The Soul of the Antique Table

Marvin and Joanne Lewis' lovely farm table.

On Saturday, I told you about meeting Marvin and Joanne Lewis and touring their beautiful 1936 home. Joanne wrote a keepsake story about a wooden bird figurine. Marvin chose to write about a spectacular antique table. 

I love antiques. When I have extra time, I browse the contents of local antique stores. I touch the items and ponder the utility of each. I wonder about the owners. I often contemplate how an item came to rest on the floor or shelf of the antique shop. Finding certain family treasures—photo albums, rosary beads, wedding gowns—troubles me. I think, "Surely there was someone in the family who found value in this item. Surely."

When I read Marvin Lewis' story about his antique farm table, I realized that I was not alone in my musings. He, too, wonders about the histories and origins of the antiques he and his wife purchase and place in the rooms of their home.

"The Farm Table" starts on page 216. Here's an excerpt.

“The oldest member of our family arrived in December of 2011. The simple draw-leaf farm table was crafted from a cherry tree that witnessed the French Revolution, perhaps by an aging revolutionary. It easily serves twelve—more when women and children are included. The worms that inscribed the leaves over the years possessed an art form belonging only to them.

Its history intrigues me. I often wonder what this table has witnessed. The political unrest and frequent change of the 1800s, an artistic revolution, and a cholera epidemic were certainly part of its history. But what else? I wonder what persons—famous or not—may have shared a meal or a bottle of wine over its surface.

Within the family, what transpired over nearly two hundred years? Over the five, six, or seven generations? Was there a mother who died in childbirth? A young bride who inherited a family older than she? It’s experienced the birth and death of generation after generation. What kind of lives did they lead? Simple? Heroic? Did the families struggle to survive or enjoy prosperity?

How many people shared a feast or just managed to survive while discussing their hopes and dreams, sorrows and tribulations around this table?

Our table witnessed two world wars. Were family members wounded or killed? Did occupying troops feast at this table? Or perhaps it was the liberators—our brave, scared, tired, heroic, frightened young Americans. Was a Jewish family shielded from the concentration camps and near-certain death? Or, was the patriarch a German collaborator?”

— Marvin Lewis, "The Farm Table" from Project Keepsake

Marvin and I share a questioning nature. Perhaps it's because we are both graduates of Georgia Tech. Go Jackets!

Thank you for sharing your story, Marvin. It's one of my favorites in the collection.

Little Downed Bird

I strolled through their magnificent home pausing in each room as Marvin and Joanne Lewis told me fascinating stories associated with objects featured in their home's eclectic decor. Their house reminded me of my parents-in-law's stylish home in Chattanooga—it had a museum-like quality showcasing a fine collection of interesting, intriguing pieces. Like a sponge, I absorbed the stories.

Joanne Lewis wrote a keepsake story about a little, wooden bird figurine. "Downed Bird" starts on page 114 of Project Keepsake.

"Do you want to see my little bird?" Joanne asked.

I nodded.

She floated over to a shelf and retrieved the wooden figurine with the grace and fluidity of a prima ballerina. She handed it to me with a flourish.

The little chicken possessed a whimsical quality that brought a smile to my face, and I understood immediately why Joanne had fallen under its spell.

She placed it back in its spot atop a glass rabbit mold, and we both stopped and admired it for a few seconds.

I love to be around interesting, intelligent, thoughtful, generous people, and the Lewis' certainly fall into this group. They appreciated my quest to collect keepsake stories, and both—yes, both—contributed to the story collection. I've pasted Joanne's keepsake story below. Perhaps tomorrow, I will post Marvin's story.

Joanne's story, titled, "Downed Bird," starts on page 114.

“It peeked up at me from its hiding place in the dirt and grass stubble. I bent over and picked up the little wooden object—a piece of dropped debris—a remnant of our local historical society’s rummage sale. It was a dried-out, wounded, hand-carved chicken about four inches tall.

Like a human face, one side looked better than the other. The left side of the little bird was missing one eye like a pirate. It had also lost a piece of its tail and had multiple gouges bitten out of its body as if it had been pecked by a rival. The right side was dirty and dry but completely unharmed.

I asked if I could purchase it.

“You want to buy that?” the woman asked with a tone inferring she thought my request was foolish or crazy.

“Yes, how much?”

“Just take it,” the woman said. “It has no value. We were going to throw it away, so no payment is necessary.”

I carried it home—my mind set on reviving the little bird. I washed it, dried it, and rubbed it with multiple doses of lemon oil. I polished it as if it was a precious gemstone. With each stroke, the dull brown surface soaked-in the oil revealing rich, beautiful wood grains. Soon, a dark chocolate color appeared.

My desire to know the history of the little object was strong, but even stronger was my desire to save the bird and have it start a new life with me among my most treasured possessions. And as I continued to breathe life into the little figurine, my affection for it grew.

Old objects fascinate me in that they have histories. Their histories often start before our beginnings and possibly go on well beyond our ends. In essence, they outlive us.

When we collect things—a cup, a book, a wooden chicken— we rescue them from oblivion, which to me is a stronger motivator to collect than the mere desire to own the pieces I buy. The fulfillment is not in the act of purchasing an item, but in the salvation.

The feeling I am preserving a piece of the past fills me with great pleasure and satisfaction. Maybe I am looking for the echoes of a refinement that existed in earlier times that have languished in today’s world—a sentiment I believe all generations have felt about the world in which they lived.

