Hidden Treasure

My dad has a contract on his house, finally! After over a year, and 50 plus showings they are packing it up and heading to a condo. Downsizing for them equals upsizing for us. They have been incredibly generous in offering us some of the things that they won't be taking with them. These gifts include a piece of furniture, some art, my grandmother's tea set, and a few other things that have been hanging out in their attic for the last 15 years or so...like this enormous picture on canvas of me and my parents. My dad's wife, Susan, commented on how much Nora and I resemble each other in this picture, so I thought I would have her pose in front it. Of course, I had to catch her between tantrums.

What was even trickier was getting her to sit still, look at me, AND stick her finger in her mouth. I'm a demanding mother, what can I say? The child needs to listen, do as I say, and perform various tricks on cue. Isn't that what children are supposed to do? Well she did pretty good. In all fairness, I neglected to express the importance of keeping her eyes wide open during the flash.

My sister took a long lunch break today and helped me load up the Tahoe with all of the goodies. She has already selected some items that she would like, but her collection requires a moving truck. And rightly so, as she is looking to purchase her first home and will need some things to sit on. As I was driving her back to the office, she glanced back at this enormous picture and said, "So, where you planning on hanging this?" I think I started to say something about the man cave when everything shifted and poor Nora almost took a picture frame to the forehead.

Once I got home, it didn't take me long to find the perfect place for it. This timeless portrait now hangs in our closet. I should mention that it is on Chris' side of the closet...tucked away...waiting for him to part the Polos. It definitely took him by surprise tonight when he went fishing for a hanger. After all, it's practically life size.

How did I come up with this incredible location? It was easy. Chris hung this church portrait of his parents behind MY shirts while I was on a girl's trip a couple of years ago. I always manage to forget it's there and then whenever I seem to be in a frantic search for something to wear, something that fits...BOOM... Frost and Rosie jump out at me and I almost have to change my pants too.

Nora was watching me play in the closet and wanted to get in on the fun. A rowdy game of peek a boo in the cabinet ensued. The remainder of the afternoon was tantrum free.

Also noteworthy...one of the few precious treasures that my dad had been saving for me in his hot, Florida attic was my rubber band ball. I started this impressive sphere several decades ago with just a single knotted rubber band. It took time, patience, and a passion for office supplies. It's one of my finest accomplishments. I photographed it next to this small spool of thread so that you could get an idea of how truly spectacular it is.