An Old Fashioned Valentine

Hidden under a mound of boxes in the corner of my Mother's garage sat an old domed trunk held closed by crumbling leather straps and a rusted padlock. Judging by the newspaper wrapped packages in the boxes on top of the trunk, it had been there since our move in 1954– untouched, unopened, just waiting for me to discover it.

I shrieked when Jeff pried open the lid. Nestled inside were celluloid boxes of coral jewelry, Civil War medals and ribbons, paintings, vintage clothing, photos, two family samplers from Pennsylvania, and old letters from the Quaker members of my family in Chester County, Pennsylvania, to the younger family members who had settled in the Pasadena colony.

A stack of books, tied together with faded blue satin ribbon, held Emerson, Keats, Burns, Browning, and others beloved by my Grandmother and her young husband, who died just a few years after they married.

I treasure everything we found that day. I sent some of the mementos to family members in Alabama, New Mexico, and Tucson, Arizona. Some of them remained with me.

This calendar card had a note attached to it written by my Grandmother Lovejoy, who said that it was given to her by a student. I LOVE IT and so am sharing it with you my friends.

Wishing you and yours a joyful and love-filled Valentine's Day,

Sharon