Pink Chocolate

I have to say I can't believe it.

I appreciate each beautiful sunrise, each flutter of a delicate bird's wings as they fly past my admiring eyes, or when I see one of my babies do something precious (or, for you Donna, when I see "Sunlashes":). I believe these are all miracles and I expect them, fully believing they are each a thought-out and specific gift to me from The Creator. He knows what I love, even more than I do.

It's not that I don't expect He will send miracles, so much as it is feeling like I have many lessons to learn, and some will require painful losses to register and to embed all of the learning...

If you know me personally, it is likely you know that I love vintage jewelry. It is so unique - history walking through life on someone's lapel or neck or whatever. I love to think about the story of the original owners of pieces. I like to try to think of the economic trends at the times they were made and contemplate if it was a sacrificial purchase for a treasured someone, or if it was an incidental "no skin off my back" token. Who bought it? Why? Who was it for? Where are they now?

I have pieces from several eras. I go for pieces that I will enjoy wearing, not a certain brand or year. I have no desire to have a drawer or jewelry box full of dusty items just so I can say I have them or collect them. They are for wearing and enjoying.

Of course I have my favorites, like everyone does with their clothing and jewelry. One of the pieces I love is a brooch. It is speculated to be from the late 1800's but I have not had it confirmed.I would guess later, maybe 20's or 30's, but I am by no means an expert. I fondly call it my "Pink Barnacle Pin". I bought it several years ago from a lady back east, a collector selling off her collection, from whom I have acquired several pieces. I won't bore you with details of how it looks as you will see a picture below. I think you will know why it reminds me of barnacles.

With a little one, I don't wear brooches often at this season of my life. But this morning I wore it to church on the lapel of my pink jacket.

I was hot during church, in the Cry Room where I sat with my little boy. And I took my jacket off.

When church was over I picked up my jacket to put it back on. I caught a glimpse of the Pink Barnacle Pin and glanced appreciatively over it's tiny pink barnacles, each with a little rhinestone in it's tip. All 16 of them. Screech. Halt... 15 of them!!! 15 of them??? Oh no. OH NO!!

One little barnacle is missing.Very little.




The problem with unique vintage jewelry? You cannot get missing components replaced.

My husband came in about then and we searched. I rehearsed where I'd been. Oh no.

I wore it to the Women Of Faith Conference yesterday at the Rose Garden Arena.This is the big arena in Portland. Think NBA. And, in my efforts to meet Mandisa and Nicole C. Mullen, I walked around quite a bit. In fact, I was wearing this brooch when I met them both.

I figure it is lost forever.

I do touch briefly in my memory on my high school days when I find a diamond chip that has fallen out of a small ring I had, after playing basketball in the school gym. My friend Julie's wedding ring got lost in the ocean on her honeymoon and a young boy found it. My 100 year old friend told me about a lady who lost her ring in the outhouse at church once and, many years later it was found on the church property.

I know of a few stories. But I figure the Rose Garden Arena is not a location where my tiny pink barnacle will be found. I say "Okay God. That's okay. It's just a thing. It was fun to have. I will paint that spot pink so it won't be too noticeable and I will still wear it. I am thankful for what I do have. My family is healthy"...blah, blah, blah. You all know what I said because you've said it yourself a hundred times.

Fast forward six hours or so.

I had been snuggling with my baby but come downstairs as I need to get to a few things. Little Mister stays upstairs to watch "amnimals". I am now in my kitchen starting some clean up for the week and trying to get the house pretty enough to photograph for my post on the 15th for Deena's Autumn Open House.

My baby comes downstairs, handing something toward me saying "totluht (chocolate) mama".

In his chubby little fingers, being clutched clumsily,

is something very tiny...

and pink.

Not believing it, I run upstairs to see which remaining barnacle he picked off of the brooch. There are still 15.

My two year old child found my barnacle.

Instead of doing what most two year olds, including him, would normally do and putting it in his mouth, he obediently brought it to me to ask if he could eat it. For all I knew, it was at the Rose Garden Arena. I never would have known to check for it if he ate it. You KNOW what I mean.

He was met with squeals of delight -- and a piece of chocolate from Daddy's last Europe trip.

Yes, son. You may have THIS chocolate!

(Here he is with his famous cheesy grin -- and his "totluht")



Thank you God, that You care about me, even in my silly feminine ways --- and you care about my pink barnacle too, and are going to let me enjoy each piece of it awhile longer (after I take it to a professional for repair).


(Sorry the pictures aren't a little better, but you get the idea. I will try to get a better picture tomorrow.)