their little Craftsman bungalow on Brooks Ave. in charming Willow Glen, California in the 1950's and 60's.

They lived such a simple life where each day was about doing the tasks' needed to help them put food on the table. This included grinding their own meats from "Lucky's" the local neighborhood market, canning the plums from the tree in their backyard to rolling out fresh, homemade dough for grandma's chocolate cream pie we'd have after grandpa's dinner; Sherry baked chicken, mashed "spuds" and salad from the garden every Sunday afternoon.
And if you were part of the Armetta family; you'd better have a pretty darn good excuse as to why you weren't at that little bungalow on Brooks Ave. every Sunday for dinner! Short of being hit by a bus or a meteor, you were there! 

It is, to this day one of my fondest memories of life as a baby boomer during such an innocent time...Sunday dinner at grandma and grandpa's. That and hearing the train whistle blow from the open sash window on warm summer evenings when I spent the night under grandma's pink Chenille bed spread so many years ago...

One of the items I was lucky enough to have received was "the old meat grinder" when my grandma was called to make her journey to heaven. Though Mr. La Bella Vie and I are not big meat eaters and we are definitely NOT into grinding it, I was blessed to have become its new caretaker, patina and all!


So as my motto states in my intro..."When in doubt, make a lamp out of it"
Or when in doubt, remember your past and remember who you are in the world...


Not the best photo of my grandma's kitchen on Brooks Ave, but I have this framed in a huge shadow box and it is impossible to disassemble, I am blessed to have many of the things you see in this kitchen including the big, oval enamel basin...

Linking up with Kaitlin at
 CSI Project.
for their Linky party...go on over and sneak a peak at their darling blog!





15 comments:

  1. Wow Terry! To turn a meat grinder into a lovely little lamp - Fantastic!
    And a lovely story to go with it.
    Anyes
    XX

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  2. O.K. Now that I'm sniffling. You described by childhood so well : ).
    A Lamp???? Who would have thought of it.

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  3. That was a great idea to make a lamp out of it! Great memories and a useful item at the same time. Love it and your sweet story!

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  4. How blessed you are to have such wonderful memories. I recall family Sunday dinners .. and often wonder when did everyone get so busy and why do we not make it a date/appointment/meeting in our "blackberry's" for a nice family Sunday lunch or dinner. Great post ..HHL

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  5. These are fine memories to share with us, and you made a sweet little lamp with your grandma's grinder.

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  6. Fantastic!! a great idea.
    Huges from Spain,
    eljardindemiduende
    ^^

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  7. Terry I have to tell you how this post brought tears to my eyes!! My mom was young when she had me, only 17, so I spent a lot of time at her parents, my grandparents house.

    They had a tiny little war cottage. I loved staying there. My grandpa was the cook. Frugal from going through the depression, his item was a meat SLICER. It is long gone but the memory remains. Your lamp is darling and clever!! Thank you too for the kindness and encouragement you have given me, at a time when it was needed most. Bless your heart.

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  8. I have to say I would be honored to be patternd after you, but now as for you taking after me that is a different thing. I found from reading your post today, we share another interest. After I lost my mother very early, my grandmother was my life line. I loved her dearly and have even today more memories of her than my mother. They were dirt poor, but a little house full of love. She made the best ice tea in the world. Thanks for great memory reminder and your compliment.

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  9. Hi everyone that posted. Unfortunatly I am losing many of my posts' from you (they are disappearing?). I have notified blogger support but apparently I am not the only one this is happening to in Blogland.
    Forgive me if I don't reply to you, I just don't know when they'll get it fixed and hopefully when they do I'll have my old posts back...
    Drats!

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  10. What a treasure and how clever are you for making it into something so useful! I know your grandmother would love it!

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  11. Good morning Terry! We made it back home! Just seeing that picture of your grandma in that kitchen gives me that warm feeling all over!! So safe, secure and happy. I was such a late in life baby that I missed out on my grandma and grandpas house. I did stay with my grandma a little before she had to go to the nursing home. I remember the "peanut" candy in the glass jar!

    You are welcome to come to my house by St. Louis any time!!!! We would have some fun!

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  12. You have made me realize how uncreative I am. I have my mom's meat grinder that looks to be maybe 5 years newer than your grandma's. :) Maybe I could make a breadbox out of it?? Coffee table?? Birdhouse?? You amaze and inspire me!!

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  13. Terry, Thank you so much for stopping by Three Pixie Lane and my family blog, Boo and Budroo! I started my family blog in 02/10 and began the laborious process of back dating posts from the year before! Whew! My only regret was not starting sooner in my journey of parenting! I hope my blog will help my children in their quest for knowledge when they start a family! Three Pixie Lane is only a couple of months old! I love to decorate and to find great deals, so thought it would be fun to have a separate blog to express that! I gave up my career (health care) to stay home with my children...not an easy choice, but I am right where I am supposed to be! Now that I have been out of the work force, I realize how technologically challenged I am! I learn something new everyday! I love your meat grinder lamp! I love when old pieces tell a story, especially one that is close to the heart. Thank you for sharing! I am excited to be a new follower! The oval enamel basin...have one like it and used to bathe all my babies in when they were little (although I snagged mine at a flea market)! It will be in my post for Monday in my Laundry Room Makeover! Thanks again!

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  14. Sweet memories. So wonderful that you were able to hang on to these treasures. Do you ever think that although their lives seemed to be simple back then, it was such hard work? Can't imagine grinding my own meat, etc. I cherish the times I spent with my grandma too. We are blessed with a rich heritage.

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  15. So great thanks again! Loving the vintage photo!

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