Only Precious To Me by Megan

When I returned from the RWA National convention in July, I had strep throat. Bad. Coming home on July 2, a Saturday, meant my doctor wouldn't be in until Tuesday! I had three excruciating days of throat pain to endure. So I watched TV. lol

Yes, I watched Cardinals baseball--no surprise there. YAY to my team for their amazing comeback and World Series win!! (Y'all knew I'd sneak in a mention of the boys, didn't you?) However, I watched a lot of TV, and I tried different shows, one of which was "Storage Wars." For those of you who haven't seen it, when renters fail to pay for three months, their storage lockers are put up for auction. The show centers on four main buyers--two own thrift stores, one is a collector and one (I think) takes stuff to thrift markets. After winning a locker, they go through it and evaluate its worth.

I admit, I thought it was a trashy, low-class version of "Antiques Roadshow," the PBS program where people have their "treasures" evaluated by experts. And it may be, lol, but I've become hooked. I don't care for the bickering, but I love to see what's been stored, what treasures or unique items are found, and of course, how much they're worth. It's kind of like a pirate of old opening a chest to discover if it's clothing or doubloons.

My family didn't have antiques,--or doubloons for that matter. :) But we had some cool traditions that had props. On Thanksgiving, we would use the turkey salt and pepper shakers. Only on Thanksgiving. That's when my mom would also make Whipped Cream Salad, which I later learned was similar to Ambrosia, but since I never ate it, I had no idea. Whipped cream and the unused mandarin oranges and pineapple bits from the sweet potatoes, and sometimes coconut. [shudder] Had she thrown in chocolate, I might have at least tried it, but honestly, none of those things appeal to me, and coconut is a deal-breaker. She served it in what we called the Whipped Cream Salad bowl, a carnival glass dish she received as a bonus for buying gasoline or something back in the 50s.

For several years, I searched for a cute Thanksgiving turkey set to continue the tradition in my home. The only sets I found had two toms and no hen. No hen? I don't think so. Almost twelve years passed when my mom gave me the turkeys for my birthday. I've never had a more special present! No, they're not valuable, except for the memories. A couple of years later, she gave me the Whipped Cream Salad bowl. To me, these are priceless items. (I serve mashed potatoes in the WCS bowl,)

The other item in my picture is a potholder my mother-in-law made, which we only use in the fall. The guys on "Storage Wars" would no doubt throw this stuff out (even the carnival glass bowl isn't valuable), but these things remind me what I'm truly thankful for--my family.

And if I can keep my brother or sister from stealing them when they visit, I'll pass them down to my children. LOL

What beloved item/s do y'all treasure? I'd love to hear about them.

Best,
Megan Kelly

www.megankellybooks.com