Collections

I suppose in one way or another we all have our ‘collections’. Here at the nursery, if you’ve ever peeked over at our stock area you would know that Mr. Fernwood has made a life long project of collecting rare and unusual plants, many of which will make their way into the sales area. Come see for yourself. For me, this gathering up of things began when I was young. My grandmother’s house was really a museum of collections. Not fine art or coins or stamps, but things of the past, useful things, often well crafted and made by ‘someone’, with their own hands. She had an appreciation for old things……. wooden, metal, fabric, things she could see a past life in. This apparently was passed onto me, because when I look around the house, there are collections. Not intentional collections ( like stamp collecting), but groups of items that have found their way into my hands and were then placed on a shelf or desk. I like looking at them. I too appreciate the handwork that had gone into such things. I especially like old metal. Recently Noah ( who has grown up amongst these collections) gave me an Irish brass door knocker. He seems to be making a habit of finding treasures himself, and I am thrilled that he thinks of me when he comes across something like an Irish door knocker. That’s my boy. Believe it or not, I think these collections inspire me to see the art and creativity in everyday life. I imagine a blacksmith, a good blacksmith, taking the time to put his own flair or style into something he makes. Understanding that even a useful thing can be a vessel for beauty. There is an art in work that is good, I guess that’s what these collections represent. The hands of good work. I’m glad they are on display in my own little homefront gallery. What sorts of things do you find in your own collections?