Treasured Family Heirlooms

by Pam Hillman

What is an heirloom?

Webster’s defines an heirloom as, “Something of special value handed down from one generation to another.”

As I ponder the meaning of heirlooms, I turn to the battered antique trunk at the foot of my bed. Its domed top and shiny brass accents shimmer in the late afternoon sunlight streaming through my bedroom window.

My husband bought the trunk at his great aunt’s estate sale several years ago. It is a beautiful old trunk. Battered, but sturdy, it cradles heirlooms handed down through five generations.

I flip the clasps open and lift the lid, letting the smell of old leather, musty books, and time gone by waft around me. For a moment, my gaze lingers on my treasures, old and new, before I reach for the baby clothes stacked on top.

I pull out dainty smocked suits that my children wore home from the hospital; a pair of tiny, hand crocheted booties; soft white and powdery blue blankets used to wrap my newborn sons in. Memories of those precious days parade through my head as I touch each object. I shake my head as I finger the baby clothes. It is hard to believe either of my young men were ever small enough to wear the tiny garments I hold in my hands.

Underneath a soft baby blanket, I spot a baseball glove, its brittle leather over thirty years old. The glove brings back memories of a brother whose life was cut way to short. Memories of the time he threw a baseball straight up in the air because I had decided I couldn’t miss it if the ball fell on me. I missed—and got a busted nose for my effort. But it really wasn’t my brother’s fault. The whole thing had been my idea.

As I dig deeper, the keepsakes grow older. I pick up a hymnal, dated 1907, a relic inherited from my husband’s great-great aunt. Its care-worn pages are a testimony to the many times Aunt Mary Ann lifted her voice in song. I can just see a dozen or so stout country women dressed in their Sunday best, hats perched just so, sturdy shoes dusty from their trek to church, lifting their voices in song. The song in my head fades away as the hymnal is placed carefully to the side.

In the bottom, I find a quilt. Not just an ordinary quilt—a special quilt—a quilt hand-stitched by my mother’s mother. I’m not sure how old it is. My mother doesn’t know, and Mamaw wouldn’t be able to tell us if she were alive.

I do know that it is old, and worn, the fabric stiff and shiny in places, the binding threadbare, the lining torn. It isn’t beautiful. Its pieces aren’t mirror images of each other, intent on showing off some delicate pattern. It’s a hodgepodge of color, shapes, and sizes. Some pieces of fabric are long and narrow, brown. Others tan, triangular. I spot a few pieces of dull green here and there. But even now, it has a thick sturdiness that guarantees a cozy night’s sleep on a frigid winter night.

As my fingers glide across the surface of the quilt, an image of my mother as a little girl, snuggling under the quilt, flashes like a movie clip before my eyes. As quickly as it appears, it’s gone. I sigh and lean over the edge of the trunk once again.

The afternoon shadows deepen as I examine each and every precious item in the trunk. I marvel at the black velvet pillbox hat with grosgrain ribbon Mamaw wore to church back in the 1940’s. I touch the cool metal of Papaw’s pocket watch, the stiff softness of his brown felt hat. The label inside says Adam, Fifth Avenue Quality, long oval, and I wonder how many hats he tried on, how long he stood in the store, before he picked just the right hat, just the right style, to suit him.

When I’m done, I carefully pack everything away, my trip down memory lane creating more and more memories, expanding, like sweet rolls set out to rise. I gaze out the window, enjoying a quiet afternoon reminiscing.

These heirlooms speak to me somewhere down deep inside. Their value is special, just like Webster declared. I knew the man who wore the hat, the woman who hand-stitched the quilt, and the young girl who grew up to be my mother. I have the memories to prove it.

And that’s what makes an heirloom special.

Do you have a special heirloom handed down from your parents or grandparents? We'd love to hear all about it!!!

