"Gifts reflect those who give them."
Chinese Proverb
A tale of four gifts.....
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Energetic and talented Stars dealer, Mitzi Jones told me she had read my blog about heart-shaped rocks and that she had one she wanted to give me. When I last went to Stars and checked my desk, there it was. It was wrapped in a little box and when I opened it, I could hardly believe my eyes. There in the center of the rock was a perfect heart cut-out. What a wonderful trophy to add to my collection. I was touched that Mitzi would remember to pass it on to me, and also that she could part with it. Now whenever I look at it, I will think of Mitzi. Thank you!!!!
This got me to thinking about other gifts that people had given me...gifts with more thought behind them than money, but priceless to me.
In the photo below, you will see a portion of a Japanese glass float--one of two actually--given to me several years ago as a thank you gift from Michelle Reynolds, who is a friend and co-worker of my son Erik. She had found the floats on Laysan Island. Michelle, a biologist with her Phd., has lived on the isolated island for several years on a project researching and studying the Laysan Ducks. The island is inhabited by about 5 biologists and is located south of Midway. It takes about 3 hours to get there by boat. When I look at the floats, I think of this lovely woman and her passion for her work. If you Google her, you can read about her project.
The photo below is of an old, heavy green glass bottle given to to me a while back by my son Erik. Erik worked as a biologist on the big Island of Hawaii for nine years studying the endangered "honeycreeper" birds. He found the bottle in the Kulani woods, a forest reserve there. He gave it to me because he knew I liked old "found" things and that I used bottles for bud vases. He thinks the bottle was probably left there many years ago by hunters of the wild pigs that live in the forests. And of course, it is special to me because he gave it to me.
The last photo was taken yesterday. It a pure blue columbine plant. Last spring my friend Christe'Crocker (and one-time Stars dealer) came to visit me from her home in Madras. She came bearing mint plants from the crops her husband Bob grows, and a blue columbine plant from her garden. The plant thrived, and now this spring I have blooming plants and many tiny little seedlings. This is a gift that keeps on giving! I was delighted as I only had pink columbines. By the way, the mint is thriving and spreading too. When I think of Christe', I think about her love of her home and her evocative writings of farm life.
Now that I've started thinking about all this, I could probably write a book about the numerous thoughtful gifts I have received over the years. Maybe I will......I would be like one of those Oscar winners with never enough time to thank everyone.
signing off.......
in appreciation.....
Gayle@starsantique.com
