Pearls and Lace Thursday #1

Grossmutter's Influence

As a little girl, I remember my grandmother (whom we called Grossmutter) taking my sister and I to her Church. It was in an old part of Dallas.

I can remember the smell...it had to be the smell of God, and heaven, right?

Or perhaps it was the smell of old church pews and past Vacation Bible School snacks,

but nevertheless, it was what a Church smelled like.

In my sweaty hand was a knotted handkerchief. It contained my 'offering' for Sunday School.

I would have to untie the handkerchief and put the coins it held into the Church shaped container in the classroom, as one by one each child put in their own coins.

My mother teaching us to put these coins into the handkerchief each Sunday is probably one of my earliest memories.

Going to Church with Grossmutter was always the BEST of Sundays. We didn't get to go with her often, but of the few times we did, it was an occasion to remember. Once I saw blue eggs in a nest outside the 2nd floor window of our Sunday School room!!!

I have a number of handkerchiefs from her, those that she cherished and shared with me, those that I now cherish. And along with that Sunday School memory is the memory of the white pearl necklace, saved for BEST occasions, which of course was Sunday and Church.
I still have that same necklace, tattered at the clasp now, but still in tact. Still precious. Witness to those days now gone.


Do you remember your grandmother's handwriting? My Grossmutter had spidery writing. It was very unique to her, and each envelope that arrived at birthdays and Christmas were always so special, because we could tell which one was from Grossmutter because of her writing.
I still have a few cards from those memorable days. Cards of love that never ends.



The crocheted crosses were another of the things that I remember her always having close by her. She read books, did crossword puzzles, had millions (it seemed) of cats, had a laugh that bubbled out of her. Her hands and arms were wrinkled and soft, and I loved to touch her skin.
She always touched us gently and we knew we were greatly loved by her.

It wasn't until many years later, when I was in High School, that one afternoon I was babysitting for the music director of a little church in Dallas that I returned to that same Church. I didn't know it at the time, but when I took the children upstairs to the nursery rooms, something clicked in my head. It seemed familiar. And the SMELL!! I knew that smell!!! It wasn't until I went into the Sunday School room and stood at the window. The same window I had stood at many years earlier. I remembered it was there I saw the blue eggs!!!

It was Grossmutter's Church!!

I wish I had worn my pearls and carried my handkerchief.

I want to thank you all for visiting my blog. Feel free to join us here each Thursday for

Pearls and Lace Thursday.

Blessings,

Doni


Click on Mr. MckLinky to add your post to the party!