Thursday 13 - # 5

Thirteen family heirlooms/antiques that MomMom brought down for me to see: 1. When I wrote my grandma's life history with her... one of the stories she told was about learning to read.... to read her life history, it's on my old blog....go here: http://therooksfamily.blogspot.com/2007/06/grandma-life-history.html . In paragraph 10, she wrote about learning to read at such a young age. She was an extremely gifted and intelligent woman! Extremely extremely smart. She really credits learning to read at such a young age to her mother's father who used to sit with her teach her letters with blocks. You can imagine our delight when my mother found those blocks as she sifted through all of grandma's 80+ years of collected memories. It was totally special to see these blocks. 2. Along with grandma's blocks that are 80+ years old, we found a top she used to play with. They just don't make toys like they used to :) 3. And since I shared a treasure of grandma's, here is one of PopPop's (my mom's father). I don't know if it will allow anybody to enlarge this image but I hope it will ... after I publish this post, if it doesn't allow it to be enlarged, I will write a separate post just with the contents of this article! I am so proud of my lineage.....I know we are not defined by our past - but I certainly feel blessed because of it - and prepared because of it and I am so thankful for my heritage! 4. Speaking of godly men that I am proud to call my ancestors.... my Grandpa Talley (my grandma's father) was a man. A real man. A God-fearing, wife-loving, wise, strong man. I have so many wonderful stories of him in my memory and written down. I never met him, but feel that I have. My grandma and his other children LOVED him, adored him. And he adored them and my great-grandmother right back. My mom says Brandon reminds her a lot of him. The gentle giant. Steady rock. Wise owl. Slow to anger, quick to listen. He called my grandmother, "the madam". Here is a great picture my mom dug up of him: 5. My mom found a New Testament that he carried around with him everywhere. I loved how worn the pages were, I loved the smell of it, I loved how much this Bible had seen. I was also so delighted and excited to open it and the FIRST thing I found was "The President's Message". How awesome is that!? President Woodrow Wilson wrote an introduction for this New Testament. Again, I hope it will let you enlarge this image. But if not... I am going to type here what it says: The President's Message The Bible is the word of Life. I beg that you will read it and find this out for yourselves - read, not little snatches here and there, but long passages that will really be the road to the heart of it. You will find it full of real men and women, not only but also of the things you have wondered about and been troubled about all your life, as men have been always; and the more you read the more it will become plain to you what things are worth while and what are not, what things make you happy, - loyalty, right dealing, speaking the truth, readiness to give everything for what they think duty, and most of all, the wish that they may have the approval of the Christ, who gave everything for them, - and the things that are guaranteed to make men unhappy, - selfishness, cowardice, greed, and everything that is low and mean. "When you have read the Bible you will know that it is the Word of God, because you will have found it the key to your own heart, your own happiness, and your own duty" Signed Woodrow Wilson WOW!!!!!!! I think this might deserve its own post. I will probably write more on this later. I got emotional reading this and copying it! And for another testimony of what a great man he was.... look at what he kept in the last page of his Bible. That is "the madam" herself :) 6. And what did The Madam carry around and close to her heart always? This locket - with of course, Grandpa Talley in it....I don't know the nickname that she called him. I have to ask my mom. 7. Grandma Talley's cuff links. That's what you call them right?: 8. Some doilies Grandma Talley made. That is wat you call them right? 9. The coin in the picture above and enlarged here was found with the doilies as part of grandma talley's things. The date is 1875. yeah that's right - 1875. woah 10. Grandma Talley's side of the family (Keyser).... Grandma Talley is the girl standing up with the ribbon in her head - 2nd one in on top. Grandma Talley's oldest sister - the one sitting with the baby in her arms - is identical to my mom. I mean SCARY identical. I thought that this was either photoshopped - or this was a picture of my mom dressed up in old clothing -- but she promises me it isn't here. Totally unbelievable! 11. Wallpaper piece from Grandma Talley's dining area. I can sort of remember it. 12. The first type of typewriter there was.... don't ask me how it's used :) 13. Here they are in their older days. Grandma & Grandpa Talley Many more stories & show and tell pieces to follow.....

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