<p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://caygibson.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/sewing_1.jpg"><img title="Sewing_1" height="75" alt="Sewing_1" src="https://caygibson.typepad.com/cays_cajun_cottage/images/sewing_1.jpg" width="100" border="0" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 5px 5px 0px" /></a>Even as I child, I adored baskets. Baskets are woven vessels that hold our treasures, our hopes, our dreams, and---many times---our childhood.</p>
<p>How many of us have wondered what was in that basket Dorothy carried all the way to Oz and back?? </p>
<p>A couple years ago my girls were part of a sewing group. There was nothing cuter than seeing these girls coming together all with their sewing baskets swinging from their arms. </p>
<p>Baskets around the house offer a Martha Stewart way of dressing up a house, tidying up a room, and making even <a href="http://dawnathome.typepad.com/by_sun_and_candlelight/2006/05/boy_meets_girl.html">Monster Trucks look fashionable</a>...as <a href="http://dawnathome.typepad.com/">Dawn</a> so eloquently shows us. My mother collects baskets. There is an artistic heap of them positioned under her breakfast room window. Elizabeth offers her visitors <a href="http://ebeth.typepad.com/reallearning/2006/05/baskets_of_book.html">Baskets of Books</a> as does <a href="http://dawnathome.typepad.com/by_sun_and_candlelight/2006/05/reading_for_sum.html">Dawn</a>. </p>
<p>So I was delighted to come upon this book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0531058867/houseoflitera-20/"><em>Basket </em>by George Ella Lyon</a>.</p>
<p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=240,height=240,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://caygibson.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/basket.jpg"><img title="Basket" height="100" alt="Basket" src="https://caygibson.typepad.com/cays_cajun_cottage/images/basket.jpg" width="100" border="0" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 5px 5px 0px" /></a>I cannot remember if the book was recommended on someone else's blog or if I went googling for George Ella Lyon's books after participating in the <a href="http://caygibson.typepad.com/cays_cajun_cottage/2006/06/where_im_from.html"><em>Where I'm From</em></a><em> </em>spin-off begun by <a href="http://joyinthemorning.clubmom.com/">Loni</a>. But, however it was presented to me, I'm thankful it was.</p>
<p>Pick-it-up I did from my library and read it I did. It's excellent! </p>
<p>Grandmother's basket held eggs, peaches, pot holders, rosses..."scissors in the bottom sometimes." It stowed plums and Christmas holly, a flashlight, Grandmother's best thread, picture stickers, a "bottle of white ink", and a garden pick. </p>
<p>Now it holds stories and memories all strung together with a simple spool of thread to be drawn out to the next generation.</p>
<p>The bittersweet legend of a grandmother's basket---representing treasured memories and lost days---and the finding of a spool of thread---representing life's thread that connects each generation to the next---weave this book into a message and poem that sings to the heart. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0531058867/houseoflitera-20/"></a></p>
Cay, thanks for the links and the great book suggestion! I just requested it from the library. :)
Posted by: Dawn | July 04, 2006 at 05:59 AM