Friday 6 March 2015

It's Friday, But it's Not Christmas

I'm just back from the shops. there wasn't a lot happening, nothing much to report (though I did notice M&S is now selling washi tape, along with bicycle paper clips. And punches). Oh, but I did get one smile. Just as I was hauling everything back to the car, a small boy ran past. he was loudly, proudly, perfectly wearing...a Santa suit. Total respect! A santa suit in March. Don't you wonder: did his Mum look at him fondly this morning and think: yes! what imagination! what a rule breaker! Or did she just strap him into the car, thanking her lucky laundry stars that he had something clean to put on? Because either works for me.

But that's completely off topic. I just thought I'd see if I could give you a smile. Today, what I wanted to ask you is is: what's the oldest thing you have made, which has been in continuous use since it was formed? This is mine:

pencil pot


It now sits on the desk of The (Not So) Small One, but I made it for my own pens when I was eight, or maybe nine. That would be..um, take a wild guess, use your imagination, many years ago. It's been filled with pens ever since.

The grey tub originally held indigestion tablets, I think, and was donated by my Mum who helped me cover it and cut shapes to fit around the outside. We went through the bag of felt scraps and then we twisted her hair from a lock left over from some doll making. The glue, it is clear, is nothing fancy. It's starting to seep through. I like it like that, now. It helps my pot to wear its age with pride. My sister made a pencil pot too and she gave it to her teacher, and for years after, even when we were quite grown up, we could see it in the window, every time we walked past our old school.

I picked that little pencil holder off my daughter's desk this morning, and it was still in my hand as I went to answer the door to the postman. He had brought me this:


Eight year old Sian would have enjoyed it. She would have looked to her little felt girl for a freshly sharpened pencil and then she would have flipped open her latest notebook and made a start. Probably what I'll do next, then.

So,  how about you? What have you got? How old is it? Are you the same "you" who made it? Maybe a little?

Oh, the book? So far, so fantastic. Bobette Buster is a screenwriter who has taught at Pixar and Disney, and it shows. I can highly recommend this, on the strength of the chapter I read at lunchtime. I bought it from The Do Book Co, on a whim and now I'm looking forward to my weekend so I can race through the rest.

Have a good one!

25 comments:

alexa said...

Now there's a title to intrigue, Sian! I will be googling in a moment or two :). Your penholder made me smile with warmth for its keeper, and I thought how lovely it must be to have things you made from a long time ago still with you. (Apart from a handful of school reports, I have nothing, alas.) And what a splendid young man, who cares nothing for the judgement or opinions of others. Some great parenting there, I think!

Ladkyis said...

I don't know!!!! I have made so much over the years but I have handed them on to my children. I have things that they made in school - we still use the towel holder in the bathroom that my eldest son made in woodwork in school in about 1982. Somewhere I have a wrought iron poker that I made when I was in my teens and my Dad was hoping I would be enamoured enough to consider a career in wrought ironwork. It must be in the fireplace behind the drawer units in this room and I won't be diving in to find it.

Lou said...

it's lovely that you have kept your handmade pen pot for all these years and your sisters teacher kept her's. i can't recall having kept anything i made when i was young......so i make sure i keep (nearly) everything the boys make x

Ruth said...

I have a small ashtray(!! that dates me!) that I made in Miss Pugh's class in 1981 ~ all swirly blobs of blue and green paint under the varnish!

Ruth said...

And do you know, my mum met Miss Pugh again within the last couple of years and she (Miss Pugh) had no memory of me ...

scrappyjacky said...

The only thing I can recall that I still have is a cross stitch mat that I made for my mum when I was in primary school....it doesn't really get used now though.
I love the pencil holder.

JO SOWERBY said...

I think the oldest thing which is still in use is the first embroidery sampler I made at infant school which is in my parent's dining room. It's on Aida and has a variety of different stitches. I can even remember making it in class.
That book does look intriguing, I'd love to know how you find these unusual reads Sina
Jo xx

Karen said...

I'm quite sure there's nothing in continuous use that's as old as your pencil holder. I'll have to give this some thought. The book looks fascinating, and I hope we'll hear more about it. (And, yes, you did get a smile from me about Santa!)

Anonymous said...

