Keepers of Their Homes, Long Ago

Every time I look at this pitcher, it has me by the heart.

From the late 1800s, with its crazing and cracks, how can it still be in one piece?  I wonder who used it and for what purpose exactly.  The stamp on the bottom includes part of the British Royal Coat of Arms, the lion and the unicorn, and yet this does not mean it was made in England.  Around the time it was made there were American potters using the mark to make their wares look more British.  There were also newly American potters, just over from England, using the trademark they brought with them, so to speak.

Was her pitcher from England?  Was it American?  Was she slender and frail?  Perhaps stern?  Or was she plump with a rosy face and a cheerful laugh?

Silly me.  The time I spend wondering about things like this.  It’s a miracle I ever get anything done.

Speaking of keepers of long ago, I lucked out and found a keeper of a book during my last thrift store outing.

It’s called Seven Brave Women, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it with Princess of the Universe.  History is often told from the perspective of the many wars that mark our timelines, but this book tells history through the eyes of seven brave women who lived through wars but did not fight in them.  

Me and my sappy self, yes I got all teary-eyed reading about women of long ago and how they worked and raised (and fiercely loved) their babies and lived through times I cannot imagine.  It’s a simple concept — the author sharing personal stories of seven brave women in her family tree, but what an amazing book it turns out to be.

I love the illustrations, too.  They are full of color and life.  It’s definitely got a permanent place in my home library.

As a side note, it would be a great book to go along with They Were Strong and Good, in case you are doing a unit study of genealogy or if you use the wonderful literature-based curriculum called Five In A  Row.

Lynn