silhouettes from the past

This morning found me with a task that usually only precedes holiday dinners. I was polishing silver. This time, however, I found my mind going back in time, imagining how and when these particular pieces were used. My mom gave them to me on Saturday. They are 6 little sterling silver teaspoons with an "h" etched into the handle. I told her we should have them because of the "h", for Harvey. :-) Actually, the "h" stands for Hazel, my grandmother's name (once considered an old-fashioned name, now in vogue thanks to Julia Roberts ). I only knew my Grandma for 1 year, then she died. So, my imagination of her comes through pictures and stories. As I polished the silver, I imagined another time, another century...early in that century. I pictured Hazel, having 5 of her friends or relatives over for coffee and Swedish treats, as they gathered to exchange quips about the people and times in the small town of DeKalb, Illinois. I pictured the old homes on the tree-lined streets, the dresses they wore (they certainly didn't wear pants!), perhaps even hats... the words, the laughter, and the clinking of the teaspoons. It's a bygone era...would I even be able to find 5 friends or relatives who would be HOME in the middle of the day? Not likely. But, I will find a way to use these special spoons and create memories. I decided not to put them in a box with the rest of our silver but, instead, to make them easily accessible. And, someday, they'll be passed down to yet another generation.