Hah, Sian....what a beautiful little pot (and I love that your sister's wash proudly displayed for so many years!)....funny you should ask the 'oldest thing' question as I was just today looking at my clay hedgehog and house that I made when I was 7 (I think....so 33 years of being looked at fondly....).....they're not functional, just decorative, but they were appreciated by my Gran and Grandad from the time they were made until the time of their death, and have been sitting on my work desk since Mum passed them to me when we were there....they make me smile every time I see them....(the house has a little cotton wool smoke stream coming out of it's chimney; an addition my Grandad made to it and that the littlest little has taken it upon herself to continue!)......love the look of that book......(as I edit the book of our story I wrote in November, I really feel I could use a look at this book!)......

Barbara Eads said...

That question really takes some thought. I don't think I have anything from my childhood. I grew up in a household with a large family where space was precious. My mother was not a saver---anything we wanted, we had to save for ourselves. My room was little, so I didn't save much. I do have one thing that I am happy to have. It is not useful, just artful. Apparently, I have been a scrapbooker since the age of 3 or 4. I cut bits from junk mail and magazines and glued them in to a reader's digest. I had stamps and cards in there too. All odds and ends that don't really bring back any particular memories---just the memory of actually gluing things in. I loved it then and still do now!

helena said...

yeah for santa costume in March and thinking of explanatory scenarios.

You've got me thinking about the oldest thing I made that has been in continuous use and I think it would be a patchwork I made when 12ish but I'm keeping my eyes open as I wander around the house on the lookout for other items

Sandra said...

What a treasure you have there Sian. You've got me thinking now about the oldest thing .... And I honestly can't think

Claire said...

There's a question to get you thinking, love your little pencil pot Sian. One thing I still have that I made when I was 7 was my First Holy Communion Scrapbook, not useful, but last year when my daughter took her Holy Communion she took that into school to show the other children as a lot of their mums, dads aunts and uncles are in the photos as we all went to that school too.
Claire xx

Susanne said...

Yay for the March Santa - I would have smiled back too - and at his mom as well for letting him. That book looks very interesting - I pinned it for future reference - as we are not expanding the "library" at the moment.

Alison said...

The Santa suit brought a smile.....but I'm sure certain there is nothing at all in use ANYWHERE that I've ever made! Xx

Miriam said...

What a lovely question (and post ) Sian. I will have to have a really hard think about it. The only think that springs to mind is my needle case but I need to think about when I made it. I have a top in my wardrobe that I made when I was pregnant with Ben...that would be 27 years ago. It's not in continuous use though, just occasional use but it brings back lovely memories of the occasion I made if for...

Becky said...

That's such a lovely pot Sian. I'm not sure if I have anything in use made when I was a child.

Lizzy Hill said...

Love how ur mind works! From Santa suits to kid creations. Lordy! I have NO idea!!! I've got a stable made by my son that is pottery from when he was 6- In use as Jesus' residence each Chrissy...... See how my mind works??!!!!

Maria Ontiveros said...

That's such a great question Sian. I have a jewelery holder that I made in 1998 at a "paint your own pottery" place I used to enjoy going to. It's been in continuous use (I was a new mom at the time, so I feel quite different in that department). I also have a Christmas ornament I made when I was 5 that I hang on the tree every year. And I may have a trivet in the kitchen that I made in junior high!
Rinda

Jo said...

My mum still uses some of the pottery I made when I was little but I don't think I have anything that I still use. Your pen pot looks great and it's lovely that it's still in use.

Anonymous said...

That's a great question. For me, it's something that only comes out at Christmas but it comes out every Christmas - a wooden stand-up Santa that I made at the age of 8 or 10 with the help of my Dad. I must go take a picture of it.

Missus Wookie said...

There are several old ornaments that are displayed and our fruit bowl was made by me in woodwork a few years ago too.

Lea Lacoste said...

you had me at Pixar. need that book. also, time, because there are too many books to read!

Melissa said...

That looks like a fabulous book! I have a Christmas ornament that I made in 1st grade when I was six-years-old. It's from felt and yarn and the glue is definitely showing through, but we hang it on the tree each year still!

Maria Ontiveros said...

Just blogged it here:
http://gallorganico.blogspot.com/2015/03/blog-dialog-with-sian-your-old-but.html
Rinda

Related Posts with Thumbnails