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March 19, 2007
What Am I?
Until I was nine years old, I was the only East Coast grandchild on my father’s side of the family. Two of my uncles were still children when I was born and by the time I was old enough to socialize, they were off being teenagers and early twenty-somethings, which meant that I was left to my own means for entertainment- a giant box of legos and matchbox cars and my grandmother’s basement. For years, even after my cousin was born, I spent the bulk of our family holiday visits rummaging around the cellar. There was always something there that was intriguing- old photographs that my grandmother had been painting, my mother’s pottery from years ago, left over crap from the children who’d grown up and left the house. To be honest, I never really stopped searching for artifacts, though the task of sorting and taking home has taken on a new and more serious meaning in recent years. Grandma is now working on cleaning out the basement. Most of the time, rummaging is no longer play but a recognition that the things she has might be of value to younger members of the family.
This weekend, Alexis, Little C (my cousin) and I took to the upstairs of my grandmother’s house- the two barely heated bedrooms where at one point at least four or five children slept. The upstairs houses the detritions of the younger kids, which means that there are awesome posters of Stryker under the bed, along with huge black velvet and fluorescent colored, um, “inspiration posters” and a still functional SEGA from 1983, or thereabouts. And let’s not forget the ALF doll, still in its box. And the collection of LIFE magazine “Year in Pictures,” including Princess Diana’s wedding, the Hinckley/Reagan shooting, and various other issues that would make an eBay addict squeal with delight.
By far, however, my most favorite find of the afternoon was my great grandmother’s fur stole. No one could figure out exactly what kind animal(s) it was made out of*, but that didn’t really matter because each rodent mouth had a little clip hidden beneath its jaw, which meant that you could attach them to one another by their teeth-- or the person standing next to you (imagine seven children playing with this thing over time-- I am sure it was used as torture on more than one occasion). And when I forced Alexis to put it on, it shed all over his freshly dry cleaned sweater.
* Little C thinks that they are Stone Martins.
Posted by callalillie at March 19, 2007 1:16 PM | La Familia
Yeah, they were always referred to as the Stone Martens as in "Do NOt play with the Stone Martens!" Like we listened. Those teeth are quite formidible. We probably have pics of Mom/Grandma wearing the little devils. They're in the weasle family. Cute!
Posted by: Vickie at March 21, 2007 7:30 AM
they are stone martens. i have one i bought and wore in college. i'm not sure what a stone marten is, but that's what they are.
Posted by: alyssa at March 21, 2007 8:40 AM
If I recall correctly, the jaws of the little devils were the clasps and were indeed quite strong. Wait; I have sudden flashbacks of Chris chasing me with Stone Martens in hand, snapping away at me--ahhhh!
Posted by: jane at March 21, 2007 12:46 PM
Did you bring the Sega home?
Posted by: Sally at March 22, 2007 9:37 AM
No-- but I'm considering asking my uncle if I can borrow it. Apparently it still works.
Posted by: corie at March 22, 2007 9:41 AM
Stone martens are in the Mustelidae family, along with weasels, badgers, mink, and otters. My father was a mink rancher, and when I was a child a had a one-skin neck thing with the clamp on the lower jaw, just like your great-grandmother's stole. I still have it, although it hasn't been worn in 50 years.
Posted by: kmkat at March 22, 2007 10:59 PM
i just found out from my mom that not only did it belong to grandma, but apparently she thinks it may have also belonged to NANA which means the thing is at least 60-75 years old.
Posted by: christine at March 23, 2007 12:00 AM
i love all mustelldae things! otters, ferrets, stoats, and every other animal! LOVE THE MUSTELLDAE!!!!!!!!
Posted by: loni howerton at April 25, 2007 11:55 AM
