Grandma's Jewels

Some of my favorite memories of my Grandma Hewitt take place in her bedroom. Spending the night there was always a treat.  There was always cheese flavored popcorn and a bottle of coke from the bottom shelf on the refrigerator door.  The handle on the fridge pulled down....odd now, not then!  If you were lucky, there was warm chocolate pudding for dessert. It would sit on the metal pull out shelf of the Hoosier style cabinet in the kitchen covered with wax paper. Grandma would pour some milk on it and sprinkle it with sugar. I'd eat it ever so slowly so it would last as long as possible. (I think my mouth is actually watering right now)  After watching TV for an extra 1/2 hour than I was supposed to, we'd head upstairs for our "sleep over ritual."  First I'd peek in the twin bedroom and my bed would have the blankets turned down into a triangle with the sheets crisp and white.  The blankets were wool and itchy but that was just Grandma's. When I crawled in, I would pull up the yellow chenille bedspread and keep it tucked between my chin and the blanket.  My next stop was Grandma's bedroom... It was huge!  First, I'd ask if I could wear "the nightie!"  It was coral, worn and the softest thing I'd ever slept in...(that I could remember.)  Once I had sufficiently donned my night clothes, I could continue on to the good stuff....... Grandma's jewelry box....my favorite place , next to the kitchen, in Grandma's house.  I would slowly explore all the pieces with Grandma's watchful eye beside me.  She would tell me stories about some of the necklaces and pins....she had lots of pins. It soon became "bedtime" and I would get to choose my favorite piece to wear for a few seconds... It was always the same piece, an opal ring.  There were 3 opals with 2 small diamonds on each side.  As always, I'd ask if I could have that ring someday and as always, she'd shake her head yes!   The day came when I got that ring!  As an adult, I'm not much of a jewelry wearer so I made earrings for Jess and a necklace for me.

Fast forward, a half century!  Bailee stays at Grandma's.  What a difference 50 years makes.  She has no interest in wearing my nightgowns. In fact, her treat at Grandma's is to sleep NAKED!  However, the jewelry box adventure still takes place.  "This was Great Grandma's nursing pin, this is a cameo from Great, Great Grandpa Tice's jewelry store during the Depression and that?  Oh that's a necklace that Gr. Grandma had made from a silver dollar dated the year she was born...1922." Her Dad gave it to her.  Would you like to have it?"  Eyes sparkling and an affirmative nod sent it on to live in another jewelry box waiting for the story to be told yet again.  "All things old become new again!"