The Nesting Continues – Memory Lane Edition

I’ve actually accomplished a lot of the things I wanted to with all my nesting energy.  There’s still a lot I want to do, some already mentioned, some not, but I thought I’d take the time to share something I love with the rest of the world.

Allow me to introduce my cedar chest.

It’s sort of a family tradition for the girls in my family to receive a cedar chest as a gift when they graduate from high school.  I think my mom got hers then, too.  A few days before my high school graduation my mom took me to a store that sells cedar chests so I could choose the one I wanted.  I chose one by Lane made of cherry with some ornamental carving, brass fixtures, and a cushioned seat that I could reupholster.  The inside, of course, is lined with cedar.  There is no scent like cedar.  I love opening my chest just for the smell.

My cedar chest lived at the foot of my bed until I got married.  It has since lived at various places around our bedroom or apartment depending on the space we had to work with.  In our current apartment it’s back at the foot of the bed and is frequently covered in clean or dirty clothes and other random items that get tossed there.

A few weeks ago Teeny asked me what I keep in it so here’s a little insight.  Inside I’ve kept things that are sentimental to me.  As a gift for graduating seminary my parents gave me a temple apron that my mom hand sewed.  Again, this is a family tradition but for both the boys and girls in my family.  That went into the chest until I received my temple endowment.  I tend to keep kind, thoughtful letters or cards from friends and family and had accumulated quite the collection before receiving the chest.  Those found a home in the chest and have since been joined by close friends’ wedding announcements, a few extra-special cards NYDD and I received when we got married, Christmas cards I’ve especially enjoyed, and other important letters or documents.  I keep the original copy of my patriarchal blessing and the papers from my endowment and sealing in there.  My high school and seminary graduation diplomas are there along with a couple of plaques, certificates, and award letters from independent music scholarships I won.  My high school graduation cap is next to them.  My first place trophy, certificate, and program from a high school music competition is there.  My lift pass from caroling in Sun Valley is there along with my pin from their Jazz Festival as well.  The flowers and letter NYDD gave me when he proposed are there and my wedding bouquet is as well.  There are some newspaper features from shows I did and books Teeny made about our family when she was in elementary school.  A journal I kept of my time being a nanny is there.  A meaningful letter from Fuffy is there with some funny things Jazz has sent over the years (Christmas and birthday lists, cards, and invitations).  There is a sweet pair of gloves and a framed poem I wrote about my grandma L and a print of a watercolor my grandma A painted.  I also have some pressed autumn leaves from various points in my life in the chest.

There isn’t really anything of significant monetary value; it’s almost entirely sentamental stuff that only means something to me or my family.  I haven’t looked through it in a while and decided with some of my nesting energy to do so a few days ago.  I tossed a few things that weren’t relevant anymore (friends old phone numbers written on scraps of paper or a request of time off from a job that I never turned in) and rearranged some of the things in the chest so it all fit better.  While rearranging I pulled out and looked through some of the things I’ve kept.  I love having a place that brings back so many memories and holds so many things that are meaningful to me.  It’s a nice place to look when I need a lift.

Names and addresses in photos have been blocked for privacy.