This cupboard is against the wall directly opposite my knitting chair, and the other day I found myself thinking that if only I had some Steiff ducks I could write a post about having all my ducks in a row. There aren't any ducks in my collection but I'm going to show you a few of the other animals I do have.
Cleaning out the house after my mother passed away 16 years was a momentous task, and after a while all the items we were going through just seemed like more stuff to me. One of the very few things I did save was my mother's collection of Steiff stuffed animals from her childhood. I also had some of my own as a child so our collections have become intermingled.
While I don't have any ducks, I do have many more rabbits than I remembered. The reclining rabbit was my mother's and always strikes me as a bit funny; I've never seen a rabbit take that position in real life but he's still adorable.
The two large bears also belonged to my mother, but the small ones are mine. I remember saving my babysitting money for them and giving them places of honor on my dresser. I thought the little brown bears and pandas were especially cute, and truthfully they were the only ones I could afford with babysitting wages.
And then there are these favorites -- Joggi the hedgehog, Flossy the fish, and the unnamed owls. I saved for a loonngg time to buy Joggi and the owls, and Flossy was my mother's. I don't know why I enjoyed these Steiff animals so much (and still do), but they are a nice reminder of my mother and something we shared. I also like that it's a contained collection that only takes up a small amount of space and still continues to bring me joy every day.
I think the phrase "all my ducks in a row" came to mind because for the first time in six months or more I am feeling like I can breathe deeply, worry a bit less, and appreciate a sense of peacefulness in my life. I hope all your bunnies, bears, hedgehogs, fish, and owls are in a row, and you can also experience some deep breaths, contentment, and peace.
What a fun collection! I have to say, thought, that my favorite part of this post is when you say that you feel like you have peace in your life - hooray for that feeling, I hope it's here to stay.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you're beginning to feel like your "ducks are in a row" again! XO I love your Steiff animal collection -- and especially the little bears. (I've always had a thing for little bears.) I never had anything as precious as Steiff animals when I was a child, and, in fact, had never even heard of them -- until my mother-in-law showed me her own collection when Tom and I were first married. It's lovely that you have a co-mingled collection - yours and your mom's - which makes it all the more precious and special. XO
ReplyDeleteSo good to hear that things are (finally) getting back to "normal" (whatever that is) for you. I love that your and your Mom's collection are now together and the little hedgehog and fish are just so cute!!!
ReplyDeleteHope your weekend is peaceful and relaxing.
I love your collection of sweet little bears and bunnies! When the kids were little, Heidi had a bunny and I have seen that bunny reclining like that more than once. I don't know if they do in the wild, but Heidi's bun reclined thus next to her often. Perhaps it is the pose of entire trust, Heidi and her bunny were the best of friends. The bunny would even be excited when she got home from school!
ReplyDeleteI am also incredibly fascinated by your salt cellar collection and that gorgeous knife rest! Perhaps there will be an upcoming post on your collection!
Here is to a weekend to enjoying the feeling of your ducks in a row and I hope that feeling continues and grows! XO
Oh, I'm so happy to hear that your "ducks" are lining up!! I love your co-mingled collection.
ReplyDeleteHearing that you have peace in your life is the best news in this post. I concur that I have seen a friends pet rabbit reclining, back legs back, quietly resting and at ease. Your collection is charming. I hope the feeling of calm and peace stays with you as you deserve some time to yourself after a long time of angst and worry. xo
ReplyDeleteThe guys on Antiques Roadshow would be hyperventilating to see your collection, Bonny. I think my favorites are the owls. I have never seen all these stuffed Steiff animals before, only bears. Thanks for sharing. It's wonderful to have a collection that brings such positive emotions. As to your feelings of increasing calm and peace, I am so happy for you! Perhaps through meditation and reflection you can learn to make it a more common occurrence. You have had a huge amount of chaos in your life lately. Hopefully you are moving into a less frenetic phase. Happy Friday and may the wind be always at your back whatever happens this next week.
ReplyDeleteI did think about Antiques Roadshow (my favorite show!) when I got some of the animals out yesterday. I think I had gotten so used to feeling unsettled and expecting a crisis around every corner that it was nice to have a revelation that things were beginning to settle down and some peace was restored. I'm going to do what I can (definitely meditation) to keep that feeling going. And thank you for the good wishes for next week; I'm in the process of filling out ~75 pages of paperwork for my father's estate before I go to the bank next week, so I'll take the wind at my back for that meeting! Wishing you a wonderful weekend, Becky!
Deleteoh those memories all there for you to enjoy. I have a bear collection in my studio - I have my mom's childhood doll as well. She has a broken leg but it's amazing what a rubber band can fix ;)
ReplyDeleteWhat sweet memories!
ReplyDeleteStuffed animals weren't a big deal in my family, but I have huge collection of international dolls.
That's a wonderful collection ... I especially love that you and your mom shared the love of those pieces. My mom has lots of collections, as do I, but there's no overlap. And what a wonderful sentiment at the end - hope you enjoyed a peaceful weekend, my friend.
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