I turned the little brown bird upside down to record the date and place our history together began. I wrote, “Crown Gardens and Archives 10-31-09,” on the underside of its base, turned it upright, then carefully placed it on a shelf on top of a vintage, glass rabbit mold. This arrangement gave the two animals the whimsical appearance of two circus animals performing an act. The placement made me smile that day. Indeed, I smile every time I look at the little chicken—my heart growing fonder and fonder. It is a favorite of mine now.

I’ll never know why the little brown bird spoke to me that day in October. I’ll never understand why I selected the tattered figurine that had been so callously discarded in the grass— deemed worthless and destined for a landfill. And perhaps there is nothing to understand.

Maybe the answer is a simple one—that the encounter with the bird was no more than the chance meeting of two friends, and like friends, one does not belong to the other, but with each other.

Did I save the little bird, or did the little bird save me? I wonder sometimes, as I smile up at it riding the glass rabbit like a cowboy. Perhaps we saved each other.”

— Joanne Lewis, from Project Keepsake

From the moment that I read Joanne's first draft, I felt that her story was about transformations. I love the way she describes the little bird's metamorphosis.

Joanne is a Mary Washington College graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in history. She taught fifth grade, sixth grade and high school history. She is Chairman of the Board of Dalton, Georgia's Blunt House, a property of the Whitfield-Murray Historical Society, and chairman of the City of Dalton's Historic Preservation Commission. She is a collector of stray dogs and cats, linens, china, silver, decorative objects and art. 

sale

Sale Price:$16.99 Original Price:$18.99

To read other stories about keepsakes and the memories they hold, please purchase a copy of Project Keepsake. It's on sale now with no shipping and handling charges. And by the way, it's a great Christmas gift for a loved one, especially when paired with a keepsake.

As always, please share your keepsake story with me. Everyone has a keepsake, and every keepsake has a story to tell.

Friends and Signet Rings

David Aft has been a helpful, generous friend since 2001 when we first worked together at a nonprofit organization in Northwest Georgia. We've always had chemistry and rapport, especially evident in our social and political views and opinions. 

David Aft wrote a story about Harry Aft's signet ring, passed to him after his grandfather's death.

Go back in time with me to the week after I told David about my idea to collect and publish stories about keepsakes. He stood in front of my desk and read his keepsake story aloud to me as if he was delivering a soliloquy from Hamlet. He wrote a story about an heirloom—his grandfather's signet ring. He keeps it safely stowed in a safe deposit box, but he showed it to me on the day he read me his story.

But writing and giving me his story was just the beginning. He was determined to help me achieve my dream of publishing a book of keepsake stories, and so he twisted the arms of many family members and friends and somehow convinced others to contribute stories to my collection, too. I’m not sure how he shook them down, but he did. I got beautifully-crafted stories from his parents. From Tom Durkan. From Joanne and Marvin Lewis. And from his wife, Pauline, who wrote a haunting, retrospective story about a pill box hat. I will feature excerpts from all of these stories in the future, but today, I give you an excerpt from David Aft’s story, “The Signet Ring.”

“The ring is simple and elegant, far different from my memories of Grandpa Harry, whose 6-foot 3-inch frame never projected either elegance or simplicity. I learned that the ring was a gift from his father, a modest immigrant from Eastern Europe who brought little but his faith from the Urals in 1908. According to family folklore, the ring was a present on my grandfather’s eighteenth birthday. I imagine that the ring was acquired at significant sacrifice, as my grandfather turned eighteen at the height of the Great Depression.

I cherish the ring. I look at it often, although I almost never wear it.

I think at some level we all struggle with finding authenticity in our lives—a meaning that transcends the day-to-day stuff and gives us an emotional and historical touchstone. My personal quest probably won’t end with my grandfather’s signet ring, but there is a gentle certainty in knowing that other than DNA, his ring is probably the only other thing in this world that my great grandfather, grandfather, father and I have shared—have touched. My son and hopefully his son will eventually share this memento and, through its modest presence, understand that they are part of something that is larger than themselves.

They will never know Harry Aft, nor will his ring ever convey his towering presence, steadfast work ethic or penchant for corny jokes. They will never understand his love of baseball and passion for fresh-squeezed orange juice. What I hope they will understand is that we value his life and understand its relation to our own. Further, I hope they understand that it is not merely the links that make a chain strong, but their interconnectedness that gives them permanence. Harry’s signet ring is my link.”

— David Aft from Project Keepsake

Signed copies of Project Keepsake are available at Dave & Pauli's Art Emporium in downtown Dalton.

But there's more to the story. David and Pauline recently opened Dave & Pauli’s Art Emporium (www.daveandpaulis.com), a working artist’s studio and art gallery specializing in creative works by local and regional artists in downtown Dalton. It’s open on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Just a few days before opening the doors, they toured me through the gallery as if I was the Queen of England. The gallery explodes with bold, vibrant colors and interesting works, almost as if it is a living, breathing being pulsing with creativity. Upstairs, they've created an intimate music lounge like none other in Northwest Georgia. I was captivated—simply captivated!

And then I saw something familiar on their counter—something blue. I was speechless. I've had such a hard time getting the big book stores to carry Project Keepsake, but my friends jumped in and saved me. Dave & Pauli’s is the only place in Dalton offering Project Keepsake.

Thank you David, and thank you Pauline. You are great friends—real keepers—and I wish you every success with Dave & Pauli’s Art Emporium and in the other endeavors that fill your life from this day forward.

sale

Sale Price:$16.99 Original Price:$18.99

Project Keepsake is on sale right now! FREE shipping and handling! Great gift item, especially for the holidays. Buy it right here right now, and I'll throw in a free bookmark.