Sometimes when I look back, I realize that remarkable things happened to me that I took for granted at the time. I grew up in a small town, graduated in a high school class of about 90 kids, and all the girls were given a small jewelry box as a gift from a local furniture store. Looking back, I am surprised by the business' generosity . I love my little box, and it is filled with keepsakes, some mine, some my DH's things. My hometown had a showroom for this furniture store, which was based in an even smaller town farther east of us.
Here is a closeup of the inside of the box - it reads " Lane presented by Roark Furniture Company, Laura, Ohio".
Our family moved into town when I was 14. I had always lived on a farm up to that point, and quickly learned to enjoy some of the benefits of small town life. There were certainly more kids to play with, and even though I was one of the oldest to play, I loved the street games we played - does anybody remember playing 'mud gutter' as a kid? We rode our bikes to the library - I loved going to the library and getting a new book whenever I wanted.
You could go up the block to the furniture store (Roark's) and see if they had an empty refrigerator or stove box, which you could drag home to use for all sorts of things - a play house, mostly. I guess it seems juvenile to play at 14, but I remember enjoying all these new ways to play 'in town' that I had never been able to do before.
that's my show and tell, don't forget to visit Kelli's blog to see who else is in on the action this week!
25 comments:
WOW! I have that exact Lane Cedar
Mini Chest! I recieved for my graduation too!! But not in Ohio!
A great past for the past for me!
And I have the same little Lane chest from Detroit Mich! I also have a big one that my mom got me for Graduation! So fun to see your post!
I love your keepsake box..a perfect place for treasures. Sounds like you had a happy childhood...those sure were great times. Linda
:::inhaling deeply::: I love the smell of cedar boxes. Oh now I'm jealous. What a great show n tell.
My Show n Tell is ready for visitors.
Thanks for stopping by and visiting me today. I remember dragging home one of those boxes when my kids were little to play in with them. So I guess 14 isn't too old! Ha Ha! Isn't LANE a brand of chests? How neat to get one of those for graduation!
Connie
Now that little hope chest looks familiar. I received one as well when I graduated high school in California! I keep mine on my chest of drawers in the bedroom. I have all sorts of trinkets in it.
Thank you for bringing back memories!
Gina
Muum-
I have the same treasure box as here in Illinois the area furniture stores gave them as graduation gifts also! So glad you shared as did not know they did this elsewhere! I keep really special treasures inside mine! Have a Happy Spring!
Karyl
I remember the fun of going where you wanted to ride or play and not worry about the dangers that lurk out there today. They are special memories. Thanks for sharing.
That was a very nice gift !
It's me again. I should have posted that the one that chimes is set to go off at 11 p.m. and comes back on at 7 a.m. The cuckoo has a door that you can lock if it bothers guests. Thanks for stopping by my blog today.
What a lovely box! That is certainly a keepsake. I hope it still has the cedar smell when you open it up.
We also had such fond memories of friends and outdoor games. We always had to be home when the noon whistle blew. But we would play all sorts of great games.
What a useful gift to receive. I love the gorgeous colours in the wood.
I don't remember playing the game but I do remember playing in refrigerator boxes and getting a cedar box like yours. I believe they were to given as an incentive to buy a cedar chest.
I remember these were given out by a furniture in the city near where we lived. I guess seniors were given a card to take there. A Lane Cedar chest(hope chest) was once a graduation gift given for girls to fill with things for their truseau(sp). I didn't get one of these but my sister did, I think.
I guess there was a drugstore with a soda fountain in your town where teens hung out.
Thanks for sharing and for visiting my post today. I do not know anything about the angel I shared.
Mama Bear
I just love your sweet little keepsake box! Kathy@ Mimi's Garden
My goodness. I had one of those too. It was a premium for some kind of ad campaign, I think. Those were the days when we hung out at Graeter's and drank lime phosphates and cherry Coke. Neighborhoods in Cincinnati were like small towns in those days, so I had some of the same feelings in grade school and even Junior High.
Nancy
This is a nice sampler chest for those special treasures. Thanks for sharing.
What a wonderful little cedar box, I feel a little left out that I did not get one at graduation. I'm from Northwest Ohio. I remember playing outside and having to be home when the street lights came on. I wish our kids could enjoy being young like we did, but there are so many dangers out there now. It was definitely a safer/better time.
I'm jealous of ya'll! I didn't get a cedar chest for graduation. :(
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What a lovely story of your trip down Memory Lane..good times past :)
What a sweet little box and I enjoyed reading about your memories too!
~Kelli
It has been great to read everyone's comments, and I had never thought about the fact that other places also had this little gift given to graduating high school seniors! (Michigan, California, Illinois, as well as other places in Ohio checked in on this)I think it was a good promotional deal to help us all think positively about getting a hope chest, or doing business with LANE and/or our local furniture store.
I got the same chest when I was a little girl, probably from my mother. I'll have to ask if she got it for graduation. (She's from Michigan.)
My grandfather owned a furniture store and I have a box just like this! I guess they use to be for giving as a gift to let the person know they had been given a Ceder chest. For all that important stuff we need BEFORE we get married! I guess today we call them a "storage unit" of "parents garage"!
Have a blessed day.
Terisa
I just found the Lane cedar mini chest I received shortly before my 1983 high school graduation. I have lost the key, but Lane is kindly sending me a free replacement.
I am certain that these hearken back to a time when women married shortly after graduating high school; and, as you said, Lane (and their local retailers) wanted to be top of mind when these young women picked out a hope chest. Does anyone even still use hope chests?
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