My absence from the blog for over two weeks is because my husband Jim was unexpectedly hospitalised and even more unexpectedly died of a heart attack on 28 May. His funeral was on Wednesday 4 June. I am obviously grieving, but have been, and continue to be, well supported by family and friends.
In looking for a way to deal with this and continue my blog, I remembered this post that I had written a couple of months ago, but not yet posted. It seems an appropriate post to link to Jim and to get me going again with my blog. It is about an interest gift and a stitching idea.
One of the gifts Jim gave me for my birthday was a vintage wooden 'promise box'. Neither of us had seen one of these before. The box itself is beautiful. It is made of a light wood (in colour and weight), hinged, with a hand-carved lid in a pattern resembling fanned leaves and branches.
Inside are tiny scrolls, each with a Bible verse. The instructions on the inside lid ask you to 'Take one and replace".A little bit of research since receiving this, suggests they were used in both homes and churches. In churches parishioners could take a verse as they left, read it and replace it. In homes, these seem to be mostly used around the table.
I have not heard of, or seen these in use in Australia, but others may have. There are contemporary versions available in the USA.A couple of years ago, my daughter and the children made me a jar of memories that I can dip into when needing some comfort and cheer. I guess the idea is not dissimilar.
I haven't thought it out yet, but there is an idea playing around in my mind about making a small embroidered box with verses, or sayings, or memories It would be a good gift to think about for someone convalescing, or grieving. I haven't worked out if there is a way to embroider the messages, or whether the little paper scrolls would be the thing. I will let the idea simmer away and take any ideas that come along.
