Treasures from my Grandma Eva

A few years ago, my Grandma Eva began asking what items from her house we would like to have once she had died.  While none of us were looking forward to that inevitable day, I believe it gave her comfort to know that some of her worldly possessions would be in the homes of her family.

The only item I asked my Grandma to give me was her dinning room table.  Of all of her possessions, this one carried with it some of my fondest memories.  In my mind, if I could no longer enjoy a home-cooked meal from my Grandma (man, that's a tough set of words to type out), then I want to forever be able to sit at the table where those meals were presented.

After Grandma passed away back in July, my wife and I stayed in Grandma's house the nights before and after her memorial service.  It was a bittersweet night.  It was tough because she was no longer there with us, but it was a very important way for me to cope with her death.

After Grandma's memorial service, my parents mentioned that my wife and I should take a few items home with us if we wanted.  That night before bed we took a moment to look through the house and picked out a few items to take home with us.

First we selected a set of blue canisters.  For as long as I can remember these four canisters sat on Grandma's kitchen counter holding her flour, sugar, and other cooking items.

We would later find out that these canisters were made by L.E. Smith and are quite the collector's items.  Since we found these canisters, the wife and I have tracked down a few other L.E. Smith items, including these:

Another item I picked out that day was the candy jar that always sat upon Grandma and Grandpa's refrigerator.  I always loved sticking my little arm deep inside this jar and pulling out a treat.

 
As you can see from this picture, this jar will continue to house my favorite candy treats.

When I went back to Colorado for Grandma's memorial service after her remains were cremated, the family spent a few hours at her house digging deep into her closets and cabinets and I discovered some other gems that I brought back to Nebraska to enjoy.

I added a few more glass items to our collection.

I also laid claim to this glass container that Grandma always kept vinegar in for use at the dinner table.  Whenever Grandma made "California Blend" for dinner, I would douse the veggies in vinegar using this jar.

While digging through Grandma's bedroom closet, I stumbled upon this picture of her and her parents and siblings.  I love this picture and will display it proudly.  Grandma Eva is in the center of the back row. 

I also found this electric football game in her basement.  I found out that my father and his brothers would spend hours playing this game when they were kids.  My Dad said that the only thing missing from the game was the piece of metal that was used to kick field goals.  It will look so cool in my "man cave".

Finally, my sister and I found this notebook in Grandma's kitchen.  Inside it were pages and pages of hand-written recipes.  What an amazing piece of family history.  I can't wait to recreate some of the foods for which Grandma was so famous.

Grandma Eva was not a wealthy person, but being able to have some of her possessions in my house is more than priceless.  These items would be worthless to anyone who was unfortunate enough to have known her, but to me they contain a lifetime's worth of memories.