Wanted to share these random but special things with you...........

The pictures below are of pieces of furniture that have been given to me and I wanted to share them with everyone.

The cabinet below is a very special piece of furniture to me and here's why: First, because it belonged to my Grandmother who passed away back in 1984. I remember this cabinet when our family briefly lived with her in the 70's and of course, whenever there was a family gathering at her home on Corlear Ave. I can recall when you walked into the dining room it was straight ahead to the right of the room. Secondly, after my Grandmother passed away my Uncle Billy and my godmother, Aunt Liz inherited it and that's where it stayed until this past January when Uncle Billy asked if I would want it--and I was extremely happy to take it--even though I really didn't have a spot for it. I was trying to figure out how old it was and how long it had been in the Doyle family. Uncle Billy was able to tell me that Grandma had gotten it second-hand from a family that lived in Riverdale. So it's been around at least 50+ years in our family and who knows how long with the previous owners?? You can imagine how happy I was when a few weeks ago in a basket that my mother has of old pictures, I found the picture below from 1965 of my grandmother sitting in front of the cabinet---Richie you're also in the picture behind Grandma to her left with a big smile--sorry I cropped you out (but not out of the original)---Funny, this is EXACTLY how I remember her :)

I also have a wardrobe closet that my mother gave to me that belonged to her grandfather-my grandmother's father. I love this piece too. I spoke to my 96 year old great-aunt Margie about the closet and she was able to describe it perfectly--how the doors opened, the drawers on the left, the place to hang clothes on the right and on she went--also telling me exactly how she remembered her father's white shirts hanging in there--for me you can't put a price on that. My great-grandfather's name was Tom and he had a son Tom (my great uncle) who also used this closet so the only right place to put the piece of furniture was in our son Tommy's room--although now it's in our guest room downstairs.


And from my father's side of the family my mother gave me a rocking chair that was bought for my grandfather, Pa, I don't think he sat in it very much if at all but I think I remember Aunt Dot telling me or someone telling me that maybe Pa rocked my cousin Dean in it once--anyway, it doesn't matter--the thought that it was bought with Pa in mind makes it special to me :)










These pieces don't match what my furniture style is but they have more than that--priceless memories and a feeling of connection to not only my past but to my extended family as well. At times I can stand there and stare at the dining room cabinet and imagine all the different reflections that must have passed by it in years gone past, or the wardrobe closet and think of my great-grandfather and how he once opened and closed these exact closet doors and hung his clothes, very possibly more than 100 years before. One day I'll have some sort of interior designer come to our home, or my cousin Kelly, and help us to place these things in our home to make them work with our decor--but until then I'll continue to enjoy them and the family history that they hold.

Question: Do oil prices scare you as much as they scare us?????

After last winter's oil bills, Kenny and I have been very concerned that this year's oil prices would go through the roof --so to make better use of our fireplace we debated, talked with friends and with lots of research on the computer--we decided to purchase a wood burning insert and had it installed a couple of weeks ago. As one can see from the picture Kenny is as happy as larry with his stove--he is looking forward to "sitting in the family room sweating with only his thong and wife beater t-shirt on" I'm sure that will be a sight to see ;)

On Wednesday Kenny's friend, Mike, with help from Kenny and Mike's wife, Frances, built this wonderful wood depot. And on Friday we got a delivery of 2 cords of wood--Now the wood guy does not stack the wood for you, what he does is dumps the wood in a great big pile for you to stack yourself. After the first delivery was made Kenny was ready to pay the guy and start stacking until he said OK I'll be back in an hour with the second cord--Kenny was shocked--he thought was two cords--remember we're from the Bronx and the most wood we saw was behind St. Johns Lots (fyi: The Lots was a very small wooded area behing St. Johns Middle School where most of the neighborhood kids "hung out" and played different games and built forts--If you drive by now its been completely chopped down and is about the size of a postage stamp)--

Anyway, now we face this coming winter with hope and promise of a warm & less costly winter--we hope :)