MEMORIES KEPT ALIVE ….

These lovely birds were hand stitched by my Mother when I was just 3 years old and I have no idea how my Mother could have found the time for this.

I was the youngest of FIVE girls and we had all been born in the time span of eight years. She must have been a whiz at organization or else she had help. I do seem to recall a young woman who came in once in awhile.

The other thing that I love about this cross-stitch “painting” is that it is inscribed with her name and the date … a leap year, no less. February 29th, 1935 .

My Mother loved birds and she could distinguish them by their chirps and trills even when they could not be seen. I’ve tried to do that but “Bob White” is about as far as I can go !

You will notice the little wooden red-headed woodpecker that I’ve fixed on top of the picture frame. This is another memory of note.

My Mother’s father was an avid wood tinkerer and I still remember the lathe that he had in his workroom. He would cut out these little birds and then add them to a piece of wood that simulated a tree branch. A string attached to the tail would make it a door knocker !

Many years after my grandfather’s death I attended an auction in Brattleboro, Vermont and was thrilled to acquire this little woodpecker that he had made.

The perfect place for him to perch was atop Mother’s other birds and there he remains.