Beauty in the Ordinary

This is not about being brilliant, or extraordinary, it's not about wanting to be famous, or making headlines, or trying to impress...this about sharing a 'gift' each day with the world...to lift the spirit of people when they read this blog, to show them the beauty in the ordinary.
"And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it." Raold Dahl

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Am I Really That Old?

Do you own one of these?

...a sewing kit...

or these?


...a button box...

or these?

...a shoe cleaning kit...

How do people exist without them?

I happened to mention to a group of young people the other day, that my husband had polished our shoes.  They looked at me aghast, like I was speaking a foreign language.
Polished your shoes? what? how?

That sparked the conversation about a sewing kit and button box...more foreign words.

I had to ask them...what do you do if you loose a button?

Take it to the dry cleaners was the response.

I'm still in shock!



41 comments:

  1. My late mother's button box (it was her mother's too) contains the most wonderful things. Not just buttons, but all sorts of small things, that otherwise would be lost. A real pleasure to look through every so often!

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    1. I thought everyone owned a button box Cro! What do they do with all those 'spare' buttons that come attached to shirts and jackets...just leave them inside the garment? Like yours, every so often something not-quite-button-ish gets tossed in their too!

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  2. More money than good sense, and they're missing the incredible sense of satisfaction that comes from taking care of these little things oneself.

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    1. Couldn't agree more Janice...nothing sadder than seeing a garment with a dropped hem, or a pair of good shoes looking in need of a quick buff...a little time and effort makes all the difference in the world!

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  3. Yes, Jacqueline...all of them!! I don't think people clean shoes anymore!
    Fun post ;-)
    Catherine
    xx

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    1. One of my (and our daughters) first tasks upon moving house is to locate our 'shoe-dude'. Almost as important as a new doctor and hairdresser, is the person who can re-sole and re-heel our shoes!

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  4. Uhhhh does that mean I'm old too then (42 that is). I have all of the above (not very handy with needle and thread but I do have it and use it). Love what Janice said.....so true. And have the same box Cro has. The best treat for little kids to play with....give them a big stub needle and a colorful long piece of wool and they can make a beautiful necles for granny out of the best shaped buttons.
    Hope good old things doens't fade away.
    Thanks for sharing. Hugs Dagmar

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    1. What a great idea Dagmar! The button box can get a little over-full from time to time!

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  5. Not sure it's age related. Thinking more that it speaks of common sense, of a practical and also capable way of living. But then maybe I'm too old to know what's going on. The young are coming back around--the craze to can produce and make jams and jellies is a good sign. It's not lost forever. You used a teachable moment. They are probably in shock still as well.

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    1. I ended up showing the young-ones how to back stitch a dropped hem (so you don't get your shoe heel caught in it). They were astonished that one could complete such an important task in just a couple of minutes!

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  6. Yes to number one, no to number two (though I do have a small collection of buttons in my sewing box - does that count?) and yes to number three. J,you are not old - just wise :0)

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    1. Absolutely counts Molly...it's just the notion that you have a spare button should the need arise - matters not where you keep it!

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  7. You and me both supping our hot chocolate on the stair-lift, Jacqueline; I too have all three items.

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    1. I think we could make that an activity at the Old Folks' Home Mise!

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  8. Yes! Have them all and use them all <3

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    1. Likewise. How could people possibly survive without all three?

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    2. I'm with you Bear...just can't imagine!

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  9. We also have them all and my 91 year old Mum would not leave the house without polished shoes! maybe you should have asked about an iron,most young people I know say they do not use one,my daughter only irons as needed and my daughter in law never..funny old world isn't it...hope your Mr Wonderful is going ok.

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    1. We did discuss the iron CJ...I just found it too desperate to mention that people don't iron their clothes anymore. I will say, a lot of modern fabrics respond very well to being folded or hung immediately after being taken from the dryer, which eliminates a great deal of ironing, but there are just some things that need it!
      Thanks for asking...he's proceeding to plan. 3-1/2 weeks to go.

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  10. You are not "old." You are "mature." After the age of 80, you will be "venerable." There is no such thing as "old."

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    1. It's all about what you call something, isn't it Rob-bear? Looking forward to 'venerable'.

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  11. Isn't it amazing? It's truly a throw-away society we live in. I remember playing in my mother's button box. I once found tokens that were used to purchase certain items in WWII and I suppose I lost them, as they are no longer there. Wish she had not allowed me to play with them. I certainly have my own version -- a button jar -- which displays them so attractively. And yes, I do polish my shoes, religiously!!

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    1. How clever of you to multi-task the button box/jar! Those tokens certainly would have been a talking point Sanda...but no matter.

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  12. I recently gave the contents of my button box to a lady who sews them onto cards for sale at the local Hospice Shop. She does a wonderful job. That reminds me I must pick the box up from her as I already have some more buttons ready to go in it.