CBA Bestselling author PAM HILLMAN was born and raised on a dairy farm in Mississippi and spent her teenage years perched on the seat of a tractor raking hay. In those days, her daddy couldn't afford two cab tractors with air conditioning and a radio, so Pam drove an Allis Chalmers 110. Even when her daddy asked her if she wanted to bale hay, she told him she didn't mind raking. Raking hay doesn't take much thought so Pam spent her time working on her tan and making up stories in her head. Now, that's the kind of life every girl should dream of. www.pamhillman.com

The Road to Magnolia Glen

I'm still celebrating the release of The Road to Magnolia Glen. :)
I'm a sponsor at the Christian Fiction Summer Reading Safari.
Read! Review! Win books! (It really is that easy!)
Click here to join the fun for the entire month of July!

Angel Roofs: England's Forgotten Treasure

This post is brought to you by Janalyn Voigt.

Angel Roofs: England's Forgotten Treasure

Roof angel from Holy Trinity church, Blythburgh, Suffolk
By No machine-readable author provided. Mel Etitis~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims). [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0 ]

Most visitors to England are enthralled by the grandeur of the medieval chapels they tour. However, they often miss some of their most exquisite features. Tourists either forget to look up at the timber roofs, or else distance and poor lighting make the masterpieces of ornamentation that rest there hard to see. Built between 1395 and about 1530 and decorated with hand-carved angels, these ‘angel roofs’ numbered in the hundreds.

Hammerbeam roof of St Wendreda's Church, March, Cambridgeshire is decorated with 118 angels carved in oak.By David Iliff (User:Diliff) [CC BY 3.0]

Only 170 angel roofs survived into the present. That any remain is truly remarkable. Most were constructed in the 1400’s, a century that marked the Wars of the Roses and the formation of the Tudor dynasty. During the English Reformation that followed, religious zealots targeted all medieval religious imagery for destruction. Most church ornaments were destroyed. Some estimates put the amount of artwork destroyed at above 90 percent. Many of the roofs escaped this fate, however. The roofs lofted high overhead and out of reach. Besides this, some of the angels actually supported the roofs they graced. Removing them would have called for determination, courage, and coordination.

John Salmon / St Peter & St Paul, Cromer, Norfolk - Roof angel CC BY-SA 2.0

The large majority of angel roofs (75 percent) are found within the churches of East Anglia, most notably in Norfolk and Suffolk counties. Artisans unknown to us today carved the angels. Sculpted in great detail, the roof angels represent a variety of forms and styles. The tallest stretch 8 feet in height. Most are oak, although sycamore and chestnut also came into use. Colorful paint adorns many. A roof might boast hundreds of angels or only a few. They give a tantalizing glimpse of what medieval churches looked like.

Roof angels are the largest extant body of medieval wood carvings in England. They are a priceless connection with the past. Sadly, art historians and medieval scholars largely neglect these amazing art pieces and beautiful keepers of history.

About the Author

Janalyn Voigt's unique blend of adventure, romance, suspense, and whimsy creates breathtaking fictional worlds for readers. Known for her vivid writing, this multi-faceted author writes in the western historical romance, medieval epic fantasy, and romantic suspense genres. 

Janalyn is represented by Wordserve Literary Agency. Her memberships include ACFW and NCWA. When she's not writing, she loves to garden and explore the great outdoors with her family.

Explore Janalyn Voigt's interactive website.

DawnSinger (Tales of Faeraven 1)

The High Queen is dying... At the royal summons, Shae mounts a wingabeast and soars through the air to the high hold of Faeraven, where all is not as it seems. Visions warn her of danger, and a dark soul touches hers in the night. When she encounters an attractive but disturbing musician, her wayward heart awakens. But then there is Kai, a guardian of Faeraven and of Shae. Secrets bind him to her, and her safety lies at the center of every decision he makes. 

On a desperate journey fraught with peril and the unknown, they battle warlike garns, waevens, ferocious raptors, and the wraiths of their own regrets. Yet, they must endure the campaign long enough to release the DawnKing'and the salvation he offers'into a divided land. To prevail, each must learn that sometimes victory comes only through surrender. Learn More>>

How Much Did That Artifact Bring?

