Memories

My son asked me one day last summer if I'd seen anything unusual around the house. I said no. He said that I would one day. He had placed some "things" here and there. I went today to look at my treasures and there was one of his "things". A treasured memory from his childhood...a Battle Star Galactica toy.

The other object there is "my cockle shell". When I was quite young...possibly in the age range of three to four years old, we lived near the Cooper family. These folks were the parents of my Aunt Joy (not the auntie I talk about), by marriage. We went there and I was looking at all of her things and I saw this glass basket vase and it was love at first sight. I said, "Oh, my cockle shell."I so charmed Mrs Cooper with my delight in finding my cockle shell that she gave me the vase. And ever since that time, it has been my cockle shell. It was packed up for many years after my mother's death and when it was given back to me to have after I married and had a home, my cockle shell always had a special place in my home and in my heart. Now, over the years I have sort of wondered why I came up with that name, but it was what it was, and that was it. One day, however, only a few years ago, I was going through the albums that contained some photos of me as a young girl and also the birthday cards my mother glued into the album. I was looking at the late 1940's artwork and checking out the old cards when I saw the one that began, Mistress Mary Wishes "Happy Birthday to you". The drawings were cute and typical of that era. You know the verse: Mary, Mary, quite contrary, How does your garden grow? With silver bells and cockle shells, And pretty maids all in a row." And there was a drawing of little Miss Mary in her garden hat, and carrying a basket with flowers in it and the colors are mostly in orange and black and white. It was like the light bulb was turned on. OH!! Duh. I must have really looked over that card when I was little and probably fascinated with the drawings and the unusual phrase of "cockle shells". Then when I saw that vase...in orange and black...there was my cockle shell. Hey, I was a little kid, looked like that should be a cockle shell to me! LOL

It is Czechoslovakian cased glass and worth perhaps $75 to $125 now. It me it is priceless. The Battlestar Galactica toy....also priceless.