    As Cro said, our mother always had a button box.

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    1. I remember our mother, SH, cutting the buttons from our Dad's white uniform shirts before cutting the shirt up to use as cleaning rags! There never was an occasion when there was no replacement for a lost button!

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  13. Hello Jacqueline

    I have to admit I down-sized my sewing box. I had an old
    Cadbury Black Magic box, full of buttons and pins. Now it is a chanel eye-glass case full. We do have a small pilishing kit (downsized too). I do love hand-sewing.

    My newphews one lives in England and one in the USA both sew, their mum taught them.

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    1. Brilliant of her to teach her boys how to sew! No matter the size of the kits Helen, it's just the having that's important.
      I carry one of those sewing hotel-give-aways in my handbag for an on-the-spot repair.

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  14. We're cut from the same cloth J., so you know I have all three and what's more, I use all three! I was lucky to get Mum's gigantic sewing box (wish I'd kept her basket full of wool and knitting needles now, but that's another story), I have Cos's shoe polishing box, and the tin of buttons are all mine from 30 years of collecting. I have had the same conversation with a few 30 somethings, and as hard as it is for me understand, none owned a needle or thread let alone a sewing box. Just the other day Christian (my 5yr old grandson) was upset because his batman mask had ripped, I said to him not to worry I'll sew it, and it will be good as new. He just looked at me with a puzzled expression and said "I don't know what that means" So I took him and showed him Nans sewing box...then proceed to sew his mask...he was speechless through the whole process! LOL

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  15. So now you are going to teach Jack and Christian to sew right? What a fun learning experience that would be!!
    I often think of all that wool and knitting needles we gave away after Mum died...but no matter, someone somewhere is putting it all to good use.
    I'm not sure if it was Dad or St. Anne's that instilled the shoe-polishing habit in us, either way, I'm very grateful...and yes, we both married men who wouldn't dream of leaving the house with dirty, or down-at-heel shoes. Happy to say my girls have inherited the bug!

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  16. Shocking isn't it?! My mom made most of my clothes when I was a little girl. As I got a little older, I remember her saying that it was no longer worth it (from a financial sense) to make my clothes. I also remember having to take Home Economics in school.. cooking and sewing. I sewed my dress backwards fyi.. Lol! At any rate, modern sewing machines can practically create something with the flip of a switch. Some women will sew curtains but I know no one that makes clothes (unless they are going in to design).

    Hope your week is going well!

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  17. Sewing one's own clothes is a different cup of tea Leslie...all we are talking about here is basic maintenance...and thrifty maintenance at that.

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  18. We have two sewing boxes one hers, one mine and both are large sweet tins. The contents of mine contain all sorts of items including a packet of gramophone needles and a wooden dolly for darning socks.
    Buttons we keep in an open pot on the table, fallen buttons are put there to stop them from getting lost.
    The shoe cleaning gear is kept in it's own cupboard away from any clothes which might get stained!

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  19. His and Her sewing boxes...now there's an idea Heron!
    I make hubby clean the shoes in the garage...every now and then he tries to sneak indoors with it, but I am vigilant!

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  20. While not exactly the same as a button box or a shoe shine kit, but I was at the check out stand the other day when the bagger held up my carton of whipping cream and asked, "What is this? How do you use it?" That told me two things: her mother does very little cooking and the only whipped cream she's ever tasted came from an aerosol can.

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    1. Hi Gail - at least you expanded her world a little! - there is hope!

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  21. Jacqueline,

    I have discovered you by accident and am so happy that I did! What a lovely blog! I cannot wait to follow along on your adventure as you find beauty in the ordinary!

    Elizabeth

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    1. Hallo Elizabeth and Welcome...so nice to see you here. Will be dropping by Pine Cones and Acorns momentarily!

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  22. Even though I can't sew a button to save my life...I still do try, but if my mother lived near by, I wouldn't hesitate one bit allowing her to do the deed!

    Young society today is truly lacking in the basics, very sad. I'll have to ask the local young folk how they handle such tasks, it will be interesting, I'm sure.
    xo J~

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    1. With your creativity Jessica - I'm sure you would find amazing ways to attach that button!

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  23. My grandmother had a button box that I played with for hours...it was coins, candy, cakes, jewels...all the thing a kid can imagine, and when she needed a button she picked one from the box and sewed it on. I have my granddad's old shoe brush and a sewing kit...and my kids know what they both are.

    I seem to have accidentally removed your blog from my blog roll.I think because the URL was different from your blog name...you're back...I missed you.

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    1. I'm surprised Apple hasn't an app for a virtual button box Raz - LOL! It would probably have to have all the nearest locations for dry-cleaners or Stitch-It! stores.
      Nice to be back with you.

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