Memories--like the corners of my mind: Hope Chests--talk to me

Hey GrammyLew’s post about her daughter’s cooking made me think of something that I haven’t thought about in years—my hope chest.    Remember the hope chest?  How many of you had one and do you still have any of your items? 

When I was like ten, my mom ordered me a Betty Crocker cookbook.  It came with a spatula and one of those blenders that you crank.  Remember?  You turned a handle and the blades rolled together and it beat eggs and maybe egg whites.  It was what poor folks used for blending—well, that and a fork or spoon.   My mom died, of course, before I was old enough to even think about boys or marriage, but I kept my Betty Crocker cookbook and spatula and blender.  From the time I hit puberty until I went to nursing school and moved into my own apartment, I did very little to add to my hope chest—I sort of felt like I would not marry.  So, my hope chest contents moved with me into my own apartment and later, when I married, I had already lived alone for four or so years.  Of all the things that I had from the very beginning, I’ve kept like maybe six or seven: my Betty Crocker (my daughter has) my hand blender, an old Pot that I bought at a thrift store (my son wants), two bowls that I bought before I ever married, and a serving platter that I won at a grocery store bingo game.   Over the years, I’ve added things that my children grew up seeing me use and they call those things my old things that each want and I try to give them those things that I know they have a connection to or they know that I made certain dishes in like my little iron skillet—I make cornbread in it and it’s the one I almost killed their father with (different story for another day) and my casserole dish that I make chicken and rice in.  So, back to the hope chest: do girls still have hope chest?

I think that hope chests are still available (Lane I think) but they are not popular like they were when we were young.  think they were a 40's/50's thing because they were centered around catching a man! My Mom gave me hers to keep my "hope" things in... I still have it. It is very old with mahogony veneers and a rounded top. It has a burn mark in the shape of an iron on top. It is lined with cedar and full of "stuff"- I would never give it up. It holds mostly linens- my Aunt Pat gave me all of her linens- fine work from Italy and Portugal. The sheets have cut-outs lined with other fabrics. They are beautiful but I have no idea what to do with them. I used them a few times. I have kept a few things from my childhood- I have little blue glass bowl from my Grandma. I used to have a china music box from her but it broke one day into a million pieces. I still have my Barbie Dolls. In the hope chest is a place setting of the china that I registered for when I set my first wedding date. At my shower I received this china. The man that I had decided to marry was really not a good match- I knew that, but was so insecure that I just wanted to get married. He was my first real boyfriend/lover. Anyway, two weeks before the wedding I was doing the wash at the apartment complex and Ron was sleeping in my bed. I took my laundry basket with my dried clothes (and his- I did his laundry too) and as I folded them I saw a tiny pair of bikini panties. At that time I wore a size 7 panty so the petite panties really shocked me- I ran into the bedroom and pummeled Ron- screaming at him. I threw my engagement ring at him and accused him of cheating. He admitted that he'd been seeing a nurse that lived a few blocks away. But when I showed him the panties he said those weren't hers- she was the same size that I was. Sooooo... long story short, the panties had been left in the dryer by accident by someone small who lived in the apartment complex.  I was strong- the wedding was cancelled, the relationship was over, and I resisted Ron's attempts to get back together. I was so relieved. I learned a lot from that close call.
Julia

Julia,

Your Ron sounds like my children's father.  On my way to our wedding, I knew I was making a dreadful mistake and I pulled into a parking lot where there was a phone booth (remember those things) and I called my sister and I said, what are you doing?  She said, what do you mean, what am I doing? Where are you?  I said, about two blocks from your house and she said, get over here, and I said, okay, and she said, your soon-to-be husband thinks you ran off.  I said, no, no, not really.  She said, is everything okay, the cake is here and the guest are here and you are not.  I said, I'm coming.  On my way, I saw an old boyfriend and I waved and he motioned me to pull over, and he and I smoked a joint and I said, well, I guess I better go and he said, you don't have to marry him do you? and I said, nope but my sister paid for the dress and the wedding, and he said, so and I said, you're sweet for getting me high and not even trying to kiss me, but I really need to get this over with.  So, I drove into her driveway knowing that I was making the biggest mistake of my life.   But, during the ceremony, the preacher said something funny and I was high, so I started laughing and couldn't stop and I glanced back at my sister and she glared at me with one of those looks like act right, so I bit my lip and went through with the damn thing. On our way out of town, my old boyfriend was sitting in his car and he flashed his lights as we drove by.  I waved and that was that.  I married an asshole.  

Jeannie I thought for sure when I got to the end I was gonna see that you ran away and didn't get married!!!

When I was married to my first husband, we were at the front of the church, ceremony all over and we went to the back of the church...and it was there that I said "I DON'T WANT TO BE MARRIED!!!!" I was told too late now!!! Well I stuck it out for 4 L O N G years getting beat up and all...so you see I married an asshole myself...in fact twice!!! LOL Glad I now have Rick in my life!!!

HUGS

Julia...so glad that you found out before you married that jerk!!

HUGS

I used to have a HOPE CHEST...sold it years ago because all my hopes and dreams came true...or so I thought. Didn't use it for much anyhow all it did was take up space. Guess I really wasn't into the saving things back then..but look at me now...omg so much stuff and nowhere for it to go!!! LOL

HUGS

Judy,

I'm kind of like you with the not wanting to hang on to too many of those old things; however, I do keep my cooking stuff.  And, I have a couple of things that I have drug from pillar to post.  My DH is the pack rat in our family.  I swear, he throws nothing away.  I think you and I are the last of the hope chest generation.  Remember the old oatmeal dishes--I had millions of them and thought they were the best thing since buttons, and I really wish I had kept them because now they are pretty collectable.  

 

Oh yeah...I had alot of those old dishes and do you believe I tossed them in the trash??? OMG!!!! I could kill myself for doing that now after seeing what they are worth!!!!

Right now I have so much junk I need to get rid of and afraid to do it in fear of it being worth alot of money...lol I do have one of my granmas old pans that I loved way back when and that I will NEVER throw away!!! Saw one at a flea market and I could kick myself for not buying it when I saw it!! Went back to get it on my way out and it was gone...grrrrrrr

 My hopechest started when I was about 15...  I went to a tupperware party and I bought a set of stackable multicolored glasses and a few other things.  It was put in the bottom of my dresser drawer; there was no chest.

When I was 16 I was PG so we got married....  those glasses were the beginning of my hope.  We did stay married 32yrs.... had a good family life, he had a good military career... just no marriage.  I was married to my best friend.. not a lover.

While married we made large oak chests for our sons when they married.  Now he makes them for the grandkids when they graduate.

I got my daughter a cedar chest and my son a trunk.  And, when they were in school, I put things in for them and said, this is for your moving away from home day.  They had quite a collection of things when they went off to college.  My son uses his trunk for his baseball card collection.  My daughter uses her cedar chest to keep the kids baby clothes and so forth in.  I think we all need something to get us started.  Good idea to make the chest for the grands.