Friday, February 5, 2010

The Best Present Ever Received.

I've collected thimble for the past 12 years. I started collecting when I was in the 3rd Grade. My teacher Mrs. Owens collected spoons, and as I began looking for spoons to fulfill her collection, I happened upon thimbles. Around the time of discovering them, I met someone else who collected them ... I just don't remember who that was. Well, after some sort of deliberation, I announced to my parents that I was going to begin collecting. I am sure they had a most positive response while thinking to themselves "OK, but this wont last." Oh but you were wrong!

Although I don't remember my first thimble I remember one of the first. My brothers friend Ryan Welty purchased me one on his high school band trip to Germany. It had a picture of a castle on it and instead of the boring white porcelain that normally encumbrances the fingertips sized cup, it was metal and covered with vines - and gorgeous! I knew then that I had to keep up my collection.

Well, I accumulated a lot of these. More friends would gather them during trips, I eventually filled up a thimble case, then another. It was at this point that I received the best gift I think I have ever received. Over a year ago I was antique shopping with Heather as we love to do and I found this old letter type drawer, I told Heather it would make the coolest thimble case!
Well, as best friends do, she remembered the really important random comment I threw out. This Christmas, Heather, her dad (and well, her whole family) worked on converting an antique type letter drawer into a full pledged thimble case for me! It looks exactly like this, except plexi-glass and hooks were added...

Tonight Heather was wonderful and patient and loving as I sat and updated the little slips of paper inside each thimble of the time and place where each was bought. She acted as if she really cared when I told her stories and prices and useless information. She even allowed me to dump all the thimbles out of the case after I was nearing the end (also note that it was her idea in the first place that I rejected) and let me re-organize them according to location.
Well, I have the most awesome thimble case in the entire world and it looks amazing in my non-bedroom. If I ever need another case... I know where to look. Oh, and did I tell you I counted them? 201 thimbles. That's a lot... how many will I have when I die... what does one do with a random collection of such monstrous size upon someones death? I think I need to stop this blog.

5 comments:

Ed Ziebart said...

Everywhere we have ever gone over the past 12 years has included looking for a thimble for you! Such fun! Your new thimble case is amazing! And it has room for more...ok, time to go hunting. Where haven't we bought you one?

Ed Ziebart said...

The above was written by your mama!

Harmony said...

When one dies, their grandchildren move in and clean house, taking 4/5ths of all belongings to the dump. Of course, you could avoid this catasrophy by actually dispersing of your own belongings long before you die.

I mean, um. Is that my personal experience speaking through here? =)

Lovely thimble case! And for the record... it was Jeremy Welty, your sister's friend, and not Ryan. =) =)

Heather W. said...

Excuse me harm... but I do believe it was indeed Ryan... shall we eat them?

Katy said...

That is such an awesome gift! You should post a picture of all your thimbles in the new case!

Me

Portland, Oregon, United States