By Miralee Ferrell

As a lover of many things historical, I tend to gravitate toward TV shows that portray old objects being unearthed, restored, or sold as found. Whether it be Pawn Stars, American Pickers, sunken treasure recovery shows, or something like Antiques Roadshow, I enjoy them all--even some of the Barrett Jackson auto auctions that often feature cars and trucks older than I am. Yep, they do exist. 

I've like episodes of Fixer Upper (home restoration) as I love seeing a person or couple choose a hundred-year-old house to purchase and have restored. There are many treasures hiding across America waiting to be found in someone's barn, attic, basement, or field, that often they don't even realize they possess. I thought it would be fun to share a few finds over the years that made news or gained attention on one of those shows.

In July 2011, on Antiques Roadshow a man from Oklahoma broke the Antiques Roadshow record with his collection of Chinese cups carved from rhinoceros horns. His collection dates back to the 18th century, and was appraised by Lark Mason for $1-$1.5 million at auction.
The episode aired in January 2012. Watch the appraisal here.
(my disclaimer--I do NOT approve of collecting or purchasing any form of ivory or rhino horns--I almost didn't share this due to that, but I was so shocked by the price, I decided to do so)

Napoleon’s Sword – $6.4 million

This sword is embellished with gold and saw action in battle in early 1880s.

After the battle, the sword reached Napoleon’s brother hands, as a wedding gift.
It was declared a French national treasure (1978). Also, it was auctioned in France for $6.4 million. It stands as a symbol of victory, power and strategy!

Jim Younger's "Fiddle" Played by Him at the Famous 1898 Christmas Party at Stillwater Prison. Of all the significant relics in the Wilbur Zink collection, this violin is perhaps the most evocative. Cora McNeil, who served as the Younger brothers' unofficial secretary while they were incarcerated, was present at the December 25, 1898, party for the inmates held at the home of Warden Wolfer. The tree was decorated with ornaments made by the inmates, and Cole Younger himself was dressed as Santa.

Cora was accompanied to the party by her nine year old daughter Edwynne. It is widely believed that Cora was at one time Jim Younger's mistress, and quite possibly Jim was Edwynne's father. In any case, "Uncle Jim," as she called him, obviously held her in special regard. His violin was under the tree as a present for little Edwynne.
     In 1968 Edwynne Neill Deane, still alive, penned a handwritten account of the event, and that account, along with a typed and notarized version, accompanies this lot. The violin is expected to bring at least $10,000. 
This rare cabinet photo of Jesse James originates from an ambrotype taken on July 10, 1864, at Platte City, Missouri. It shows James, aged 19, dressed as a

Quantrill Guerilla, a paramilitary force that waged war against the Union army during the final days of the US Civil War. James was fiercely pro-Slavery, and his later criminal exploits were hailed as heroic by former Confederates in the South.

Sold at Heritage Auctions in 2013 for $7,170.

What's the most interesting historical artifact or 'treasure' you've discovered? 

Outlaw Angel

by Miralee Ferrell

On the run from a dangerous outlaw, Angel works her way across several states disguised as a boy and working as a varmint tracker and horse wrangler. After taking a job on a Wyoming ranch owned by a bachelor and his widowed sister, she finally reveals her true identity and must fight to prove her worth as a ranch hand while somehow discovering her role as woman.
Hiring a woman doesn’t sit well with Travis Morgan, and the dark-haired beauty is causing a ruckus among his cowboys. Just as Angel decides she’ll never be able to please her boss, an unexpected surprise arrives from across the ocean and makes trouble on the ranch. Will Angel leave with the person who’s come so far to claim her?Miralee Ferrell is a best-selling and award-winning author with 19 books to her

credit and another releasing this year. She lives in Washington state with her husband, two dogs, 2 cats, and 14 chickens, and loves traveling to various places for historical research. You can connect with Miralee, learn more about her books, and sign up for her newsletter at her website, or join her author group on Facebook.