The first thing I thought of when I learned of this theme was the little "Gingerbread Church" up in Cape May Point. The church was built in 1876. It has weathered 133 years of wind and storms. At one point, it had to be moved back from the sea to its present position, across the street from the dunes. My great-grandfather preached there when the family came down to the shore from Philadelphia, for summer vacations long ago. So here it is - St. Peter's By the Sea.
I also thought of the many lighthouses that stand along our shores. And then I remembered one that no longer stands, but we can still see the remnants of it out in Delaware Bay. This is Crossledge - now just a roost for sea birds. But I find it rather charming.
You can see it if you take a Lighthouse Cruise in the Delaware Bay, out of Cape May, NJ.
I have one more well aged item that I would like to show you. This is one of my favorite pieces of furniture. It is a nursing chair, well over 100 years old. It was made by hand by some member of the family, and somewhere (I wish I could locate it) I have a picture of my mother sitting on it when she was about a year old. My mother is the baby in the center of the photograph. That photo is also well over 100 years old.
15 comments:
Bobbie, I enjoyed these pictures so much. The little church is so pretty. I love antiques and that chair is really an old piece. Makes you wonder what could have happened to it and if it is still around somewhere.
I still have the chair, Judy. It's in my living room. It's the picture of my mother sitting on it that I can't find. I remember it vividly because I also have a picture of my oldest daughter sitting on it at the same age, and she looks exactly like my mom at that age.
I hope you find the photo you're looking for, bobbie. Your mother has very distinctive eyes, forehead, hairline. Do you see those traits in pictures of yourself?
Keep well,
Gord H.
I guess I do, Gord, but I don't think most of us see such things in ourselves so much as in our children. My oldest definitely looks like her grandmother.
Just an aside - that photo of the three children was taken the day of their mother's funeral.
What good choices for the theme. That 100 year old photo is amazing.
I'm glad you're participating in this week's theme.
Lovely post .. wonderful photo, but how sad it was the day of their mother's funeral ... they look so young, they must have been so confused.
And the chair is neat!
I love that gingerbread church, Bobbie, and the chair is really something! What makes it a nursing chair?
Judy, the chair's seat is only 12" off the floor. As it was explained to me, the idea was that the mother could sit on it even when she was sleepy in the middle of the night, and not be afraid of dropping the baby very far. A terrible idea, isn't it?
All the photos an dyour story are wonderful - but the gorgeous little church really caught my eye. Looks like a very happy place!
What a great post! What really intrigues me in that chair... the story behind it is wonderful!
I hope you are able to find that photograph.
What sweet memories.
Take care Bobbie.
~Michele~
(hug)
I love the chair. It is crudely made. The rungs aren't even. My mother never respected antiques, and she painted it - several times. Coats of different colors. Under the circumstances, I begged my son to strip and refinish it, which he did for me about a year ago. It now looks as it did in the picture. I never would have allowed it to be refinished if it hadn't had about 6 coats of paint on it.
What a great post! Love the pictures, but particularly the one of your mother -- what a beautiful little girl she was! In so many old photos, the people don't even look real anymore -- have one of my parents and grandparents all together and can't imagine they all could have looked SO bad! And the chair is really neat!
St. Peter's it a quiant little church. The chair is even prettier in person.
Hi Bobbie, I love the chair. The back looks like bamboo. I hope you find the picture. The church is beautiful too.
St. Peters is a very beautiful church but looks very hard to maintain. I'm just imagining what it takes to keep it painted and looking so pretty.
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